Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: golash on April 16, 2013, 03:57:42 PM
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Hi
I`m having a problem with my parallel port. Just yesterday the cnc was working fine. I had to upgrade to
another machine and transfer the parallel card to the new machine. The settings seem OK. But I cannot
jog the machine.
Here is a link to the xml file I use: http://woodsolutions.com/downloads/2008%20Inch.xml
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Do you have the correct port address set?
Hood
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Hi
I believe I do. I went into device manager and checked the settings then copied it into Mach3.
I still get a feeling something is still amiss with the parallel port config.
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Can you take Mach out of reset?
I have tried your xml and it seems to be working fine here in simulation.
When you attempt to jog do the DROs in Mach move?
Hood
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Hi
I reset the estop. Then clicked on a limit but nothing happened.
I attempted to jog and the dro showed the distance but I get no
actual movement from the machine.
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Ok so sounds like there may be a setting or two not quite correct. Did you use the xml from the other computer?
Can you post a screenshot of your diagnostics page?
Hood
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Here it is. These limits I believe are normal for my system.
That xml was used on the other PC
http://woodsolutions.com/downloads/4-16-2013%206-10-31%20PM.jpg
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Ok these LEDs should not be lit unless the switches are hit. Go to Config then Ports and Pins then Inputs and change the active state for Y and Z axis limits and homes and then see if that helps.
Hood
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Hi Hood
You have been super helpful but it seems nothing is working. Still no jogs.
Do you have any additional ideas. I may buy a new card and try to install it.
I have two cards now and nothing is working. I must admit I don`t have the
documents for the install of the cards. So the install is hit or miss.
Thanks Barry
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Do you have Port2 enabled, in the xml you attached it is disabled in Ports and Pins.
Hood
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Hi
Here is the solution to my parallel port problem. I hope this might help someone else. As a last resort
I contacted Art.
Here is his answer: Some motherboards have IO ports on them, but the pins aren’t hooked up to anything
Your numbers seem to indicate that you have a PCI printer port card as well. Do you have 2 printer port
plugs on that machine? NO If not, then Id set Mach3 to use 0x8800 as the address for the first printer port.
Ignore serial ports, Mach doesn’t use them anyway. I suspect what’s happening is everything is fine, but your speaking to
a printer port that doesn’t have a plug or is unused. I suspect the PCI printer port is what you want. So try entering
8800 as the printer port address in MAch3 under config ports/pins .. then restart and see if you have to reset the change you made to
the estop pin to get it to reset.
What all this means is I had two ports listed in Device Manager. Here is my list of ports. As I have in the past I kept using
0378. I assumed the machine was not working because the parallel port card that I installed was not configured correctly.
By using Port LPT3 with the address 8800 this port resolved my problems. If you have this motherboard you may experience
the same problems. Asus M2NBP-VM CSM. This board was new in 2006. Its believed by Art that this older machine had a partially
configured parallel port. This was the cause of my trouble.
Here is the machine in question : http://www.woodsolutions.com/diy-cnc.htm
Communication Ports
I/O 0378-037F this is the one I entered in Mach3... but did not work
PCI Parallel Port LPT 3
8800-8807 This address resolved the probelm
8400-8407
8000-801F
Regards Barry