Installing an Xbox360 controller as a pendant controller for my CNC router was actually easier than I thought it would be. That’s because Lee Davis has written an awesome plug-in for Mach3. Thanks, Lee.
Here were my steps:
1. Buy new, USB wired Xbox 360 controller from Ebay ($25 delivered).
2. Go to the machsoft website, download section at
ArtSoft USA - Plugins, scroll down…and download the plugin and guide for the Xbox 360 controller.
3. Read the guide document you just downloaded. It will direct you to the Microsoft site to download the driver for the Xbox: Xbox 360_32End.exe. After you have downloaded the file, click on it to execute the file.
4. Now plug in the Xbox controller to a USB port on your computer. Your computer should pop up a couple of messages indicating it has recognized a USB device. It should also light up one quadrant of the Xbox button (big one, center of top with an "x" on it), showing all is well.
5. Start Mach3, and click on Config/Config Plugins. You should see a line for Xbox 360. Click on the red “x” beside the Xbox 360 to turn it into a green check mark. Then click on the yellow highlighted “CONFIG” in the same line. (If you do not see this plugin, go back to where you saved the downloaded plugin file, and click on it).
6. You will now see a picture of an Xbox controller with drop down boxes for each button showing your choices. Click on each choice. Here are the choices I made: