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Author Topic: Will this work?  (Read 3633 times)

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Will this work?
« on: September 04, 2013, 11:27:06 AM »
About 15 yrs ago I built a small CNC it used a parallel port and I ran Mach.

8 yrs ago I bought a Thermwood 45 - 5' X 10' bed.  Since then I haven't used my home made machine.  I now want to re purpose it. 

Can I run mach3 from my laptop with no parallel port?  If so how?

Thanks

Offline ger21

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Re: Will this work?
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2013, 12:26:26 PM »
With an external motion device, like a Smoothstepper.
Gerry

2010 Screenset
http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

JointCAM Dovetail and Box Joint software
http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2013, 03:04:50 PM »
My first question and I'm sure I know what the answer is going to be.  NO  A USB to parallel adaptor won't work?

Second - It looks like this replaces the old board that the drives are wired to.  So I just need to connect existing steppers?

Thanks

Offline ger21

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Re: Will this work?
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2013, 03:18:33 PM »
No, the adapter won't work.

Actually, the breakout board that you had plugged into the parallel port should just plug directly into the smoothstepper.
Gerry

2010 Screenset
http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

JointCAM Dovetail and Box Joint software
http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2013, 03:29:35 PM »
So the smoothstepper plugs to the computer via USB - The smooth stepper to existing board via parallel cable? Sorry if I'm slow in getting this.

Offline ger21

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Re: Will this work?
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2013, 03:37:19 PM »
Correct. however, the Ethernet version of the Smoothstepper is preferred over the USB version. It's far more immune to noise issues.
Gerry

2010 Screenset
http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

JointCAM Dovetail and Box Joint software
http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

Offline Hood

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Re: Will this work?
« Reply #6 on: September 04, 2013, 03:42:22 PM »
You will however need to make sure you get a parallel to IDC adapter so that you can plug direct.
Hood
Re: Will this work?
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2013, 03:52:46 PM »
Thanks to all. This will make a very inexpensive solution. 

I'm making a auto positioning stop for my chop saw.  To buy one is 15K - I'll have less than $400 in it.