The USB interface that we sell only works with planet-cnc software. We will be developing our own USB board and plug-in that will work with Mach4 very soon.

Additional Information:
does the mach3 usb interface board work with mach4?

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Can I use your USB interface board and Mach4 on my 3 axis CNC router?

Planet-CNC is the control software. If you decide to use the USB controller, you will need to use the planet-CNC software as the control software. You will be able to use any of the CAM software applications with the planet-CNC control software.

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Can I use your USB interface board and Mach3 on my 3 axis CNC router?

Yes, you can send your electronics to us for repair, or retrofit to work with either Mach3, Mach4 or LinuxCNC. You can send us an email at customerService@buildyourcnc.com to set up your appointment.

Some of the types of CNC electronics we will consider.

- We will work on electronics from other manufacturers as long as you are ok with the Mach3, Mach4 or LinuxCNC control software for your CNC machine or CNC router.

- We will repair or retrofit used CNC electronics.

- Some customers find that electronics are overwhelming to put together so we will finish these electronics wiring and assembly for you.

The cost for these includes labor cost for the time it takes to finish the CNC electronics repair or retrofit and for any parts that need to be replaced or added.

Here is an example of CNC electronics that we worked on for a customer:

Click the link to add information to this solution:
I bought a CNC router used and I need help retrofitting the electronics.

Yes, our porter cable collets and nuts will fit the porter cable 7518.

Additional Information:

Click the link to add information to this solution:
HAVE PORTER CABLE 7518 ROUTER ON MY CNC AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOUR ER20 COLLET NUT, FOR THE CABLE, WILL FIT ROUTER.

The actual cutting dimensions for our blackToe machine is 2'(24") x 4'(48"), the overall size of the structure built is a bit larger so that our customers have the actual size mentioned with each of our machines!

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blackToe 2'x4' CNC Router - What are the actual x and y cutting dimensions (eg: 22"x46")

Yes, you can send your electronics to us for repair, or retrofit to work with either Mach3, Mach4 or LinuxCNC. You can send us an email at customerService@buildyourcnc.com to set up your appointment.

Some of the types of CNC electronics we will consider.

- We will work on electronics from other manufacturers as long as you are ok with the Mach3, Mach4 or LinuxCNC control software for your CNC machine or CNC router.

- We will repair or retrofit used CNC electronics.

- Some customers find that electronics are overwhelming to put together so we will finish these electronics wiring and assembly for you.

The cost for these includes labor cost for the time it takes to finish the CNC electronics repair or retrofit and for any parts that need to be replaced or added.

Here is an example of CNC electronics that we worked on for a customer:

Click the link to add information to this solution:
Can you finish putting my CNC electronics together for me?

The plans/hardware/electronics/mechanical includes everything but the wood structural components that can be cut by the customer. This plans/hardware option includes all of the electronics, like motors, drivers, controller, and all of the cables and wires to connect all of the electronics together. The mechanical components include shafts, couplings, linear rails, bearing blocks, sprockets, lead screws, etc. The hardware consists of all of the screws nuts, insert nuts, cross dowels, etc, to assemble all of the structural, mechanical, and electronics together.

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what does the plans, hardware, electronics and mechanical option consists of for a CNC router?

Dealing with a mid-stop cut via Mach3, you will have to be careful if it is intentionally or unintentional. If you desire to stop your machine while in the middle of a cut be sure to stop it when the machine is moving in an upward motion on the z-axis and the X/Y-axis are stationary. Then you can choose the point (G-code) where the machine was left off and click on the Run from here button on the Program Run screen (left hand side) right above the Reset button.
(Make sure spindle/router is running before hand!)

Now if the machine stops unintentionally, and was moving in either the X/Y-axis, then it will be difficult to run the machine from the original point dealing with the coordinates might have been lost due the the machine continuing motion but via Mach3 the machine has stopped.

If this occurs to fight this issue before hand, is marking your home with the spindle/router to make a hole were your home is. Although moving it manually back to home the machine can be off by the smallest amount and could cause an inconsistent cut. If accuracy is something that can not be risked, then you can home the machine about a 1/4" or 1/2" down from the original home to start your cut on the same material but loosing that small piece.

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My typical go to solution is:

- Note the current g-code line where the machine stopped.
- If Mach3 errored and you cannot control the machine, Exit Mach3 - you may find that reset, stop does nothing to stop the spindle. When you exit mach3, the spindle will stop automatically.
- Restart Mach3. The DRO (Digital Readout) should show the correct coordinates where the machine position was before exiting Mach3.
- Scroll to the g-code line where the machine stopped. You may need to go a few lines prior to make sure you are not skipping any machining operations (which is why it is a good idea to learn the basics of g-code - don't worry, it's easy)
- Click on the "Run from Here" button.
- Mach3 will present you with a "Preparation Move" dialog box with the location that it will move to. If the coordinates shows a position that is into the material, make sure to specify a rapid height (clearance height) so the machine will move up first and then move to the location before moving down into the material. If the spindle is automatically controlled by Mach3, make sure to check the turn spindle on checkbox. If not, make sure the router or spindle is on before clicking OK.

Additional Information:
My cnc router stops at gcode line 50,000 and cannot finish program. They are about 150k of lines total. I have Mach3 and have bought the additional line capability. Is 50,000 (or around that) the limit? Is Mach 4 hobby license better and in what ways? Thanks! Mike Huber

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If you have a license for Mach3, then you should be able to run g-code indefinitely. I think there is something else going on.

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If you have a license for Mach3, then you should be able to run g-code indefinitely. I think there is something else going on.
What else could be going on?

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Click the link to add information to this solution:
My CNC router stopped in the middle of a job with mach3.

Does your breakout board (interface) have a relay? If so, you can connect one of the router/spindle's ac lines through the relay. The M3, M4 and M5 codes are used to control the router/spindle. Typically, the M codes are automatically added to the g-code regardless if you configure this in your CAM software. If you have the breakout board from buildyourcnc, you can go to the product page for the breakout board and the relay connection diagram and narrative is in the instructions on that page.

Click the link to add information to this solution:
WHAT IS THE MOST EASY WAY TO HOOK UP MILL IN THAT AUTOMATICALLY STARTS WHEN CYCLE STARTS, AND STOPS GCODE THROUGH?

You will need a CNC software that will control your router cnc machine, and your design CAD/CAM software will need to know the CNC software you plan on using so the post processor in the CAM software can create the g-code for the CNC control software. So if you have for example, Mach 3 and our parallel breakout board, you can use the Mach 3 post processor in your design software.

Click the link to add information to this solution:
I'm new to CNC and just finish building my router.I need software for my post processor and not sure if your product is what I need?

You will need to build the table unit for your machine. There are instructions on how to do this at the bottom of the product page here, https://www.buildyourcnc.com/Item/cnc-machine-blackFoot-v4
There is no estimate on how much this will cost though, since there are too many variables involved to do this.

- PC with parallel port and USB port
- 20awg stranded wires for the motors - http://www.buildyourcnc.com/electronicscombo.aspx
- 18awg stranded wires for power supply to drivers
- 24awg stranded wires for breakout board to drivers
(location and spacing of components varies from one person to another, so we do not provide cables/wires)
- General purpose extension cord (cut the female end off) to provide power to power supply
- USB cable to power breakout board
- Parallel cable to communicate to breakout board
- Router
- (optional - instead of router) Spindle with power inverter http://www.buildyourcnc.com/SpindlesAndAccessories.aspx
- (if purchasing spindle with inverter) General purpose extension cord (240v) (cut the female end off) to provide power to power inverter
- End Mill(s) http://www.buildyourcnc.com/ProductsEndMills.aspx
- CAD, and/or CAD-CAM software (to produce geometry, machine operations, and g-code) http://www.buildyourcnc.com/CNCsoftware.aspx
- CNC control software (to read g-code and control machine) http://www.buildyourcnc.com/CNCsoftware.aspx

This answer is applicable to most of our machines with the exception of the greenLean and the blueChick since those machines are equipped with a table structure.

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Click the link to add information to this solution:
I just wanted to know what I can expect to pay to build the blackFoot 4'x8' CNC machine, excluding computer, software and router? Is the kit complete or do I have to purchase additional items to finish?

Yes, you can send your electronics to us for repair, or retrofit to work with either Mach3, Mach4 or LinuxCNC. You can send us an email at customerService@buildyourcnc.com to set up your appointment.

Some of the types of CNC electronics we will consider.

- We will work on electronics from other manufacturers as long as you are ok with the Mach3, Mach4 or LinuxCNC control software for your CNC machine or CNC router.

- We will repair or retrofit used CNC electronics.

- Some customers find that electronics are overwhelming to put together so we will finish these electronics wiring and assembly for you.

The cost for these includes labor cost for the time it takes to finish the CNC electronics repair or retrofit and for any parts that need to be replaced or added.

Here is an example of CNC electronics that we worked on for a customer:

Click the link to add information to this solution:
I would like to use Mach3 instead of the software for my CNC router. Can you fix the electronics for me?

Here is the kit for the Woodsmith CNC: https://buildyourcnc.com/item/cnc-machine-woodsmithCNC-kit

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Do you offer a complete kit for the Woodsmith CNC router plan?

We don't have a laser kit to retrofit another CNC router other than ours, but we can create one. Some things that may help:

- You are located close to use so we can work closely with you to implement to retrofit,
- or you can provide very detailed drawings or measurements so we can use them to create the necessary parts for the kit.

Other things that you need to understand:

- A laser has a number of parts that will bulk up the head of the CNC router causing a bit more inertia which may require lowering the acceleration for smooth ramping up and down of the velocity

- The bulk of the parts required for the laser may restrict the travel of the x and/or y axes.

- The nozzle of the laser will be offset from the end mill of the spindle.

Can you tell me the brand of the CNC router that you would like to stick a laser on? (you can answer by submitting additional information.

Click the link to add information to this solution:
Do you have a laser kit that can be fitted onto another brand CNC router?

What 3d printer do you have?

Additional Information:
whiteant

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HAVE 3D PRINTER THAT WANT TO MAKE CNC ROUTER ,IS THERE ANY GUIDES SHOW ME THE WAY

If one of your stepper motors decides to stop moving and the others are moving during a CNC milling or laser cutting job, then there could be two things that could be causing this.

- The motor found its limiting torque (usually comes with a not-so-pleasant sound). This is where the control software is trying to move the stepper motor too fast (velocity, or too fast too quickly, acceleration) and the load against the stepper motor (inertia of the machine, or the material against the end mill while milling). Recommended action is to lower the velocity and/or acceleration, and/or lower the feedrate when cutting.

- There is a wiring issue with the wiring from the driver to the motor. This could be a loose wire, or a chafed wire (or two shorting together). It can also be a loose digital wire from the controller board to the driver. Sometimes wire ties can be the culprit. Recommended action would be to thoroughly inspect the wiring.

It's probably not the limit switches since that would cause a stop to the entire motion of the cnc router or laser machine.

Sometimes Mach3 will show a status when something goes wrong, but in cases where the motor is stopping due to its torque limit, then that would not be shown in the status. It's always good to check it anyway.

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I need to clarify my situation a little better after going to my shop and trying to run another program on Mach 3. About 15 minutes into the milling process all the motors (2-X axis, Y axis and Z axis)stop but the program continues to run. I stop the program and after a couple of minutes when I try to restart the program all the motors start working again. Then after another 15 minutes or so, all the motors stop again. I checked and rechecked my wiring. This has never happened to me before when running the same programs with the same setups and motor speeds. All of a sudden when I reloaded a program I successfully used before it does this. Do you have any recommendations?

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Yeah, it sounds like a more complex issue. Have you tried running in the air without using the spindle. This may be a power related issue.

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That's exactly what I did. I ran the program without the router motor on just to see if the motors would get through the whole program but they stopped working after about fifteen minutes and then I was able to start them again after about 3 or 4 minutes. I never had this problem before so you can imagine my frustration especially after ruining a couple of projects on expensive material.

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Sure. I can completely understand. Try this: disconnect all but one of the driver from power and digital connection and do the air run. Repeat this for each driver and note your findings. This will rule out the drivers causing a power failure.

Also, is your stepper motors and drivers on a separate power circuit from the computer?

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I will try disconnecting each driver and digital connection, which will be a real pain because it will be hard to access.

All the stepper motors, drivers and computer are plugged into the same power strip.

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Ok, so there is no power failure going on, but I believe it is necessary to test each stepper motor and driver pair individually. Hopefully that will lead to a conclusion.

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It will take a little time but I will do it and report back on my findings.

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Curious, what machine is exhibiting this problem?

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I purchased a BYCNC kit back in 2009 with an approximate cutting area of 2' X 4'. I later changed out the Z-Axis Motor and controller for a larger one and have two X-axis motors and controllers. In 2010 I rebuilt the machine out of birch plywood instead of the particle board that the kit supplied. I sent Patrick pictures to him. The machine never gave me a problem till now.

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Thanks for the update. This is Patrick by the way. I answer pretty much all of the Customer Service questions. That machine has given quite a good history.

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I love the machine and made a number of samples of my work for my e-commerce site, but I can't start selling product until I know this problem is solved because I will not be able to fulfill orders. I finally got all the electronics out of its enclosed protected area near the machine so that I test each controller as you recommended. I hope the problem can be rectified. Will let you know.

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Thanks.

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I tested each stepper motor and driver pair individually and they worked so what might be the next step?

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Did each stepper motor driver pair work for the full +15 minutes?

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Yes, I had them in operation for over 30 minutes.

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Ok, well it’s good that the motors and driver are ok. We are now down to the power supply and the breakout board as possible causes for the stop. I have a feeling it may be the power supply where with all three drivers drawing current and the power supply maybe getting too hot. Is the fan in the power supply working? You can also test to see if there is 36 volts on the power supply voltage output (V+ and V-).

Regarding the breakout board, if you have an oscilloscope, you can test if the driver pulses are outputting, but I would consider this as a last resort after you determine if there is a problem with the power supply.

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I tested the power supply with a voltmeter and each output was registering 39-40 volts. I think the problem may be the g-code. I am using V-Carve pro to do design and output to Mach 3 Mill g-code. When I studied the g-code lines I noticed that further into the program the z-axis g-code stopped zeroing out to move to the next part of the carving. In other words both the x and y keep moving and the z just stopped working because there was g-code missing. I think something is missing when the design was converted to g-code. I noticed that when I ran a simpler project it worked without problems so I need to investigate this further.

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New Update, Its not the g-code. I started to run the long program and everything was working fine until about 45 minutes into it, all the motors stopped working (but the program was still running) and there was a high pitched hum. When I put my hands on the motors they were all trying to move but it seemed they were all stalled. I turned the power off, gave it a minute and when I turned it back on I was able to move the motors again. Could this be a power supply problem?

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It does sound more and more like a power supply problem. Did you test the power supply after the motors stopped?

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No, I did not. What should I be looking for.

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It’s good that you know the voltage during normal operation, so you have a base understood. If the power supply is the problem, the voltage will be reduced or non existent when measured after the problem.

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Also, check to see if the fan is running on the power supply when the motors stop. That may (not absolutely) be an indication.

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I'll run another test, check the voltage and fan when the problem occurs and let you know. Thanks for hanging in there with me as we try to resolve the problem.

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It’s my pleasure. This service is rarely used and is faster then email. Odd nobody uses it. Any recommendations you can give would be great. No problem using this FAQ to pose ideas as this resolution will be cleaned up later.

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It might be that people do not realize you can communicate through the sight like this because they are so used to e-mail and texting. You may want to explain this feature in the customer service section.

I ran the program this morning and it did not take long before the motors stopped. While operating the voltages for all three motors was 46 volts, when the motors stalled (and again there was a high pitch hum) the voltage went up to 60 volts and the fan on the power supply was operating.

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So, the driver work individually, but not all together. There is a high pitch sound when the motors fail. You have noted 60 volts from the power supply and the supply fan remains on. This is a difficult issue to resolve, but it seems to me that your power supply may be bad. The 60v measurement tells me that the current dropped and ohms law tells us that is current drops, volts will rise if the resistance stays the same.

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As one last test I am going to test each driver again and let them go through the entire program because it seems that the failure can occur at the beginning or towards the end of the program. When I originally tested ach driver I let them run for about a half an hour and the program takes over an hour to run completely. I just want to make sure that it is not the drivers. I will report back when I finished but as you noted it may be the power supply but I want to make sure.

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That’s a great idea.

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I just ran the x-axis through the whole program and there was no problem especially since I have two NEMA 23 motors moving that axis. Before I check the Y and Z could having a NEMA 34 on the Z axis with appropriate controller be a problem. I used the larger motor on the z axis because the router I am using is a large 1 1/2 hp. I've run this program in the past with this set-up and have not had a problem.

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Having a, say 3.0 amp driver, driving a stepper motor that typically requires a 6 amp driver would not seem to be an issue since the driver is limiting the current draw, but the driver may not be able to handle larger coil and back EMF with the protection on the 3.0 amp driver. With that said, I don’t believe that is the issue in this case.

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I don't either because I was able to run this and other complicated programs with this set-up in the past. I will let you know on the y and z axis.

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Thanks

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I ran the Y axis and z axis separately through the entire program and there was no stopping or problem. I guess the culprit is the power supply and I'll order a new one and hope that resolves the problem.

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Yes, that is the most probable cause. Please keep me informed. Thanks!

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Received and installed the new power supply. I ran the program with the router on and it worked flawlessly. The program runs for an hour and a half and I did not have a single problem. I guess it was the power supply but I was glad to go through all the diagnostics we discussed before replacing it. I hope this power supply lasts a lot longer than the last one. Thanks much for hanging in there with me and coming up with the solution.

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It’s my absolute pleasure and I am so happy to hear that the power supply replacement solved the problem.

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Y axis stop working X & Z work fine Y axis has two motors have check wiring & connections new breakout board still the same port & Pin set OK dont no were to go next David

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my cnc plasma cutter will run out the program when cutting. what is the cause?

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The cnc plasma question shod be a separate question. Can you pise that question by clicking the customer service live menu button at the top? Thanks.

Click the link to add information to this solution:
WHAT CAUSES ONE OF MY TWO AXIS MOTORS TO STOP WHILE THE MACH3 PROGRAM IS STILL RUNNING

It will depend on how you configure the machine to use the Laser and plasma. Is the laser on a separate gantry? That will determine the way you will connect the laser control system or if you use a typical CNC controller. The plasma will need inputs of THC on, THC up, THC down and outputs to trigger the plasma torch. I recommend the Pokeys57CNC for the plasma and you can also fire the laser with it, but you will not be able to do engraving with the laser unless you use a laser controller. If you use a laser controller, you will need to either build circuitry to switch the digital signals from which controller you will be using, or if you have the laser on a separate gantry, you can use a traditional laser controller connected to the stepper motor drivers on that gantry.

Users response:
I was planing on using same gantry, and installing plasma and laser module on z axis along the side with current router. Perhaps if it’s needed installing another z axis on current z axis. So that when I use plasma, router z will be homed and plasma z axis will be able to utilize thc.

When you say “If you use a laser controller, you will need to either build circuitry to switch the digital signals from which controller you will be using,”
If i install laser controller, pokeys and router motion card, do you mean all ( axis and router/laser/plasma) signals or just the one that controls router/laser/plasma?
I was wondering if I could jump (parallel connect) axis signals from card to card without ?
Also do you prefer ethernet card or usb?
I really do appreciate your help :) thanx again.

Buildyourcnc response:
Not a problem at all.

Remember that with all of that weight on the z-axis, you will not be able to do efficient raster style engraving.

By putting the laser on another gantry, say at the far end of the table, then you would be able to use a laser controller that controls its own stepper motors and the nozzle can have fast swing motion for engraving. With the laser on the z-axis of the spindle (like see on the greenBull), you will only be able to do vector motions for the laser.

You can also have a CNC interface and laser controller controlling the same stepper motor drivers, but you will need a few tri-state buffer chips where you can use a toggle switch for which controller has control of the drivers.

Click the link to add information to this solution:
How should I control a plasma torch, spindle and a laser on my CNC machine?

If you want to taper the surface of wood blanks, it would be best to create a fixture for clamping the blank onto the table where one end of the blank is raised and then you use a surfacing bit to flatten the top side.

Additional Information:
A tool like this would work well to surface the material: https://www.buildyourcnc.com/item/endmill-surfacing-cutter-onsrud-2-insert

Click the link to add information to this solution:
CNC router build -- hortizonal setting for router, to taper bamboo rod blanks -- how do i do?

For information on our current projects and/or future machine setups please refer to our R&D section (https://www.buildyourcnc.com/ResDev.aspx) for more info!

Also you can create a custom request! if your request is not been thought of or created.

Click the link to add information to this solution:
Are you planing on building a CNC lathe ? or intergrating one as a module on an existing CNC router table ?