6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
if a 6040 on eBay/Chinese has a parallel printer port, does that usually mean that the "Motion Control" is built into the "Break Out Board"?
Or
that there is no "Motion Controller" inside the "Control Box" such that the "Motion Control" is the software in the PC such as Mach3?
Which of the above is more common for those Chinese 6040 that have the parallel printer port?
eddiegnz1
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:38 pm
Re: 6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
Those machines usually have a parallel port BOB (No motion control) and require Mach3 or other on a PC. They usually come with a CD containing a cracked version of Mach3. With a PP Bob you can run many different control programs. I like LinuxCNC personally.
Re: 6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
Note that, in addition to having no motion control on board, the motion control software eg Mach3, LinuxCNC etc won't talk via the cheap USB to Parallel adapters. If your PC doesn't have a parallel port on it (and very few do, these days) you'll need to shell out for something that specifically has drivers for your motion control software. Things like a PCIe parallel port card installed in the computer, or a specific USB to Parallel converter for CNC with drivers (they're around), or an ethernet to parallel port like the CNCdrive gear will all do it for you.
Re: 6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
Re: 6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dharmic
Note that, in addition to having no motion control on board, the motion control software eg Mach3, LinuxCNC etc won't talk via the cheap USB to Parallel adapters. If your PC doesn't have a parallel port on it (and very few do, these days) you'll need to shell out for something that specifically has drivers for your motion control software. Things like a PCIe parallel port card installed in the computer, or a specific USB to Parallel converter for CNC with drivers (they're around), or an ethernet to parallel port like the CNCdrive gear will all do it for you.
here's a "cheap USB to Parallel adapter" ... why wouldn't the UC100 work (as seen in the link below)?
[URL]http://cncdrive.com/UC100.html[URL]
or
http://cncdrive.com/UC100.html
Re: 6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
It would. I have the UC400ETH and it works beautifully.
I'm more talking about this kind which might work for printers but certainly don't work for this kind of application: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-2-0-t...MAAOSwQWRc5ZkI
Re: 6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
The UC100 is not an "adapter". It's a motion controller.
Re: 6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
Dunno, Gerry... splitting hairs maybe but I wouldn't necessarily call the CNCDrive stuff "motion controllers" so much as "adapters with accurate step clocks built in". The host PC is still generating the steps (albeit timed more accurately by the CNCDrive hardware), monitoring inputs, working out trajectory planning etc etc and generally controlling the motion.
Re: 6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
No, the UC100 generates the steps. The software just tells it how many and when. But I don't think the software sends a separate signal for each step.
But yes, trajectory planning is done in the software.
I didn't make up the term motion controllers. Technically, none of the hobby level "motion controllers" are actually motion controllers.
Re: 6040 Break Out Board & Motion Controller Combined
Went to their website to get more ammunition for my argument and even they call 'em "motion controllers".
Thanks, Gerry, I learned something today. :)