[bcnc]

I am shopping for a new laptop to run my SX3. Can't seem to find one that has the parallel port, does anyone know if the USB to parallel adapter works on the SX3? If so, how would you assign pins? Thanks Brian

[presslab]

No, a USB to parallel printer adapter won't work. This month the SmoothStepper is set to be released, it will drive the steppers using a USB port and Mach3. I'm thinking of getting one myself.

http://www.warp9td.com/

There is also the Gecko G100, it's expensive though and not near as plug 'n play as the SmoothStepper.

http://www.geckodrive.com/product.cfm?pid=19


Or you could shop eBay for a used laptop. Be warned though, some laptops won't work right with Mach3 even if they have a parallel port.

[hughlss]

Brian,
as presslab states - a USB adapter won't work. What will work though, is a PCMCIA / Parallel Port adapter. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a laptop with this kind of slot.
Here's a link to the adapter that I purchased in the UK and which might be useful for UK X3 users:
http://tinyurl.com/2w3etn

Hugh
Syil.UK

[presslab]

Ah, I didn't think of that! That's a good one.

I have two laptops, both with parallel ports. One of them doesn't work well at all, the steppers grind and bump no matter what I did. The other worked better but it had the occasional bump which would stall the steppers. I removed the battery from that one and now it works very well. I am getting 100 ipm easy from X, Y, & Z.

[Babba]

Brian,
as presslab states - a USB adapter won't work. What will work though, is a PCMCIA / Parallel Port adapter. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a laptop with this kind of slot.
Here's a link to the adapter that I purchased in the UK and which might be useful for UK X3 users:
http://tinyurl.com/2w3etn

Hugh
Syil.UK

I'd like to run my laptop purely as a back up for the dedicated computer on the X3 and have tried a PCMCIA parallel port adapter with limited success. It has 1.7mbps data transfer rate & while it will talk to the X3 any stepper movement is slow & sounds very painfull.

Will the extra data rate of the card you use fix the problem or should I be looking elsewhere????

[syil]

a thread of chinese was clear indicate PCmcia can be use on MACH.

here it is orignial words,i try to translater,my english not very well.
并口输入输出地址是FD98-FD9F，默认的端口号是LPT3，可以修改成LPT2，在MCAH里选择LPT2，然后修改下输入输出地 址就可以用了。串口的默认端口号是COM3，也可以修改成COM2。原来主板带的是COM1和 LPT1。

adjust parallel out/input address to FD98-FD9F,and default port number it is LPT3 and adjust it to LPT2,then change MACH config to LPT2,Serial port default it is COM3,and change it to COM2.original mainboard default usually is COM1 or LTP1.

some pic attach too...

[jdsmith0524]

chiness adapters for vista 32 or 64 suck! cowboy up and buy a good one. i got a cheapy that said it was compatible but wasn't. how did things work out for you?