Mach4 - Hobby

Product Description

Mach4 is completely new software with less than 1% of the programming code in common with Mach3. It was written from the ground up to be expandable, flexible, and extremely responsive for use with very large files.

Mach4 is not designed for a specific motion control device and will need a plugin and motion control board to operate a CNC system. Mach3 was primarily designed for the parallel port which has become obsolete.

We do not recommend using the parallel port (without a motion control board) with Mach4 as performance is reduced by both this data connection and the processing and memory power of older computers.  Currently, Vital Systems and PMDX have plugins available for motion control. Please visit their websites to purchase a board or download the plugin that is needed for use with Mach4.

If you require a system run from the parallel port, you will need to purchase the parallel port legacy plugin.  Art Fenerty helped write this code and he will be thanked directly by your purchase of the legacy plugin for his work and commitment.

The standard Mach4 installer contains the screens and profiles to run Mills, Drills, Lathes, Routers, Tangential knife, Plasma, and 3D Printer machines. The full list of machines being controlled by Mach4 is much longer, but these machines can quickly be setup with the profiles and screens available in the standard Mach4 installer. Laser is the next machine to get a full profile for easy setup.

Mach4 Recommended Requirements

• PREFERRED: 32 or 64-bit Laptop or Desktop – Using an External Motion Controller
• Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP*
• An appropriate external motion controller
• Mach4 Plugin for the selected Motion Controller
• 2Ghz CPU
• 1GB RAM
• Video Card with 256MB RAM(Large G-code files, especially 3D files will require a video card with 512MB RAM or higher)
• *Windows XP users should use version 4.2.0.4162
• NOTE: Using the Parallel Port for machine control works with desktop-style computers with 32-bit versions of windows 7 and XP.
  
• 32-bit Desktop – Parallel Port Recommended Requirements
  
• 32-bit version of Windows 7, or Windows XP*
• Mach4 Parallel Port Legacy Plugin (cost applicable)
• 2Ghz CPU
• 1GB RAM
• Non-integrated Video Card with 256MB RAM(Large G-code files, especially 3D files will require a video card with 512MB RAM or higher)

*Windows XP users should use version 4.2.0.4162

Licensing

The license is linked to a specific PC, requiring a different code for each PC. Use the ‘About’ screen, accessed by the ‘Help’ menu to get the PC code. You must have this exact PC code from the actual PC you wish to license and generate G-code. To obtain your license key, click the ‘copy ID to Clipboard’ button in the ‘about’ dialog box when running the software in demo mode and paste this ID number in the appropriate location on the website when purchasing your license.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The LICENSE will only work for the Computer for which you supplied the PC ID. Each PC has a unique ID code and the license works in coordination with this code.

If you upgrade or exchange your PC, it will be necessary to contact us or create a new license.

Licensing Instructions

• Install the Demo on the Actual Machine it will be used
• Run the demo and go to the Help/about screen in Mach4
• Use the PC ID code from the Help/About screen at checkout to license this single computer.  Additional licenses can be created after the initial purchase from within your account. 

Product Resources

After you have installed Mach4, you can find a configuration and a gcode manual in the directory where you installed Mach4. The normal location is C:\Mach4Hobby\Docs\.

Download Mach4 Hobby