Messages

1

FAQs / Re: Setting Mach 3 Port to PCI parallel port address

« on: January 23, 2016, 02:27:17 PM »

Worked like a charm....Set dip switches on the card to legacy port address. Used device manager to assign same address as the dip switches. Dialed it in Mach3 Ports and Pins config  for (in my case) the 2nd port, and away my 4th axis went. Now I have to learn how to use it...always something.

2

FAQs / Re: Setting Mach 3 Port to PCI parallel port address

« on: January 18, 2016, 12:51:56 PM »

According to StarTech (maker of the PCI parallel card I bought on Amazon) technical support ,"Unfortunately most likely this card will not work, since that sort of application requires a parallel card with a legacy (ISA) port address, usually 0x378. Unfortunately this card does not support legacy addressing, and is addressed randomly by the driver and OS."

 This would explain the continuous reassigning of the port address mentioned on page 1 of this thread. With enough challenges with my dyi electronics for a 4th axis install, I figured I would just swap out the original card with StarTech's remappable version: 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005G304SO?keywords=StarTech.com%201%20Port%20PCI%20Parallel%20Adapter%20Card%20with%20Re-Mappable%20Address%20PCI1PM%20(Yellow)&qid=1453135572&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Let's see.....

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie with an intermittent slave axis direction reverse

« on: October 22, 2013, 11:44:50 AM »

Gents, Thanks for the helpful suggestions...

ger21....I went into the way back machine, found an xp machine with a parallel port, and it worked great....for a while. Then the old behavior ensued. Bummer.

BR549, Cable looks good, but at this point...I am willing to try it.

I will post as either I lose it completely , or prevail.

MitchellT

4

General Mach Discussion / Newbie with an intermittent slave axis direction reverse

« on: October 15, 2013, 08:01:28 AM »

Hello All!

Glad to be here. After years with a Techno Da Vinci machine, with a sealed in German steel controller, it's liberating to find Mach 3 which came with my older K2 5050 craigslist purchase.(it's HUGE in comparison)

All is wonderful, except, when jogging or running a long gcode, the machine racks as the Y axis goes one way and the A axis another. The machine homes properly (most of the time), jogs ok most of the time and runs the code until the occasional y axis code sends the axis heading in opposite directions.

Wires and connections look ok, and the guy who  sold it to me, said it ran well.  So where does the newbie begin? US Digital encoders? Gecko Servo Drives? The ever mysterious Parallel port on an old laptop?

Thanks,
MitchellT