[LeeWay]

I probably should have said something earlier, but I just don't know about that BOB (break out board) I do not know if it takes the place of a Smooth stepper or not.
For Mach 3, you generally need a parallel port or printer port. Smooth stepper makes a solution that does use USB. Just don't be surprised if it doesn't work and by all means, let know if it does.

[onocyclone]

It should work, it's designed to work with them drivers and Mach 3 sooo, no reason why it shouldn't.

[LeeWay]

Except that it may not. It did not specifically state that it bypasses the parallel port. That leaves me wondering.

[onocyclone]

For the price have payed I expect it to work, let me put it that way

[SCzEngrgGroup]

It should work, it's designed to work with them drivers and Mach 3 sooo, no reason why it shouldn't.

Yeah.... What could possibly go wrong.... If (when?) it doesn't, good luck getting technical support from the Chinese company that designed and manufactured it, for which CNC parts is but one of its many businesses. A Mach3 motion controller is a very complex device, in both hardware and software, and there are few that work really well. Many have serious bugs in the firmware or plug-in, especially the no-name Chinese imports like that one. Some are virtually useless. You might get lucky but I wouldn't bet on it. Even the SmoothStepper, which has been around for about 7 years now, has some significant bugs and limitations, and only works well with a few specific versions of Mach3, and then only when running the right versions of the USB driver and plug-in.

Regards,
Ray L.

[onocyclone]

Bloody hell ! No love for these then ! I'll set it all up and if there are any issues I'll send it back and get a more reliable device.

[LeeWay]

I just don't think it will talk to Mach 3. USB can only talk to Mach on a dedicated translation device like "Smooth Stepper". USB to parallel port conversions will not work. I have tried that many times. My newest machine has a smooth stepper and it works great. All my other machines use the parallel port. Old fashioned printer port.

[Fastest1]

They also make an Ethernet version of the SS that is much less buggy than the USB.

[LeeWay]

That's actually the one that I have. That is what Novakon uses.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

I just don't think it will talk to Mach 3. USB can only talk to Mach on a dedicated translation device like "Smooth Stepper". USB to parallel port conversions will not work. I have tried that many times. My newest machine has a smooth stepper and it works great. All my other machines use the parallel port. Old fashioned printer port.

That board is not a parallel port adaptor, it is a Mach3 motion controller, just like the SmoothStepper. Says so right in the ad title....

Regards,
Ray L.

[LeeWay]

Right. But it does not explain how it works. We will see on that part.

[onocyclone]

Ive received it and am not trying to install the driver from the cd but is in the form of RAR file so I'm having to convert it.

Also the ports where you hook the stepper drivers up to are quite weird. it only has 2 pins for the 4 wires that come out of the drivers ??????? Any ideas ?

[onocyclone]

ive converted the RAR file and added it into the Plugin mach 3 section. I then load up Mach 3 and it says plug in DLL Defective. Ignore

[onocyclone]

Ok so I'm glad to say that it works with no problems what so ever. I found the same board on automation technologies inc. which had all of the drivers/ wiring/ instructions

The feed rate nob is excellent very precise and handy

So I've proven you all wrong but thanks for the initial warning. I find it to work perfectly for me also the missing step issue I had on the Z has now gone win win me thinks Haha

[Fastest1]

You havent proven anything yet except that the machine moves. If there is a noise problem, you will find it hours into the code at the most inappropriate time. What has it been running, 1 day?

[onocyclone]

Only time will tell my friend

[onocyclone]

Hi again chaps, I've recalibrate the machine because I lost the setup by re installing Mach 3 ! But that is all done now but I have a more annoying issue.

I positioned G54 to my large vice corner and it was all well and good but when I ran a program the tool on the Mach 3 screen was shown to be moving as it should be but the actual tool started going the opposite direction. Only the X and Y do this. I then went to ports and pins and put the direction to negative on x and y. I came out of this screen and told the machine to go to X0 Y0 G00 and it started going some completely random direction !

[gd.marsh]

Did you close & re-start Mach after making the changes .. always safest to do that to make sure your changes are implemented. ..

[onocyclone]

Yes

[onocyclone]

Any ideas ?