Mach3 with touchscreen

Okay, I'm starting to buy components again for my CNC machine.

Mach3 I have not bought yet, as well as the computer.

I have seen people using a touchscreen, an old Point of Sale units for the touchscreen.

I looked at Newegg and they have 5 different types of touchscreens for a 1920x1080p. Yes, I know, Mach doesn't need to be that good of resolution, but, hey! I want to play WoW or another game while I sit there and watch/wait for crap to cut out.

Anyway, what type of touch screen do I need with Mach to make it work? Will any touch screen work? Or is there something else I need to buy as well?

Is there a software I need to run in the background and program buttons to make it work with Mach 3?

I purchased a touchscreen overlay kit from a canadian seller on ebay for about 65 dollars for a 19" 4x3 version. It works great and is very simple to setup and calibrate.
I was also VERY pleased to discover that the driver program for the touchscreen will allow multiple touchscreen modules to be used on multiple monitors. This was an awesome discovery for me since I have a dual 19" setup with the desktop spanning both screens. When I run mach in full screen mode it spans both monitors perfectly. Of course I now need to design my superwide screen set for mach, since the default set is really stretched. I currently have only one touch screen kit installed, but I plan to add a second overlay kit so that my entire viewing surface has touchscreen interface instead of just half of it.
The monitors were some used 19" Dell LCD's (identical type) I bought from a local computer repair shop for 20 bucks each. They had just acquired about 50 of them from a library sale.
BTW the computer I'm using is based on a Gigabyte F2A55M-DS2 motherboard. I've been using the Gigabyte Ultra Durable boards for my desktop computers for several years now running 24/7 and overclocked with 100% reliability. While I normally prefer intel CPU's and Nvidia graphics cards for my desktop's, this little AMD based board has a really good integrated video solution thats awesome for a cnc controller computer.

I got a cheap Atom based all in one touchscreen pc.
Also git all lpt board for it but eventually ended up controlling my cnc via USB and spindle via rs485.
Only issue was that I needed add a ground wire from the floating pc (dc power supply to the star routed ground point on my cnc controller box.

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Originally Posted by punisher454

I purchased a touchscreen overlay kit from a canadian seller on ebay for about 65 dollars for a 19" 4x3 version. It works great and is very simple to setup and calibrate.
I was also VERY pleased to discover that the driver program for the touchscreen will allow multiple touchscreen modules to be used on multiple monitors. This was an awesome discovery for me since I have a dual 19" setup with the desktop spanning both screens. When I run mach in full screen mode it spans both monitors perfectly. Of course I now need to design my superwide screen set for mach, since the default set is really stretched. I currently have only one touch screen kit installed, but I plan to add a second overlay kit so that my entire viewing surface has touchscreen interface instead of just half of it.
The monitors were some used 19" Dell LCD's (identical type) I bought from a local computer repair shop for 20 bucks each. They had just acquired about 50 of them from a library sale.
BTW the computer I'm using is based on a Gigabyte F2A55M-DS2 motherboard. I've been using the Gigabyte Ultra Durable boards for my desktop computers for several years now running 24/7 and overclocked with 100% reliability. While I normally prefer intel CPU's and Nvidia graphics cards for my desktop's, this little AMD based board has a really good integrated video solution thats awesome for a cnc controller computer.

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Could you provide a link to the seller or their name, all I can find are sellers from China. I realise that regardless the product is made in China, just trying for cheaper and faster delivery. Additionally, this way at least a portion of my purchase contributes to the North American economy.

Thanks in advance.

you know, an overlay screen would be idea. I could get my 3d 2ms screen I want (it looks like touchscreens are only available for 5ms, or worse) and protect it from the dust of the shop by encasing it in a plexiglass box and using filtered fans to keep it cool. I can then place the touchscreen overlay over it. I might look into that, since it seems to be working for you. :)

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Yes, I know, Mach doesn't need to be that good of resolution, but, hey! I want to play WoW or another game while I sit there and watch/wait for crap to cut out.

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If you plan on running your machine from a parallel port, then you don't want anything running besides Mach3.

Ya, i know Gerry

I bought an ethernet smoothstepper to go with the board that you suggested I buy a while back, which i did, thanks!. PMDX-126 Very nice board.

Hmm, I was just looking at those overlay screens, A bit spendy, but I think that I can get a regular 2ms 24" screen 1920x1080 and the overlay screen, and be right at the same cost as a 24" 5ms touchscreen monitor. I think the first way is a better way to go.

This is the kit I used (I think).
Right now they want $63.93 + 24.12 shipping for the 19" version. Above 19" the prices start climbing quite a bit. I have also seen the same little touchscreen-usb interface board for sale for around $25 or so. If you find something with a resistive panel in a 4 or 5 wire config, but without an interface, one of those boards should work. They come in 4 and 5 wire versions.


19" Touch Screen Add Touch Function by Yourself in 5min | eBay

These are the same controllers as what's in the kit I have. This could open up some options if you find something without a usb interface.

4 Wire Resistive LCD Touch Screen Panel USB Port Controller Touch Panel Driver | eBay

5 Wire Resistive LCD Touch Screen Panel Controller USB Port | eBay

Quote:

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Originally Posted by punisher454

This is the kit I used (I think).
Right now they want $63.93 + 24.12 shipping for the 19" version. Above 19" the prices start climbing quite a bit. I have also seen the same little touchscreen-usb interface board for sale for around $25 or so. If you find something with a resistive panel in a 4 or 5 wire config, but without an interface, one of those boards should work. They come in 4 and 5 wire versions.



19" Touch Screen Add Touch Function by Yourself in 5min | eBay

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Awesome.

We'll be passing through Toronto On Monday, on our way to Barrie for our daughters convocation ceremony at Georgian College. I really like sellers who offer local pickup. I can see and touch (no pun intended) the item before purchase. I'll have what I want within a couple of days rather than weeks from China and save about $35 to boot.
Thanks again.

I bought a basic Viewsonic touchscreen (forget the exact size, roughly 19") from Micro Center, I paid $300. The monitor comes with an additional USB out in case your OS doesn't support touchscreen (a.k.a. Pre-Windows 8) which is my case. The USB runs from the display to the computer so that the computer thinks it is a mouse input. Plus, I do have a mouse AND and USB Shuttle Jog pendent, everything works properly.

Bottom line, if you are using a hardened Windows OS then look for a touchscreen monitor that has "USB mouse control" as a feature.