Hello Guest it is March 28, 2024, 05:49:50 PM

Author Topic: No movement on new computer.  (Read 2899 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

No movement on new computer.
« on: November 20, 2019, 07:02:32 PM »
OK. Long winded first post but this was my last resort. I am the search and find what others have already said kind of guy. I hate repetitive questions that are easily answered with a simple search. This is a two part deal but one may be an anomaly.

OK. I built my own cnc plasma table two years ago. everything went great. using a breakout board and the parallel port on a optiplex dell. I used it for 6 months this way intermittently with zero issues.

I had it in my main business doing personal work and felt I should move it home. So I did. Well last winter it got cold...like reallllly cold. -20*F cold. The computer died as I left it outside like an idiot. I forgot I owned the table TBH as I rarely used it.

SO I replaced the computer with an HP with a parallel port. Got it functioning perfectly. Transferred the necessary license file and got everything reconfigured. It cut just like it did before. I used it some and it sat a bit. This time I unhooked the PC and brought it inside just in case whenever I wasnt using it. One day I had everything powered up and I was working on GCode on my laptop and the torch randomly fired off. I went to the PC to see what was going on and it was off. GREAT. Another dead PC.

Now I am willing to write off those two dead PCs as anomalies given on froze and they were both pretty old machines. Both updated to Windows 7 but old nonetheless. Any input on that is appreciated but not 100% why I am here.



The real problem at hand:

I got another PC setup with Windows 7 32 bit. It is another optiplex (I love these things). I did not do any Windows updates as I know some of the recent updates can really jack things up. I have no internet connection to the machine to avoid virus and updates, etc... I got Mach3 installed, the driver, and the license transfered and everything is reconfigured how it was. I have a backup file on google drive since day 1 with all of the info and files. This Mach install has something wrong that I cannot put my finger on. It will not jog. The hotkeys are all configured. It will not move the DRO numbers with the hotkeys OR the virtual pendant. If I run a program the DRO does not change and obviously the machine does not move. The jogging is enabled. The obvious things have been checked 100 times. I have completely removed mach 3 and reinstalled everything multiple times to no avail. Any ideas here?! I am losing my mind with it. Mach 3 has always been a bit buggy and frustrating for me as i am used to industrial CNC equipment but I understand for the most part. 

Offline Graham Waterworth

*
  • *
  •  2,668 2,668
  • Yorkshire Dales, England
    • View Profile
Re: No movement on new computer.
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2019, 07:42:05 PM »
Have you selected the motion controller form the menu?

Have you checked it is licenced in the help menu?
Without engineers the world stops
Re: No movement on new computer.
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2019, 08:49:34 PM »
It is 100% licensed and the motion controller is setup to the correct parallel port address. Anything basic has been done. This is the 3rd computer now hooked to this system. previous 2 worked flawless before their death.
Re: No movement on new computer.
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2019, 04:13:58 PM »
Got it figured out....kind of. Downloaded an older version of mach 3. Installed it. Everything works it appears. Pretty disappointed in Mach 3 overall at this point. Very finicky and unstable platform for CNC work.
Re: No movement on new computer.
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2019, 06:40:48 PM »
Hi,

Quote
Got it figured out....kind of. Downloaded an older version of mach 3. Installed it. Everything works it appears. Pretty disappointed in Mach 3 overall at this point. Very finicky and unstable platform for CNC work.

Mach3 is now an old program, its been unsupported for six years. Mach4 is the current and supported product by NFS.
Depending on your previous experience you may well find Mach4 to be 'finicky' also, certainly by comparison to Fanuc and Siemens say.
Then again a hobby licence for Mach4 is $200 whereas a high spec Fanuc or Siemens controller will be $20,000 plus.

Craig
'I enjoy sex at 73.....I live at 71 so its not too far to walk.'