Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: cowanrg on January 19, 2006, 10:25:03 PM
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i just got done troubleshooting my setup and found out that my parallel port is trashed. i only have 2 working pins. i verified this with a scope and another computer.
anyways. i have 2 options... 1) use a secondary parallel port, or 2) get a new motherboard. i already have a PCI parallel port card which i just bought. however, i found instructions in the tutorial section, but it doesnt seem to work. the input range i have in the resources tab says like CC00 or something. its not standard like 0x387 or whatever. mach2 wont accept that it says in there...
i also cannot change its settings. is there a way to override this? or maybe is there another address i could use? OR, an alternate driver that would let me change the settings? this is just a generic parallel card from compusa.
thanks!
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here's a parallel card I use. It works great. Your "generic" card may not be capable.
It's a link to EBay's DigiWonder seller. If you look through the list of items they have for sale, you might find another with a duel port option. Others might have serial and parallel combo..you just don't use the serial in that case.
http://tinyurl.com/bf4uf
Also, here's basically the same...http://www.rogersmachine.net/PCIport.html
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It should work, where are you getting the input range numbers from? Device manager?
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also, I found when installing a parallel port that it auto assigned it to Lpt3. after assigning it to Lpt2( in device manager)and checking the resources in there, all was well. There were drivers to install too.
..You should see more in the "range" under the resources tab.... rather than a single location.
...Though, maybe I haven't had enough experience with different cards....I did have one older model that looked liked a card embedded with a dozen mini "kit-kat" bars that came with my scanner. It didn't work on my newer PC.
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It should work, where are you getting the input range numbers from? Device manager?
im getting the input range numbers from the device manager, yes. ill post a screenshot of the screen tomorrow.
also, I found when installing a parallel port that it auto assigned it to Lpt3. after assigning it to Lpt2( in device manager)and checking the resources in there, all was well. There were drivers to install too.
..You should see more in the "range" under the resources tab.... rather than a single location.
...Though, maybe I haven't had enough experience with different cards....I did have one older model that looked liked a card embedded with a dozen mini "kit-kat" bars that came with my scanner. It didn't work on my newer PC.
i tried setting it as LPT3 and LPT2, but the ranges stayed the same. thats just what im getting, is a range.
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I Ran into this problem while seting my system up as well. Under the Port settings for whichever LPTx port you want to configure in MACH3 set the port address to 0XCC00 or whatever your system has configured it to. if the System is set for a lower Address drop the 0 ie In your control panel it is showing a port address of 0278 then Mach 3 should be set to 0x278 if it is showing a port address of cc00 then set it to 0xCC00
Hope that helps
M
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thats exactly my problem!
in device manager, it gives me ranges: CC00 and DD00.
ill try your suggestion and see if it works, thanks!
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I just reviewed the "installation" video tutorial to see if things had changed...
If you still have problems, make sure you leave off the "0x" and only enter the "CC00" into Mach's port configuration.
The program will add the "0x" by itself.
Let us know if you still have problems... good luck!
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Hey Crew,
What was the outcome of this? Was it solved and if so what was the solution? I have the same issue...
Looking in the "Resources" section of my device manager it says AC00-AC07. I have put in "AC00" without the 0x as per the details below, but I have no communication with the port.
Also, is the Ground 0 volts also fed from pins 18 - 25 on the second parallel port?
Thoughts?
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Try putting ac07 as the address. Grounds are the same as first port, in fact all pins are the same with the exception of pins 2 to 9 as you can change them to inputs.
Hood
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Cheers mate.
I'll give that a go this evening and report back. I'll check the voltages off those pins and pins 10 - 13 and 15 and see what I get.
Reading another thread in another forum seems as though some parallel boards are a bit low on their output voltage...
Thanks,
Shuey
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Ok, So I re-entered the port number again and initially it had no obvious affect on the port, bearing in mind I was aiming for pins 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 as inputs. I unchecked and recheched the box activating "pins 2-9 as inputs" and pressed apply ...no luck. Tired AC07 to same deal...
I decided to resolder one wire to pin 15 to see if that pin worked... And it DID... leads me to believe that there may be the way I have configed things. Then resoldered the wiring to 10, 11,12,13 & 15 for port 2 and they all worked... tried it in port 1 with these same pins 10-13 and 15 and it worked....
SOOOO... Apart from checking the "pin 2-9 as inputs" box is there anything else to configure to have port 2 pins 2-9 as inputs?
Regards,
Shuey
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Just a thought. What kind of cable are you hooking to the port? Is it a straight thru? I don't think a standard printer cable is.
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Cable is Cat 6 Solid core UTP Network Cable 23 AWG... from the 25 pin connector to a junction box... Not quite sure what a straight thru is... sorry
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Straight thru means pin one on one end = pin one on the other.Pin 2=2 etc. I'm not referring to the cables inside the PC. I'm speaking of the cable that plugs into the DB 25 connector on your parallel port card. I don't know what you are hooking to the end of this cable. What ever it is, it will dictate weather or not the pin out on your cable will work. Most breakout boards I've seen require a straight Thur cable. None of this may pertain to you yet. If you are checking the signal at the parallel port itself, don't let any thing I've said slow you down. If you are checking the signal on the opposite end of a cable that is plugged into your DB 25 connector, check the pin out of your cable. I have seen a few get bit by this one.
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It may be your port settings, I had a PCI card that I couldnt change the setting for and couldnt get 2 to 9 as inputs, I just made my motherboards port as Port 2 and used the PCI as port 1.
Hood
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Chaoticone,
Ah...I understand. I'm using a solderable 25pin plug so I can solder into the positions that I want and not want to use if that makes sense... rather than a pre-made cable... Good thinking though.
Hood,
I'll give your philosophy a try later on and report back the results.
Thanks for taking time out for your thoughts and experience.
Worst case scenario... inputs from port 1&2, pins 10-13 &15 from both = 10 inputs... just not quite as tidy.
Regards,
Shuey