UPDATE: Over this past week I got the machine up and running on MACH3. I am SO GLAD I switched from CamSoft to MACH3. There are several important pieces of information I learned and would like to pass onto the forum, and writers of the Galil PlugIn.
My machine tool is an early 80s TREE Journeyman 200. I performed the original retrofit FEB 2000.
Original Equipment circa Feb/2000:
HP Pavillion running Win98
GALIL DMC-1842 4 axis card (known as DMC-18x2 series), Hardware REV C, Firmware REV 1.0e
CamSoft CNC Lite
Newer Equipment Dec/2012:
DELL Optiplex GX-280 WinXP machine, running 2.8GHz, 1GB Ram, ASUS PCI-E 1GB add on video card, PCI Wireless N card
GALIL DMC-1842 4 axis card, Hardware REV C, Firmware REV 1.0e
MACH3 with GALIL PlugIn
PROBLEM: Device driver available from GalilTools creates Windows Device Error CODE 10, Device Not Functioning
Galil Engineering Support says hardware REV C is "not supported" but REV D and newer, including the Econo series, is supported. Galil is using GALIL TOOLS for their software suite, which includes device drivers for Win XP for the DMC-18x2 series.
SOLUTION: Utilize GALIL SMART TERM software and included device driver (so a search for this on Galil's site and it will be found under Legacy products).
The SMART TERM device driver allows the DMC-18x2 to be properly registered to the computer.
a. If GalilTools device driver already installed, remove it using DEVICE MANAGER. Then remove the DMC-18x2 card from the machine.
b. Install SMART TERM
c. Under SMART TERM -> TOOLS, confirm the DMC-18x2 card is recognized and registered as the Controller. This is important! Once it is registered, the MACH3 GALIL PlugIn can recognize the DMC-18x2 card.
d. Optional: using SMART TERM, interrogate controller's P, I, D tuning parameters. This is done as KP ? <enter>, KI ? <enter>, KD ? <enter>. I found that the tuning parameters in CamSoft's setup were different than the numbers output. I didn't need to do any re-tuning, though. Record these P I D params in the section of the MACH3 manual that provides for you to write down important params in case of a complete PC system crash.
e. Optional, recommended: UPDATE your FIRMWARE. The firmware and instructions can be found under the Software Downloads section of GALIL SUPPORT. I updated from rev E to rev R.
At this point, the Galil DMC-18x2 is registered to the Windows system and to the Galil registery. Next, config the run the GALIL PlugIn for MACH3. Then config the Galil PlugIn so that MACH3 can communicate with the DMC-18x2.
a. Run MACH3 -> CONFIG menu -> CONFIG PLUGINS -> double click on GALIL PLUGIN.
b. Follow the instructions in the MACH3 GALIL PlugIn pdf manual file. If you don't have this manual, download it under the SUPPORT -> DOCUMENTATION at the header of this forum.
I hope this helps some of your fellow Galil owners!
- Keisler