CNC Router Software Question???

So I am build a CNC router and know how to design an objest then make that object into Gcode and i know that once i have that Gcode I put it in a program like Mach3 which basically handles the rest but what I don't know is any free (or EXTREMLY cheep) alternatives to Mach3. Do you know of any free alternatives to Mach 3 that can do basicaly all of the things it does? THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!

0 colecago over 13 years ago

It depends on your controller board, if you have something that uses a parallel port, your computer is basically the controller board, if you have something like a grblshield, then an Arduino translates the Gcode and turns it into steps/directions for the steppers. In that case you just use a gcode sender like universal-gcode-sender or even a terminal application like hyperterminal or realterm. I use realterm to stream Gcode to my tinyg control board on my hobby mill.

So the question is what controller are you using?
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