Hello Guest it is April 17, 2024, 09:55:00 PM

Author Topic: LPT1 PCT Card  (Read 2117 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

LPT1 PCT Card
« on: December 07, 2014, 04:04:07 PM »
Does anyone use an LPT1 port PCI card that works with Mach3 in the UK

Any help would be appreciated
Re: LPT1 PCT Card - Solved, for me anyway
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2014, 07:26:33 AM »
I have finally solved my problem. Although the DRO's were moving when I turned the knob on my pendant the motors did not move. The basic problem was that the LPT1 port on the motherboard, Gigabyte GA-H61M-S2p-B3 rev. 1.0, was producing 3.3 volts. The break out board I have needs 5.0v. To overcome this problem I purchased a StarTech.com 2S1P PCI card from ebuyer. http://www.ebuyer.com/124030-startech-com-2s1p-pci-serial-parallel-combo-card-with-16550-uart-ieee-pci2s1p
Installation
I disabled the current LPT1 in the bios. Shut down the computer then installed the cart to a spare PCI slot and started the computer. The windows (Running XP pro 32 bit) found new hard ware. Entered the CD, that came with the card, to the computer. When the Wizard asked search on the internet this time I said no. Pressed next and the drivers from the CD were installed. I then went to Device Manager and re-named the port from LPT2 to LPT1 and made a note of the address (Resource tab) In my case it was DFE8. Entering this to Mach3 will show 0xdfe8 in my case. I restarted the computer, not sure if this was needed, plugged in the break out board and started Mach3. I got an warning that something was high and I could not reset the reset button. The warning had a button asking if I wanted to Mach3 to fix it and I clicked it.
Turning the pendant + / - moved which axis I had selected. I run my gcode and success.
NOTE
It is worth sating that this is a full PCI card that goes on one of the long white slots on my motherboard not a PCI Express, the short white slot on my motherboard. PCI Express slots LPT1 parallel cards will only produce 3.3v A full PCI LPT1 parallel card will produce the full 5.0V
I hope this help anyone