Hi,
What do you suggest as a replacement, if I continue with Mach 3?
If you stick with Mach3 then your existing XHC controller will work. It has a few failings in terms of what it supports and
what it does not, things like lathe threading and THC. If you require realtime support for a specific function, say, THC,
then do your homework otherwise the XHC controller will disappoint.
If you are just starting out in CNC then I would recommend Mach4, it is still being developed whereas all Mach3 development
ceased five years ago. Going straight to Mach4 does represent a bit of a hurdle, you will have to get a compatible controller
for instance. That will cost somewhere in the region of $120-$250 for economically priced units and $600 plus if you want
really high quality.
I personally use and like the Ethernet SmoothStepper by Warp9. The same board can be used for either Mach3 OR Mach4.
With Mach3 it is fully featured with things like lathe threading and THC. The vast majority of realtime features works in Mach4
but THC is being beta tested now.
PMDX-422 by PMDX, the 57CNC by PoKeys and the UC300 by CNCDrive are all worthy of consideration in the economical
market segment.
The PMDX-422 is for Mach4 only. The other two have both Mach3 and Mach4 plugins. They do not have a full suite of
realtime functions so careful research is required if there is something specific you need.
The Hicon Integra by Vital Systems is very capable and high quality at $600 for the base model. Extra functionality adds
to the cost.
The last word in quality is supplied by Galil. Be prepared to pay $2000 for a three axis controller.
If I change to Mach 4, will my stepper drivers have to change as well?
No, the stepper drivers that work with Mach3 will work indentically with Mach4.
Craig