Hi,
given that your initial complaint was that the Y axis was playing up but the other axes were not....why throw away the parallel port that you had?
I asked you to do some tests that may give you an insight into the problem....what you have done instead is put in a new PCI card and introduced
a whole bunch more problems.
May I suggest you go back to your original installation and diagnose the issue/issues you have. Once you have diagnosed the fault or faults
THEN make some decisions about fixing them. One of the alternatives might be a USB or Ethernet connected motion controller.
Let me ask this, is the USB Bob or Ethernet Bob easier to work with?
They are different rather than easier. If you buy a Chinese made unit then it may prove to be very much harder than fixing your parallel port issues...
Chinese made boards have poor/no documentation and poor/no manufacturers support. If you buy a good US/European brand then it will work
as advertised and all of the best known (and loved!) Mach manufacturers will support it. Amongst the advantages that come with using an external motion
controller is being able to use a much wider range of PC's and 64 bit OS's.
The cheapest of the 'known good' USB motion controllers start at $120. There is a bunch of more capable (more IO and features) from four different
US/European manufacturers in the range of $150 to $250. A Vital Systems Hicon board will set you back $600 plus whatever extra features/activations you require.
If you want really REALLY topshelf.....go Gallil.....around $3000 for a three axis unit!
If you buy cheap off EBay you can expect to be ripped off....buy direct from the manufacturer or their nominated distributor...there are just so many
knock offs out there. There is a guy on the forum who is of the opinion that the controller he's got has a Canadian made Ethernet SmoothStepper built
into it.....bulls*********t....unless Canada has become a province of China!
The simplest and cheapest expedient is to go back to your original parallel port and diagnose the problem.....note that's DIAGNOSE the problem,
then and ONLY THEN try to fix it.
If you have $200 to spare then by all means get an external controller......they will pay off over time but you will still have some serious learning
and problem solving to be done. CNC is not plug and play.
Craig