[jalessi]

Eric,

you need a Moschip 9800 series chipset.

The 9700 series is old stock that does not support XP.

If you look on the Moschip IC you will see what I am talking about.

See the attached links.

SYBA SD-LP-MCS2P

http://www.syba.com/index.php?contro...on=Info&Id=563


http://tinyurl.com/qocamv

http://www.adeltek.com/Product%20Dri...d-lp-mcs2p.zip

Jeff...

[widgitmaster]

I think I found a reliable source for quality Dual LPT boards!
I remembered "Black Box" sells all kinds of IO boards!

This is too frustrating for me, I'd rather be cutting metals & plastics!

Widgit

[widgitmaster]

Oh Well!
After calling Black Box, their tech support told me that board does NOT have Windows-XP drivers either!

ARGGGGGGGGG.................
:devious:

[widgitmaster]

After calling five major suppliers, such as Black Box, Mouser, Texas Instruments, they all had the same story! The LPT interface is soon to be obsolete, and they have discontinued all of their Parallel Port add-on card products!

So my question is this:

Can I use an Digital-IO card to preform the same tasks in Windows XP using Mach3?

Eric

[acondit]

Oh Well!
After calling Black Box, their tech support told me that board does NOT have Windows-XP drivers either!

ARGGGGGGGGG.................
:devious:

Eric,

Try this site http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815166006 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815166005. The second link is a single parallel port. Their specifications says that it supports XP and vista.

Alan

[widgitmaster]

Thanks Guys,
I have ordered one of their LPT cards, I hope it works with XP!
It does have a 9800 series Moschip chip set as suggested by Jeff!

Eric

[BobWarfield]

Eric, I love the vacuum manifold. Perfect for the little tiny chips that high speed spindle will throw off.

Sorry I didn't get to this thread sooner to comment on the computer stuff. The parallel boards you ordered will hopefully do the trick. If not, I have a couple suggestions. First, call the peeps that sold you a breakout board (I forgot which you got, CNC4PC?) and ask them to recommend a parallel card.
Second, you can avoid the cards altogether with a Smoothstepper. It gives you 2 parallel ports with a USB cable. That's what I'm using and it has worked pretty well. Not cheap, though.

Cheers,

BW

[thebodger@roger]

Eric:
have a look at these. It works on my XP system.

http://www.lavalink.com/index.php?id=254

[widgitmaster]

Good news!
Last night I received the ribbon cable and IDC plugs which were ordered from Mouser.com, I made a new 36" long 25-pin ribbon cable to connect the breakout board to the motherboard's LPT port.

This is the first time I have had the ports connected with the newly installed OS, and I have to say the motors are responding smoothly without glitches, or noises! The computer's red IO light did not blink for over an hour

So I re-tuned my motors, and now have them moving at 325 IPM!
I stayed up till 2:30 AM just watching it run, with a BIG smile on my face!!
Now all I need is another port to get the MPG installed and working!

Widgit

[widgitmaster]

LPT1 Pins:
1 Output#1 (Spindle on/off)
2 X-Step
3 Y-Step
4 Z-Step
5 A-Step
6 X-Dir
7 Y-Dir
8 Z-Dir
9 A-Dir
10 E-Stop
11 X-Home
12 Y-Home
13 Z-Home
14 Output#2 (Vacuum on/off)
15 A-Home
16 Output#3 (Aux AC outlet on/off, vacuum pump)
17 Charge Pump

CPU =1.8GHz
RAM = 2 GB
Kernel Speed = 75000hz
Steps Per = 10160 (5.0 mm pitch)
Velocity = 441
Acceleration = 65
G's = .24608
Step Pulse = 3
Dir Pulse = 3

Feed rate while running at MAX = 628.81 IPM

[H.O]

Eric,
Not that it matters much but I still don't understand....
You had it all up and running - on XP - but the RAID system or something messed up the timing so you re-installed the operating system. But now you need to get new LPT-cards and longer cables because the ones you've got doesn't support XP....

How come it worked on XP before you reinstalled XP?

Anyway, I'm glag you got it going!

/Henrik.

[widgitmaster]

The last time I installed everything, I battled with the drivers until windows finally accepted them! The only driver that it would accept was for Win2000.

So by eliminating the problem LPT card, I was forced to use the LPT port on the motherboard. That required a longer cable, as the port was outside the big steel drawer. The reason for using add-on LPT cards, is they have a set of pins on them for the 2nd port. It's really east to make a cable to connect the pins to the breakout board. Also, if something were to damage the LPT card, its easier to replace the card than the entire motherboard!

As for the problems with XP, there was too much stuff installed, like anti-virus, network, raid, sound. So by eliminating them all, the number of tasks has been reduced to next to zero! This allows the OS to run MACH3 without interruption!

Eric

[widgitmaster]

This afternoon I gathered up all the extra (8) LPT add-on cards, brought them to the local electronics recycle place, and traded them for a new 60 Gig IDE hard drive for my laptop!

Not much progress on this big project, as I have been doing work around the house!

Widgit

[tpworks]

http://cgi.ebay.com/PCI-PARALLEL-PRI...d=p3286.c0.m14

[milhead]

My Hat's off to you Wigetmaster!

I've read much and admittadly flipped through a bunch of your log here.. It's an amazing set of machines. I've learned so much from this website I cannot begin to thank all the builders that detail their build stages!

It's really interesting the various backgrounds of people and the directions we come from.. I'm an electrical and computer engineering guy, I find the Mach setup, computer and electrical tasks are time consuming but easy..

On the other hand, without the tools and knowledge that machinists take for granted, getting a hunk of material to have actual straight lines and right angle corners.. therein lies my challenge. My first machine looked good in the beginning but as I've learned more I'm starting to view it more as an MC Escher drawing. We'll see how the current one comes out.

Happy cutting...

Miller

[widgitmaster]

Thanks Miller!

If only my finances were as solid as this machine, then I could continue building it! I have so many unfinished details & other projects just waiting for pocket money

Soon I hope to be back on the 4th axis, and hopefully running this Big-Router!

Widgit

[widgitmaster]

I have started the upgrade of all the leftover parts from the 1st V-Groove router! A new thread has been started to make it easier to follow!

Widgit

[widgitmaster]

It look like this BIG router is finally behaving, as I have been unable to find any problems for the last two weeks!
Now all I need is to learn G-Code so I can make neat stuff like everyone else!

I have a piece of MDF being made by a friend thats 24" x 24" x 2", it will cover the t-slot plate so I can hold some acrylic plates that are 6" x 6"x 1/4"

Here is the latest movie of the Big-Router moving all three axis simultaneously at maximum feed rates!

Video (3.68 MB)

[rustamd]

looking good!

[lil John]

Eric is a good friend and let me play around with the big router he made. The thing is unreal. I have uploaded a few vids to youtube. the links are [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRs8bYMZJyk"]YouTube- CNC cutting.AVI[/ame]
Well I have been working on a 4th axis for it and have it done but I am running into some issues getting the thing to work. Have to get with Eric on all the wiring specs but I might need some help from you all. I hope to keep this thread going with all the things I will be making with the machine.

John