[wayne328i]

I have acquired and Boxford Duet Mill unsure if is a mark I or II, see pictures. The original software is Dos based really want to move onto XP or Windows 7, i am hopeing to convert to Mach3 control. Any suggestions welcome, has any member done this? I have no problem with wiring or PC operation, being a electronic/electrical engineer, I am looking for advise on the best solution and control cards to:
1. PC interface Card
2. XYZ stepper motor controller card (Hopefully can use the original stepper motors)
3. I need to control the Lathe motor speed from Mach3
4. Limit stops

I have from a previous project, would any of the below be suitable?

DollaTek 5 axis CNC Breakout Board with optical coupler For Stepper Motor Driver MACH3
Mach3 Motion Card, CNC USB Card Distribution Board CNC USB Motion Control Card Mach3 4 Axis 100KHz for CNC Engravingraspberry pi CNC Controller
Padarsey DC 24V 15A 360W Power Supply.
3 x Dealikee TB6600 4A 9-42V Stepper Motor Driver CNC Controller Nema 17/23 Stepper Motor Single Axes Two Phase Hybrid Stepper Moto

[cncmakers001]

I have acquired and Boxford Duet Mill unsure if is a mark I or II, see pictures. The original software is Dos based really want to move onto XP or Windows 7, i am hopeing to convert to Mach3 control. Any suggestions welcome, has any member done this? I have no problem with wiring or PC operation, being a electronic/electrical engineer, I am looking for advise on the best solution and control cards to:
1. PC interface Card
2. XYZ stepper motor controller card (Hopefully can use the original stepper motors)
3. I need to control the Lathe motor speed from Mach3
4. Limit stops

I have from a previous project, would any of the below be suitable?

DollaTek 5 axis CNC Breakout Board with optical coupler For Stepper Motor Driver MACH3
Mach3 Motion Card, CNC USB Card Distribution Board CNC USB Motion Control Card Mach3 4 Axis 100KHz for CNC Engravingraspberry pi CNC Controller
Padarsey DC 24V 15A 360W Power Supply.
3 x Dealikee TB6600 4A 9-42V Stepper Motor Driver CNC Controller Nema 17/23 Stepper Motor Single Axes Two Phase Hybrid Stepper Moto

Better use NC based CNC control and AC servo motors and drivers now, which will be more reliable, and with better performance.

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
Mach3 is a poor choice, it works, but all development on it has ceased eight years ago. There will come a time when it fails and nobody can be bothered to make a patch
thereafter Mach3 is dead.

I use Mach4 and have done for eight years. It is mature and still developing.

The one downside to Mach4 is that none of the Mach3 ready motion control boards you have will work. If they are Chinese made there is a question whether they would work
with Mach3....so much of the Chinese made motion control stuff is so hit and miss.

I use an Ethernet SmoothStepper ($195) by Warp9TD. It will work with either Mach3 OR Mach4, but by my reckoning Mach4 is preferred. The ESS requires a breakout board,
ranging from a cheap C10 ($23) up to an MB3 by CNCRoom ($190). I made my own breakout board broadly equivalent to the MB3.

There are a number of motion controllers that will work with Mach4, the ESS is just one. The UC100 (a genuine UC100 not a Chinese knock-off) is around $120, a UC300 or
a PoKeys 57CNC is around $150. Certainly it is worth doing a little research before jumping in. Each device has strengths and weaknesses and some may appear pretty innocuous
but turn out to be a deal-breaker later.

Such a combination (Mach4/ESS/MB3) would give the ability to control your machine, including PWM spindle speed, as many Home and Limit switces, probes and pumps as you
can shake a stick at. I personally would not be bothered with the TB6600 driver, they are just too low a voltage to be useful and at higher voltages they pop with regularity.

Individual stepper drives like Gecko's would be a better bet, or some of the Chinese units are well made, well priced and kick arse! That would accomodate steppers.

If you want your mill to really sing then consider AC servos, they humble any stepper ever made, but be aware good AC servos start at around $400 per axis....you really don't want cheap
servos....you'd be better off with steppers than el-cheapo servos.

Craig