my laptop doesn't have the needed big archaic parallel port required to connect to the X3.

I'm running a 1.8ghz 1g ram 1 year old Toshiba laptop and I can't connect.



Why (oh, why) isn't this setup to run off USB?

What are my options? I've got several USB ports open, S vid, and a 15 pin serial and an ethernet connection.

Just got off the phone w/Syil America support:

it won't work.

I've got a $800 laptop and a $6k mill that won't talk together. Now I have to get another entire computer that absolutely wasn't in the budget, which leaves the $6k mill sitting gathering dust for a month or more.



I'm unhappy.



Live and learn. Check your cable slots in your computer FIRST.

Why again aren't these things run via USB?

it's getting better (slightly).

Found PCMCIA cards that have parallel connectors on them... around $100.

I am in the same boat as you, i have a 1 yr old toshiba. I simply went around to all of my friends an scabbed tobether a pc system. Keep in mind that docking stations and port replicators have the 25 pin parallel but its anouther 50 to 200 bucks.

i run bobcad on my laptop and i built a dedicated comp for the mill, I think this is actually better as i have a computer that does nothing but run the machine and one to run cad on.

Careful which card you choose. The only one I know of that really acts like a parallel port is the QUATECH SPP-100 PARALLEL PCMCIA CARD, and they are alittle over 100.00. Probably cheaper to buy an old computer.

Tom

Wow. I did the same thing, but I have a 4 month old 2K-dollar toshiba laptop (Satellite P105) and yup, no parrallel port. I love the laptop so, I had to keep it.....
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif

So, I went out and baught another computer just to run my SX3..!

Richard @ SyilAmerica is GREAT..! He will really take good care of you on the phone except on Mondays (he's REALLY BUSY on Mondays!!!). http://www.cnczone.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif

Regards,

Dan

I ordered the quatech last night.

Sewell had it for $99 +$5 shipping.

I specifically bought the laptop in advance expecting to be able to run the programming I needed and the CNC all from one machine.

I still think it would be VERY HELPFUL if the 25 pin parallel requirement was posted somewhere in the description of the X3...


In an instance like this there are always "easy" answers when it's not yourself in the bind, but almost all the easy ones require just throwing more money at the problem (that IMHO shouldn't have been a prob).

The money spent for the X3 and extras and the Laptop wasn't just a drop in the bucket for me, it represents a LARGE investement.

I appreciate all the pointers and help folks.

I'll report back if the quatech fixes the ordeal. If not, you'll see it on ebay, and I'll be waiting for the $ to buy a new computer.

If you haven't already, download the demo version of Mach3 from Art's website and run the driver test. Many laptops won't run Mach for various reasons. One of those reason involves how the Windows installation is configured on the laptop. The power saving features which are normally a part of a laptop install usually cause havoc with Mach.

thanks for the heads up MH1, I've got M3 up and running (I think lol) on the laptop already. No probs so far.

Because of current technology in the existing PC based controllers. The only common and affordable option is printer port. Other options are being developed, but will be some time before it is common place. There are other PC based controllers that use their own PCI cards, but their software starts at $799. As with everything, it is a balance. Make it affordable, but add some inconveniences. Make it easy, make it more costly.

My personal preference is a nice 1GHZ used machine to run the controller. Making it dedicated. That way, if you are into a large program and your nice program running in the background makes the determination that it's time to do something else.......

Most machines we have running here run on machines that I purchased for under $100. The most expensive was an HP Micro PC that is about the size of a book and ran $80.

By "pc based controller" do you mean Mach3? or ?

I still don't quite get the problem as to why the machining industry seems so far behind the computer and software industry.


Isn't a 1.4g recommended for processor speed? I'm not a "computer guy", at the $100 price I assume you are talking about used equipment correct? I don't know enough about it to determine what would be good or not, and I don't trust buying used electronic equipment.

I apprecaite the help in understanding this.