Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Jackal on October 11, 2011, 08:25:14 PM
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I ordered the Rosewill parallel port that was recommended and tested by Simpson:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815166007 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815166007)
My Mach is up and running with a PMDX 126 board & 107 spindle controller. I have the machine where it will jog around on all 3 axis.
Spindle & VFD are working fine.
The computer won't recognize the 2nd port. I've installed and removed the drivers, 2 or 4 times.
The pendant is a cnc4pc :
http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=162 (http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=162)
It is connected by this pendant board recommended by Arturo at cnc4pc:
http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=159 (http://www.cnc4pc.com/Store/osc/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=159)
I have installed all of the brains associated with the c22 card and pendant. Disabled and enabled all or some of them, at various points.
The port doesn't seem to be recognized. I don't want to mess with running the sample .xml from cnc4pc, because all of my settings for my motors and VFD/spindle are already there.
When you turn on the PC/Controller for the machine, the red led on the pendant lights up. As windows starts to boot up, the led goes out.
The address for the 2nd parallel port card is :
A800-A807
AC00-AC07
A00-A007
A400-A407
I only use the first part of the address # ex: A800
In the hardware manager, there is (2) new ports listed: Port #2 & Port#3
The pin connector on the board must be for a ribbon connector to add another port through the header.
Why is it showing 4 addresses for (2) new ports?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I am running the pmdx in "normal mode" with charge pump.
Is this asking too much for a second parallel port, to have a pendant on it?
Not sure how many open inputs I have left, or outputs either.
The C22 board is supposed to intercept all of the commands and communicate through the second port.
There may be some conflict between pins on the pmdx board and the CNC4pc c22 board.
Thanks for all of the help,
JAckal
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Jackal,
There are some other threads, both here and on the Zone relating to just this problem http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=11381.0
I don't know if this helps.
Tweakie.
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Thanks Tweakie.
I looked at that link you posted several times before starting a new thread.
Every available address has been done.
It could be that the pendant is bad or the c22 board, but I don't want to send parts back without being able to test them.
Maybe someone else will chime in with the same problem and the same Break out board & stuff.
With the pmdx board set on normal mode it leaves the maximum amount of usable pins for the 2nd parallel port.
Does the C-22 board & brain take in all of the info from the pendant and decide what goes where, like a Modio or modbus?
My pendant has like 21 wires in it, and they can't all be functioning through the few available pins at once. ;D ::)< (Overlook my stupidity on this. I have never really studied the modbus or modio).
Thanks for everyone's help,
JAckal :)
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Can you not just swap the cables around , that way you can see if the pendant works on the original port and the drives etc work on the new one. Obviously have to swap the addresses around in Mach so you dont have to reassign all the pins.
Hood
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Jackel you need to speak with the manf of the 126 board, in expanded mode(mux) it has some VERY special features. That may interfere with your pendant useage of the port you installed.
Mach3 can ONLY use 2 lpt port addresses. IF the 126 somehow uses UP those adresses then you may have NONE left to work with for the pendant.
CAll them and explain the problem they are great to work with.
Just a thought(;-) TP
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Hood,
I wondered about that. Could I just swap the Break out board parallel cable and pendant cable, then go into device manager and switch names on the ports?
Or would I need to go in and change/check each individual pin? It would seem that if ports addresses were changed, just a swap of the cables.
BR,
I will try this change of ports and then get in touch with PMDX. Steve Stallings (PMDX) is super quick on the electronics stuff. Maybe what I'm wanting to do can't be done with a 126 board. The expanded mode and several different header plug-ins on it, may make this impossible to plug-and play.
If so, Steve can probably tell me how to take the end off of the pendant cable, and wire up the axis switch and MPG direct.
When asking him for help, I just want to be able to say I've tried most things already.
I'll try the port address thing, and then get in touch with PMDX.
You'll know in a few days how it works out.
Thanks to all of you for your help.
I am a little deeper involved in electronics that I had intended, but it pulls you in and you have to go deeper to understand it.
Maybe some day I can return the favor. ;)
JAckal :)
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Jackal.
swap cabl;es and go into Mach and swap Port addresses, that way there will be no need to change port and pins.
Hood
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I swapped the cables around. Added the ribbon cable & header for the 3 parallel port.
Tried Mach on all 3 ports, no luck on #2 or# 3.
Called them all port #1,2 or 3 at one time. Went through all of the assigned addresses in device manager, too.
Pendant didn't work on port #1 ( motherboard provided port).
I have noticed that the LED on the pendant come on when you start the machine.
It stays on while Windows is booting up. A couple of seconds before the Main Windows screen ( with the icons) comes up, the pendant LED goes out. ???
I'm not sure but that sounds like something to do with the "charge pump" circuit.
There are (2) different CNC4PC brains. One is with charge pump, and the other W/O charge pump.< I've tried both
About an hour ago I sent an e-mail to Steve @ PMDX. This may be impossible, or he may have a 10 second fix.
I would be willing to wire this pendant pin-by-pin if takes that.
The only thing really needed is:
MPG
Axis selector
Axis increments; .001, .01, 01.
The E-stop had a relay that is wired outside the comm cable.
Stay tuned for further updates. ;)
JAckal ;D
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Steve Stallings replied to my E-mail. Steve gave me a few things to change and had me remove the .xml file and save it. Then install a factory Mach3 .Xml file and see if Mach recognizes the 2nd port. It didn't .
Also, he said to remove any PMDX Plug-ins. These are for expanded mode only, and configure the second port on the unused pins of Port 1. < I didn't' have any of these.
Pmdx came out with a #145 card for pendants about a month ago, but there isn't a users manual out, yet. When asked about this, Steve said he didn't want to give up on my 2nd Port just yet.
This is a common problem and is necessary for any hardwired pendant.
After changing several drivers found online, the LED on the pendant stays on now. ;)
I installed The cnc4pc .xml on the computer in the house just to see the port and pins settings.
My thoughts are to add these changes to the pins & ports, etc on my mill and see if it works. I can always change to the back-up .xml if needed.
All comments, ideas, experiences, and warnings appreciated. ;D
Stay tuned,
JAckal
JAckal
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I just checked and the chip on the lastest card (the link provided in a previous post) is the same as the one on my old card.
Couple things to check:
1) Make sure you get the drives from the MOSCHIP site and do not use the drivers that come with the card. The versions may have changed by now so this may not still be valid, but I had no success with the drivers from Roswell.
2) The pin header is indeed for the second port. Don't assume that the first set of addresses reported by Windows is on the built in port and that the second set of numbers is the pin header. It could be either way and also the windows port numbers have no relevance to Mach's port numbers. Mach talks to the port addresses. You may have given Mach the address of the pin header. Try the other address.
3) Just FWIW, I had some odd behavior from the built-in port on the motherboard, and it would not run above the default lowest speed for Mach so I have it disabled and use both ports on the Roswell card. I can run at 60 thru the Rosewell card with an otherwise mediocre computer.
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Thanks Simpson, :)
I got the drivers from the Moschip site and tried them.
Steve from PMDX had me disconnect my B_O_B and try it on the other (2) added ports ( Rosewill), while changing and going through all the addresses and calling them Port#1.
It never would recognize.
I started having problems with Windows going crazy, and re-formatted the computer. After everything is back to where it was (there is a good back up of my .xml), I will start again with the port thing.
Thanks for replying,
I really appreciate all of the help on here, :)
JAckal
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Couple things;
1) only the fist number in the address is relevant.
2) Mach anomaly (may or may not still be with us in current versions) For me, Mach would not tolerate changing the address in the config unless I first zeroed the address, disabled the port and closed and restarted Mach. Upon restarting Mach, I could then enable the port, put in a new port address and Mach would use it. Note that this is just an observation and I do not know why it happens this way. I might speculate that this is because the port driver has a death grip on the port while running as a separate process outside Mach, but whatever the cause, I found you have to slap Mach in a face to get it to let go of the address it is clinging to before it will consider changing to a new port address.
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2) Mach anomaly (may or may not still be with us in current versions) For me, Mach would not tolerate changing the address in the config unless I first zeroed the address, disabled the port and closed and restarted Mach. Upon restarting Mach, I could then enable the port, put in a new port address and Mach would use it. Note that this is just an observation and I do not know why it happens this way. I might speculate that this is because the port driver has a death grip on the port while running as a separate process outside Mach, but whatever the cause, I found you have to slap Mach in a face to get it to let go of the address it is clinging to before it will consider changing to a new port address.
That is VERY helpful.
It seemed strange to me that I was getting (2) set of address numbers for each port
Ex:
Port #2
A800-A807
AC00-Ac07
Port #3
A00-A007
A400-A407
Someone else had told me to use just the first numbers before the (-).
That re-starting Mach sounds like a good trick.
Simpson,
I sure do thank you very much,
JAckal ;D
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After reformatting, and installing the drivers and the CNC4PC brain that goes with my pendant, the motor tuning config box still won't open.
I removed the drivers for the 2nd parallel port, and the CNC4pc brains for the C22 board & pendant.
Now I can run the motor config again.
JAckal
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It all works now!
I took out the C-22 board and disabled the brains.
Configured Mach through the port pins and got 5+volts from the USB port.
Hope this helps someone.
It seems the brains had something that corrupted Mach.
JAckal ;)
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It all works now!
I took out the C-22 board and disabled the brains.
Configured Mach through the port pins and got 5+volts from the USB port.
Hope this helps someone.
It seems the brains had something that corrupted Mach.
JAckal ;)
It all works now!
I took out the C-22 board and disabled the brains.
Configured Mach through the port pins and got 5+volts from the USB port.
Hope this helps someone.
It seems the brains had something that corrupted Mach.
JAckal ;)
I have the same problem.... but to sum up your fix, what exactly was it that you needed to do? I have gone through this thread and a lot of other threads, I see that you tried many things but then in the end you disabled the brains and it worked? how can taht be? don't you need to have the brains enabled to get something to work, or write you own brains? please help, I am getting crazy, don't understand why cnc4pc can't simply make a youtube video, videos always tell you 1000 times more than text instructions :) thanks in advance :)