USB changes that by implementing so-called buffered motion. Moreover, in the times of LPT port usage, PC software was in charge of producing every single pulse for the motors and failing in doing so for a short period (due to operating system needing to focus on something else) caused the dreaded missed steps and machine lost the position, resulting in damage to the workpiece and/or machine. Right! But unlike LPT ports, where CNC motor control signals can be directly connected to, usage of USB requires the use of a USB CNC controller device, which can communicate with computer over standard USB bus on one end and exposes standard CNC machine-related signals on the other end.ĭue to increased communication overhead and non-realtime behavior of the USB bus, these USB CNC controllers must also take over all low-level machining operations, like homing, probing etc. It is therefore logical that these ubiquitous high-tech high-speed buses can be utilized for the use with CNC machines, right? USB communication bus is a standard bus that all newer PCs are equipped with. In 2010s, parallel ports are becoming extinct and simple solutions to interfacing a standard PC with a CNC machine are becoming rare. Parallel (LPT) port based CNC motion controllers were highly popular in the past, driving a widespread of hobby CNC machines and plethora of various affordable LPT motion controllers, which were also used in smaller and medium sized commercial CNC machines. Smaller CNC machines often use a standard off-the-shelf PC and a customized interface to motor drivers. Now, let’s talk about USB CNC controllers more specifically…

Let it be a mill, a lathe, EDM or a plasma cutter, the precise positioning of the work tool is controlled and supervised by a CNC controller, which generates signals that turn or move the actuators (motors) of the machine. These machines drive the production of complex and precisely dimensioned objects out of variety of materials. Nowadays, one cannot imagine production processes without the use of computer numerical control (CNC) machines.

Usb cnc controller software