Freeware CNC control software?

patooyee · Oct 20, 2015

I have a very old Torchmate home-built table that uses software that only runs on Windows XP. Its getting time to upgrade the PC to which will include an upgrade to Windows 10 and I'm wondering if there is some freeware solution to control the table in the newer OS? The table is so old that it isn't really worth investing a bunch of money into.

tyleecw · Oct 20, 2015

Best bet is to use your current PC as a stand alone and buy up old mother boards for spares. Torchmate I believe uses their own custom software so, something free to fix it would be a stretch.
The company I work for builds industrial CNC Routers with Fanuc controls. A lot of our competitors use a PC front end and the end users are having hell with XP going away.
Hope this helps and good luck. Maybe some one can give a better answer.

Nuts · Oct 21, 2015

I'm setting up a table right now using mach3, it will run on Windows 7 but nothing newer, so I just bought an old pc from the flea market to use specifically with the table.

Had I found him sooner I would have got everything from this guy, he's local to me and is willing to help even though I didn't buy his products. Give him a call and see what he says about what to use with Windows 10

croes · Oct 21, 2015

AdamF said:
I'm setting up a table right now using mach3, it will run on Windows 7 but nothing newer, so I just bought an old pc from the flea market to use specifically with the table.

Windows 7 32 bit, it most likely wouldn't work with 64. Recently tried to help a buddy get is 4x8 going with 8.1 64 bit ( he didn't read instructions), none the less we couldn't get it to go so he needs to find a new computer. I'm running mine with windows 7 32 bit as well since my desktop with xp bit the dust last year.

Nuts · Oct 21, 2015

croes said:
Windows 7 32 bit, it most likely wouldn't work with 64. Recently tried to help a buddy get is 4x8 going with 8.1 64 bit ( he didn't read instructions), none the less we couldn't get it to go so he needs to find a new computer. I'm running mine with windows 7 32 bit as well since my desktop with xp bit the dust last year.

yep 32 bit, forgot to mention that. This is my first time setting up a table and I have to say that I am 1000 times better at metal fabrication than I am at software installation. It's been a slow process for me but I'm getting there.

1TONZR2 · Oct 21, 2015

would love to be able to table software on my laptop, so I wouldnt have to change computers after drawing something.......but I have WIN10 now. same boat with a version of solidworks I have....cant be used on this laptop and has to be ran with XP, which is extremely hard to find a good copy of.

Brian

croes · Oct 21, 2015

1TONZR2 said:
would love to be able to table software on my laptop, so I wouldnt have to change computers after drawing something.......but I have WIN10 now. same boat with a version of solidworks I have....cant be used on this laptop and has to be ran with XP, which is extremely hard to find a good copy of.

Brian

I'm getting ready to buy a new HP laptop with xp off ebay, about the best place I've found $ wise. I've been using my laptop with xp and pro e for 7 years and I want to save it for a backup as its had intermittent issues lately.

redneckengineered · Oct 21, 2015

Have you looked into any open source Linux solutions? They are out there.

http://www.linuxcnc.org/

https://buildyourcnc.com/Item/control-SOFTWARE-linuxcnc

patooyee · Oct 21, 2015

Thanks Andrew but I've never used Linux and I'm just getting too old to learn new OS's.

I think I'm going to get a Win10 desktop to run along side the xp desktop and network the two. That way the xp just runs the Torchmate and can get all the dxf's from the Win10 computer next to it. If anyone has any tips on networking the two together I'm all ears as I have never done anything like it before.

redneckengineered · Oct 21, 2015

patooyee said:
Thanks Andrew but I've never used Linux and I'm just getting too old to learn new OS's.

I think I'm going to get a Win10 desktop to run along side the xp desktop and network the two. That way the xp just runs the Torchmate and can get all the dxf's from the Win10 computer next to it. If anyone has any tips on networking the two together I'm all ears as I have never done anything like it before.

I know very little about Linux, but I do work in several Linux programs here at work. Frankly the desktop is very similar to Windows with a start menu of sorts and icons to launch various programs. If all you were going to do was run that one program, you really don't need to have any more knowledge about computers than you do now.

That being said, your plan sounds fine. We still have one XP machine here at work and I keep a couple more in the closet for parts. It runs a very important piece of software for us, and to update the software to Windows 7 or 10 is 5 figures for basically nothing other than having it be compatible with newer machines. Obviously that is ridiculous.

If you want to network the two you'll need a router and some network cable at a minimum and basic knowledge of networking to get both computers to see each other. Another option and the most basic would be to get a crossover cable which will tie the two computers directly together for file sharing without the need of a router. You can read more about that here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_crossover_cable

You could just use a USB thumb drive to go between the computers if you don't want to **** with networking.

If you'll have internet access you can just get a google drive account for free and store all your files in the cloud. Each computer will have a folder on the desktop that looks like a local folder but really just browses your cloud files. I use this for tons of things. Very handy.

croes · Oct 21, 2015

redneckengineered said:
You could just use a USB thumb drive to go between the computers if you don't want to **** with networking.

This is what I do, I originally had everything networked wireless but the lag was irritating. Plus the nice thing about thumb drives is that you have a backup of your files.

patooyee · Oct 21, 2015

I do use Google Drive for everything. But I don't have an internet connection at the shop. When I do need internet there I tether it via FoxFi from my cell. I think sharing that connection between two computers would be more difficult than just networking them.

Thanks Andrew, the crossover cable seems like the perfect thing for me.

fl-krawler · Oct 21, 2015

I'm pretty sure that pre lincoln buyout torchmate was offering lifetime software upgrades/support with purchase of their machine. Have you called them to see what they offer?

patooyee · Oct 21, 2015

Yes, my hardware is only compatible with version 1.x of their software which only runs on XP.

redneckengineered · Oct 21, 2015

patooyee said:
Yes, my hardware is only compatible with version 1.x of their software which only runs on XP.

One more option. Windows 7 will emulate XP for legacy programs

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/install-and-use-windows-xp-mode-in-windows-7

patooyee · Oct 21, 2015

I think Win10 will do that as well, which I will try once I get the new desktop.

Where re people finding spare Torchmate boards?

fl-krawler · Oct 21, 2015

www.cnczone.com

patooyee · Nov 2, 2015

Thanks again for the patch-cable info Andrew. Both computers are set up now and sharing what I need after only about 30 minutes of playing with settings.

redneckengineered · Nov 2, 2015

patooyee said:
Thanks again for the patch-cable info Andrew. Both computers are set up now and sharing what I need after only about 30 minutes of playing with settings.

Awesome man. That's an old LAN party trick I used to use back in the day for swapping MP3s and playing games :dblthumb: