mach3 will not work properly on a laptop

[woodman08]

I have been running mach3 using a destop with no problems,then I wanted to switch to a laptop with a LPT port same address etc (3 settings bi-directional,output,and etc)
Selected bi-directional cnc responded to keyboard commands ok but when i ran the gcode the cnc sounded like it had a stripped gear or missing tooth,i thought the machine had developed a flaw but ,manufacturer says most notebooks will not work with mach3,the LPT port is not the same as a desktop.
Is there settings i could change

[LeeWay]

Good luck with this. Some guys are able to use a laptop and some aren't.
I tried using a thinkpad and got the same results as you even after optomized XP. Just really poor running. Not much power either.
Perhaps a BOB that will increase the voltage from the PP to the drivers would help.
I ran the Driver Test and it looked within parameters. Other computers have worked well with worse DT results. Please post your results if you do get it working right. I'd love to be able to use the laptop in the shop. My router and mill are using the same computer and drive box, so can't be run at the same time right now.

[pminmo]

Could be that you have a hardware incompatability with your interface. Did you try it with the laptop being powered from AC? How fast is the laptop?

[woodman08]

my laptop/notebook was a P4 2.0 xp pro and has a LPT port (new ones do not),mach3 runs the keys drive the cnc properly ,but as it travels oalonbg say x axis it sounds like the gears on the track have been damaged and it bumps along,i even checked the track.
Machine manufacturer said to try a regular PC and he was right ,its smooth as it was on purtchase--so its the laptop and there is not a lot of settings you can adjust
Also it was powered by ac ,battery removed

[jallitt]

I tried getting a laptop (toshiba satellite pro) to work but ultimately gave up. The biggest problem was the VSD for the spindle putting out enough RF interference to kill off the wired ethernet on the laptop. So there is definitly less shielding than a desktop case. I also tried a PCMCIA parallel card but couldn't get it working. The 2 port PCI card I just put in a desktop machine has exactly the same chipset and drivers as the PCMCIA so I think, given some more fiddling, it would have worked.

The upside of using a desktop is I now have 2 parallel ports and I just built up an 8 way relay board so I have more inputs and outputs than I would have had with the laptop.

[MACH DESIGN]

I'm running my new X2, Xylotex, Cnc Fusion, conversion mill on an Acer Aspire 5315-2153, 1.73 GHz, 533 MHz ($350 Walmart secret sale 10/07) with Mach 3. I purchased an Express 34 Parallel adapter, this one http://www.coolgear.com/productdetai...85,538,464,468

I just got it running tonight, collectively spent 9 hours getting it going. The LPT 1 port was the biggest issue. Go into device manager and/ ports/properties/resources...and get your I/O settings (port address) there may be more than one in this area...???? So I tried several of the ones that were listed and got it going. Be sure to watch the videos of Mach 3 or whatever training is available for your software.http://www.machsupport.com/Videos/Ma...elections.html


All praise goes to this forum! Since this is my first machine ....EVER, and I learned about the things I needed right on this forum to get my machine running. MOST NEW LAPTOPS WILL NOT USE 378! They may change to it someday...who knows.

Originally Posted by jallitt I tried getting a laptop (toshiba satellite pro) to work but ultimately gave up. The biggest problem was the VSD for the spindle putting out enough RF interference to kill off the wired ethernet on the laptop. So there is definitly less shielding than a desktop case. I also tried a PCMCIA parallel card but couldn't get it working. The 2 port PCI card I just put in a desktop machine has exactly the same chipset and drivers as the PCMCIA so I think, given some more fiddling, it would have worked. The upside of using a desktop is I now have 2 parallel ports and I just built up an 8 way relay board so I have more inputs and outputs than I would have had with the laptop.

[woodman08]

test it by inputting a gcode for something simple ,dry run it without the router cutting,when i did that it sounded like some of the bearings had damaged teeth,thought i hit a screw or nail.
Anyhow i'm back to desktop ,as there are not al lot of selections on a notebook to adjust.
I felt the signal was being interupted and mach 3 was jirking

[patmul]

Here's the main issue with laptops: Parallel port output/input voltage.
Desktops ALL have 5V positive-level signals...sometimes as low as 4.0V.

Most laptops have 3.3V output LPT signals...which can actually go as low as 2.5V.

For most I/O boards 3.3V is not nearly enough to safely swing a logic signal...it depends on your actual I/O board voltage requirements. The high thresholds of many boards is deliberate...it makes them much more noise immune...which also makes them erratic on 3.3V systems.

The fix? change your I/O board to one that will ALWAYS work with 3.3V signals. How do you know which boards? Unfortunately, I don't know...you have to ask the dealer for your particular board. Often a board can be easily modified to work. Often it is just adding small pullup resistors to the outputs...sometimes it's just plain no-go...

FWIW

-Patrick-

[pminmo]

Originally Posted by patmul Here's the main issue with laptops: Parallel port output/input voltage. Desktops ALL have 5V positive-level signals...sometimes as low as 4.0V. Most laptops have 3.3V output LPT signals...which can actually go as low as 2.5V. For most I/O boards 3.3V is not nearly enough to safely swing a logic signal...it depends on your actual I/O board voltage requirements. The high thresholds of many boards is deliberate...it makes them much more noise immune...which also makes them erratic on 3.3V systems. The fix? change your I/O board to one that will ALWAYS work with 3.3V signals. How do you know which boards? Unfortunately, I don't know...you have to ask the dealer for your particular board. Often a board can be easily modified to work. Often it is just adding small pullup resistors to the outputs...sometimes it's just plain no-go... FWIW -Patrick-

I would like to politely disagree. Most laptop issues with MACH3 is CPU timing changes. Many mobile cpu's change speed to conserve battery power, and when it changes speeds the timing in MACH3 changes. Some laptops the cpu speed is changed by the laptop hardware, not the cpu istself. And lastly some laptops video interfaces and other hardware steal cpu time, upsetting the MACH3 timing. it's more prevalent in laptops as they try to utilize resources fully to conserve battery power.

As to the parallel port, regardless of desktop or laptop the minimum output high is 2.4V via the IEEE1284 specification. Most PC mfg'ers have used this spec since the mid 90's. In reality that is a loaded source current spec of 14MA. But even if you go way back prior to that spec, most desktops ran around 3.4V as an output high, as they used 74LS374's as output latches. Even the LS374 has a minimum output high spec of 2.7V.

[patmul]

Well, Phil, you cartainly have *much* more experience with Mach than I!!

But...circumstances do abound.

My experience has been the opposite.

I have two different I/O boards that worked fine on my desktop...but not at all on my (Dell) laptop. Being aware of the clock issues, I set the laptop clock to full-time full-speed operation (almost always a choice on any laptop). No difference. Still no-go.

I then got out the 'ol trusty voltmeter...and measured the laptop outputs as I mentioned above. Being an old-time EE-type, I simply put 5V 4.7K pullups on the I/O board's inputs...and guess what? They then worked fine.

This experience led to my comments above. So, different systems...different experiences!

FWIW

-Patrick-