Problem- distance between computer and machine?

[geekinesis]

Hi, a random thought..

My laser machine is about 20 feet away from my computer. So which is the best option for positioning the controller

1/ A 20ft parallel cable to the controller inside the machine and short wires to the steppers

or

2/ A 2ft parallel cable fron the computer to the controller and then 20ft of cable from the controller to the stepper motors

I am wondering where steps are most likely to be lost?

[RomanLini]

A 20ft parallel cable shold be fine.

Many years ago (back in the Dos days) I made a 60 foot parallel lead for doing data transfers between PCs, I used some 16 core shielded alarm cable, which basically was nothing special in cable terms. It gave years of good use transferring data at the top transfer speed, so don't be afraid that a 20 foot parallel cable is going to cause too many problems.

PS. It was also common in office buildings in the '80s to have very long parallel cables in the walls for remote printing as those big 7pin printers were NOISY and kept in rooms far away.

[geekinesis]

ok thanks

I read about an 18ft maximum somewhere but I guess it depends on the use its being put to. Ill try 20