"DoN. Nichols" wrote:
On 2012-07-19, wrote:
On Jul 19, 1:26 pm, "Pete C." wrote:
LinuxCNC is free, Mach3 isn't free, but it's cheap (free if you can use
the code size limited demo version). Neither require any programming,
just configuration of appropriate I/O, limits, scaling, accel/decel
rates, etc. You need to look at G code since essentially all CNC
controls work from G code.
[ ... ]
Anyway I am at the point of getting either LinuxCNC or Mach3. In your
opinion is it worth the money for Mach3. I am already using Ubuntu so
Linux or Windows no big deal.
If you're already familiar with linux, go for LinuxCNC for sure.
If you want to do some things not provided for by the planners (Say a
16-axis machine or something of the sort)j, LinuxCNC is easy to modify --
with the full source code supplied with it, and a variety of languages
to write special features in. Mach3 I believe to be proprietary code,
so getting the source to modify things.
Mach3 is proprietary though based on the original EMC. It does have a
substantial amount of customizability and background scripting
capabilities if you need them. It is also free for the demo version
which is complete with only a 2000 line g-code limitation, and Art is on
record saying if you can live with that limitation enjoy at no charge.
Mach3 will be easier to configure and maintain than LinuxCNC if you are
not already familiar with Linux.
Also -- if you opt to use servo motors instead of steppers.
Servos give smoother operation and potentially much faster "rapid" moves
(non cutting positioning moves). There are lots of places where you
want the rapid moves -- things like positioning the cutter for the next
pass on threading -- where you never even explicitly ask for the rapid
move -- it is simply a part of the "canned cycle" which does the
threading. But those positioning moves can eat up a lot of time on a
slower machine. My stepper based Emco-Maier Compact-5/CNC certainly
suffers from the limited stepper speed during the rapid moves. Some of
these days, I'll replace the steppers with servos, and make a linux
based controller for it.
Mach3 can run servos using one of the step/dir servo drives. They give
you most of the benefits of servos at a lower cost than a
closed-to-the-control-loop servo setup.