OK, my new laptop doesn't have a 25 pin parallel port. Can I connect up to Mach2 using this machine? Send my command through the serial port? USB? My question is: How do I communicate through a computer with no paralle port? Thanks,
-jim

Quick answer, you don't.

I think I read somewhere back that someone had some luck with a pcmcia parallel port. This is going to be your only hope and at best it might be a 50/50 chance of it working. the usb ports won't work at all, serial is another thing entirely.

Now if you want to use mach 3 + the g-rex plug-in you could use Ethernet. And control it that way..

Chad

pls help , i too have same problem with my desktop,compaq dc 5800.wich doesnt have db 25 pinout,i tried pci parallel card with no hope, then i bought serial parallel port adapter cable, which connects to the mother board and on other end there is db 25 that damn thing also not helping me,as soon as i connect BOB all 4 LEDs goes on and subsequently all 4 motors get hot.the bob and and its configuration  works fine with my other desktop, which is again compaq d 530 , with parallel port built in.
pls suggest remedy if some one out there knows about this issue, i tried check voltage on db 25 which is  4.85 v on pin 1 thru pin 16 and other pins has 0 v

Do you have the correct port address set in Mach?
Hood

I used a PCI parallel on my first machine. As Hood said it is probably an address problem. The address on mine was nothing like the defaults in mach. Go into device manager, find your parallel port card and you should be able to find the correct address. I remember I pulled my hair until I figured it out!!! Good luck!!!!!

I bit the bullet and bought a smoothstepper from Warp9 products.  Works great and can be either USB or Ethernet connection
Jim

Do you have the correct port address set in Mach?
Hood

dear hood thanks a lot for your courtsey . yes i set the correct port address in mach 3 but it isnt working.actually the board gets signals without running mach three .even after opening mach three and setting up all pin n ports config it remains the same. the 4 aaxis working leds goes on and remains the same

Can you attach your xml please and I will take a look and see if I can find an issue.

Hood

Can you attach your xml please and I will take a look and see if I can find an issue.

Hood

HI DEAR HOOD, THANKS AGAIN.IT IS ALL DONE AND THANKS AGAIN FOR THE COURTESY, HOWEVER IT WAS RELATED TO THE BIOS, WHERE, I CHANGED THE SETTINGS OF ONBOARD DIVICES , FOR PRINTER -BIDIRECTIONAL, AND PARALLEL PORT I CHANGED THE PORT ADD TO378 AND IT ALL STARTED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, FIRST I CONNECTED THE DOTMATRIX PRINTER AND IT STARTED PRINTING BUT HALF WAY SHOWN ERROR FOR SEVERAL TIMES, THEN I TRIED THE BOB AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING FOR NOW ATLEAST. WELL THANKS AGAIN FOR HELP. I WILL TRY SOME MORE TIME AND THEN I WILL POST EVERY THING SO THAT OTHERS CAN ALSO TRYTO RESOLVE,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HURYA

dear hood, iam stuck again,its just like this, go to controll panel,ad hard ware, choose ecp printer port,and cofigure it manuallly,and printer works but stucks halfway.but the stepper driver works fine,again when you shutdown the pc,the ecp port in bios find missing, and it comes again square1,really its hectic n iam tired, pls help