Will run out of HAIR SOON

[703E5]

Hi all,
please can someone help me.
Finished build (mech +elec) of my CNC with spindle.
Got no movement -
Using Mach 3 on Win 7, Parallel port on PCI.
Did fresh install of Win 7, and then Mach 3 on a fresh hard drive.
Was prompted by means of a tick for PP (parallel port) driver - ticked.
Question: in device manager i dont have resources to show address for PP, also says my driver for the card is not there - tried and cannot get a new driver for the PP loaded? Any ideas

Have been through all the inputs/outputs etc on config - nothing changes
Checked continuity from PP male - PP female (i had to cut it to go through a gland) - all tested ok.
i did have limit switches illuminate (on and off) on diagnostics page - so i assume the link between BOB and PC is ok.

i am using a BB5001 board (HY-JKM5) Chinese one off Ebay, found a couple of articles which showed pin allocation - does anyone know what they should be?
Starting to think that this is the root of all my problems.

Any help/info greatly received.

[A_Camera]

Is it 64 bits or 32 bits W7?
PP is only supported in 32 bits W7.

[703E5]

32bit

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[JAZZCNC]

I know this doesn't help you now but trust me you'll thank me for it later if you do. Do yourself the biggest favor and dump the PP and buy an ethernet controller like the AXBB-E or UC300, don't be tempted to buy a USB controller as they are only one small step from a PP.

The PP is a dinosaur and you'll have nothing but trouble and poor performance, USB is better but it has lots of issues with noise and can be very flaky. Ethernet is rock solid and very reliable and fast.

The issue you are having now is not uncommon when using PCI PP cards and not all work, it's a little bit of a lottery with them from what I know.
My advice is don't waste time on it, bite the bullet and go with an Ethernet controller.

[cropwell]

If you are determined to carry on with the PCI Parallel Port, and I do not recommend it, the drivers for the port are generic depending on the chipset of the port. I used a PP card and getting a driver was a quest. If you have a MOSCHIP chipset, I have a CD somewhere of all the MOSCHIP chipset drivers and if you get really stuck, I can start the search for it in the boxes of old crap I have piled up in my den. I would need a good photograph of you PP card to get the chipset details first.

But heed Jazz - he knows, you know!

[dazp1976]

I know this doesn't help you now but trust me you'll thank me for it later if you do. Do yourself the biggest favor and dump the PP and buy an ethernet controller like the AXBB-E or UC300, don't be tempted to buy a USB controller as they are only one small step from a PP.

The PP is a dinosaur and you'll have nothing but trouble and poor performance, USB is better but it has lots of issues with noise and can be very flaky. Ethernet is rock solid and very reliable and fast.

The issue you are having now is not uncommon when using PCI PP cards and not all work, it's a little bit of a lottery with them from what I know.
My advice is don't waste time on it, bite the bullet and go with an Ethernet controller.

I second that.
I have only ever got perfectly successful running with Mach3 using WinXP sp3, which I have on retail disc from yesteryear.
Win7 wasn't reliable at all. Surprisingly, also fresh from a retail disc.
I've moved straight on to a uc300eth for the need of more I/O.

If it isn't working right, don't faff about. Ethernet all the way.

[703E5]

Thank you for your advice.
I value your insight.
My budget is quite tight, what would you say to the one below, I only need 3 axis control.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07H8DXF...ing=UTF8&psc=1



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[703E5]

So, just looked at again, although it says ethernet, looks like usb.
Whilst I keep looking I will keep saving.

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[Kitwn]

I spent several years using a cheap Chinese parallel board, though with LinuxCNC rather than MACH3. I spent more time fault-finding spurious limit trips and other issues than I did making things. If I'd had to pay for the amount of time people spent reading and replying to my posts on this forum I'd be a homeless bankrupt.

Recently I bit the bullet and changed to using UCCNC software and an AXBB-E controller from CNC Drive as recommended by Those Who Know. Apart from an interesting W10 problem that ended up being related to which USB port on my laptop I plugged the Nintendo game controller into ($8 version of remote pendant, well worth the investment!) it has been rock solid. Easy to set up and there are plenty of experienced user on this forum to help with any issues.

I'm the ultimate cheapskate when it comes to machine building but should have made the change long before I did. If you plan to make a few things to sell, even as no more than a self-funded hobby, you will get your money back in improved production time soon enough.

Kit

[703E5]

Thanks Kit, and thanks to everybody else that has replied.
I will take all your time served advise and bite the bullet, I like a challenge but think the PP route would, by the sound of it, be too frustrating.
After all I want to make stuff, I don't want to spend all my time tinkering and problem solving.
Thanks again.

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