Code reference
Mach3 G-Code List vs Fanuc: Same Core, Different Worlds
Mach3 and Fanuc share the standard core and diverge where dialects always do: cycles' fine print, macros, M-code ownership, and the strictness culture.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Code reference
Mach4 G-Code Syntax vs Mach3: What the Rewrite Changed
Mach4 is a ground-up rewrite of Mach3, but the G-code syntax stayed standard-shaped. What changed is the architecture, scripting, and plugins, not the language.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Guides
Machinist Calculator With G-Code Dictionary: The Pocket Stack
No single app does machinist math and G-code lookup well, and the lookup half is the wrong goal anyway. The pocket stack that covers both, free.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Practice
Machinist Cheat Sheet iPhone Wallpaper: The Data Worth Carrying
The machinist wallpaper carries numbers, not codes: the two cutting formulas, tap-drill pairs you actually use, and decimal equivalents, sized for a glance.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Code reference
Marlin G-Code vs CNC G-Code: One Name, Two Ecosystems
Marlin G-code and CNC G-code share a skeleton and split into ecosystems: temperatures and extrusion on one side, spindles, offsets, and cycles on the other.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Guides
Mastercam Outputting Wrong G-Code? Check the Triad First
Mastercam posts wrong G-code when the machine definition, control definition, and post do not match your actual machine. The triad, and the fix order.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Guides
Max Characters Per Line in Fanuc G-Code: The Real Limits
No single character limit covers Fanuc G-code lines: block length is bounded per control, and the lines that actually break things are long CAM comments.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Guides
Night Shift CNC Operator Troubleshooting Guide: Alone, Not Lost
Night-shift troubleshooting is daytime troubleshooting plus a boundary question: what is safely yours to fix alone, what waits, and how to decide fast.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Code reference
O Number vs N Number in CNC Programs: Names vs Line Labels
An O number names a whole program or subprogram; an N number labels a line inside it. One is the file's title, the other is its page numbers. The distinction.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Code reference
Parametric Programming vs Standard G-Code: When to Use Each
Standard G-code states fixed coordinates; parametric programming computes them from variables. One is a recipe with exact amounts, the other a recipe with formulas.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Code reference
PlanetCNC vs Mach3 G-Code Compatibility, Honestly Mapped
PlanetCNC and Mach3 both speak the PC-controller family's standard-shaped subset: the core ports cleanly, and the edges, M-codes, cycles, deserve the check.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Practice
Pocket NC / Penta 5-Axis G-Code Tutorial: What Changes
On a Pocket NC, five-axis G-code means A and B words joining the familiar three, CAM doing the orientation math, and you reading the result. The orientation.
Lawrence Arya··4 min