Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 03:45:10 PM

Title: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 03:45:10 PM
Ok I know that when I install Mach3 it ask me if I wanted to install the driver and of corse I said yes. now when I checked for the port address while setting up Mach3 I check to see what driver was install for the port and it said a Microsoft driver was running it. Am I supposed to install the driver myself? If yes how do I do it? I have tried the normal way of looking for the driver and updating it in my device manager, but when I tell it to go to Mach3 folder it wont change the driver. what now?
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 04:01:12 PM
When I run the driver test it starts up tells me it took over but nothing shows on the screen no pulse per seconds, no graph lines nothing then it says its done. whats that about? I need some serious help here.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: ger21 on March 24, 2012, 05:51:40 PM
The driver does not show up under the port's properties. It's listed in Device manager under Mach3 Pulseing Engine.

Do you have a 64bit OS?
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: Hood on March 24, 2012, 05:53:55 PM
Have a look in device manager and see if there is a Mach Pulsing engine listed and then if you expand does it say Mach3 Driver.

When you ran the driver test did you have Mach open?

The driver that Mach installs is not a parallel port hardware driver so dont worry that your port has a microsoft driver installed for it.
Hood
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 06:52:55 PM
ger21 I have XP 32 bit (desktop), in fact it only has XP, Mach3, Lazy Cam, Norton and the software for my Nvidia card and the wireless card (to keep it updated) Vcarve isn't enen install yet. .   Hood, no I didn't have Mach3 open when I did the test. since I built my machine myself and used an electronics package recommended by the people that made the plans for my machine I have touched base with them on a none movement issue for the motors. they say i should change my LPT cable to the break out board first then see what happens. right now i have set up Mach3 and set my limit switches and motors. when testing the motors in the MIDI tab with G00 x1 I get no movement @ the motors but the program says its moving. at this point I am asking everyone to see what suggestions they have for the non movement of my motors. I have wired everything according to specs and had 2 other people check the wiring to make sure its right, general consenses is that the wiring is correct. as i progress further into this non movement problem i will continue to post the out come good or not. in fact i am heading out to the garage to do more testing and checking. thanks guys. quick question what if Mach3 Pulsating Engine doesn't show up in the device manager?
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: Hood on March 24, 2012, 07:06:35 PM
If it is not in the device manager it means the driver is not installed.

Do you have the correct port address set in Mach?
If you attach your xml I will have a look at your config to seeif there is a problem with it.
Hood
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 07:58:43 PM
ok Hood i will go and get a copy of it from the computer its on. Now ger21 asked if I had a 64 bit computer and I said no. so i went out to the computer used for Mach3 and it says i have " Windows XP Proffessional Version 2002 Service Pack 3". I didnt see anything about 64 bit or 32 bit.  is there some place in particular i should look? testing result at the port pins 1 thru 12 .08 volts pins 10,11,12,13 and 15  4.31 volts pin 14, 16,and 17 .08 volts  pins 18 thru 25 .01 volts. with Mach3 open pins 2,3,4,5,6,7 show no voltage movement when i hit the jog keys but the dro in the MIDI tab show that it sending a signsl. i will go get the xml file you asked for and send it shortly.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 08:23:21 PM
i went and check my system tools and under system info it says System Type X86 based PC.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 08:29:32 PM
it doesnt seem to let me attach the machxml file tells me to rename it then tell me i already posted it. in any event it wont let me.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 08:31:25 PM
oh yea the Mach Pulsating Engine shows up.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 08:34:35 PM
i ran the driver test with mach3 open and it seems fine. no weird or high spikes
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 24, 2012, 09:32:57 PM
well the latest. checking my system the way Microsoft says to in order to determine 32 or 64 bit. i have a 32 bit system. now i need to find out how to check to make sure i don't have any internal problems with the parallel port.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: Hood on March 25, 2012, 04:27:09 AM
If you have XP it will be unlikely that it is 64 bit also if the driver test is working then it is definitely not 64bit or it wouldnt have run.
The file you attached is the Mach exe I think rather than a xml.
Hood
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 25, 2012, 07:24:33 AM
Good morning it 7:15 am here and i will be out to my machine soon. Hood I will try to find you the right file. I did some reading last night about ECP and EPP settings in the bios connected to the parallel port. in my device manager my port shows up as ECP/EPP port and there are two address one being 0378 and i forget the other. so i am going to look in my bios this morning to see what it is set at.m i will post those results later this morning. if nothing else this will give me more insight as to what makes a computer tick. stay tuned
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 25, 2012, 08:15:49 AM
ok here is my xml file. In my device manager the setting say ECP Printer Port LPT1, in the resourse tab first is  I/O 0378-037F,  second is I/O 0778-077B, DMA 03.     i went into my bios and this is what was there. Onboard parallel port 378/IRQ7.    Parallel Port Mode ECP + EPP1. i changed Parallel Port Mode to EPP1.7 from the choices available. no change to the no move ment problem. so i changed it back to original settings.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: krugshouse on March 25, 2012, 08:59:31 AM
OK update I got it fixed. stupid problem on my part. under ports and pins motor outputs i had a 0 in the Step Port or Dir Port. when i put a 1 in both ports for all 3 axis, they all moved as the were supposed to. hey thanks for listening to my tale of woe.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: Hood on March 25, 2012, 04:23:08 PM
Ha ha its a common error and its one of the reasons I ask to see the xml as it can be picked up easily :)
Hood
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: benkr@telfort.nl on April 28, 2023, 06:58:28 PM
Hello, I try to set up a system with 2 parallel ports, is it possible to configure the system to use the standard 0x378 as port#2 and a PCI card port as port#1 at his specific port address?
It seems that i can't get the 0x378 port working as port#2 with all lines configured as input.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: ZASto on April 29, 2023, 05:35:10 AM
Standard parallel port can not have all pins as input.
Title: Re: Mach3 parallel port drive
Post by: benkr@telfort.nl on April 29, 2023, 05:47:34 AM
Thanks, this is what I already expected since i could not get it working.