How do I switch from Smootstepper to Parallel port????

[ranchak]

I've had about enough of this smoothstepper, I bought a pp card and I can not get the smoothstepper removed. I have downloaded a fresh install of Mach and it still is looking for the smoothstepper. What a persistant thing this smoothstepper is!

[Jeff_Birt]

How did you tell Mach to use the SmoothStepper in the first place? You have to tell Mach what motion control device to use and that is saved in the configuration file (XML). This is a configuration thing and not at all unique to the SS. Reading through the Mach manual would no doubt shed some light on this, but here are the cliff notes: Open up Mach, go to Function Dev CFG->Reset Dev Sel..., answer OK to the dialog box that pops up and restart Mach. When Mach starts it will ask you what motion device to use.

[ranchak]

Thanks Jeff, I checked the box that asks if you want to do this every time on start up. I now have the pp selected. BUT I don't get any movement. I checked my LPT! address which is CC00, I put this in the Port 1 window in Mach, but this seems like a funky port address. When I install Mach it said that I should run the driver test or something like that, but I do not know where to find that.

[ranchak]

I don't know if this matters, but this is a PCIe ECP parallel port. In windows it says it is installed on LPT1 and is working properly, but I think there is a problem here. Another funny thing is I deleted Mach from my control panel, but when I reinstall it all of my ports and pins settings are installed?

[ostie01]

Did you completely remove the mach3 folder before reinstalling Mach again.

Be sure to write down the right parallel port address.


Jeff

[Jeff_Birt]

Another funny thing is I deleted Mach from my control panel, but when I reinstall it all of my ports and pins settings are installed

All of your Ports&Pins settings are in your Mach profile, just like I mentioned before with the motion controller setting. For parallel port operation you need to find your parallel ports base address and set that in Mach. Take a read through the section of the Mach manual on getting things configured it would answer a lot of questions.

[ranchak]

I already switched out that computer, I'll have to hook it up in a bit. I did go to where you showed me to get the pp address, if I remember it was cc00. I know my settings are in my xml file, but shouldn't that be deleted when I remove Mach from my programs?

[ostie01]

As I said, be sure to remove your Mach3 folder, else your profile will be kept.

Jeff

[ranchak]

I will give that a try, it's been a really long stressful week. I wasn't thinking about the folder still existing. Thanks, Ron