Ok, I received my PoKeys device today and thought I'd test it out. Now I haven't connected it to Mach 3 or anything yet, just wanted to try lighting a laser dot (3-5 volt) that I had laying around. Shouldn't I be able to connect the black to ground on the board and the red to pin #1 and then go into the software and click on the "O" (output button) to enable it to come on?

When I have the "O" button enabled, I clicked the "View I/O button at the bottom right, and it says "Pin 1 (Digital Output): off"

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
Dave

Not sure, never used it apart from within Mach, will go try and see.
Hood

Doesnt seem to work but I havent read the manual. If you do it from Mach it will work but for Outputs you have to connect to the device in the PoKeys software and choose which pins yu want as outputs and then save to the device. They will then work in Mach. Inputs however dont need to be chosen and saved to the device or atleast they dont for me.
 As a test install the plugin and then enable it, set the coolant button up as output  (whatever you want) in ports and pins Spindle options page then go to OutPuts and set that output  to port 10 and pin (whatever you have the laser connected to) then when you press the coolant button or MDI M8 the laser should light.
Hood

Ok, I'll give that shot, thank you sir-

Dave

Yes, it does work correctly that way (whew...).

I would like to be able to test the unit without Mach 3 though as I may want to you use one of these for other things for my PC in the house. There's really not much to the owners manual and I guess I'm just not comprehending it. I'm not the wittiest guy  - 

By the way, when you save the setup, where is the file located? Or is saving it right to the actual device as it states?

saving it to the device I think

Still trying to figure out how to turn the laser on without being in Mach3. When it is connected through Mach 3, if you open the IO status window in the PoKeys software, and you turn the "coolant" button (output that I have connected to the laser) on and off, the status window shows the pin turning on and off. So there's got to be a way to switch this on and off when not connected through Mach 3.

Wouldn't you think that as soon as you enable the output button in the PoKeys software, it would turn it on immediately and then you'd use a switch to control it on and off?

I'm definitely missing something..lol!

Dave

Ok, it does in fact come on immediately but you have to "save to device" first before it works! 

LOL, well reason it wasnt working for me when I tried was because my LED was loose in the connector LOL. I went into Mach and it still didnt work but found the loose leg and now it does

Hood

boy, it's a good thing you guys put this part of forum up. We're (meaning  "I'm" ) going to need it...