Well, what it not apparent is that Artsoft has a recommmended XP_Optimization.txt laundry list of Windows optimizations to get their software to run even half-way reliably - that basically renders that PC useless for much else. One of the major appeals of Mach3 is the hope of running the machine with the same PC that runs the design software. We have not heard a single person ever say that they were using one and never had any issues. Mach3's solution to the 64bit problem is an external stepper controller that costs about as much as a whole PC, and all of the ones on the market at this point are buggy.

And now Mach3 absolutely will not run the parallel port driver in 64bit Windows. Then when 64bit Windows came around, it was too difficult to overcome. Then as Windows security got tighter and tighter, it became harder and harder to install that driver as it basically showed up as a root kit type of exploit to the Windows. But it was a hack at best - and problematic to say the least. It kinda clever what Artsoft figured out how to do, they hacked a driver between the bios and windows that uses a timer on the sound card circuitry to generate an interrupt and attempts to get that precise timing. That is fine for spreadsheets, but will never work for controlling a stepper motor. The smallest increment of time to windows software is one second, and that is minus however many clock cycles it takes to get around to handing it to you after it finishes whatever else it was doing at the time you requested it. The problem is that Windows does not have the ability to do precise timing. Whenever we get a call about some weird issue we have never heard of before, the first question we ask is which software, and nine times out of 10 the answer is Mach3 - no joke. In fact Artsoft announced last year they would discontinue support for Mach3 because they could not get the parallel port driver to run on 64bit Windows. Our controllers will work on any parallel port control software, but the reason why we use LinuxCNC on our machines *instead* of Mach3 is because Mach3 is too buggy to be taken serious as an industrial controller. This would never be acceptable to a commercial user who requires maximum uptime - especially not for a paid software product. Artsoft does not have a phone number you can call for help - they force you though the forums and community for help. It is true that there is a ton of information on the internet about Mach3, but this is simply because Mach3 users tend to *need* more online help, rather than because it is the industry standard. Can I use Mach3 with Your Machines/Controllers?

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