Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: ostie01 on August 08, 2008, 07:02:22 PM
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Hi, I already have two parallel boards plugged to my computer running Mach3. I need more inputs, at least 10 more. Is a ModBus could do it, How do I hook it up, like I said, can't get more parallel input.
Any good sources to buy, what did you do to get more inputs.
Thanks.
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Check out the PoKeys http://po.labs.googlepages.com/pokeys
I have one here that I have been testing and its working great, the plugin can only do digital I/O at the moment but Art may do the analogue in the future.
Hood
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Thanks for the reply.
Look like something great, so you telling me that I could use this board to build a control board with a as example a start and stop button, some jog features, hold, some probing functions, screen toggle, etc, How Mach 3 work with it, is it complicated to program.
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It can be used for any digital Input or Output. To connect a switch to it all you do is connect one side of the switch to ground and the other to the pin you choose, go into Ports and pins and for instance choose the Jog X++ in the Inputs and set it up for Port 10 Pin (whatever you have connected)
Anything like a MPG that is timing critical can NOT be connected to it at this point in time, I think its response is 100ms. There may be Encoder Inputs soon but dont think they have been added to the firmware (or however its done ::) ) yet.
To Install all you do is download the software and start it up with the PoKeys connected, it will then say it needs to update the firmware, it will do this (internet connection needed) You then need to set any pins you want to use as outputs in this software and then it will write it to the device. Inputs dont have to be asigned. You also need to install the plugin and enable it, then when you go to Mach you can look at the plugin and watch the I/O change as you press keys or whatever.
It can also be set up as a keyboard emulator so that a button press will do a keystroke or combination of keystrokes.
Not sure on the probing, that might be timing critical?
Hood
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At least, if I can do jog, and some functions that are not time critical, I could do them with this ModBus and do the ones that are time critical directly in the parallel inputs that I could recuperate.
Did you heard of the ModBus sold by Arturo Duncan on Ebay or on his Website, like M11, M12. Do they compare to the Pokey.
Thank you very much for your help. Jeff
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Jeff
the PoKeys is not ModBus, I was just letting you know about it as it is a cheap and simple device to get a lot of extra I/O, it is USB.
I do know of Arturos boards but have no experience with them, poppabear uses his ModBus boards and knows a great deal about them. The only ModBus I use is with a PLC (DL06).
If you are just doing simple things like a button panel or switching relays then the PoKeys is worth looking at, if the encoder inputs and analogue In/Outputs do get put into the plugin then it will be even more useful.
Hood