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Author Topic: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions  (Read 1243623 times)

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Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #410 on: August 19, 2014, 05:38:27 PM »
So just to be clear, the driver version is 1.16, the plugin on the m4 screen will read in the config selector will also read 1.16 as the plugin version,
and the dll version is 1.11 ( shown just above the drivers 1.16 verison on the waterfall screen. Ive verified the files are correct in the zip file for
those versions. (Sorry for so  many versions, but there are 3 important components and they all have their own version, as well as separate compilers..:)


Art

Offline Sage

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #411 on: August 19, 2014, 06:41:19 PM »
Hi Art:
As mentioned On the waterfall display I show 1.11 on top and 1.08 below it and there's now way I can get it to change. I found your last post on where to look for the particular numbers confusing. The sentence was a bit jumbled (I think)
If what I'm seeing is not correct in the waterfall display then I have no idea where M4 is getting those files because I've deleted the Darwin dll from M4hobby root and the Darwin .m4pw file from the plugins sub directory. Cleared the trash can, rebooted, copied the new files and still I get the same thing.
 I'm afraid I've gotten it really cocked up.
In the mean time a low disk space error started showing up. Maybe something is going on there. I un-installed one large program to free up some space. Maybe that was contributing.

Can you give me instructions to start over such that I can keep my configuration or maybe I should just erase the M4 directory and re-install it.
And start over from scratch and re-config everything. I have photos of my previous config. so it won't take too long.
I'm away for a few days starting tomorrow so I may not get to it until Monday.

I notice if you create a new config it asks for a screen set. Which one should I choose?

Sorry for the confusion.

Sage

« Last Edit: August 19, 2014, 06:48:51 PM by Sage »

Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #412 on: August 19, 2014, 06:47:12 PM »
Sage:

 Its not the files. The 1.11 is  fine, its the darwin.sys file. Go to the control panel, select system icon, then device manager. Under Mach pulse engines youll see Darwin.sys. Right click and select uninstall. Then.. do the the unzipped folder of files from the last update. Run  DriverTest.exe and it should install the latest driver. The version will then show 1.16.
  Your dll and plugin are fine... its the sys file thats killing you...

Art

Offline Sage

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #413 on: August 19, 2014, 06:55:44 PM »
Ok so there might be hope yet. I'll do the uninstall thing and get back to you but I have another problem.
I used to have a shortcut to M4 which I deleted. Which program should I be running wxMach4.exe or Mach4gui.exe
I'm not sure if I have a configuration any more either. Can I create a new one and choose one of my backup ini files in the "create a configuration from a backup" option.

Sage

Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #414 on: August 19, 2014, 07:00:44 PM »
Your probably better off just creating a new one. But if  there a selection that looks good go for it, you can always just change the settings..

Art

Offline Sage

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #415 on: August 19, 2014, 07:18:44 PM »
Ok were back on track. I just remembered I never had a specially named config. I just config'ed over the default mach4 mill. I'm sure that will come back to haunt me later.

Anywayyyyy I'm back and everything is running fine. And yes your changes all seem to be working. K2 relay is quiet now.

Sorry I wasn't catching on to when I had to run Darwin test (or uninstall it and run the test) each time you changed a particular item. I thought it was just a cut and paste of the dll and m4pw files. I missed that somewhere.

I'm not clear now on which files are which.

I get that the plugin is the .m4pw file
What do you call the dll file (a driver??)
and now I see that you have sys file which apparently is not just a copy and paste operation. I assume that's the pulsing engine?

Sorry it's all Greek to me.

I guess I'm going to need a reminder when to run the Darwin test to install the new (engine??)

Sage
Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #416 on: August 19, 2014, 08:24:01 PM »
I too had misunderstood.  When I selected configure plugin, I saw the Darwin plugin rev as 1.160 so thought I was okay.  The two numbers in the waterfall screen were 1.11 and 1.08.  So I just removed the driver using the settings and then reinstalled.  Now the waterfall shows 1.11 and 1.16.

Unfortunately, the port 2 inputs still work the same.

At least now I know why I can't get M4 to control my second spindle (K2).  The diagnostic light comes on but there is no indication in the history that Darwin was commanded.

Sage,

The next time you load an updated version of M4, I think your default configuration will be reset.  I suggest you open with static GUI and create a new profile by using copy profile and naming the new profile.  Right now I'm using Art's suggestion and calling it Darwin setup.

Peter

Offline dude1

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #417 on: August 19, 2014, 08:28:17 PM »
its in the driver folder in c drive

Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #418 on: August 19, 2014, 08:40:28 PM »
Hi Guys:

   For the record: :)

The plugin is a file ending in .m4pw ( Mach 4 Plugin (..beats me what the frig the W is for.. lol )
The DLL is a system interface dll.
The .sys is a system level driver. Its the pulse timer and main brain of the system.

Thx
Art
 

Offline ART

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Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions
« Reply #419 on: August 19, 2014, 08:43:05 PM »
Peter:

  I think Ive figure out your issue. Most printer port chips can handle a 16 bit fetch of data in one call, but a few cannot. They have ports that
can handle only 8 bits of transfer. Mach3 used 8 bit transfers, but Darwin uses 16 to try to speed things up a bit. Due to your machine
showing this screwy input corruption, Ill change that this week to grab ony 8 bits at a time. That will hopefully fix your trouble and prove
it was really a chip compatability issue in the hardware. Interesting result if true.. and Im thinking it probably is.

Thx
ARt