Machine compatibility
Supported machines
GC-CAD ships with post templates for these controllers. Pick yours in the software, then cut a test pattern on your machine before production. We can't test every table: the library is controller-specific templates, and each needs validation on the actual machine.
Controller
Type
Notes
Adtech HC4500
Plasma
Adtech HC4500 plasma control: M07/M08 cut on/off, G04 L pierce delay after M07, ABSOLUTE I/J arc centers, no F words, G90 G40 preamble, M02 end.
Adtech HC6500
Plasma
Adtech HC6500 plasma control: M07/M08 cut on/off, G04 L dwells (pierce delay after M07), no F words, G90 G40 preamble, M02 end.
Beamicon (Benezan)
Plasma
Beamicon plasma: G79 touch-off then G92 Z0, rapid to pierce height, M3 P0=<cut height> P1=<pierce delay> torch on, M5 off, G0/G1/G2/G3 words, M30 end.
Centroid Acorn (plasma)
Plasma
Centroid Acorn plasma with Centroid THC: M61/M62 torch on/off, torch height owned by the controller, semicolon comments, M65 in the preamble.
DeskCNC
Plasma
DeskCNC plasma: rapid to pierce height, M08/M09 torch on/off (the coolant outputs drive the torch), G04 P pierce delay, G40 G90 preamble, M09 M30 end.
Dynatorch
Plasma
Dynatorch: G23 starts the torch cycle (touch-off, pierce, fire, arc-OK), G25 ends it, M25 P sets the pierce delay, G26/G28 THC on/off, IJ arcs only (no R), one code per line, M02 last line. All output uppercase.
Eding CNC
Plasma
Eding CNC plasma: rapid to pierce height, M03/M05 torch, G04 P pierce delay, G90 G40 preamble, M05 M30 end; the controller's own torch reference and THC codes are left for the operator to add.
ESAB Vision
Plasma
ESAB Vision shape-cutting control: G70/G71 units, absolute I/J arc centers, M65/M66 plasma on/off (M70/M71 are the oxy-fuel pair) with heights and delays from the control, semicolon comments, G90, M30 end.
Fangling F2100/F2300 (also Laguna, Baileigh Starfire)
Plasma
Fangling F2100/F2300-class controls and their rebrands: M07/M08 cut on/off with the control's own IHS and heights, G04 P pierce delay after M07, M09/M10 marker, G90 G40 preamble, M02 end.
FlashCut
Plasma
FlashCut plasma: M50/M51 torch, G04 X pierce delay, rapids to pierce height (no touch-off).
GRBL / grblHAL
Plasma
GRBL-family plasma: G0/G1/G2/G3, M3/M5 torch, G4 pierce delay, no touch-off (rapids to pierce height).
Hypertherm EDGE / Phoenix (EIA)
Plasma
Hypertherm Phoenix EIA RS-274D: M07/M08 cut on/off (IHS, pierce height and delay from the cut chart), M51/M50 height sensor enable/disable, M09/M10 marker, G04 X dwells, absolute G90 output, M02 end. F words are ignored unless Speed Override (M48) is on.
Hypertherm MicroEDGE
Plasma
Hypertherm MicroEDGE (legacy EIA): M07/M08 cut on/off with IHS, heights and delays from the control, ABSOLUTE I/J arc centers, G90, M02 end.
Innerlogic
Plasma
Innerlogic plasma control: M03/M05 torch with G04 P pierce delay, height owned by the control, G53 G90 G17 preamble, M05 M30 end.
JD Squared, Inc. MPR2
Plasma
JD Squared, Inc. XR12
Plasma
Koike
Plasma
Koike shape-cutting control: M07/M08 cut on/off with heights and delays from the control, no F words (speed from the control's cut chart), G90 G40 preamble, M02 end.
LinuxCNC QtPlasmaC
Plasma
LinuxCNC with QtPlasmaC: QtPlasmaC owns Z, probing, pierce delay and THC from its material file. M3 $0 S1 / M5 $0 cut on/off, scribe on tool 1, QtPlasmaC-recommended preamble.
Mach3 (floating head)
Plasma
Mach3 plasma with a floating-head float switch: G31 touch-off, M03/M05 torch, G04 pierce delay. Set Mach3 IJ Mode = Incremental; check the G04-in-milliseconds option (this post emits seconds).
Mach3 (G28.1 touch-off: MP1000, Sentrol, Dyna6K)
Plasma
Mach3 plasma using G28.1 Z home-to-switch as the floating-head touch-off (MP1000-THC, Sentrol, Dyna6K screensets), M03/M05 torch, G04 pierce delay. Set Mach3 IJ Mode = Incremental; check the G04-in-milliseconds option.
Mach3 (no touch-off)
Plasma
Mach3 plasma without a float switch: rapids to pierce height, M03/M05 torch, G04 pierce delay. Set Mach3 IJ Mode = Incremental; check the G04-in-milliseconds option (this post emits seconds).
Mach4
Plasma
Mach4 plasma with G31 floating-head touch-off, M03/M05 torch, G04 pierce delay in seconds, G91.1 incremental arc centers.
MASSO
Plasma
MASSO plasma with THC: rapids to pierce height (MASSO references the torch itself), M03/M05 torch, G04 pierce delay, M667/M666 THC on/off.
Messer (Global Control)
Plasma
Messer shape-cutting control: G70/G71 units, M07/M08 cut on/off (IHS, pierce height and delay from the control), M09/M10 marker, G04 F dwells, absolute XY, M02 end. Add your Global Control header codes if your machine requires them.
myCNC
Plasma
myCNC plasma: M71/M74 cut on/off with the control's own THC and IHS, M72/M73 marker, G17 G40 G90 G91.1 preamble, M30 end.
PlanetCNC
Plasma
PlanetCNC plasma with THC: rapid to pierce height, M03/M05 torch, G04 P pierce delay, M54 P1/P0 THC on/off, G90 G91.1 G94 preamble, M02 end.
Razordance
Plasma
Razordance plasma: rapid to pierce height, M03/M05 torch, G04 P pierce delay, G53 G90 G91.1 G40 preamble, M05 M30 end.
ShopSabre (WinCNC)
Plasma
ShopSabre plasma on WinCNC: M61/M62 torch on/off with G04 X pierce delay, height owned by the control, square-bracket comments, G90 G40 preamble, M66 end.
TeknoTHC
Plasma
TeknoTHC plasma: M3000 Z-test touch-off, rapid to pierce height, M3/M5 torch, G4 P pierce delay, G0/G1/G2/G3 words, G53 G90 G40 preamble, M5 M30 end.
Thermal Dynamics iCNC
Plasma
Thermal Dynamics iCNC: M15/M16 cut on/off with the control's own height control, M09/M10 marker, G40 G90 preamble, M02 end.
Torchmate CNC 4.0
Plasma
Torchmate CNC 4.0 (floating head): G31 seek-sensor touch-off on input 4, M50/M51 plasma on/off (pierce delay lives in the M50 definition), G04 X dwells, IJK always incremental, .fgc program.
UCCNC
Plasma
UCCNC plasma: M31 touch-off macro, rapid to pierce height, M03/M05 torch, G04 P pierce delay, G53 G90 G91.1 G40 preamble, M05 M30 end.
Vital Systems HiCON
Plasma
Vital Systems HiCON plasma: M03/M05 torch with G04 P pierce delay, pierce and cut heights owned by the THC firmware, G53 G90 G91.1 G40 preamble, M05 M30 end.
Beckhoff TwinCAT (laser)
Laser
TwinCAT laser: M22/M23 beam on/off, G90 G40 G54 preamble, M30 end.
ESAB Vision (laser)
Laser
ESAB Vision laser: M70/M71 beam on/off, G70/G71 units, G40 G90, semicolon comments, M71 then M30 end.
Farley LaserLab
Laser
Farley LaserLab: M07/M08 beam on/off with G04 P dwells either side, G90 G40 preamble, M02 end.
Gateway Laser
Laser
Gateway laser: M8 M72 beam on, M70 M9 off, G90 preamble.
GRBL / grblHAL (laser)
Laser
GRBL laser mode: M3 S1000 beam on at full scale (edit S to taste), M5 off, G4 pierce dwell. Enable laser mode ($32=1).
LinuxCNC (laser)
Laser
LinuxCNC laser: M03/M05 beam on/off with a G04 pierce dwell, G40 G90 preamble, M05 M30 end. Power is set on the controller (S word in the preamble).
Mach3 (laser, E1 output)
Laser
Mach3 laser driven by output E1: E1P1 beam on / E1P0 off, G04 pierce dwell, M03 enable in the preamble, M05 M30 end.
Burny Dagger (waterjet)
Waterjet
Burny Dagger waterjet: M4 water on, M245 abrasive on, G04 F pierce dwell; M256 abrasive off, M3 water off with settle dwells; G70/G71 units, G90 M97 G40 preamble, M02 end.
CamSoft / Tech Moon (waterjet)
Waterjet
CamSoft waterjet control: M140 high pressure, M142 cutting head, M8 abrasive on with G04 L dwells; M9 / M143 / M141 off in reverse order; G53 G90 G40 preamble, M30 end.
Fagor 8037 (waterjet)
Waterjet
Fagor 8037 waterjet: M45 jet on, M66 off, G04 K dwells, G90 with G70/G71 units, G0 X0 Y0 M02 end.
Mach3 (waterjet)
Waterjet
Mach3 waterjet: M43 water on, M45 abrasive on after 0.2 s, G04 pierce dwell; M44 abrasive off then M42 water off. Standoff is set by hand.
Don't see your machine?
Tell us the controller and we'll look at adding a template for it.