THC NEURON LITE OPINIONS

[wilman]

Hello everyone, I had problems with my current thc, I want to improve the quality of cut and it is essential to have a high quality thc. I've researched a lot, and I think one of the best is Neuron Lite with ohmic sensor. Please I need opinions from people who know this product. My configuration is: MOTHERBOARD C32, ETHERNET SMOOT STEPPER ESS, STEP MOTORS, SHEETCAM, MACH3, POWERMAX 45XP. Thank you.

[robertspark]

Mach3 will be your achilles heel.

It does odd things with acceleration and has no ability to control the planner accuracy

http://linuxcnc.org/docs/2.6/html/gcode ... ml#sec:G64

[Rodw]

Ditch Mach and adopt Linuxcnc with the plasmac controller that manages the THC internally so it can do far more than what an external THC can.
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/devel/html/pla ... guide.html
It will even manage your 45XP via the RS485 interface if you have one.

This is much more than a THC, its a complete integrated plasma controller including air scribe and drill support and a Sheetcam POST is available.

It will cost you from about $189 for the hardware (for a Mesa 7i96 ethernet board and a Mesa THCAD-10) but for a more capable ethernet board, the Mesa 7i76e is an upgrade on the 7i96 and what I use. If your table uses Servos, you might need to do it another way but it will be in the same price range. That should give you a fair bit of change v's the external THC and will yield superior results.

[robertspark]

Rod, some people just do not like or understand or want to understand linux. Yes I understand and fully appreciate that linuxcnc can be installed from bootable disk / usb..... but when you are use to windows, apple etc.... getting out of the comfort zone can be difficult.

The OP mentioned some specific elements...."MOTHERBOARD C32, ETHERNET SMOOT STEPPER ESS, STEP MOTORS, SHEETCAM, MACH3, POWERMAX 45XP" I wanted to try to avoid telling him to bin the ESS + C32 + Mach3 and buy a UC motion controller (or AXBB-E) + UCCNC or linuxCNC + its associated compatible hardware.... as he was probably set on using the ESS and maybe even Mach3.... hence maybe try switching to Mach4 and see if the cut quality can improve installing a Mach4 demo or asking for a temporary licence from Artsoft which will be compatible with the ESS.

I have a neuron lite and am happy with it (I also have a miniTHC and am happy with that too https://minithc.com/).... it just depends what your expectations are

I just don't have the time to set up linuxcnc and get my head around it (playing with 3D printers at the moment.... Marlin, Klipper, Octoprint, which is running on a raspberry Pi on linux).... only so many hours in the day. I have a working linuxCNC distro + mesa 7i76E+ THCAD10.... but just cannot give it the time it deserves (retirement plan if day job doesn't work out) to set it up with plasmac and put it through its comparative paces with UCCNC + NEURON Lite / miniTHC and with Mach3 and Mach4 (all of which I have licences for and can switch between).

There are many users who use lower cost THC's than the Neuron Lite and are happy with their finished article.

One that gets mentioned a lot is the PriceCNC THC..... I probably would have given it a go but got the Neuron instead + it had only just come to market at that time.
https://www.pricecnc.com/

I know of one user who bought a Neuron, was not happy with it / the support he got or felt he should have got from Andrew and its support documentation for UCCNC (which is what he was / is running in lieu of Mach3), stripped it out and got his own THC up and running which he understands, built and is happy with and had ideas to build for some time. I know of quite a few users for the Neuron Lite who are very happy with the support that Andrew gave them to get up and running.

I don't use the Neuron Lite to its full capabilities.... I am just a hobby user and have many hobbies and interests.... I dabble.... and don't do it for profit / resale.

I am also just happy with the miniTHC from Dennis too, and the support he gave. Both Andrew and Dennis answer emails in a few days and are always both helpful.

Sometimes it is worthwhile posting your finished articles for someone to comment on the cut quality and give you tips.

What constitutes "improve the quality of cut" ..... from what to what?

The cost of improvement gets incrementally higher.... plus there will be mechanical / physics limitations of your table (how much the carriage + gantry weighs)

I came from cutting steel / aluminium with a jig saw, hack saw, grinder and using a file / grinder to finish to size...... a plasma cutter improved things.... a cnc plasma cutter sped up the process and I have near zero finish work..... but then most of what I do is a bracket / something which is welded to something else and finish is not that important to me..... I've yet to try art work and I've yet to try stainless or copper.... but don't have the need either at present (or time waste trying it out for kicks)

plasmac is an interesting development with linuxcnc that has taken off quite a bit or at least on the linuxcnc forum, but I'm not sure how many actual users there are (maybe 100 or so) + whether the interest will wane over time.... https://forum.linuxcnc.org/plasmac
I always suggest to anyone starting out + hobby users who have time on their hands / time is not important to them to check it out.
If you come from a windows background then linux will always take some time to get your head around even with bootable disks or installs..... the syntax + workflow is just way different + if you run other windows programmes the switch to linux can be hard to fully do

nice post showing the capability of plasmac with regards to detail work IMO.
https://forum.linuxcnc.org/plasmac/3802 ... th-plasmac

the development of this confused the heck out of me:
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/devel/html/pla ... l-handling
For me I could not understand what its purpose was?
Coming from using sheetcam, the tools in sheetcam carry all the feedrate parameters and all I want the machine to do is cut the material at the feedrate I command it + to the accuracy required for corners (g64) + keep the torch at the required cut height, preferably allowing for any over / underburn and instantaneous torch off without M5 deceleration.

I don't think anyone has detailed what is different going from Mach3 to Plasmac or UCCNC to Plasmac with regards to how it operates differently + what you have to get your head around.

[Rodw]

the development of this confused the heck out of me:
http://linuxcnc.org/docs/devel/html/pla ... l-handling

Yes its not the way I would have done it but If you have a simple DXF file from inkscape and convert it to X/Y gcode with gcode tools, you can walk up to the machine and cut a part without the need for the post processor. But you can take a Sheetcam toolset and run a conversion script to create the materials file which appears in the Plasmac DROP DOWN menu. i still use sheetcam but all it puts in the gcode is the tool number and the rest is retrieved from the PLasmac GUI. Its kinda cool to see the GUI menu change when you skip between Sheetcam processes on different layers. SO in practice it works well now.

When I made the decision to use LinuxCNC it was after I surveyed the market and decided Mach3 was at a dead end And Linuxcnc was much more capable but then I found it lacked plasma support after I started.. So there was a lot of hard work and experiments to get something that half worked. There were several others on the same journey. Then Phill took all of what we had done and put it together in the Plasmac config. The he assembled all of the feedback from users all around the world and made what is a really kick ass dedicated plasma controller that supports 3 different modes so up/down controllers like Proma and most of the others. It is possible and plenty of people have done it is build their system on a parallel port so it is possible to do something cheaply. However, in my view it does not really come into its own until you add the $69 Mesa THCAD-10 card to read torch voltages. People have used this with parallel port systems but the Mesa hardware is just amazing so just spend the money on the hardware instead of a THC.

Once LinuxCNC has the torch voltage, everything becomes so tightly integrated into the Motion controller. Plasmac Gcode has no Z axis commands in it and all the probing and piercing happens on receipt of an M3. So Plasmac knows when velocities fall coming up to a corner and can trigger a corner lock and it knows when an arc is lost so it will immediately pause the job so you can recover seamlessly and it knows if the probe to the surface fails so it can take corrective action.

Linuxcnc has a feature called external offsets that can apply an offset to an axis position without the motion controller executing the Gcode ever knowing about it. A classic use might be to machine a cam lobe on a lathe where the tool moves in and out based on the angular position while the spindle rotates. But in a Torch height control application, its very easy to adjust the torch height using external offsets. My tests gave me a regression equation which had 99.4% accuracy (confidence) of 7.53 volts per mm which is close enough to Jim Colt's 10 volts per mm for it not to matter. So if I have a set point (cutting arc) of 120 volts and I am 3 volts over that, the THC can simply apply an offset 0f 0.3mm and I will be back on my set point again with 99.4% confidence. Linuxcnc runs on its servo thread 1000 times a second so we make that adjustment 1000 times per second which makes Plasmac really responsive and accurate as a THC controller plus it has all the features that professionals demand becasue of the feedback from really experienced plasma people around the world and a few hobbyists like me. Want to pulse the torch before cutting starts to keep water splash out of the nozzle? there is a GUI button for this. Want to check that there is not a short in the nozzle before cutting? There is a button for that. Want to adjust the volts while cutting? There is a button for that. Want to sever a sheet? There is a button for that. Want to connect a Hypertherm with a RS485 interface? That is built in. Want to run a scribe and/or an air drill. Thats supported and Linuxcnc's multi spindle design and some tool table offsets makes this trivial. Anyway thats just a few features PLasmac offers and a lot of that is becasue the THC is internal to the motion controller which is how Jim Colt says the best controllers do it. The only difference is this controller is free and it is definitely right up there with the commercial controllers that cost tens of thousands according to some users who have thrown out such systems and adopted plasmac. I don't think I've ever had a crash or breakaway activate ever since I adopted Plasmac.

As for users there must be many hundreds of users using Plasmac now. Some of them ask for help on the LinuxCNC forum where user support is available 24/7 from users all around the world. I think the majority of Linuxcnc machines being built today would be Plasma systems judging by forum activity.

So in short, Robert, you may be wedded to a Windows world but I work in an OS agnostic world. The OP asked for an accurate THC system and Plasmac and LInuxCNC can give him that on steroids becasue its THC is so tightly bound with the motion controller, nothing can get close for air plasma. Choose the OS and the application that best suits the user requirements. A bit of pain on configuration to get the best system is not really a consideration as it will only happen once.

Yes its not the easiest to get going but Linuxcnc is a lot easier to get going today than when I started 3 years ago. You can just download an ISO, burn to a USB stick with win32diskimager and install it in half an hour, update to master branch via the Synaptic control panel and plasmac is there ready for you to install on live hardware as its part of the core distribution. Sure you might stuff up a few times but you will solve all the problems if you just read the docs and then ask for help if it still a problem.

[mr.jake519]

I just installed a neuron lite on my home built table, it took a couple weeks and alot of back and forth emails with Andrew to get it working. It works great once you get it setup. Lots of useful features and settings. The documentation however need improved. Andrew will respond to email quickly although there is a time change with him being in Russia. It is not a plug an play thc, you will need to do your homework to install.

[Vautay007]

Hi to everyone...
I can confirm this as well. I purchased the Neuron Lite THC about a year ago and have not looked back.
Its a great piece of hardware and well supported. Unfortunately the time zones between me and Andrew are a way off, its a little hard to align time for
answers and questions. But when ever i have text him he has made time to sort my issues and thru remote connection to my computer , cant ask more then that !!!! Great after sales.
I had a Chinese THC prior to the Neuron and can say the $600 Chinese THC was lacking in lots of areas and no support what so ever.

All i can say its well worth the dollars. The manual could of be written better but thats the only gribe i have.

[Mesquite]

Hello All,I am pretty new to posting but I wanted to ask a question.I discussed buying a neuron lite with Andrew and asked him how do you go about purchasing from him.He said just give me shipping address.How does this work when ordering from a foreign country?

[robertspark]

He shipped mine via DHL.
I paid via PayPal is USD.

What is your question specifically?

[kenm]

Hi all,
I am just setting up my plasma at the moment. Mach4, ESS smoothstepper with MB3 bob and Neuron lite thc.
X and Y axis working fine (after a bit of trial and error) but nothing on the Z axis.
Network reports network card as 10.9.9.2 ESS 10.9.9.9 and Neuron 10.9.9.100
Opening Neuron diagnostics keeps trying to connect but I keep getting the error message "can't connect to neuron thc"
Set up documentation is for Mach3 and ESS documentation doesn't list Neuron.
Any ideas what might be wrong before I start email conversation with Andrew ?
Thanks, Ken.

[adbuch]

Perhaps there is an additional Mach4 script required.
David

[mckinleyrb]

I bought the Neuron Lite a few years ago and it works great. Andrew logged onto my computer via TeamViewer and did the initial setup for me , and repaired it when I broke Mach4 (I broke Mach a few times trying to write my own LUA script, corupting files in the process) Cut quality is great and customer support is great. As with anything having to do with Mach4, be prepared to do a little homework, nothing about building your own CNC controller/drive system is "plug an play"

[Brunick]

Is neuron still in business? Sent them a message and filled the order forms but have had no replies. I see these posts are from 2020 so I wonder if they went out of business?

[robertspark]

you may have a problem paying him as he was based in Sevastopol, Crimea.... and shipping was done (for me years ago) from Sevastopol to Moscow to UK....

what with Russia+ Putin and Ukraine.... the neuron , minithc and also purelogic (now pumotix) are not recommended... or available via import and export bans etc

[Brunick]

Ok thanks for the clarification robertspark. Hadn't thought of the war and stuff going on over there. Chances are the internet is being controlled by some gov/organization and he's not even receiving my inquiries.
Maybe I'll consider using the warprunner thc as I have warp9 ess. Not sure if it's all they claim? I'd have to upgrade to mach4 though and was trying to avoid that. What are your thoughts/ideas on a decent thc solution that doesn't break the bank? Lol

[robertspark]

OPTION 1:
LINUXCNC + mesa 7i96E + THCAD
https://linuxcnc.org/docs/devel/html/pl ... asmac.html
https://store.mesanet.com/index.php?rou ... uct_id=374
https://store.mesanet.com/index.php?rou ... uct_id=365

Alternative mesa boards:
https://store.mesanet.com/index.php?rou ... &order=ASC

OPTION 2: if you insist on windows:
UCCNC + UC motion controller + THC (this is a problem at present as I cannot recommend one!)
https://cncdrive.com/UCCNC.html
https://cncdrive.com/products.html

sorry, I don't recommend the proma THC (I had a Proma THC 150 at one point and hated it!). I am now using linuxcnc

I would highly recommend getting a cheap fanless PC for linuxcnc and it will run great, it does not require anything expensive / complex. (I've got about 6 of them to hand that could be pre-installed for whatever your configuration is / you require {I'm actually not in the business, but it's just an offer})

Sorry I don't recommend Mach3/4 (yes started with mach 3, then tried to progress to mach 4 with an ESS (I had a USBSS first), but warp9 was a joke (you will find a lot of my posts on their forum, and I was very supportive and assistive, but the progress and feature integration was a joke). I then shopped around and landed on uccnc. It was great for Plasma (there are a couple of mall glitches, but they probably won't be noticeable to you). I then got a lathe and wanted something that did plasma, mill, router and lathe, and switched to linuxcnc..... I won't be going back.

[Rodw]

Option 1 is by far the best option. There might be a bit of work to get it going but with the provided pncconf builder thats a lot easier today

[robertspark]

If you really wanted to go windows and needed a THC, I'd probably give this a go (with UCCNC)
https://openbuilds.com/builds/standalon ... ting.9571/

standalone THC is basically just a comparator ..... setpoint.... voltage too high, go down, voltage too low, go up

[Brunick]

Ok thank you Robert. This has given me a lot to consider and research. Seems like I do hours of research on products and programming, find what seems to be very good and then discover all the flaws with it. My first stab at thc was an alpha thc up/dwn identicle to the proma
I couldnt even get that thing to work in tes mode
Spent weeks on it in mach with zero success. Even tried it on mach 4. Guess it possible I have some bad hardware or corruot software but it all seems to work like it should wothout thc. Anyway I guess I have decisions to make and I appreciate you taking the time to answer my queries

[acourtjester]

If you go with Linuxcnc here is link to help you get things loaded and installed it was forwarded by Kn612
https://forum.linuxcnc.org/9-installing ... -new-users
When I was looking for help with my controller viewtopic.php?t=35663
QTPlasmaC has great options to be used and a much better GUI to work with once setup.
have fun

[Jlp]

Good day to you all.

I bought a used CNC and after testing it, it seems that the Neuron THC is not moving. Can you please help with where I can buy one in the USA?

Thanks much

[Jlp]

Hi everybody, I need a Neuron lite THC… mine has failed. Where can I buy one in the USA please? Thank you in advance

[sonbakler]

Not sure where you can buy in the USA, can't find anything. THC's can be a little finicky at times, are you sure it needs to be replaced? You've got arc voltage coming in?

[Jlp]

Good morning, We measured all connections, checked the wiring, replaced the stepper driver, the torch fires, reloaded the backup Mach3 settings, replaced the JT45 cables, the Neuron provides the 3.6V needed by the stepper driver but the up/down command/signal seems not to reach the stepper motor. Can get the torch to move up/down when I swop it to the x stepper cabels. I am fairly sure that its all ok between the THC stepper driver and the stepper motor and the arc path ….

[sonbakler]

Fairly sure is ok but when its still not working you need to be 100% positive. Many stepper drivers will have dip switches and you can switch to put the driver into test mode and it will move the motor cw and ccw back and forth an set distance to prove the stepper driver is working. I would look into that to be 100% positive the driver can drive. As for the arc voltage into your THC you need to get a voltmeter and measure the voltage coming in when the plasma arc is live and cutting to be 100% positive you have arc voltage for the THC to sample coming in.