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Motor Issue?
« on: May 05, 2014, 08:41:33 AM »
Hello,

I've posted in the past about my sherline 4-axis set up, but I'm having some new difficulties at the moment.

Just to recap:

I have a PMDX-126 plugged in to LPT1 on this computer. It is controlling things like INPUTS to active OEMs, as well as starting/stopping a laser that is wired to it.

On LPT2 I have my sherline 4-axis control board hooked up. There is where I run into issues.

I can't get any response from the motors when they are plugged into to LPT2. I've attached the first tab of the ports and pins config page, as well as the setup for my motors page. I'm not sure if the dir port has to be the same as the step port. Even if it does, I still get no response when both step port and dir port are set at port 2.

I would just run the motors on LPT1, but mach3 won't let me change the PMDX's location to LPT2. Everytime I try, I get a "need external estop" issue.

I would be very grateful for any suggestions on how to proceed.

Offline Hood

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Re: Motor Issue?
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2014, 09:35:40 AM »
First thing to say is, have you got the correct port address for port 2? What you show there is the default one but if you are uing a PCI port then it will almost certainly have a different address.

Next thing to say is if your axes are connected to port 2 then you will definitely need to tell Mach that the Dir port (as well as the Step) is Port2.
Hood
Re: Motor Issue?
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2014, 10:02:46 AM »
LPT1 is correct, I'm just using the printer port on the PC, and the PMDX's inputs show up on the diagnostics page when pressed. I'm not sure how to find out the address of LPT2 though, I'll dig around in the device manager tab and see if I can find a different address. I'll also switch the dir port to 2, and update the thread with what happens. Thanks!

Offline Hood

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Re: Motor Issue?
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2014, 10:07:30 AM »
I am a bit confused. Are you actually connecting, physically, to Port2? In other words do you have 2 physical ports in your computer?
Hood
Re: Motor Issue?
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2014, 10:35:47 AM »
Yes, I have two physical parallel ports on this computer. I've got Mach3 communicating with both now.

I had been inputting the hex address for parallel port as "0xDD08" instead of "DD08". Simple mistake, but made me think I had a bad PCI card slot or something.

My only other issue is one with the PMDX-126 itself. Which I suppose I should go talk to them about.

I have a PMDX-109 output board attached to the PMDX-126 to add some extra relays to control a number of things. Not sure how to configure the PMDX-126 for expanded output mode.