[Jeshua]

I bought a Keyspan Parallel port for my Mac, and I cannot successfully send any commands to my Gecko drivers.

Does anybody know how to add a parallel port to the Mac that will work with CNC/gecko controllers?

I am not interested in buying a PC - I need to make this work on a mac.

Please advise!

[NC Cams]

First you need to find out if the Mach software even MAC compatible???

If not, it ain't ever going to work with a MAC.

Have you tried the Mach support group??? Although you may get help here, it may come faster there.

[Shorty]

If you have one of the new Macs with the Motorolla chip you can run any software that a PC can. Period. That being said I will venture dangerously to the very edge of my knowledge and say that I think that some of the Gecko controllers accept ethernet input, and that is the route I plan to take once I get that far in building this machine. Still assembling the basic parts for the machine at this point. Because of space constraints I like the idea of a dedicated Mac Mini controlling my machine, and using my Powerbook and Remote Desktop to control the Mini.

[NC Cams]

Be REALLY, REALLY careful of the "....you can run any software that a PC can...." assurance.

Even "100% PC compatible" laptops have had "issues" (as in they can't run the Mach software).

Don't forget to make sure your LPT port puts out a full 5vdc for logic "1". Reason: "low power ports" that put out 3volts and change won't always run a Mach depending on the interface of the BOB.

More than once, it has been emphasized that laptops are not well suited to running Mach. Caveat emptor as you Star Trecking ( "boldy go where (perhaps) no man has gone before").

Good luck.

PS: do a simultaneous "ethernet" and "Mach" search on the 'Zone. I seem to recall that there were "issues"/problems with attempts at either ethernet'ing and/or USB'ing attempts to run Mach.

[Joules]

The software should run on an Imac, however.... I doubt you will ever get the USB printer port to function reliably as data timing/synchronization is almost impossible as you have no direct hardware control of the printer port.

Joules

[NC Cams]

BTW, USB to parallel port adapters don't work either.

Keep something in mind that is OFTEN FORGOTTEN:

A printer port is DESIGNED to dump a printed page en masse as a bulk document to a printer. As long as the characters and carraige returns are proper, timing is essentially irrelevent it can paues, stop whatever, and pick up where it left off with no grief encountered. Not so with CNC.

In CNC machining, timing is PARAMOUNT. Thus if the system decides to stop sending data to the parallel/USB/or whatver because something else "needs to do something RIGHT NOW", your timing sensitive CNC machine can all of a sudden go lacking for processor capabilities and ugly things happen to your parts.

Laptops are notorious for doing this (especially if power managment kicks in). Moreover, many others have tried and failed with adapters and all sorts of other efforts to do anything but use a desktop with a properly dedicated/configured LPT port.

This is why laptops are not always the wisest things for beginners to use with Mach. Can't vouch for any issues you might run into with a Mac.

Again, caveat emptor if you go "Star Trecking".....

[dannystooblue]

check the pulse length setup in the driving software, i kinda remember something about the minimum and my geckos not running at first. the second problem i ran in to was a defective breakout board ( i had an accident with a gecko and a loose wire)


Danny