Can I use Vectric Aspire with an ancient PRT48 Shopbot (dos)?

[MichaelPackard]

Hi!
I just helped a friend get his 1999 prt48 shopbot up and running after many years idle. He's running on a windows 98 computer in dos mode.

Shopbot wanted $3000+ to upgrade his controller to current, so that isn't an option at the moment. So we're stuck running the dos shopbot software.

The software he used to use to design things for his shopbot are hard to work work with. My question is can Vectric Aspire write files that will work with his shopbot and dos software?

[bleeth]

Yes he can. The output Shopbot code will work on older models.

[bob_reda]

I started out on dos with an older prt48, I think it was a click of the mouse to change it to windows I can't remember now but it was pretty simple. That 3 grand I believe is for the RBK control box which I eventually bought along with the hardened rails

Bob

[tlempicke]

There was just recently a control box for sale on this forum. It was much newer and a fairly reasonable price.

[MichaelPackard]

Which post processor for aspire will output the kind of code I can run with the dos software for the shopbot?
(I think it's 2.38 or 2.39 - we tried every version and variation with help from shopbot and this is the only cofiguration that works with the machine and controller and ports he has)

has the shopbot code changed at all since 1999?

[bleeth]

You should be fine with the shopbot (arcs)(inch)(sbp) pp (not the one with "speed" in it.).
Yes the pp has changed, in fact Vectric did not exist when your tool was made.
The pps are backward compatible with all SB controllers as long as you select the correct one.
If that one gives you any issues try the shopbot (inch)(sbp)

[jerry_stanek]

You can also download the trial version of Aspire and run one of their demo files.

[MichaelPackard]

Great, I'll try that. I use aspire on my mach3 cnc machine, but I had no idea about shopbots at all or if they'd changed anything in the 15 years he had the thing. His windows 98 computer went down several year ago and recently he asked me to see if I can get it running again. Now that it works again we're at the "ok, how do we design things for it to cut?" stage.

[srwtlc]

I'd try the arcs inch post first, as the dos version does process CG commands. You may get some errors due to some unsupported commands, but by editing the post processor, you can eventually weed them out and have a working post.

[paul_n]

Michael,
I have a PP, that I run on my 1999, ShopBot, with Win98 & DOS....
Should work for you as well.

Send me a PM, with your email address, and I'll forward a copy.

Paul_N