Need Help!- New motherboard without onbaord parallel port?

[Zorlac]

What is the correct solution when using a Gecko g540 with a new motherboard without a parallel port? I burned out my Xylotex 4 axis and just ordered a Gecko for an upgrade, computer and everything. I now run across a PCI parallel expansion card will not work correctly. I have never needed to ask a question all these years because they are all here, other than this one. There is a thread with infomation but no answer.

[mklb]

I would think the extension card would work fine. You may have an address problem with it though. Are you using Mach3?

You can also use a USB interface like the smoothstepper.

Warp9 Tech. Design - Home of the SmoothStepper - Home

I have several of these and they work great. Your machine will run smoother and faster than you have ever seen.

I'm sure others with more knowledge of this will chime in with more definite answers, but those are the 2 things I would look at.

Royce Bunnell
OB Cue Shafts and OB Cues

[Zorlac]

I did see that as an advertisement. Im not looking to spend a conciderable amount more. I could just go right back to Xylotex for a hundered and change less. I ordered the new board g540 tonight not thinking there would ever be a problem with epp configuration. I was aware of the 3.3 voltage change from 5 on newer pci cards. That I would not be effected by. Should I cancel my order or is there a resonable solution?

X2 Mini Conversion with A axis Indexer
Mach 3 "working"
Windows 7 ultimate

[UUU]

You'll need to give us more information. You say it's not working corrrectly. Is any of it working, if so which parts? If you trigger an input condition on the Gecko, does the diagnostic light come up in Mach3?

[Zorlac]

I just ordered the g540 drive, its shipping. I have a new motherboard with no "Paraellel" port and I haven't tested anything. I was reading and came across people having issues with "PCI parallel port ad on cards". What would be the right step to take next? Blindly purchase a "PCI parallel port ad on card" and other breakout boards to find wasted money and time or ask what the right solution is so there is no problems.



New motherboards do not have parallel port db26 connect

[ger21]

Lots of people use PCI parallel port cards. That's the cheapest option, at about $20. Here's one sold for use with a Mach3 addon board.
Page Title

You could also buy an old PC with a parallel port, or buy a new PC with a parallel port.
Newegg.com - ASUS AT5NM10-I Intel Atom D510 BGA559 Intel NM10 Mini ITX Motherboard/CPU Combo

[mcphill]

And there are in fact new boards with parallel ports, you just need to search a bit to find them.

[Zorlac]

I already have an INTEL board im going to use. It does not have an onboard Parallel db26 connector. This is the board im going to use. Its has other purposes and interface i'm using

Maybe I did not ask my question clearly:

I have been using an old setup with a Xylotex 4 axis driver board, for nerly 5 years no problems, and have become very comfortable with Mach3 diagnosis and tweaking. I fried the board running a stepper lead over, My fault.

As an upgrade for the situation, I ordered a new Gecko g540, its in the mail. Im using a new computer system "without" an on board parallel port. So i figured I would just buy a PCI pp card to remendy this. However after reading, I came across poeple having issues with the epp configuation with addon PPcards. So rather than a wild goose chase and spending, Im asking for solutions.
They could be "use this PPcard it works, don't buy this card it won't, buy this card and this break out board, return it and stay Xylotex, Do this it worked for me". As technology advances so do compatibility issues. Most new motherboards do not come with onboard PP interfaces (the interface most commonly used today). So anyone choosing to upgrade is going to run the same path.

[atxguitarist]

I don't know if you have checked, but some motherboards have the pinouts for the parallel port on the board.
I had the same issue when I bought a parallel pci card. But I got lucky and found the parallel pinout on the motherboard.

[Zorlac]

already checked that...no luck

thank you

[MrWild]

I found an Asus Atom3 motherboard with processor for just $80, normally $115 at Newegg. It has a PCI slot (harder to find now) and a parallel port. I'm using it with EMC2 and a Mesa Electronics FPGA card for servo use, but the Atom3 board works well for parallel port/stepper use also.

Really though, why do you need a new computer at all? There are tons of older computers being thrown away that work fine for stepper machines. just a waste of money fighting through a new system build.

[UUU]

I'm using a StarTech board described as "Single Port PCI IEEE-1284 Parallel Card" as my second parallel (the motherboard has an onboard). Its woking fine with Mach3 so I assume it would also work as the only card on a motherboard without an onboard one. I didn't know if it would work before I bought it, but it was cheap enough to take a gamble, which has paid off.