Navigate to the UC300 manufacturers website at: http://www.cncdrive.com/UC300ETH.html. Download the automatic installer application by clicking on the link shown. Once the download is complete, the downloaded file should be called UCx00setup.exe and located in your Windows download directory. Copy the downloaded file to your desktop.

Start the installation by double clicking on the UCx00setup.exe icon, as shown here.

Note

If you are prompted that you need the .NET Framework 3.5, please install it as the software will not work without it.

Once the 3.5 Framework has been installed, you will need to restart your machine and once again start the UCx00setup install.

Once the UCx00setup install has started, the window shown here will popup asking which version of Mach you want to install for.

Select the Mach 3 option and hit the Next button. Important You may be prompted to download the Microsoft .Net library files. If this happens, select the download option and let Microsoft install the files. Once this completes, you will have to restart the UCx100 install.

The install utility will install the following:

• Mach 3 Plugins for all UCCNC motion controllers

• USB Driver for all UCCNC USB based motion controllers

The window shown here will open showing you exactly what is going to be installed.

Click the Start Installation button to start the install.

During the install, the window shown here will let you know it’s about to install the CNC Drive USB driver. While you won’t be using this driver for this upgrade, it’s a good idea to install it for future use. Click the Next button to continue.

The window shown here will popup showing that the USB driver installation is complete. Click the Finish button to continue.

Once the USB driver install has been completed, you will be taken back to the main installer and presented with the window shown here. This window is used to give you a status of the install once completed. Click the Exit button.

Note

I recommend restarting your PC after the install finishes.

Install the DB25 gender changer on the G540, as shown here. Use a small flat head screwdriver to tighten the screws on the gender changer.

Install the UC300ETH ribbon cable into the gender changer as shown here.

Install the other end of the ribbon cable into the LPT2 connector as shown here.

Note how I used a few paper clips to help with cable management.

The manual shown here will take you step by step through the process of configuring Windows to talk to your UC300ETH.

Start the UCxxx utility.

Click the Scan button. Once the UC300ETH has been found click the entry then save the default settings. It is covered in detail in the operations manual.

Start Mach 3 with the KRMx02 shortcut on your desktop. Mach 3 will prompt for the correct control device. Select the UC300ETH-CNC-motion-controller option and hit the OK button.

It is very possible the first time you start Mach 3 with a new UC300ETH, you may be presented with the firmware update option shown here. Select yes to update the firmware in the UC300ETH. Once the update has completed, select the OK button shown below.

The UC300ETH has two status LEDs shown here:

Right LED (Green)

Flashing = Power but no connection to PC

Solid = Powered up and connected to PC

Off = No Power

Left LED (Blue)

On = Communicating with Mach 3

Off = Not Communicating with Mach 3

Shown here you can see the original port settings for the KRMx02 set to port 1.

Here they have been changed to port 2 to reflect the port we are using on the UC300ETH.

All the port settings will need to be changed to 2 as shown here:

and here:

If your layout board is powered, and Mach 3 is communicating with the UC300ETH, the green LED on the G540 (Figure 1.23) should be green. If it is not you have some sort of fault and will have to track it down. The G540 has its own monitoring system and will fault if the unit detects power or temperature issues. It will also fault if the E-stop bypass wire is not in place.