I would like to use Mach3 as my post processor on my Shapeoko 5pro. I have been using it for years. Just go the Shapeoko 5pro and currently using Carbide Motion. I like seeing the toolpath on the screen as it cuts and other features as well. Is this doable and what are the steps to set it up?
First, you would have to rip out Carbide’s motion controller box, and replace it with a third party product.
Start with a dedicated PC, an ethernet smoothstepper from Warp9, a breakout board that would handle the inputs and outputs, and stepperdrives, Geckodrives would be preferable.
I haven’t done it yet, but have been close to doing it a couple of times.
Mach3 software requires a parallel port on a PC. That is becoming rare. You can buy older PCs from retailers that have a parallel port but again they are becoming rare. They do sell an add on parallel port to install in a desktop PC with the proper bus structure. The cost is about $25.00
This is so you can use Mach4 with the legacy Mach3 porting. You would have to research if that board works with Mach3 software. It appears to just be a parallel port but research it before buying one.
Mach 4 supports USB maybe but they advertise the above board to run Mach4. Plus for the Mach4 software you have to buy the board and a plugin for it to work. It would require a desktop type of PC to utilize the parallel port board. On the Mach website they do not say that Windows 11 is supported so Windows 10 and below is supported. You would need to query Mach about the Windows 11 compatibility.
So if you have a PC with the required parallel interface you could run Mach 3/4 software but it also states that they would require an external controller to actually run the Shapeoko 5.
Since I dont use Mach3/4 I cannot say if all they time, expense and effort would be worth it. Only you can decide that but for me it would seem a backwards step. If your SO5 is under warranty all that would go out the window. Plus support likely would not help you with a 3rd party controller and your CAD/CAM issues. So if you have the mechanical, electrical and software expertise it might be good but there seem to be a lot of down sides to such a major change.
Let us know if you go ahead. You mentioned the progress in Mach3 with the cutting and not a substitute but Cambotics can show a representation of your cutting progress with just the gcode files. That is not real time but just a software representation of what your tool path would do.
My brother uses Mach4 on his Avid CNC. From what I can tell it doesn’t work with the stock set up of the SO5Pro. You might take a look at GSender as it has many of the same features as the Mach3/4.
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