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General Mach Discussion / Re: newbe help needed
« on: October 04, 2016, 02:24:35 PM »
You must install the Mach3 'pulse engine' in order for the parallel port to run.
It very much sounds that the driver has not installed itself.
The Artsoft website has some installation instructions, see if you cant find
Mach3Mill_Install_Config.pdf. It will help. Pay particular attention to the reboot required
part way through the setup. From what you've described I think that did not happen in your
case. If that is indeed true that part of the driver that has been installed is probably corrupt.
You're going to have to use Windows Control Panel and 'dig' it out. Then complete reinstall
of Mach3.
The 'pulse engine' is a VERY trick piece of code and resides at the lowest level of Windows
almost like a virus. If it does not install and run correctly the parallel port will not run, no exceptions!
Get it right then your humble PC becomes a realtime machine controller admitedly somewhat buggy
but at a fraction of the cost of FANUC,SIEMENS or .....
Thank you Craig for your insight about the port driver.
I was finally able to get things going with version 3.042.020 as it forced a reboot during the installation. Interestlingly the later version 3.043.066 did not force a reboot and even though I manually rebooted I constantly got the BSOD. With an earlier version D1.90.038 which came with my 3040 and included a license file, a reboot was not asked for and there was no sign of a printer port driver being installed and no prompting for one.
With version 3.042.020 all installed as it should, a reboot was forced and the motors are turning.
One more thing. with my driver board having both a parallel port and a USB port, the parallel port doesn't function if the USB is plugged in, but the USB will function if the PP is connected. So on a hunch I unplugged the USB port and the motors now respond to jog input.
Thanks to all for your help!