Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: MattsN on April 22, 2006, 04:28:17 PM

Title: Can I connect my stepper motors to the COM port?
Post by: MattsN on April 22, 2006, 04:28:17 PM
Hi all,
I'm making a CNC laser cutting machine (full size) and I want to connect my Excitron steppers (http://www.excitron.com/servlet/Detail?no=1 ), via CamSoft's Step Motor Control Card ( CS14000 - http://www.cnccontrols.com/motionboards.asp ), to the PC's COM-port.

Q: In Mach3, is it possible to run these steppers via the PC's COM-port?
 
Why I want to use the COM port is due to cable length limits for the LPT-port. Cables connected to the COM-port can be much longer.

Matts
Title: Re: Can I connect my stepper motors to the COM port?
Post by: fdos on April 22, 2006, 06:38:10 PM
No you can't.   Mach3 handles the motion control directly.    If you want to go this route with an external step/dir controller, then it's either the Camsoft product and their software.  Or Mach IV and Gecko's G100 which is similar to the Camsoft controller, but connected via ethernet.

The latter is more likely to have the level of support we are acustomed to with Arts products ;-)

Wayne...