[oknups]

Simple question.

Tormach PC, or just a normal PC?

[dbrija]

Simple question.

Tormach PC, or just a normal PC?

Normal, running XP, with a native printer port. (voted accordingly)

[oknups]

reason for asking is when I run drivertest, I got some spikes, when the LPT port is set to ECP. When set in bios to normal LPT, I get a flat line with a max variation of .4. Point 4, and under. The green bar shows excellent, at all timer steps. No spikes.

I did not do a normal XP install, it is as stripped down as possible, all hardware other than the video and the LPT port are turned off in bios. Next to no services remain in task manager, all were disabled before install.
Intel 775 cpu, on an Asus board. Motherboards with an LPT port are getting hard to find. Most are micro atx.

[StephanWenger]

I run my Tormach using a very small, self configured computer with an idx mainboard and Atom CPU. Basically, the smallest and cheapest mainboard I could find with a native parallel port. After careful configuration of WinXP, I never had issues. The mentioned printer hardware config was one critical aspect, not using the network (disable NIC when milling) the other.
Stephan

[dbrija]

I run my Tormach using a very small, self configured computer with an idx mainboard and Atom CPU. Basically, the smallest and cheapest mainboard I could find with a native parallel port. After careful configuration of WinXP, I never had issues. The mentioned printer hardware config was one critical aspect, not using the network (disable NIC when milling) the other.
Stephan

The printer port is definitely key. I had a nice newer PC without a printer port, and bought a PCIE parallel port card. Set the address with PCNCconfig to 9C00 instead of 0378. No luck at all. Wasted 2 hours on my newly setup mill with a multimeter trying to figure our why the computer LED would not light. Switched to an older machine with a native port and was running in minutes.

[kevperro]

I've built computers for going on 25 years and while I built my own for my setup if I had to do it again I'd get the Tormach.

If you have one problem with the mill you want as few variables as possible when troubleshooting the problem. If you have their system you have the highest percentage chance of not having problems to begin with. Time is worth more than the marginal difference in price.

[R.DesJardin]

I've built computers for going on 25 years and while I built my own for my setup if I had to do it again I'd get the Tormach.

If you have one problem with the mill you want as few variables as possible when troubleshooting the problem. If you have their system you have the highest percentage chance of not having problems to begin with. Time is worth more than the marginal difference in price.

I agree, read all the post about issues, my time in the shop is worth more building parts, not playing with configuring PC's. I have said this before if you buy a PCNC to build parts then buy all their parts, if you want one just to mess with controllers and screensets well then spend your time doing that.

[Rockn-Roll]

Hi. I'm in the newbie stage of asking stupid questions while I shop for a machine tool. Does the Tormach machines communicate with the computer via parallel port?

[oknups]

Hi. I'm in the newbie stage of asking stupid questions while I shop for a machine tool. Does the Tormach machines communicate with the computer via parallel port?

it does

[proengines]

I use one of the Dell computers recommended by Tormach. I bought it at a government auction for $45 while I was waiting for the machine to arrive and loaded a basic Windows XP on it. It's performed perfectly so far.

If I wasn't in a different country I probably would have got the Tormach controller, the price is pretty good for what you get.

[rowbare]

I bought a used Tormach with an older PC. It works fine for now but is long in the tooth. I will most likely replace it with a new Tormach controller. To me the big advantage it brings to the table is its use of Windows Embedded which is a lot closer to being a real time OS than the normal desktop windows.

bob

[zephyr9900]

I run Mach3 on various Dell PC's. Mach has surprisingly low requirements for the host computer. My Tormach has a B110, which Tormach was selling themselves at the time but which I bought right from Dell for much much less. nLited XP install (same thing I do with my desktop), important to set as non-ACPI (on is on, off is off, and never the twain shall meet) and no software that does background updating.

EDIT: Geez, I just saw the date on the previous posts... Oh well, I hadn't piped up yet...

Randy

[oknups]

I run Mach3 on various Dell PC's. Mach has surprisingly low requirements for the host computer. My Tormach has a B110, which Tormach was selling themselves at the time but which I bought right from Dell for much much less. nLited XP install (same thing I do with my desktop), important to set as non-ACPI (on is on, off is off, and never the twain shall meet) and no software that does background updating.

EDIT: Geez, I just saw the date on the previous posts... Oh well, I hadn't piped up yet...

Randy

for what it is worth nlite is what I used as well.

No Tormach for me, yet. I was real close to pulling the trigger last year, but held off. Glad I waited for the newer version 770.

[Bob La Londe]

reason for asking is when I run drivertest, I got some spikes, when the LPT port is set to ECP. When set in bios to normal LPT, I get a flat line with a max variation of .4. Point 4, and under. The green bar shows excellent, at all timer steps. No spikes.

I did not do a normal XP install, it is as stripped down as possible, all hardware other than the video and the LPT port are turned off in bios. Next to no services remain in task manager, all were disabled before install.
Intel 775 cpu, on an Asus board. Motherboards with an LPT port are getting hard to find. Most are micro atx.

I can not speak specifically to Tormach, but I have had better luck with Mach 3 when using a full hardware LPT port plugged into a card slot and motherboard ports turned off in BIOS. That being said, I have one PC that seems to do ok with a motherboard LPT port. I threw it together quick to test some hardware, and never got around to plugging in an LPT card. Also, as some others have said the driver test with Mach really only detects gross problems.

[zephyr9900]

+1. I've been using NetMos single-port PCI parallel cards in my CNC PC's since my TurboCNC days, and disabling the motherboard PP in BIOS. The NetMos chips seem to be very stable and output full 5V logic, which motherboard ports since the ATX days tend to fall short of (if not explicitly 3.5V logic...)

Randy