The only reason I'm replacing it so soon is that Mach3 is limited to 500 lines of g-code until you pay for it, which I certainly won't be with the other electronics/software ready to go. I can verify that the Chinese Mach3 USB board works exactly like it should. The supplied USB cable caused one to fail part way through (communication dropped) and other (with shielded USB cable in place) was perfect. For me, however, I really like the software and find it slick and intuitive.Īt this stage I've only run two jobs using Mach3. For someone following this thread who is comfortable with Mach3, they would probably not bother with this step. As I said previously, I find Mach3 like Pronterface: functional but dated and finicky. This is a personal choice as the other router I set up runs Planet-cnc gear. Replacing USB board and Mach3 with Planet-CNC USB board and Software The spindle is ultra smooth and quiet at 24,000 rpm and the water pump can barely be heard. I then ran the job a few times (in mid air) which seemed to work well. I loaded up a g-code file made with Meshcam and moved the spindle to a safe height and position above the bed. No doubt an experienced user is scoffing right now but Mach3 is like going back to pronterface when you've been used to using Repetier-Host. I watched some lengthy youtube videos which helped me understand what a lot of the stuff on the screen was. The GUI design looks like it's from Windows 95 days. I know it's heavily used by many but the interface is over crowded and messy. I've never used Mach3 before and immediately found it a daunting and counter-intuitive piece of software. After reading this it is obvious that the quick start guide is simply a cut and paste job from this document. I also found the manual for the Mach3 usb card on cnc-zone. It is apparently possible get the VFD to turn on the water pump automatically via an inbuilt relay which sounds great. I plan to experiment later on with more of the settings. I also shortened the spool up and down times from 8 to 4 seconds. I found the VFD manual searching and changed it to operate from the buttons and dials on the front of the control box. The desired frequency on the VFD display changes but the spindle never starts spinning. The only thing not working is the spindle control from Mach3. A driver/plugin file was required to get Mach3 to recognise the USB interface, it is provided below. Following everything got the steppers moving manually via the keyboard. The getting started guide has some basic steps for configuring the machine in Mach3. I installed Mach3 trial on a clean netbook installation of Windows 7. Bolt on XYZ stepper motor and shaft couplers It did, however, take me longer as I was too stubborn to have a pic of the finished unit on hand, and consequently put some bits on backwards.ġ. The various electronic components are not earthedĪssembly was straight forward and if I were to do it again it would only take 30 mins. All Chinese routers can have questionable stepper motor wiring with no shielding (this has yet to be a problem for me) A whole bunch of engraving bits, as well as two 6mm end mills and a 3mm end mill Spanners for changing cutting bits are big and strong (cheap tools on previous router slip easily) All linear bearing/polished rod and ballscrew assembly VFD and other electronics are pre-wired (other CNC needed mains wiring for VFD) Comes with Mach3 usb card for direct control from mach3 without parallel port VFD built into main control box (most others are separate) Bigger, 1.5kw spindle with ER16 end (most are. Pic shows the unpacked components on a new workbench I purchased for the job:Īdvantages to this model over other Chinese routers: Packing is extremely good, with dense foam, cardboard and plywood used to protect everything. It comes in two boxes adding up to around 60kg. Shipping was $500, and it came from China to Australia in under two weeks. Contrary to what the page says, it came with a submersible water pump. I went for the 220V version with 4th axis. I remain greatly impressed by its capabilities and was always keen to get one for home. This is the second CNC router I've set up now, with the first being a cheap(er) Chinese 3040Z for work. I've had my new router for a few days now and thought I might start a thread to document my experiences.
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