I'm glad there are fully integrated CNC control packages for those who want to go that route, but I greatly prefer LinuxCNC for two major reasons.
1) I control the entire design, making the design choices that make sense for me on each machine. I generally prefer to spend a few more dollars on high quality PC components that will be reliable - a solid power supple, name brand motherboard, solid state drive, etc. I usually prefer inexpensive motion control components, often stepper motor and driver packages from Chinese manufacturers. They're a great value and they've been reliable. I usually buy a set with one more axis than I need so I have a spare motor and driver. (Pro Tip: It's worth buying high quality shaft couplings and good bearings for the motion control components.) I'll usually get the largest LCD I can fit on the machine and a Logitech wireless keyboard and touchpad that doubles as a pendant when jogging and zeroing the axes. No vendor can offer the exact hardware I want on each machine. There are too many variables and every pre-configured package will have compromises, and they're usually fairly severe. 2) I built the entire system so it's much easier for me to repair. A heavily integrated CNC control system, particularly if the computer and the motion control are on the same board, is both more likely to be damaged and less likely to be repaired. Repair is often by replacement. A comparable problem on my system might only require swapping a stepper driver (and I have a spare already on hand). For the same reason, LinuxCNC is great for replacing antiquated high dollar CNC controls on commercial equipment. Toss the 1990s Fanuc controls, replace them with LinuxCNC for a very small amount of money, and breathe new life into an old machine where the controls were dead but the iron still has a lot of life left in it. On 2/18/19 5:39 PM, John Dammeyer wrote: > I still had to edit the text into one line > However if you google this: " ? alibaba Low-cost-New-Product-3Axis-> 4Axis " > it will bring up the link. > > Point is that for $1500 you get a CNC controller ready to go. > > For $800 Alibaba lists "Cheap 3 axis CNC milling center CNC controller" The > drawing shows the outputs going to 3 drives and motors. > > But for $50 for a used dual core PC and either parallel port and BoB or and > enhanced control card from Mesa and the rest is the same. 3 drives and > motors. > > I don't believe that it's currently, in today's market, to compete with a > far east by making a custom board. > > John > > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: John Dammeyer [mailto:jo...@autoartisans.com] >> Sent: February-18-19 2:07 PM >> To: 'Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC)' >> Subject: Re: [Emc-users] DIY CNC builder dilemma, open request for >> comments >> >> Let's try this then. >> >> Then there is the Far East solutions like the one in this link. >> <https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Low-cost-New-Product-3Axis- >> 4Axis_60343603384.html?spm=a2700.7724857.normalList.37.3701292eTmjk5 >> p> >> >> >> John Dammeyer >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Emc-users mailing list >> Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
