[Beezle]

Personally I would stick with the version Tormach provides.

I have about two years and well over 100 different parts on mine and never a Z issue like this. I use SprutCAM and Vectric Aspire when not writing programs manually.

[ouchmysac]

FIXED

The latest version of Mach3 runs that test code flawlessly. Twice. The motors sound different too, probably updated controls there as well.

It's not hard, mine is now licensed too. If you're interested, just download the new mach3 from their website and install it like SCzEngrgGroup said below in a new directory. In the old PCNCx directory grab the PCNC3-3.xml or whatever file and move it to the corresponding new folder (the file structure is the same, most of the file names are too). This XML file is already setup and tells mach which pins in the parallel port to use and how the e-stops works and all that. The mach3 manual talks about how to do it yourself, but why? There are other config and screen files in the old PCNCx directory, but I think the Tormach skin is kinda jankey and old, but whatevs. If you load in the license CD that came with your machine and browse to the CD in windows explorer, copy the license file into the new root directory that has that xml file and all. That's it.

Seriously, if you guys are using helix moves and things seem strange, try the new mach version. I was losing my mind, the machine said it was where it was supposed to be, the code said go there, the cutter said no. Simple moves too. Oh well, suck. Back to work.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

FIXED

The latest version of Mach3 runs that test code flawlessly. Twice. The motors sound different too, probably updated controls there as well.

It's not hard, mine is now licensed too. If you're interested, just download the new mach3 from their website and install it like SCzEngrgGroup said below in a new directory. In the old PCNCx directory grab the PCNC3-3.xml or whatever file and move it to the corresponding new folder (the file structure is the same, most of the file names are too). This XML file is already setup and tells mach which pins in the parallel port to use and how the e-stops works and all that. The mach3 manual talks about how to do it yourself, but why? There are other config and screen files in the old PCNCx directory, but I think the Tormach skin is kinda jankey and old, but whatevs. If you load in the license CD that came with your machine and browse to the CD in windows explorer, copy the license file into the new root directory that has that xml file and all. That's it.

Seriously, if you guys are using helix moves and things seem strange, try the new mach version. I was losing my mind, the machine said it was where it was supposed to be, the code said go there, the cutter said no. Simple moves too. Oh well, suck. Back to work.

Yeah, just beware that 3.043.066 is not without plenty of its own bugs. But at least you've confirmed that the version of Mach3 you were running is the culprit.

You might want to go to the ArtSoft forum, and ask the guys over there which version is best. Most consider 066 to be too buggy to use, but I don't recall which version they feel is most stable. I believe that particular bug was fixed somewhere around 3.042.060 or so.

Probably be good to report the problem to Tormach as well, and send them the problem g-code, so they can reproduce it. Perhaps they're already aware of it, and might have a work-around?

Regards,
Ray L.