I tried to use Mach3 for X, Y , Z and use the Arduino to handle extruder and heater controlled with Mach's serial output.
I got this to work but the send serial command in Mach is a bit of a cludge and not at all reliable. Out of interest I understand the serial mode in Mach is about to be upgraded to a plugin and this may solve many of the problems.
My next move was to switch to EMC2 and use the same approach with EMC handling the axes and the Arduino handling the heater and extruder commanded via serial output. This worked but a problem arose. I have to use a relatively slow acceleration as the machine slides are heavy compared to a Mendel. The extruder extruded at a fixed rate as the axes speed up and the problem was that I was getting a big build up of plastic on the corners and at extruder switch on.
I then set up the extruder as an A axis and that has worked well.
I would set up a stepper controlled extruder as A axis in Mach3. Then use the Arduino to handle only the heater. The A axis is now accelerated with the other axes and the plastic flow increases at the same rate as the axes accelerate.
Enrique's modified skeinforge so it puts out very acceptable 5D gcode. You have to implement the Dimension tool. He even added extruder retract for me that pulls back the plastic when ever the extruder turns off which stops a lot of oozing that I was getting. There is also a replace function so that the extruder command can be generated as "A" for a CNC machine rather than "E" that is used by Mendel
I got this to work but the send serial command in Mach is a bit of a cludge and not at all reliable. Out of interest I understand the serial mode in Mach is about to be upgraded to a plugin and this may solve many of the problems.
My next move was to switch to EMC2 and use the same approach with EMC handling the axes and the Arduino handling the heater and extruder commanded via serial output. This worked but a problem arose. I have to use a relatively slow acceleration as the machine slides are heavy compared to a Mendel. The extruder extruded at a fixed rate as the axes speed up and the problem was that I was getting a big build up of plastic on the corners and at extruder switch on.
I then set up the extruder as an A axis and that has worked well.
I would set up a stepper controlled extruder as A axis in Mach3. Then use the Arduino to handle only the heater. The A axis is now accelerated with the other axes and the plastic flow increases at the same rate as the axes accelerate.
Enrique's modified skeinforge so it puts out very acceptable 5D gcode. You have to implement the Dimension tool. He even added extruder retract for me that pulls back the plastic when ever the extruder turns off which stops a lot of oozing that I was getting. There is also a replace function so that the extruder command can be generated as "A" for a CNC machine rather than "E" that is used by Mendel