9 pin Serial

[Serb]

I got a hold of a laptop that I would like to use to run my router and it does not have a regular serial port on it but it does have a slot for a PCMCIA card. The cards I saw only have a 9 pin serial connector on it and was wondering if this can work with a HobbyCNC Pro board?

[Serb]

40+ people looking at the question, still no answers

At 60 stares and no answers spaghetti board is toast.

[ger21]

No. You must use a parallel port

[Serb]

Originally Posted by ger21 No. You must use a parallel port

Gerry,

When you say parallel connector, do you mean PCMCIA card with a parallel connector? What would the process be?, would I have to rewire one end of the serial cable with it and how would I reset the port in Mach3.

I plugged in a 9 pin adapter on my other computer that I use to run the machine just to see what it will do and it ran fine except for the router on/off relay that's connected to pin #14. That should not be a big deal to fix since pin #1 is not being used and I can switch it on the board.

I guess I just need to run over to Fry's and pick up one of those PCMCIA cards with a 9 pin serial and try it out.

BTW, a 1/8" regular 2 flute running at 75ipm did cut lexan without a problem so a O flute should do even better. You were right about the SPEED, thanks and take care.

[ger21]

How are you connecting a 9 pin serial cable to the HobbyCNC's 25 pin connection? Most CNC hardware uses 25 pin parallel cables. I have no idea what you're doing with a 9 pin serial???

[Serb]

Originally Posted by ger21 How are you connecting a 9 pin serial cable to the HobbyCNC's 25 pin connection? Most CNC hardware uses 25 pin parallel cables. I have no idea what you're doing with a 9 pin serial???

The laptop I want to use does not have a serial port but I can get a express card with a 9 pin serial that I can plug into the laptop. Hobbycnc board has a 25 pin but most of those pins do nothing anyway. I just tested the serial 25 pin cable and connected a 9 pin converter then went out to a 25 pin converter again so that I can plug it into my current computer. So it was
25 pin --> 9 pin --> 25 pin, and it worked except for the spindle relay that's connected to pin 14 and I can switch that to pin 1 on the board.

And when you say that most hardware uses parallel cables, I think you meant serial since I have not seen any with a parallel connection lately.

[Al_The_Man]

I could see no mention of serial port in their on site literature?
Only 25p parallel.
Al.

[Serb]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Man I could see no mention of serial port in their on site literature? Only 25p parallel. Al.

You are absolutely correct. I have no idea why I was thinking "serial" all this time. I have a plotting machine that's connected to a serial port that is sitting next to it and just seeing a 25 pin connector I assumed that it was serial. I looked at the information sheets that came with the board today and sure enough, it's a parallel port.

Plunging a usb to parallel converter will not work so the only other option I have is trying to use a express card parallel port. I found a post where a PLX Oxford OXPCIe952 express card with serial & parallel did work with Mach3

[TOTALLYRC]

Originally Posted by Serb You are absolutely correct. I have no idea why I was thinking "serial" all this time. I have a plotting machine that's connected to a serial port that is sitting next to it and just seeing a 25 pin connector I assumed that it was serial. I looked at the information sheets that came with the board today and sure enough, it's a parallel port. Plunging a usb to parallel converter will not work so the only other option I have is trying to use a express card parallel port. I have been searching to find out about it but was unable to find any answers on the subject.

You might just be better off picking up a cheap desktop becuase of the timing issue with using a laptop.
Mach3 doesn't support the use of a laptop unless you are using an external pulse generator such as the smooth stepper or dspmc.

An express card should work, as long as the laptop puts out a decent pulse stream. Make sure the express card is a "NOT" a USB type solution. I am not sure how you find out about this though.

Mike

[Serb]

"Make sure the express card is a USB type solution."

RC, you be totally wrong about this, none of the usb works with it.
I can get any laptop to dish out all the power when plugged in so that is not a issue.

The issue is cost, as always. Sometimes thing work on Vista that do not work with XP. If I made more than $1500 since September of last year cost would not be a problem.

There's a epp f-22 I redid to epp with all the cf, and 5 other planes I never flew. Did a 78 Goldwing down to the bone, totally like no one ever did and I'm sitting on a million dollar worth of software and for what? To try to figure out a $30 card so that I can maybe make something that people want.

[TOTALLYRC]

Originally Posted by Serb "Make sure the express card is a USB type solution." RC, you be totally wrong about this, none of the usb works with it. I can get any laptop to dish out all the power when plugged in so that is not a issue. The issue is cost, as always. Sometimes thing work on Vista that do not work with XP. If I made more than $1500 since September of last year cost would not be a problem. There's a epp f-22 I redid to epp with all the cf, and 5 other planes I never flew. Did a 78 Goldwing down to the bone, totally like no one ever did and I'm sitting on a million dollar worth of software and for what? To try to figure out a $30 card so that I can maybe make something that people want.

My mistake. I edited the post. I was trying to say make sure it is not a USB type solution.

Thanks for catching that.

Mike