So I just got my first CNC.  It came with Mach3 software.  But when I look on your site I see it recommends Mach4. 
1. Should I even install Mach3 or go straight to Mach4? 
2. How much is it to upgrade?
3. What boxes do I need to tick to decide to use Mach4 vs Mach3?  My CNC does have a USB port instead of parallel, if that plays in the decision.

Hi,
if this is your first CNC experience then I would recommend Mach4 rather than Mach3. Mach4 is still be actively developed whereas all development of Mach3 ceased seven years ago.

It rather sounds like you have a Mach3 ready USB connected external motion controller? The vast majority, especially the Chinese made USB controllers, work (mostly!) with Mach3 only.

You can run Mach4 as a parallel port. The parallel port plugin is called Darwin and a $25.00 license fee applies. It would allow you to use a Windows 7 or earlier 32 bit PC but it will lack
many of the reatltime supports that you may want in the future. So a parallel port works but not recommended.

There are seven manufacturers of Mach4 ready external motion controllers:
1) Ethernet SmoothStepper ($190) by Warp 9
2) 57CNc by PoKeys ( $150)
3) UC100, UC300, UC400 by CNCDrive ( $120 through $160)
4) Hicon ( starts at $600) by Vital Systems
5) CSMIO (600 Euro, has buggy Mach4 plugin, good quality but marginal support)
6) PMDX412, PMDX426 ($120 through $260)
7) XHC, don't know the price, severely limited plugin, avoid like the plague.

All have their strengths and weaknesses. The two standout, in terms of realtime supports, are the Ethernet SmoothStepper and the Hicon. Having said that the PoKeys, UCnnn
and PMDXnnn will all work well for three axis CNC machines, but may miss on THC, or backlash comp, or single point lathe threading for instance.

Some of these devices require a breakout board as well, the ESS and UCnnn series for example. A breakout board does not really add any functionality so much as it buffers the motion board
output signals  and provides good (screw) terminations for wires to your drives and limits switches etc. They can be a simple as a C10, a one port (17IO's) bidirectional board for $23.00
up to an MB3, a three port (51 IOs) for $190.

So you can see there is a reasonable range of hardware on offer all designed to extract the best from Mach4.

I have been using Mach4 for seven years with an ESS (Ethernet SmoothStepper). I used to use C10 (equivalents) but now use my own design and built breakout board. My new machine
is all servo driven and I wanted some servo specific features, ergo I made my own.

Post a few pictures of you machine, we may be able to identify various bits that may inform your decisions.

Craig

If it is running on Mach3 and working well leave it alone . Don't fix what isn't broken.

I haven't tried installing Mach3 on the laptop yet.  I didn't want to go down that road yet until I factored in the pros/cons of what it would take to get it to run Mach4. 

I believe I have a Chinese 6040 4 Axis 1000W USB controller with 800W water-cooled spindle sold by Vevor.  Pictures attached.

Thanks, Craig for your lengthy response.  Most of that I didn't understand but did quite a bit of googling to kinda get up to speed.  If I went with the ESS/Mach4 approach, then I have these questions:
1. Need a C10 (or similar) for my motors and limit switches
2. Need some other BOB for the variable speed spindle?
3. If done the above, then what does the big black box controller do?  Just provides power?  How does the new components interface with the remnants of black controller box?
4. Hasn't someone bundled all this into plug-n-play box already?
5.  Is there an upgrade price from Mach3 to Mach4?

Obviously, you can tell I'm a nubie, but is there a youtube video(s) that shows a feller how to make all the changes listed above?

Thanks for the direction.

Enjoy a large learning curve. If its set up for Mach3 get used to it before changing stuff . Mach3 was a great software . All vendor have to keep coming up with new software to keep the money coming in . That's why Microsoft stops support for for older operating systems .

If you open the controller Box and find a BSMCEO44U-PP controller card inside, you are somewhat committed to MACH3. It is Mach3 only compatible.
Mach3 is a stable platform and it works very well. Unless you are into a full scale machine shop needing sophisticated control processes, stick with Mach3. Your CNC is set up for it and will be pretty close to plug and play in metric mode. Download the latest version of MACH 3 from Newfangled (It might be the same version), try it before you license it. It will do small files for trial. The copy that came with it will also be a trial copy (you will eventually wind up paying for a license). It is fairly easy to learn, but it takes real time to get good at it.
I can help you with any setup problems. I also have a reasonable translation of the BSMCEO44 operating manual.
 
Bill     

Hi,

Is there an upgrade price from Mach3 to Mach4?

No, you either buy Mach3 ($175) or Mach4 ($200), there is no upgrade.

If your machine is supplied with Mach3 then it is almost certainly a pirate copy, the Chinese are shockers for doing that.

If you want to use Mach4 then you'll need an external motion controller like and ESS and a breakout board. A C10 will get you going,
but a more sophisticated breakout board will include a relay for the spindle and a PWM to analogue circuit to control speed.

If you open the controller Box and find a BSMCEO44U-PP controller card inside, you are somewhat committed to MACH3. It is Mach3 only compatible.

As has been posted this is most likely correct. I personally regard those controller boards as junk but others have been able to get them to work, but as noted, Mach3 ONLY.
Good luck.

Craig

Take it from a guy that has and STILL IS trying to upgrade from 3-4. It will make you very angry and there is a huge learning curve and anyone suggesting there isn't is full of it. Mach4 is a good software for programmers and not DIYers. There are a lot of mods that need to be done not to mention the setup of the pins, spindle, etc. I work on mine a little and then walk away so I don't drop kick the computer. Here is a small example, my WORK ZERO does NOTHING so I have to go in and modify the script to tell it to work. You would think that would be a "from the factory" thing but evidently it isn't. Just several little things like that that can make you say WHY DID I JUST SPEND $200 ON THIS!! I am still hoping I can overcome, and it works good in the end but I am still using Mach3 after almost 8 months of switching over.

Hi,

Take it from a guy that has and STILL IS trying to upgrade from 3-4. It will make you very angry and there is a huge learning curve and anyone suggesting there isn't is full of it.

That is 100% correct. You need patience pills or Bourbon or both.

Mach4 is a good software for programmers and not DIYers.

This I disagree with. For regular 3 and 4 axis machines Mach4 is good to go out of the box. If any programming is required it amounts to
a few keystrokes to turn this feature on or turn that feature off, being able to program in Lua is not required.

not to mention the setup of the pins, spindle, etc.

Yes, you have to set up the ports and pins in a broadly similar manner to Mach3, and yes its challenging, but that comes
with building your own machine.

Here is a small example, my WORK ZERO does NOTHING so I have to go in and modify the script to tell it to work. You would think that would be a "from the factory" thing but evidently it isn't.

I've never had an issue with <Go To Work Zero>, it always worked out of the box, right from day one.

One of the big strengths of Mach4 is that it can be customized to your needs with Lua, the editable GUI and Mach4s modular structure.
Mach4s biggest weakness is that it can be customized to your needs. Yes, if you want to customize your machine then you will have to start coding,
and yes there is a lot of learning required to get good results, its not magic.

I've been using Mach4 for nearly eight years and its so vastly superior to Mach3 I'd slash my wrists before I'd go backwards.

Craig

Please do not slash anything as we need you terribly . Read my other post and you will see what I mean for the Work Zero issue. This has been an issue for many in the past.
The biggest trouble I see is everything is so customizable it can be overwhelming for a newer person. Again I am really hoping for the best but as you can see by other posts 4 is not terribly user friendly. I am hoping if I can get this last issue fixed I will be cutting my first piece tomorrow and will come back here and tell these guys just how wrong I was.....NOT.