2 Parallel ports

[DrStein99]

I'm trying to get started with EMC2 from the cd-install. I have setup many CNC machines in the past using MACH-3 (Windows); so I am very familiar with the technology; but need some help with EMC2.

I ran the "stepper setup wizard". Looks like the first page prompts me for a "PARPORT BASE ADDRESS". My unit has two paralell ports. How / where do I go to configure that?

-Erich Stein

[acondit]

You can only configure one port with the step config wizard. Then you will have to edit the config files to add the second port.

Alan

[Big John T]

Usually the default base address that stepconf suggests will work.

There is a lot of info on the wiki site on hooking up second parallel ports. One that I know of is at

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emc..._A_MPG_Pendant

John

[stratcat50]

Open a terminal and run a 'lspci -v'. This will give you a list of all PCI devices including the addon port
Look through the listing and find the port and its address. It's usually pretty obvious.
Then edit your hal file and look for lines like
loadrt probe_parport
loadrt hal_parport cfg="0x0378 out"
If you've got a semi-working config, that will be the address of parport.0.
Put the address of the 2nd port after the first, inside the quotes. It is then parport.1.
Depending on your usage, you might have to use the 'in' or 'out' parameters. Mine looks like:
loadrt hal_parport cfg="0x0378 out 0xd800 in" and is used for switches & sensors.
Good luck!

[DrStein99]

Ok so EACH paralell port must only be assigned INPUT or OUTPUT yes? I am trying to read the documents which are really overwhelming and filled with fluff - I really dont think I need to understand how to generate a sine-wave as my first practice in understanding the hal. Just tieing pins on a paralell port to step/direction w/ digital inputs is a nice start.

-Erich

[Big John T]

You need to skip down to this part of the manual for paraport info...

http://www.linuxcnc.org/docview/html...ml#sec:Parport

John

[DrStein99]

Got it now, thanks for that. The HAL appears to be a nice elaborate module itself, it seems its made that someone could code their own API interface to control the HAL directly. Very interesting and distracting when I am trying to assign the ports and pins in my hardware to the EMC2 program.

-Erich

[tyo]

a use second parport is mean we use two of parallel system???
and...
the address 0xd800 have some pin 10,11,12,13,15 at same parallel output 0x378..???

[wendtmk]

tyo,

No - two parallel ports, typically two different signal paths. You may be able to get identical signals,one on each port by using HAL, but normally you would use the second parallel port to carry different signals, say for a pendant, or simply to allow more drivers (axes) to be used.

Is that what you were asking?

Mark

[tyo]

so..what the address we can use for same parallel with 0x378..??
actually port input at standard LPT-1...
i'm confused with homing input...for limiting approx...
help me please....

[wendtmk]

Originally Posted by tyo so..what the address we can use for same parallel with 0x378..?? actually port input at standard LPT-1... i'm confused with homing input...for limiting approx... help me please....

Not quite sure what exactly you are trying to do. If you install a second parallel port, it will have a different address. Usually assigned by your computer BIOS. Depending on what operating system you run, there are different ways of finding out what the address is. LPT1 is usually 0x378.

Everything you ever wanted or needed to know about parallel ports:

http://www.beyondlogic.org/spp/parallel.htm

Mark

[tyo]

LPT-1 have three access of port.
there are.
1. "data" the address is 0x378 => pin 0 till 9 (output)
2. "status" the address is 0x379 => pin 10,11,12,13,15 (input)
3. "control" the address is 0x37a => pin 1,14,16,17 (output)
and the other is ground..18 till 25

how to configure EMC for same parallel (LPT-1) be able input at (379) and output at (378)...???
i've trying change the script on .HAL:
loadrt hal_parport cfg="0x378 out 0x379 in"
but still doesn't work...