Mach4 is designed to run in both 64 and 32-bit computers and operating systems, however, the parallel port interface will not work with 64-bit windows. The easiest solution would be to use a more modern CNC controller, like the:

pokeys57cnc that I sell
https://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach4-mach3-USB-ethernet-Board

Or other options like the Smoothstepper board that I do not sell.

Both are great options.

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[468] I wanted to know if I could use a computer with 64 bits windows installed (with Parallel port in the mainboard) or not. Thanks

That shouldn't be a problem. I will need the current rating for the motors. We can subtract the price of the motors. and you can add you own. If you want us to solder the cable to the round connectors and them motor, you would need to send the motors to us.

Let me know and I can send a paypal invoice for the redLeaf without motors.

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DON'T WANT TO USE MY OWN MOTORS FOR THE REDLEAF CNC COMPUTER SYSTEM.

To order the system, just go to this page:
http://www.buildyourcnc.com/category/cnc-computer

Make sure to also order the 4 conductor cable that you will need for the connections between the motors and the drivers. This length will depend on your machine, where the motors will be attached, and where you plan on setting the computer system.
The cable can be found here:
http://buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-cable-wire-20awg-wrcon

If you want to use Windows, you will also need to purchase that on the first link I provided. If not, we will install Linux with EMC2 and linuxcnc

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How do I go about ordering the redLeaf or redSprout computer cnc system?

Currently the only options available for our computer systems, are for our machines which included all the motors and drivers. If you would like to talk about a custom order, please email (customerservice@buildyourcnc.com).

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Do you sell the computer system only ? My Dell has given up the ghost. I may want to buy the PC, Power and case. I have everything else.

The bluchick CNC router is a perfect small format CNC that can handle most jobs. Please check here to see the latest information on this CNC router. blueChick CNC Machine. The machine can be purchased assembled. Al you will need is a computer and spindle.

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I'm looking for a complete CNC router, out the box ready to use system. Computer and software. What do you suggest? I need a working area of 12"x24"

You will need a USB cable to connect the computer and the Mach3 USB. The 64-bit operating system must be Windows and you will need the Mach3 CNC control software installed on the operating system.

You will need to install the USB driver called RNRMotion.dll. You can find the driver here: https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach3-USB-Board

Move the file to your Mach3 Plugins folder Example: "C:/Users/ProgramFiles/Mach3/Plugins"

Mach3 will prompt you to select a driver and this is where you can select the "RnRMotionController" and check "Don't ask me again". This will allow your board to communicate with Mach3.

You will also need the xml file found on this page: https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach3-USB-Board

On that page, you will need to download the XML Mach3 Config File by right clicking on the link and selecting "save as". Save the Mach3Mill.xml file in your Mach3 root folder.

That file is the main configuration file for the Mach3 board. It has all of the typical settings that the Mach3 board needs.

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I have a 64 bit operating system and the Mach3 usb control board. What do i need to communicate between the two?

Here is the direct link to download ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop), now installing it to your HDD you will need to install it to a USB or burn it to a DVD. Here is a following guide to install ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/try-ubuntu-before-you-install).

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Ubuntu comes with a program that will replace the controller software (ex Mach 3/Planet CNC), called LinuxCNC, here is the main website (http://www.linuxcnc.org/) and the main download page(http://www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/english/download).

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what program do I use to install ubuntu on my computer?

We can configure the redLeaf or redSprout to control the motor of a 4th axis. The driver we use for the motor on the 4th axis is our standard 3.0 amp driver.

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If I purchase the Heavy Duty redleaf system (651 oz-in motors) and your 4th Axis Tail Stock setup will you configure the 4th axis to the computer? Your site states the 4th axis add on is "for a total of 4 axes 425 oz-in motors only"

You will need a collar or adapter to connect the ID of the #40 sprocket (0.622") and a 1/4" collar with our OD (0.674"). We currently do not have anything in this nature.


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For a 1/4" input shaft the larger #40 sprocket, seem's pretty large for the 1/4" input shaft. So we recommend using a #25 sprocket and #25 roller chain with our NEMA-23 since it will be more compatible arrangement.

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What else from you shop do I need to connect a #40 Drive Sprocket to my nema23 motor, its not so clear

On "our" VFDs, we advise that the R connect to black (live), T connect to white (neutral) and green to E or earth. We are not professional electricians, so we also recommend that you seek the advice of a professional electrician. Some VFDs are made to work on 3 phase power and this configuration may not work with these VFDs.

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On your diagram it says to connect the power to the VFD in port L1, L2 and PE. On the VFD I have there is no L1 or L2. Which ports do I connect my input power to? There is only a P+, P-, R, S, T, U, V, W, and PE. What do I do?

If your computer does not have a parallel port, all you will need is a low cost PCI parallel adapter card (these can be found on amazon for $15-$20). If you plan on using a laptop (not recommended) you can try to find a PCMCIA parallel adapter, but many people have frequent issues with this setup. A more expensive solution would be to purchase a USB smooth stepper board. Unfortunately, we do not supply any of these adapters and cannot attest to their reliability.

Additional Information:
ur gay

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I DON'T HAVE A PARALLEL PORT ON MY COMPUTER. WHAT DO NEED?

On our CNC computer systems, we provided all the hardware required for a fully functional control package. But software items are not included OS systems and Supporting Software are not include, however if windows 7 is ordered we supply the mach 3 demo.

We do not add the OS system to our systems, due to the options that our customers have either going with(linux, windows).

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I have one more question pertaining specifically to the integrated computer model. Do I need an OS to load onto the computer or is there one already pre installed?

Yes, we can make a redLeaf system that has all 6A drivers for use with the 651 oz-in motors. We can also wire the electronics in a way that two of the drivers will use the pins of the same axis so that axis will drive two drivers and motors.

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I am building a machine that requires 2 steppers to drive the Y axis, can you make me a redleaf system using the 651oz steppers that will work for me?

The parallel breakout board has the db25 connector for data and the USB connector for power. Connect the USB from the computer to the parallel breakout board so the breakout board will have 5V of power coming from the computer. The db25 connector (connector with the 25 pins) receive data signals for each pin from 1 to 17 and have respective numbered screw terminals, some for input and some for output (18 to 25 are gnd pins).

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Should I connect both the USB and the 25 pin connector of the parallel breakout board to the computer?

Yes, you can use a laptop if you have a controller that uses a USB, like the Mach3 USB card. If you don't have that, you can purchase that part here:
https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/electronicsAndMotors-electronic-component-breakout-Mach3-USB-Board

If you have a controller board that connects to a 25 pin connector, modern laptops will not be able to connect to that port.

How old is your CNC computer system?

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The CNC computer system is 2013 (5 years). The built in video card went out. I will order the Mach3 USB card. Thank you.

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You're welcome

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The motherboard on the computer I bought from you went out. What would you suggest. I have a laptop, could I use it and use a Mach3 USB interface board?

It is not necessary to connect the spindle VFD (Variable Frequency Drive also called an Inverter) to the computer or CNC motion electronics. The VFD can be controlled independently using the control panel on the VFD. The control panel has the ability to control all aspects of the spindle including Speed, Torque, limits, etc. However, you can connect the VFD to the computer so the CNC control program can control the spindle during the CNC Machine operation. You will need to connect the VFD to the computer via a serial conection (in this case, it is the RS-485 protocol).

The following are instructions on how to connect the VFD to Mach3 via this RS-485 serial connection.

The first thing you will need is the dynamic link library to pair with mach3 called the Huanyang VFD Mach3 PlugIn. You can find this file at the mach3 support forum here: http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,14182.0.html

You will also need to download the Microsoft .net 3.5 framework and install it: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=21

Follow the pdf that comes with the library file, but here is a synopsis of what you need to do (I also added a lot more information that may be useful during this process as the manual does not cover the main connections that need to be done):

You will need to program your VFD so that it knows how to communicate with mach3 and the computer (go into the programming mode of the VFD and change these parameters):
- PD001 - value 2 - Enables with communication aspect of the VFD
- PD002 - value 2 - Enables frequency control from the communcations port
- PD163 - value 1 - VFD address
- PD164 - value 1 - Baud rate of 9600 (speed of the communication)
- PD165 - value 3 - 8N1 RTU - 8 bits (that's the size of the word that gets communicated), N (No parity or no error checking) and 1 (1 stop bit)

Copy the dll file to the PlugIns folder of mach3.

Connect the RX and TX lines to your computer. There are a couple ways you can do this, but the recommended way would be to use an FTDI USB device which converts a USB to a serial com port. The device will have Rx and Tx connectors to connect to the VFD terminals with the same labels. This method is recommended since serial ports are not as common in computers these days.

Next, you will need to configure mach3 to use the plugin library. Start mach3 and click on Menu -> config ->Config Plugins. Enable the new plugin by clicking on the red cross on the left column next to the plug in. Restart mach3 after doing this.

No you need to configure mach3 to use the HuanyangVFD plugin. Go to the ports & pins configuration and select the spindle setup tab. Make sure that the Disable Spindle Relays checkbox is unchecked. We don't want mach3 to output a signal for a relay since the spindle will start up and turn off within the VFD and not from an external relay.

Next, go to the HuanyangVFD settings by clicking on Menu -> plugin control -> HuanyangVFD. Set the parameters to the same settings you put into the VFD programming. The com port will be shown as new hardward when you plug in the USB FTDI device. A little bubble will be displayed at the bottom right where it will notify you that a new device is being installed (be patient while windows assigns a com port). Alternatively, you can use the windows device manager to see which port was set for the new USB FTDI device). You may need to restart mach3 several times until you get the correct information displayed in the PD001 and PD002 fields. When the com port is correct and the other parameters, like baud and VFD address is the same as you entered in the programming, then the PD001 and PD002 will show the number 2, otherwise, a 99 will appear which means that communication was not successful.

You can now control the on/off and RPM of the spindle using the RS485 communication between mach3 and the VFD.

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The question was how to connect the spindle to the redfy. I did not receive a VFD.
I have the redFly system and a 2.2kW Spindle - 110V how do i connect the spindle?

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If you received a spindle without a VFD, please contact us asap. Our spindle will not work without a VFD.

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Hi, how is this setup in mach4?

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how do I connect my spindle to mach3 so mach3 can control it

Pul+ is the Step+ and Pul- is the Step-. Pul is short for pulse. A pulse will create a step. Don't worry about the enable terminals.

On the x-axis, pin #2 can go to pul- and pin #3 can go to dir-. The 5v will go to pul+ and dir+. The configuration for each axis for step will be active low and toggle active low for the dir on each axis to make it go in the direction desired.

Next time, purchase the drivers from us and you will have fewer problems.

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Hi, I have an IHSS57-36-20 stepper motor with integrated driver (pulse mode) in my printer but it looks the paper moving distance is changing according to the paper tension. Has this version any encoder or I lose some steps?
Thanks, John

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pin #2 can go to pul- and pin #3 can go to dir-

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pin #2 can go to pul- and pin #3 can go to dir-

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pin #2 can go to pul- and pin #3 can go to dir-

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My driver has Pul+,Pul-,Dir+,Dir-,Ena+,Ena-. How do I connect the driver to my BoB.

The greenLean machine comes with the entire structure and features a 4'x8' cutting area. You will still need some hookup wire to connect the electronics and silicone tubing for the water to and from the spindle.

greenLean Machine: https://buildyourcnc.com/item/cnc-machine-greenLean-v1

Thanks for answering my last question. So I have two follow-up questions from the response. The green leaf stands vertical is it designed for the material to be cut without falling free once it is cut through? And second question: you metioned water running to the spindle is this a cooling system for the spindle?

You would use holding tabs to keep the parts from falling out of the cut areas. Holding tabs are generated as part of the CAM file. Yes, this is the way the spindle is cooled. This is far superior to air cooling. Air cooling will blow the chips all over the shop.

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I am loking for a kit that can cut 4x8 material and would be ready to cut when assembled. plus what computer and software are needed to be ready to cut?

What Windows version are you running? I have heard of a windows update that crashes Mach3. Try uninstalling Mach3 then re-installing it to see if that works. Make sure to save your .xml files under the Mach3 folder or you will lose your settings. Also, copy your license file under that folder so you can re-copy it into the new folder.

Another solution is to roll back the windows update to a previous version (just prior to the update).

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When I try to run Mach3 It just crashes and restarts my computer.