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View Poll Results: Which Software?

Voters
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  • Mach 3/4

    10 16.95%
  • UCCNC

    26 44.07%
  • Linux CNC

    23 38.98%
Page 1 of 2 12
Results 1 to 20 of 28
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    141

    Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    Hello Everyone,

    I just bought a VMC that i am going to convert and i am looking for opinions as to which software to use.

    Features i am looking for

    20 Tool ATC
    Probing
    Flood Coolant
    4th Axis
    Rigid Tapping (it has a spindle encoder)


    Looking at the feature lists on all the different software, they are all capable of those, just looking for opinions on which one would be best suited.

    Thanks
    Mike

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    1753

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    Linuxcnc will do all of that. (rigid tapping too..)

    what vmc is it? Can you reuse the servos/drives?

    sam

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    141

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    It is a 1985 Vulcan which is a re branded Kasahara Falcon K-1

    Yes, i am planning on reusing the servos and drivers

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    1753

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    in 1985 - assume they are analog input drives?

    Linuxcnc/mesa has a kit that gives you 6 axis analog (+/-10v + diff/ttl encoder counters), 48i/o and is expandable....

    https://mesaus.com/index.php?route=p...&product_id=79

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    If you need analog servos, then you'd need some step/dir > analog converters to use UCCNC. CNC Drive is working on an analog controller, but I have no idea when it may be available.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    141

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    That is a good question, i dont know if it is analog or digital....

    It looks like the previous owner did convert it to Mach 3, and right now it is running a DMC-4153 motion controller, i will have to check the servo drivers

    I cant find a lot of information on the motion controller (meaning here on the forum) but it is a Ethernet motion controller.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    I think that's a Galil controller.

    The only other analog Mach3 controllers I know of are ViItal Systems and CS Labs.

    Ethernet Motion Controller, Mach3 Mach4 CNC Retrofit, Machine Tools, .Net C# CSharp Library

    CSMIO/IP-A | 6-axis Motion Controller (+/- 10V), Ethernet - CS-Lab
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    141

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    Quote Originally Posted by ger21 View Post
    I think that's a Galil controller.]
    Yes, the DMC-4153 is made by Galil, and reading it, it does look like it is analog

    I can always replace the encoders with a digital encoder and switch to a digital servo driver.....

    Thanks
    Mike

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    5717

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    The encoders should already be digital. The Galil controller will run analog or step & direction drives. The 4153 is one of the current production 5 axis controllers, and an excellent choice for CNC control. I have Galil controllers in 3 machines in my shop, and have installed about 50 of them all over the world. There is a Mach3 plugin that works, there are also other, better options.
    Jim Dawson
    Sandy, Oregon, USA

  10. #10

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    Mach4 or UCCNC with UC300ETH would be good options for this. UCCNC can do rigid tapping using an encoder on the spindle and you can use this code for the tool changer macro:

    https://cnc4pc.com/forum/projects/to...acro-for-uccnc

    Arturo Duncan
    http://cnc4pc.com

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    1422

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    I like UCNC but it can't take advantage of the servos you want to use and AFAIK they still don't have their act together for 4 and 5 axis if you are going to go down that road at some point.

    I personally wrote off LinuxCNC because of their need for interface cards which wouldn't fit in my laptop which I ain't upgrading for the sake of a router.

    For me, it left Mach3. Which isn't rubbish, is fairly expandable to do a lot of automated probing etc, still has its limits and quirks but gets the job done. I wouldn't touch Mach4.

    If you can dance to the LinuxCNC restricted card choice tune I'd probably go that way.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    1753

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    Laptop you say? Restricted?..



    (This is an Ethernet solution - the laptop still needs to play well with real-time)


    Quote Originally Posted by dharmic View Post

    I personally wrote off LinuxCNC because of their need for interface cards which wouldn't fit in my laptop which I ain't upgrading for the sake of a router.

    If you can dance to the LinuxCNC restricted card choice tune I'd probably go that way.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    1422

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    This pleases me, enormously!

    What's on the other end of that ethernet connection?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    1753

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    That is a mess 7i92 - 2 printer ports worth of high speed i/o.. and almost unlimited expandability.

    https://mesaus.com

    Look at the Ethernet solutions.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    1422

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    Nice, and thank you. A little more expensive than the UC400-ETH I ended up getting by the time you add their breakout boards, but it would have opened up some doors for me in terms of software. Next machine, maybe

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    1753

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    Hmm. I think similar hardware is cheaper...
    Uc400-eth is 148.99 + 60 for software. (Replaces 2 printer ports of I/o)

    7i92m is 89.00 (replaces 2 printer ports of i/o and expandable)

    Or

    7i92e is 200.00 which is 7i92+breakout board. It gives you 5 axis step/dir interface, 48 isolated I/o, spindle encoder interface and analog conrtol. (Also expandable)

  17. #17
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    1422

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    Maybe, depends on whether a $5 eBay chinesium breakout works with their card, and whether their card (for crossing over convenience) supports Mach3.

    But yeah, next machine for sure will take a much closer look at this.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    4280

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    Hi,
    all development on Mach3 ceased five years ago. Lots of people still use it, it is one of the most popular Windows CNC programs
    after all. The trouble is that its getting dated, what problems it has will not be fixed.

    In recent times OS updates by Microsoft has caused problems for Mach3 users. To date there have been patches and workarounds to
    restore Mach3's functionality but there will come a day when that is not the case.

    I switched to Mach4 two years ago and find it light years ahead of Mach3...not that many Mach3 users agree with me...they don't want to
    learn something new.

    Craig

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    35538

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    I switched to Mach4 two years ago and find it light years ahead of Mach3...not that many Mach3 users agree with me...they don't want to
    learn something new.
    Or Mach4 is not the upgrade they were hoping for....
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    344

    Re: Mach 3/4 vs UCCNC vs Linux CNC

    I’m looking for a similar solution. How does the Masso control work is it any good? Can it support the atc?

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