possibility of upgrade?

[plain ol Bill]

Hello again tom - I had a panic attack yesterday when my Mach3 program started sending me messages that it was corrupted. One of those "OH NO, NOW WHAT AM I GOING TO DO??" moments. Then I remembered I had another computer that I had set up and cloned in storage. Luckily I think that solved my problem (to be tried tomorrow with the plasma). My antique MP3000 just keeps on ticking but I wonder about upgrading. My table, motors & all the wiring are fine. Tom what would the best way to upgrade this old control system? Any of my stuff worth anything in a trade in?

[admin13o5]

Bill: You can reload MACH using the version they still have up on the MACH support site . 3.043.066 I hink. Keep a copy iof the MACH3 main folder onto a thuimbdrive. You get a generic version of MACH but we have a Master Instaler X (legacy) that adds in all our screens and drivers. Its located in the SUPPOIRT/DOWNLOADS section of the website. Don't get the later XI version , it has stuff for the Ethernet systems that came after the MP3000 ALl you really need out of the old stuff its the motor tuning and any any custom Inputs you might have setup. You can load an old profile as long as its a different name as the newly installed one.\

Most like what go corrupted is the profile and not the main program amnyway so don't try to load and run the profiles off you backup.

The nrew stuff is Better, Faster , Cheaper than MACH but won't run on old PC's and Windows. The performance is WAY better and lots more features but its not just a load and run upgrade. SheetCAM is upgraded , settings are somewhat different and the user interface while all nice an pretty (GUI) is a LOT different. Like moving from a Piper Single engine 128 to a turbo prop multi engine with radar and variable pitch props!.

If you have the actual MP300o - DTHCII separate Box then the Plug replacment is the MP3700-DTHC5 . If its the ALl in One it needs to be the ESPII power box model or later.

[plain ol Bill]

Tom I have the big power box with all the geckos etc in it then the small MPC3000 series B box with what seems like a rats nest of cables running out the front of it and more on the back. Still using my older Hypertherm 1250 with wiring out of it to a torch box & then to the small series B box. Tell me what i need Tom to simplify my life and fly that multi engine turbo prop whiz bang outfit.
I definitely want its own computer all preloaded up ready for me to use.

[admin13o5]

Snce you have the separte MP3000 the upgrade is pretty straight forward. You get the MP3700-DTHC witht he 4 port hub option and it replaces the Windows PC and MACH and the MP3000. May need a different Hypertherm connection kit and a RAV card for a voltage divider . The connection anc cable count will go down because the parallel port cables go away and the connection to the Mini PC that comes with it is one cat5 for Ethernet and one USB foir the 4 port hub. The I/O (inputs and outputs) are on the back of the MP3700 . The PWM that comes with it is a CAT5 to the DTHC in front.

You can use all of the motor tuning info in MACH to setup the CommadnCNC CONFIG.

A lot will depend on HOW the current setup is connected to you 1250. The 1250 has a CPC connector but it has no internal voltage divider. The old solution was a card that did not use the CPC at all and went inside . A couple of wires had to be moved in the Hypertherm to use that machine. The current solution is our PWM module taht plugs directly tot he CPC via a cable (MIC-3) and a RAV-02 that is put in as an internal voltage divider and connects tot he PWM via a stereo cable . There is a kit specificity for the 1000/1250/1650 series units. Let me know when you wan tto do the deal and I will comp you the connection kit .

[plain ol Bill]

Let's do it Tom. I will call you next week and ask you some dumb questions (remember those days ). An aquaintance just got a brand new, shiny, good smelling Arc Lights table. I couldn't help but notice whose electronic equipment was on it. His new table has all the bells, whistles and flashing lights. With upgrading my table and getting a THC that actually works I don't think his new one will do a better job than my antique.

[admin13o5]

Well Bill its changed some since the last time you were here. I spend 90% of my time out of of the shop and out of the way of our crew

I still do a lot of the design and documentation of new products and there are only two of us left that even know how to configure and run a MACH system . Tech support just knows the Linux/CommadnCNC line. We shipped out last MACH system in late 2015. MACH4 is NOT and upgrade its a total rewrite and nothing that worked with MACH3 will work with it. Its kind sad because we helped build the MACH3 product working with Art when he owned it. He could fix bugs and add stuff in days . Back in '15 when we had a problem with making our DTHC IV work with MACH3 and the Warp9 card the current owners refused to help . I had to pay Art to come out of retirement to make the fix and it became clear that MACH3 was obsolete and MACH4 was still in development. Probably the best move we ever made to go to Open source LinuxCNC core and build a stable and feature rich control system around something we could change or fix if we needed .

Really all you need is to let me know what you have as the interface to you 1250 . The MP3700-DTHC5 is a complete system (less the power and motor drivers section. Same front end electronics as we use on our full G5 series controllers. You will have to swap out the MTA card (aka Axis I/O ) inside that older box where the 25 pin from the MP3000 plugs in for the interface tot he control box *(not the parallel port cables, they go away)


I suggest you get the manuals for the COmmandCNC series stuff off the Support / manual section and al the addendum for the MP3700 and for the DTHC5 trouble shooting.

So if you call and ask for me you probably won't get me . Like the wizard of OZ I am the guy behind the curtain! My direct email works and I montior this list and the Request for Support forms off the website.

TC

[confused8914]

Thought I would add a note to this thread for folks thinking about upgrading. I DID IT! I am a very happy customer with the package I bought and converting from Windows to the Linux operating system. Linux is a little different but not to the extent that it creates a problem. LOVE the Command CNC versus my old Mach system. My table is a self built 5X10 with the big motors. I saved my motors and replaced all the control electronics. My table is running and cutting better right now than it ever has! The torch height control is amazing. I cut quite a bit of light weight copper and warpage becomes a big problem without a good THC.
The only problem I am dealing with is with the new omnic sensor being more sensitive with a water table than my old feather cut was. But I am learning how to deal with it. Bottom line - would I do it again with the same equipment knowing what I do now? You better bet I would folks.
plain ol Bill, AKA confused8914

[admin13o5]

Like everything in live its more common to post with a problem than to post with a comp;iment. I understand that and we try to treat all customers the same . It can get hard sometimes when we get calls where the caller is a A-hole and cusses out our staff and DEMANDS things thay never paid to get.

Because we have been in business for many years and have thousands of systems out there are lot sof pepople that buy old controls from a yard sale or auction and then call us and want tech support on a until that may be missing parts,has obsolete hardware and software then gets reall y pissed when they are told we do not do phone support on old system. Some cards are so old we can't get parts for them any more .

We do online support on older MACH systems. If you bought one with no PC or its broken its up to YOU to get AMCH installed and the Profiles that we still offer on the website installed . There are manuals for all of it. Take that into consideration BEFORE you buy ola stuff. NEVER buy a n old system unless it comes with the software or you intent is to simply use it to get it upgraded . MACH3 wont run on WIN10. The paralel port version will not run on ANY 64 bit version of Windows. We do not repair PCs out of warranty

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