[insightmfgsys]

Hello, I am new here, I have been building an "All in one" router, 5 axis router, 4 axis hotwire, tube profiler, foam shaper, plasma, etc. This device will have a total of 9 axes. Never more than 5 or 6 axes used dependent on the machine configuration selected. I have a few questions for those of you who have first hand experience with the smooth stepper. I am planning on purchasing the Ethernet version. BTW, This machine is pieced together from other CNC's that I have built, used, and dismantled over the years, All AC servo's. I have not used the smooth stepper before, strictly PP breakout boards etc.

1: Will smooth stepper and Mach actually work with windows 8 (NON RT)?

2: Will Mach be able to make use of my Z index pulses for homing accuracy?
The manual lonely talks about the spindle utilizing the index pulse
(only important for the 5 axis head, I am sure I can BS the system so that the index pulse looks like a home switch but I would rather the system could truly catch the index pulse for very accurate homing)

3: My goal is to have multiple different Mach configurations, I.E. Mach basic router, Mach 5 axis router, Mach drag knife, Mach foam cutter, and so on, My question is, On the smooth stepper, Are the axis IO dedicated pins or can they be mapped to any of the 24 IO pins?. AS the machine could have up to 9 motors, I am hoping that depending on which Mach configuration I open will determine what motors are mapped, Clearly if I was only dealing with 6 motors this wouldn't be of concern, For the most part, at least three motors will be the same no matter what Mach configuration is opened but the remaining motors will need to be mapped. This can be done with hardware switching, MCU/Relays etc. but it would be very clean if smooth stepper allowed any of the outputs to drive step and direction pulses and that Mach would have full access to all 24 IO pins for Axes, Is this the case? So in a nutshell, Can any of the 24 IO pins on the SS drive step and direction and are all 24 IO pins accessible in Mach step and direction pin config?

There should be a pic below. Any info will be much appreciated.






Attachment 237972

[ger21]

1) Yes

2) Mach3 can not normally home to an index pulse. However, some motion controllers that work with Mach3 do support this. I believe some CS Labs controllers do. I don't believe that the Smoothstepper does, but I don't know for sure.

3) I believe the answer is yes, but that's handled by your Mach3 configuration files, not really the Smoothstepper.

I don't use a Smoothstepper, and there's not much documentation out there. You might want to ask on the Warp9 forum.