Unfortunately there are no discount deals on changing from a Mach3 license to a Mach4 license.

Something you could possibly consider, which is perhaps the cheapest option, is spending 88 Euros on a UC100 motion controller and continue using Mach3. https://www.shop.cncdrive.com/index.php?categoryID=114

In retrospect my suggestion was perhaps not such a smart idea - CNC Drive are currently not updating their Mach3 or Mach4 plugins to correct known bugs / limitations.

Tweakie.

Hello,

   I was reaching out to Dash x for one of their contollers (the smooth stepper) and I talked to Mike and explained what was happening. He thought that it might be electrical interference. I turned the spindle off while running the program and it ran fine. Then I had a little bit of time and this is what I came up with. I tried a shielded ethernet cable and it didn’t seem to make much of a difference. I started running ground wires in the machine (through the gantry). Didn’t seem to make any difference. When I first had success, I had a ground wire from the top of the spindle to the ground in the machine going out to the wall. I tried this again and it didn’t seem to help this time. I noticed that when the spindle came up to 18000 RPM it would sound like it was chattering or wasn’t running smooth. I dialed back the RPM and it would work. I slowly came to 17000 and it seemed to work for the simple program that I am testing with. Then it didn’t. when I get it back to 16000 RPM it seems to work most of the time. I have had it several times that it wouldn’t finish the last two lines of GCode an error came up and I had to restart. I think that the problem has something to do with the spindle. Whether it is the spindle it’s self or the EMI (electrical magnetic interference) from the spindle. Not sure if you have come across this before? Your thoughts?
Cheers
Peter

Save screenshot as jpg and attach file

This time I had the spindle at 17000 RPM and it quit once it tried to start moving the gantry. I am cutting a simple circle in the air as I don't want to break any bits. The spindle is rated for 18000 RPM. I sent you the history as i can't send you the individual errors.I also have a video but I am not sure how to send it to you.
Cheers
Peter

Hello,
This has been an epic jouney with my CNC machine from China. At first it looked like it was a software issue with a bad or copied license for Mach3. I went in that direction and still wasn't able to make things work. One of the people that I reched out to thought it might be a problem with the spindle back feeding EMF. That led me into the right area. Turns out the the setting for the spindle weren't right and it was drawing more power that the controller was out putting. I have solved that problem. I think I have my machine set up and working properly. The problem that I have now I think is the way I set up Mach3. I am trying to surface my spoil board. I made a simple program in Vcarve. I have reviewed the Gcode (I had someone else look at too). I set Z zero. I raise the spindle and start the program. The first thing that happens is the dust boot comes down and then the spindle comes down and bottoms out on the spoil board to make an impression. It comes up and starts the rest of the program but now is above the material. I think that Mach3 thinks that the spindle is lower than it is because it bottomed out. I set the safe zero at 40 and when the spindle is moving it should be a lot higher than it is. It is only slightly higher than the material. When I stop the program I can use my computer to move X and Y but I can't move Z until I restart everything. I'm sure it is a setting or a little more. any ideas? Thanks in advance!
Cheers
Peter

If you attach your surfacing GCode file (it needs to have a unique name) I will run it and see if I get the same problem.

Tweakie.

Hi Tweekie,
Here is the G Code. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for your help.
Cheers
Peter

If you turn on single step you can run the program one line at a time by pressing start, your code looks line it first Z move is to 50.8mm using height offset 8.  At this point you can check the position of the tool over the work as the spindle is not running.

It looks like the code is programmed from the work top face so did you touch the tool on the board and zero out the Z axis?

Hello,
Thanks for getting back to me. I did zero the tool to the top of the board. I need to flatten the Spoil Board. Once I have done that I plan to use the Board as zero. It's weird. I tried it again with Z zero set about 70mm above the spoil board to see what happens. Not sure why but the dust hood comes down and the G code is starting. The machine was at home all and was next to the board and the spindle came down and stoped at the bed which is aprox 100mm below the zero I had set. I am just about to watch a video on soft limits to see if there is anything there to help. I think it might be a setting in Mach3 that is wrong or I missed. Maybe its normal but if I move the gantry to where it would be machine home or past by mistake. I have to restart both the machine and the software to get things to move. not sure if that is the way the program works.
Cheers
Peter

Hi Peter,

Your GCode file runs just fine here.

After you have zeroed the Z axis at the spoil board level then at program run the first Z axis movement should be to +50.8mm above the spoil board. As you have said the first Z axis movement is downwards then, as you suspect, something in Mach3 is set wrong.

With the Z axis at a safe height zero the Z axis DRO and using the MDI screen type Z10 and press return. The Z axis should rise by 10mm and the Z axis DRO should show +10.0000. Does this happen ?

Tweakie.