[FredG]

Hi just purchased and finished assembly of my first cnc router 4 by 8 Avidcnc pro with nema 23 and standard router. Tested everything with Mach4 demo all is good seams to be working correctly . So the reason for my post is I would like to use Linuxcnc to control it ,I did purchase mesa 7i92H board and flashed it with bitfile from mesa that I was told should work for the most part but unfortunately no luck, Ive posted on linuxcnc forum for some help but I dont know if I am not asking the right questions but I feel like I am not getting much help there I am having a real hard time understanding how to copy the pinout from the avid BOB that came with the cnc to the mesa card just started to use linux so thats another learing process . I just feel like Linux would be a more stable system compared to using windows ( correct me if I am wrong) . Any help would be very grateful.

Thanks Fred

[routalot]

As a learning exercise it might be an interesting project,but if you actually want to make parts,its far easier to stick with what you've got.If you can dedicate a computer to the sole function of
running the router,it should work flawlessly for years.Which buys you the time to learn enough about LinuxCNC to actually prepare for the future.There may be more work to do beneath the surface to make LinuxCNC function correctly for your machine even thought it is fairly easy to make it move the various parts around.To name just a couple;setting up soft limits and a homing routine will both take time and effort.I believe Linux is more stable than Windows and am typing this post on a Linux laptop.I also find the LinuxCNC forum to be of limited value as they seem to enjoy technical gobbledegook rather a lot and assume the rest of us will too.Whether its some kind of entry exam to keep the rest of us outside the citadel I don't know.They do definitely know their topic and somebody may well come to your aid.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
I can only presume tat you'd rather use LinuxCNC because its free rather than pay $200 for the Manch4Hobby license? I presume also that you must already have
a Mach4 ready motion controller, an ESS maybe? In which case for the sake of $200 you can have a working machine.

How much have you invested in your machine thus far?

Craig

[FredG]

Its not that I am trying to save , with linux you can remove all the unused software and really have it dedicated for the cnc. Ill probably just purchase mach4 and as I learn more ill try to tackle this project again later.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,

Its not that I am trying to save , with linux you can remove all the unused software and really have it dedicated for the cnc.

Yes, I understand.

I've run Mach4Hobby for seven years on a dual core Atom PC with on chips graphics, its well less than is recommended for Mach4 yet it works perfectly.
When I set it up I used Windows 7 Embedded 32 bit Standard, largely so that I could select, or rather de-select, software modules I do not need or want.
After a year or so I was required to reinstall the OS, and I selected the easy option, that is the complete Windows 7 install, virtually identical to the retail
Windows 7, it was just that much easier despite a somewhat bloated install. I noticed NO difference in running Mach4....and that same install is still running
my machine six years later.

I would commend that you keep your machine PC dedicated to CNC, but as my experience proves you don't need to be too hung up about it. In the early days
with Mach3 and a parallel port then it was very necessary, but with Mach4 no. That is not to say I ever allow my machine PC to access the internet or even a network,
nor do I play movies or music or anything else. I do have a couple of light weight utilities for conversational Gcode programming, an editor and Gcode simulator etc,
but by-and-large no CAM programs.

Craig

[FredG]

Just grabbed old laptop reinstalled windows 10 tried to strip as much as possible ,will purchase mach4 today and just deal with it. Guess its my OCD with everything.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
Mach4 is not a power hungry program, my little Atom PC proves it. I have Mach on various Windows 10 platforms for development purposes
with no troubles. It would be nice to turn of MS updates, or just don't connect to the internet and sometimes you may have to manually allow
Mach access rights in the firewall and anti-virus programs, but other than that I suspect you as I have that Windows has near zero impact on Mach4.

Craig