The computer which we had running Mach3 died and we had to set everything back up on a new PC.  We had to get a parallel port to USB adapter for the new PC.  Software is installed, license file is installed, driver for the new adapter is installed and all seems to be working.  Device Manager detects the machine, the driver, and is showing no errors.

However, when anything is attempted Mach3 either nothing happens or we get this error: Cannot do g1 with zero feed rate, Block=G01Y-1234.75

Is that pretty solidly identifiable as a configuration problem or is there a possibility I'm having driver issues?

I am actually someone from the IT department and I do not operate this machine and have limited understanding of how it actually works beyond the initial software setup. 

Hi,

We had to get a parallel port to USB adapter for the new PC.

Mach's parallel port WILL NOT WORK with a USB to parallel adapter.

You must have a genuine parallel port or parallel port card fitted to the PC. Note also that a parallel port WILL NOT work
with ANY 64bit OS, it requires 32 bit Windows 7 or earlier and a desktop not a laptop.

If you wish or need to use either USB or Ethernet then you MUST use an external motion controller like an ESS or UC300.
Avoid cheap Chinese controllers, they don't work like they should and you won't get any help from them.

Craig

We bought this motion controller on the advice of the manufacturer so I doubt that's the issue: http://cncdrive.com/UC100.html

Would this still need Windows 32 bit or could it run on newer OS?

Also, when I go into the UC100 plugin window in Mach3Loader I'm getting no errors and the indicator lights on the controller itself are solid blue and solid green, which per documentation is indicates it is operational.

Hi,
thats good news. A genuine UC100 has an FPGA inside and it is a motion controller , way WAY WAY more sophisticated
than a USB to parallel converter. Of course it looks and appears like being a USB to parallel but it is in fact a genuine
motion controller.

Where did you get it? The Chinese make any number of fakes and they are not a patch on the real thing.
A genuine UC100 requires you install a special driver, an ordinary USB driver doesn't work. Did you install such a driver?

You need to install the UC100 plugin in Machs plugin folder and select the UC100 as the active motion controller, have you done so?

Given that your PC is no longer burdened with the responsibility of generating pulse streams (Machs parallel port) you can use just about
any PC you like, including 64 bit OS's up to and including Windows10.

You report the UC100 operating correctly but what breakout board are you using? Can you get the EStop input to stop Mach?

Craig

Where did you get it?

  It's the exact one in that link I posted earlier.

Did you install such a driver?

  Yes

You need to install the UC100 plugin in Machs plugin folder and select the UC100 as the active motion controller, have you done so?

  The plugin is there because like I said I'm able to access the plugin window in Mach 3 Loader.  It also pushed new firmware to the motion controller. 

You report the UC100 operating correctly but what breakout board are you using? Can you get the EStop input to stop Mach?

This I'm not sure as I didn't install a new one.  I was more or less pointed at this machine and told to get it working again with 0 bachground knowledge about it.[/quote]

Can you get the EStop input to stop Mach?

  Unfortunately, I'm very ignorant about the operation of this machine which makes it hard for me to accurately judge what correct operation looks like.  I've had the actual operator trying to do what he would normally do with it in the shop and he's the one who reported the problem.  When you go into the UC100 plugin window, the controller is usually in a state of "Estop" and when you hit Reset it will switch to "Idle" but that's all I've been able to get it to do.   

Hi,
the original breakout board will have wires attached, say output pin2 to the X axis step input say, and output pin3 to the X axis
dir input. Have you replicated those assignments in the UC100 plugin?

Craig

I was able to pull the Mach3 files off the old computer and imported those into the xmlbackups and macros folder in the new computer.  Is there something else I should be overwriting as well?  How would I go about checking what the old assignments were?

Hi,

Is there something else I should be overwriting as well?  How would I go about checking what the old assignments were?

Yes, you need to put the pin assignments into the UC100 plugin.

It has been some time  (five years) since I've used Mach3, I have been using Mach4 so the details of Mach3 are becoming hazy.
You can deduce from the .xml what the pin assignments were originally and could therefore be used to populate the UC100
plugin. Trying to decipher the raw .xml file is a real mission. Maybe a current Mach3 expert will chime in and help.

I have never used a UC100, I have used an Ethernet SmoothStepper motion control board, consequently I'm not familiar
with the UC100 plugin. There are many Mach3 users whom do use a UC100 however.

Craig

Trying to decipher the raw .xml file is a real mission. Maybe a current Mach3 expert will chime in and help.

I'm not an expert but if it's any help Jason Blake made an excellent Mach3 .XML Reader which can be downloaded from the second post in this thread;  https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=9561.msg58446#msg58446

Tweakie.