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Author Topic: Can read THC input signals but spindle doesn't move  (Read 14035 times)

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Re: Can read THC input signals but spindle doesn't move
« Reply #10 on: September 28, 2012, 03:25:29 PM »
Garf,

   Thank you for that information. I'm sure your experience will help a lot of other people in the future with Parallel ports becoming obsolete and USB becoming practically the only option available these days. Glad to hear you are finally up and running!

Steve

andrewm

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Re: Can read THC input signals but spindle doesn't move
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2012, 02:50:52 PM »
I found an old computer with parallel port and connects directly my SmoothStepper and it works.

The problem comes from the USB to parallel converter that was between my computer and the SmoothStepper.

I'll try another converter if I find some time.

Thank you for your help bad_bunny!
Garf



Does this mean you had a USB to Parallel Port adapter hooked into the Smooth Stepper on the USB end of it? The Smooth Stepper should have a straight through USB cable from it to the PC and the Parallel Port cable running from it to the BOB. It doesnt need any kind of adapter running from its USB plug to the PC...

Offline BIW

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Re: Can read THC input signals but spindle doesn't move
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2013, 07:46:34 PM »
Hi, I am new to the forum.  I have a proma THC I was using with another setup and an independant THC head with a DC motor - worked well but I wanted to cut the wight down on the Z so I figured I'd feed the PROMA outputs into MAch3 and just use the z axis stepper to perform the Torch height control.  Ah well, not so easy.  I have nothing but high end computers in here and not a parallell port in sight so I went with a smoothstepper via USB.   The THC did not work but I had not yet purchased Mach3 and figured that was the problem.  Once I was sure I could get mach3 to do what I wanted, I bought it.  It is now licensed and THC still does not work.  So after about 6 hours of research, I found an obscure note on a forum where a fella said that the THC function is part of the Parallel port driver in Mach3.  This makes sense because you would want quick control.  Well since I have a smoothstepper, I don't use that driver.  Very disapointed.  Back to my old DC motor setup which worked well but it's a bit bulky because I have a gas torch as well as a plasma head and planning to put a touch probe so getting ugly.  I really need the probe because my bed is 12 feet long and I load 3 different plate sizes and they aint allways flat as I'd like.

Oh well

Anybody know if that guy was right about the parallel port driver doing the THC work?

Offline BR549

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Re: Can read THC input signals but spindle doesn't move
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2013, 01:08:50 PM »
Simple solution buy a PC with a LPT port and XP

(;-) TP

Offline BIW

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Re: Can read THC input signals but spindle doesn't move
« Reply #14 on: February 20, 2013, 07:58:54 PM »
Scrounged up an older pc and installed XP today - parallel port is working but a little odd

Looks like pins 2 and three might have a problem.  Nothing was happening for X axis so I rassigned the outputs to pins 8 and 9 for X and it worked fine.  THC even works but it controls x now, not z so I reconfigured for z to be on outputs 8 and 9 and the THC was now OK.  Jus to be neat I put them in ascending order as follows.
x=4&5
y=6&7
z=8&9
Seems reasonable - jog doesn't like that though.  X and Y are now crossed So I had to switch pin assignments and wire my drivers accordingly.
x=6&7
y=4&5
z=8&9
That is the only configuration that allows THC, Hotkeys and Jog to work correctly. But Hey, it all works now so I am happy with that.  I tested the cables and all were ok, the BOB is fine - tested it with the smooth stepper and all is good so that leaves. the parallel port and the driver.  Gotta leave something for tomorrow.

Cheers