Leaving Mach3 for UCCNC - Hardware migration question

[uspl]

Hi

Fired up the router this morning to discover the latest w10 update had killed Mach3, AGAIN !
Fair enough, it is very old software, so be it.

I am planning on switching to UCCNC and am hoping it is as simple as pulling out the Smoothstepper and replacing it with a UC100. Downstream is a KTA-205 https://oceancontrols.com.au/KTA-205.html that has served me very well for many years.

Apart from the software learning curve, am I going to be that lucky ??

BTW, PC is an i7 with 12Gb RAM, I expect that will handle UCCNC.

Thanks in advance

[ger21]

Don't get a UC100. Get a UC400 instead, as it's more comparable to a Smoothstepper than a UC100. Price difference is minimal.
UCCNC is very similar to Mach3, so there shouldn't be much learning curve.
Yes, should be a simple swap, as long as you know the port and pin numbers of everything.

[cncdrive]

The UC300ETH-5LPT is the most compatible with the Smoothstepper, because ithey both have both normal and input type ports.

[marteng]

Good morning to all,
I'm currently in transition of switching over to UCCNC from Mach3 and frankly from what I have read on the forum and mostly on the manual, as claimed elsewhere on the forum, caters better for CNC machining, with more options & hardware applications such as Laser application, lubricating pump to name a few like I have on my CNC router. Having said that I will have to modify some wiring to take advantage of these, while at the same time adjusting the pin outputs, direction and speeds as the Mach3 importation seems to have modified some settings here and there but that is not much of a problem. I have though 1 question, which for some might be retorical, as I have not seen any reference to in both the forum and the manual or maybe I haven't seen it.
I am used to "Regen toolpath" on Mach3, which I do everytime before running a Gcode for safety and piece of mind that Mach3 knows where the gantry is, but I mostly do when I jog off the gantry to a better location to change the cutter (since I have a working are of 1mt x 2mt) and zero the z axis. On UCCNC I cannot find any reference to such an operation (or anything of that sort), is that because UCCNC would follow up and update the gantry position in relation to the work piece location even when manually jogging off elsewhere to change cutter (and naturally zero Z axis) in between cutting paths?
I am sorry for such a stupid question but truly I cannot find any reference and honestly feel reluctant to try out, given that I am doing changes and adjustments all over the CNC, I wouldnt want to overlook something that may cause costly damages!
Thanks
Marteng

[ger21]

There's a Reload button on the bottom right of the toolpath window, but there's no need to use it the way you are describing. You shouldn't have had to use the Regen in Mach3, but I think there were some bugs in there that required it.

[marteng]

Hello Gerry, yepp .... now I see it . I will load a cutting path and do an air cut, stop half way through, jog off to another location and continue the cutting path with out Reloading and see what happens.
Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.
Thanks
Marteng

[Dazp1976]

Must admit. I've never had to reload in either Mach or uccnc. For instance manually changing tools.
I put a M1 in the code at the point of swapping tool.
When it gets to the M1 and stops, I don't touch the program, just do the folowing:

Jog Z to a suitable height and swap tool.
Jog x, y, to the position of my height setter.
Set the Z height accordingly.
Jog Z roughly to my safe Z height.
Press cycle start and x, y, will move back, then z, then it starts cutting where it left off.

The only thing to watch is x, y, will move before z, so just have to remember to jog raise z after setting heights!.

[ger21]

I've never had to reload in either Mach or uccnc.

I don't recall what they are, but there are certain things that you can do in Mach3 that will cause problems if you don't regen the toolpath. Mach3 can somehow forget where it's at.

[marteng]

Hi guys,
So, after a brief while of radio silence, I had to retreat at setting, adjusting and doing trials on my UCCNC software. Firstly I have to say that i regret not having done the switch to UCCNC any sooner, as it is so versatile and well thought as setup goes, as far as I have seen.
I have done an air cut where I stopped the cutting midway to simulate toolchange, while changing the tool length value and resumed the cut without reloading and it took off where it left.
Furthermore I have also various optocouplers to switch on / off ancillary equipment for both router and laser setups, where I was naturally thinking that 2 profiles are required. From what I have so far understood and discovered, I can have 1 profile for both scenarios where selectable outputs and inputs may be activated (or deactivated) depending on what cutting file type is loaded. This gives me the flexability of simply changing the head from router to laser (or vise versa) while keeping the same machine coordinates and setup.
I still need to figure out how to setup and understand how the tool changer macro works, since this requires sequential moves like first sliding out the tool magazine out of a dustprotective drawer, place the tool & pickup the 2nd one, close the magazine, zero z axis and continue where it left. I'm sure this is going to be a challenge, so I'll be leaving it for last, after having set up the laser.
Thanks for listening in.
Regards Marteng