Hello, I need to make a cnc plasma cutter with 2 axis. I am new to this area about cnc mach3.
First of all, what is the best controller to use or what do you suggest and any advice.
How hard is it to program?
I am an electrical engineering student, I have knowledge about electronics.
Well, as a new field for me, I don't know where to start. Any manual that has helped you.

sincerely
E.

Hi,
if  you are new and do not yet have a license you should go with Mach4. All development on Mach3 ceased eight years ago, it works but whatever bugs it has it will always have.

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=42891.msg278176#msg278176

Mach4 all but requires an external motion controller, I'd recommend an Ethernet SmoothStepper (ESS). You need a breakout board to match, and for a simple machine
such as you are contemplating a single port (17 IOs) bidirectional C10 for $23.00 is good value or a two port (34 IOs) bidirectional C25 for $29.00 is good value also.
You may have to provide some very simple external circuitry, relays etc, but should be no problems. Or you could make a breakout board, this is one I made, all three ports (51IOs)
developed, all 24V tolerant, differential outputs for the servos (six axis), plus PWM, relay on/off for the spindle and electromagnetic brake output for the Z axis.

You'll soon want Torch Height Control, a plasma table without it is way less than ideal. Yes, I've heard it all before...' I don't need THC....I'll use X or Y or Z, I don't need THC'
and I call BS, every single one of them comes back to implementing THC

Mach4 has a script based software THC feature, very low bandwidth, say 10Hz, but adequate for many THC purposes. Your electronics skills will come in handy if you wish to do that.
The ESS is matched to a THC controller/breakout board in the form of a Warp Runner board, now you have realtime hardware controlled THC with bandwidth of 100Hz or more.

What plasma machine do you have?. Any HF start plasma is far from ideal for a Plasma table, the electrical noise is very hard to accommodate, contact start like Hypertherm is much preferred.
Even contact start plasmas are electrically noisy and so USB connected motion controllers are not recommended. Transformer coupled USB is better but still has more latency
and less noise immunity than Ethernet.

Craig

Hi,
yeah, you are right. I absolutely need torch height control.
The plasma I have is the following https://www.blechzulieferer.com/plasma-cutting-device-jaeckle-plasma-60-new+42805/offer

If I understood when the plasma start is electrical noisy and unsuitable, what if a circuit is designed that filters that signal when it starts or a relay is used and the relay spike is filtered.

Hi,
if THC is required then the ESS/Warp Runner is probably the most cost effective solution.  You will see various combinations that work with a Proma controller,
but the Proma controller is just a voltage comparator and produces Up and Down commands whereas the Warp Runner has anti-dive strategies, and is all round just
more sophisticated.

That plasma is HF start....and it will be problematic for ANY plasma table. In particular the HF start. Remember that in the earliest days radio waves were generated
by a spark generator......so much so that Marconi got radio communication across the Atlantic. HF has an alarming habit of defeating every filter, but if its what you have that's what
you try.

Craig

Hi,since a few days I have been browsing and looking for equipment and I decided to start with mach3 and this board because I have those parts where I live
and to make a floating head because I only have flat material for cutting.
But I saw a video somewhere where he did it by measuring voltage with arduino and sending a signal to this board, but it was not clear how.
Do you have any idea how I can control thc if I have a signal output from the arduino that shows the voltage of the Plasma during cutting.
How should the signal be during the output and in which pins of this board should it go and where can I configure it in mach3

Hi,
firstly, flat material does not stay flat when plasma cutting, thinner materials are notorious for buckling and you'll need THC to keep up with the height variation.

But I saw a video somewhere where he did it by measuring voltage with arduino and sending a signal to this board, but it was not clear how.

That is basically DIY THC, perhaps you should ask him how he did it. Many people have tried and some have even succeeded. Good luck.

Craig

Hi,
Thanks for info.

sincerely

Hi,
that breakout board you pictured is a parallel port breakout board. Are you intending on running Mach3's parallel port?
If so you'll need a 32 bit PC Windows 7 or XP. Are you really sure you want to start with such an antiquated solution?
I haven't used a parallel port in ten or eleven years.....and I certainly don't want to go back there.

Craig

hi,
yes, because at the moment I only have these solutions.

but I don't know how I can control z axis if I measure the voltage with arduino, in plasma.