(fat finger disease...)
...like this requiring IRQs.
I'm using SIIG add-in cards:
http://siig.com/product.asp?catid=97&pid=150 (mine are a slightly older version)
Windows XP has both add-in cards (LPT2 and LPT3), as well as the onboard LPT1, set to "Never use an interrupt" in Port Settings. Is this the correct setting? Any other settings in here I should know about, or are the defaults generally just fine? Any motherboard things I should do, like setting specific PCI slots to specific IRQs (always a fun game with XP and modern HALs)?
Two more questions:
1. Can Mach use 3 parallel ports? The two SIIG PCI cards in addition to the onboard parallel port? My engineer friend is the type to want more more more :-) Not a "must have," just curious. The manual never expressly states a max.
2. If it is only 2 parallel ports max, can I set Mach II to use JUST the 2 add-in cards and not the onboard LPT1 at all? Does the Mach III manual page 5-2 say all there is to say on this subject? I want to do this in case of accidents so the motherboard is less likely to get nuked. I am aware of outboard opto-isolator circuits and we're definitely considering them, but just in case. Also for consistency I'd like the whole thing to go through the same chips.
I really hope I'm not asking bone-headed questions. I'm a not-so-hot PC guy with almost zero CNC experience, I've never used your software, and have only read the manual (and a few dozen forum posts) while trying to prepare this PC for my friend. He's generally brilliant .... just not with PCs! What a pair we make trying to convert an old Ah-ha milling setup to something more modern. He's already purchased your product.
Thanks in advance,
Patrick
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