[SwampDonkey]

Looking for the "right" computer to run my machine on. Ive been through 4 computers so far and they all have issues with running the machine. Is anyone using this model with any success?

I cant run a driver test without actually buying the machine and installing the software so Ive ended up with a stack of computers that dot perform well.

Thanks in advance!

[RussMachine]

I don't know the answer to your DELL question, but.....
If you've already gone thru 4 different computers without any success, why not just buy the 'right' computer directly from TORMACH, and let them do all the configuring, setups, and hard work?
Just plug it in & go.

[LRF]

Russ
Plus one :wave:

[jcposada]

Can you elaborate on "don't perform well"? I have successfully run Mach on much lesser specced machines, which makes me wonder if it's not something else.

[AVRnj]

I have a Dell Optiplex 755 that I use for my CNC lathe, and it works great. I have tried it out on my Tormach, I installed the Tormach software and it seemed to work great.

I have the Tormach controller, and at one point I thought I had a problem with the controller so I was contemplating getting another 755 for my Tormach, rather than spending the money, so that is why I tested it out. I only ran a few cuts with it, so I did not do extensive testing, but from what I could tell it worked every bit as good as the Tormach controller. I did follow the instructions in the manual about using a non Tormach PC.

It turned out that the problem with my Tormach controller was my wireless software I installed, and once I un-installed it it was fine, so I obviously used the Tormach controller, but I was all set to use a 755.

Do keep in mind however that I did not do extensive testing, and cannot verify there would never be an issue.

[SwampDonkey]

I don't know the answer to your DELL question, but.....
If you've already gone thru 4 different computers without any success, why not just buy the 'right' computer directly from TORMACH, and let them do all the configuring, setups, and hard work?
Just plug it in & go.

Because its around a grand uses off the shelf parts. I cant afford that, especially after spending so much trying to get the thing running. Plenty of people run their machines perfectly on desktops (and even laptops) with no issues for a fraction of that. I cant afford to dump another grand into this machine.

[MichaelHenry]

SD - if your time is worth anything, buying the Tormach controller would make the most sense.

To echo jcposada - what "doesn't work well"? It's easier to find solutions when the problem is well defined.

Mike

[KSky]

I use the Dell Optiplex 755's on my CNC Router, an epilog laser retrofitted to use Mach 3 and my Tormach. All three work great. One big thing is to remember to set the parallel port in the bios to EPP mode other wise weird missed steps will surely result.

[O_Clark]

Slightly at a tangent but I set up a Dell Optiplex 960 to run with LinuxCNC recently (4 core CPU). The initial numbers were horrible, 170000ns jitter on the 25us base thread. Adding the kernel parameter idle=poll brought the max. jitter down to 5000ns. Presumably there was some sort of power saving CPU state saving going on beforehand. So it might work ok, I don't know anything about controlling a Tormach, I just my experiences with linuxCNC to report.

[Steve Seebold]

I don't know the answer to your DELL question, but.....
If you've already gone thru 4 different computers without any success, why not just buy the 'right' computer directly from TORMACH, and let them do all the configuring, setups, and hard work?
Just plug it in & go.

GOOD ANSWER, RUSS.

[sharpshooter90]

My Shopmaster runs Mach 3 on a Dell 745 computer that they supply with the machine. They clean the hard drive of all programs except Win XP and Mach 3, set the parallel port to EPP and tell you not to add any other programs or hook up to internet etc. Basically keep the computer totally isolated and dedicated to the machine. Any programs you write on another computer and then load them with a flash drive. So far I have no problems. If you are trying to run the machine and watch You tube or surf the internet at the same time you will have nothing but trouble with Mach 3.

[Steve Seebold]

Tormach tells you in their manual not to add any programs or accessories to their control computer. They say don't even add a multi port USB hub. I have been running my machine for a little over 3 years and have had absolutely no trouble with my controller. The only problem I had with the machine is when the Z axis stepper died. That was remedied within about 3 days,

I have renewed the extended warranty on my machine twice, and for the price, I think I will do it every year.

[mountaindew]

Tormach tells you in their manual not to add any programs or accessories to their control computer. They say don't even add a multi port USB hub..

Good advise, I would never connect a computer to a network that does not have virus protection, yet alone one dedicated and optimized to control a expensive machine.

Couple things the manual should be very specific on and tell you! imho

#1 When finished shut mill off "completely" the red master switch on side!" DO NOT RELY on E-STOP button! And of course the machine control computer power.
This insures a clean boot and connection to machine at start up. "this one tip has saved me so many pains and tormach tech support should start with this IMHO "

#2 Do not interrupt mach during a canned cycle like drilling "wow" who knows what its going to do next.

Some simple observations .

md

[TurboStep]

#1 When finished shut mill off "completely" the red master switch on side!" DO NOT RELY on E-STOP button! And of course the machine control computer power.
This insures a clean boot and connection to machine at start up. "this one tip has saved me so many pains and tormach tech support should start with this IMHO "

Please explain how this ensures a clean boot.
Step

[Peter Neill]

FWIW I run my PCNC 1100 on a Dell Dimension 8200 that I bought back in 2000.

[KSky]

I know I am not alone in running dropbox to share files with my design computer and the dedicated machine controller so I am not a big believer in having the control computer non-netorked. I only share one folder that has the tap files. I also turned off everything non-essential in windows. I would think plugging in and unplugging a USB drive would be much more risky than having the network plugged in. That brings in new hardware drivers and is much more intensive for windows than running already highly optimized network code.

[mountaindew]

Please explain how this ensures a clean boot.
Step

I found that it acts like some electrical state is retained in the mill. And if I boot controller computer and the mill has not been shut off it can cause the controller with mach to act erratically.
First time this happen I called tormach they almost had me adjusting my gibs of all things . Then one person advised to reinstall control software. Im like wow that wont fix nothing, well it did.
Problem is, it has happened a couple other times after that and each and every time the master power switch was not turned off. I did not want to reinstall mach and found this fixed it also.
Not clear why! maybe the parallel cable or some noise "I just know if I shut mill off it turns on with no problems"
md

[LSM]

got to love it when people won't listen to the manufacturer recommendations and then wonder why it doesn't work.
you have to do it the way Tormach tells you or you will have problems.
first off they have a special striped down XP version and their own version of mach.
you don't want modems or lan hardware installed if you install that stuff it screws up when windows starts queering it.
it works much better with a mother board that has the printer port on it.

What you run a different machine with isn't relevant Tormach did the interface for a specific versos of Mach with specific hardware specks on the cpu box

It comes down to how much is it worth to have it work right with out head aches.
obsolete tech costs money example My Omniturn lathe has a dos based 486 powered controller new mother board is $600.

The Tormach controller is obsolete tech for a pc but works just fine for what it does

[RustedOut]

I don't have a Tormach, but I do use an Optiplex 755 for the control of my mill. I used to run it on a dedicated xp box, but it developed some problems with lock ups. Too stressful to continue with it, so I replaced it with the 755. At the same time I got to talking to a machine tech and he mentioned that drive fragmenting has been known to cause the lockups I was experiencing with the old box. He suggested I get a ssd drive for the 755. It's running win7 32 through the parallel port at them moment, but the ssd is in hand and now running win7 64 for my coming change to an ESS to move to ethernet control instead of parallel. He mentioned usb problems from flash drives will cause problems as well. I added a graphics card to it as well and more ram to the max allowed.

So far, I'm happy as can be with the 755 on win7 32 with the work I've done since I got it. It's a SFF box, so not a lot of room in it, but I only gave $100.00 for it with win7 installed. But I'm looking forward to the day I get the ESS installed, that should be the day I worry no more about the sort of problems I've encountered in the past. Before I stripped the old xp hard drive of Mach3 and MachStdMill, I took a look at the fragmentation. It was very bad and came just from loading and removing hundreds of programs over the years I used it.

Bob

[kb0nly]

Being a PC tech i can tell you an SSD is the way to go... My Chinese CNC is running on Mach3 on an ancient Dell desktop that i had in the junk pile, only one of two that i had with a Parallel Port. It's an IDE only motherboard and a Pentium 4 at 3.0Ghz. I stripped it down and rebuilt it with a 32gb SSD and a SATA card i had on hand, luckily since PCI Express has taken over and this motherboard is pre-express with only two PCI slots.

But it runs XP and Mach3 perfectly... Dropped in 2gb of RAM, the 32gb SSD and Sata Controller, and 512mb AGP video card... Yes AGP, its old.. But its reliable! I also went into Windows and shut off all the services i didnt need, removed all the windows features i didn't need, and just literally stripped it down bare so all it does is boot up and open Mach3. Its networked so i can send files over from my main desktop when i am ready to go on a design, shared folder to the network. Its restricted at the router not to have internet access, intranet only. It doesn't have any antivirus on it either. I made a backup image of the SSD to a thumb drive, so if it ever goes down i can just restore it back in a matter of minutes.

Some day i plan on building a custom Micro ATX computer to put under the workbench out of the way just to run the CNC. But for now this works great and it was nearly free. I can't see spending $1k on a computer that can be built for $300-500.