[daniellyall]

no need to yell Rodger i said converter not driver I am not argueing with you I know you can have a usb to lpt in 32 bit or how ever you won't, I am going to be getting a USB to how ever many pins the lpt plug needs converter.

thanks for the clarification defang. yes it would be a good idea to post problems and fixes that would help everyone and I was just saying the wording was wrong nothing else was meant by what I said

[Skyfire]

I think you guys are miss reading this, he needs to use an XP machine, because his USB plug in connection, is just the same as if he was using a parallel port, the USB connection, sounds like it's not driving an external CPU, that is why he needs to use XP operating system, Win7 and Mach3 do not work very reliably trying to support a Parallel Port type connection, it works great if you have the external hardware ( CPU ) to support it

Look at the first Breakout Boards Defang made used a Parallel Port, so it is most likely the same Breakout Boards with a USB connection

Page 17 Post # 195

Hi mactec54,

Thank you for attention on this subject. One thing I need to make it clear is that the USB driver is totally different from the break out board I posted before. The USB driver has it's own CPU(FPGA) as a hardware pulse engine to provide reliable 4 axis pulses. Parallel pulse engine based on windows timer is not stable to provide high speed pulses. But the external CPU need to communicate with MACH3 via a USB driving chip and it's driver software. MACH3 send data to the external CPU and the CPU translate to pulses for all axis. And of course, the CPU provide external I/Os and tell MACH3 the I/O status to provide multi functions like limit/home switches, MPG, external control keyboard etc.

[Skyfire]

no need to yell Rodger i said converter not driver I am not argueing with you I know you can have a usb to lpt in 32 bit or how ever you won't, I am going to be getting a USB to how ever many pins the lpt plug needs converter.

thanks for the clarification defang. yes it would be a good idea to post problems and fixes that would help everyone and I was just saying the wording was wrong nothing else was meant by what I said

Hi, you are welcome! I would be happy the discuss questions and make things clear here... Just have been too busy to talk much here in last months. I will post more here next to discuss with you guys.

Thank you~

[mactec54]

Hi mactec54,

Thank you for attention on this subject. One thing I need to make it clear is that the USB driver is totally different from the break out board I posted before. The USB driver has it's own CPU(FPGA) as a hardware pulse engine to provide reliable 4 axis pulses. Parallel pulse engine based on windows timer is not stable to provide high speed pulses. But the external CPU need to communicate with MACH3 via a USB driving chip and it's driver software. MACH3 send data to the external CPU and the CPU translate to pulses for all axis. And of course, the CPU provide external I/Os and tell MACH3 the I/O status to provide multi functions like limit/home switches, MPG, external control keyboard etc.

Great that you could reply and clear this mess up, it is also good to know that you are using an external CPU for the main control

Most of us know what an external CPU is and why it is used, because we have been using them for several years

Where the confusion was, that did not make any sense, to have to use windows XP, if it was using a external CPU, but now we know why, and makes sense

Handlewanker should of known this from the start, as to what spec's his computer should of been, and he would not of been having this problem

[handlewanker]

Hi Mac.....when it comes to computers all I know is when you press the start button the screen lights up and things are good to go.........further than that I would not have a clue.....fair dinkum mate.

I assumed that having a USB connection from the machine to the computer instead of a parallel plug meant I can plug straight into any of the 6 USB ports I have and start making chips........that's about as far as I can think when it comes to computers.

I've just downloaded the Mach 3 demo version again to my Win XP computer and when the drivers were installed etc and Mach 3 opened I get a very large screen display, it's so big the Mach 3 screen overlaps the monitor screen and I can't see the bottom or side parts......I'm losing access to most of the bottom of the screen and both sides.

This happens on both monitors I have.....one a 19" 4:3 monitor and the other a wide screen monitor.

I tried both monitors on the Win 7 computer and got a normal full screen display.

Why would Mach 3 display so big on the Win XP computer......a couple of photos I have on the XP computer all display correctly on the 4:3 monitor full screen.
Ian.

[chevydyl]

That happened with me too, try adjusting the screen resolution by right clicking on the desktop and following through the menus, I think it's under preferences, you need to go to a lower resolution, then once you get Mach to display correctly you can go into the general preferences and select Use High Resolution screens, not sure that will always you to go back to a higher resolution but it may

[mactec54]

handlewanker

We have all had problems with computers at some time, but don't be afraid of them, they are quite easy most times to fix, just have to know where to look

Try this

Press START bottom left hand corner, in your windows screen

Then CONTROL PANEL, OPEN

Then find DISPLAY top row on most, OPEN

SETTINGS This is where you change the SCREEN RESOLUTION, CLICK OPEN

Try it at 1024 by 768 You just move the slider to change the resolution

Press APPLY And you are done

Do it in this order and you can't go wrong

This may be slightly different than this on your computer, it will depend on what service pack you are running

[RCaffin]

I assumed that having a USB connection from the machine to the computer instead of a parallel plug meant I can plug straight into any of the 6 USB ports I have and start making chips.

That's about right - in principle.
You need the correct XML file to put the labels on the gear stick and make the steering wheel go the right way (so to speak), but Defeng has that.
You need to sort out the screen resolution, but that is simple enough. If you have trouble, find a cluey teenager to help you. (Honest!)

Cheers
Roger

[daniellyall]

Ian make sure you have M3 version R3.043.062 it has less bugs in it and it works better

you go here to get it Downloads & Updates - Newfangled Solutions once`s here click on FTP Server _Main Menu, then click on Mach3/ then click on Mach3 Version R3.043.062.exe it should auto download then put on a stick and just double click it when it is pluged into your machine control computer and it should run.

it won't make you lose any settings or anything like that and you don't need to remove the version you have now ever.

[Skyfire]

Hi Mac.....when it comes to computers all I know is when you press the start button the screen lights up and things are good to go.........further than that I would not have a clue.....fair dinkum mate.

I assumed that having a USB connection from the machine to the computer instead of a parallel plug meant I can plug straight into any of the 6 USB ports I have and start making chips........that's about as far as I can think when it comes to computers.

I've just downloaded the Mach 3 demo version again to my Win XP computer and when the drivers were installed etc and Mach 3 opened I get a very large screen display, it's so big the Mach 3 screen overlaps the monitor screen and I can't see the bottom or side parts......I'm losing access to most of the bottom of the screen and both sides.

This happens on both monitors I have.....one a 19" 4:3 monitor and the other a wide screen monitor.

I tried both monitors on the Win 7 computer and got a normal full screen display.

Why would Mach 3 display so big on the Win XP computer......a couple of photos I have on the XP computer all display correctly on the 4:3 monitor full screen.
Ian.

Hi Ian,

I hope you have solved the screen resolution problem now. the default MACH3 screen resolution setting in my .XML is 1024*768. Probably your WINXP computer current resolution setting is 800*600 or something. Like these guys said, set the screen resolution to no less than 1024*768. Then it will be ok.

Don't worry, you will get play with PC a lot from now.. It's just a little dizzy at beginning..but we will help you work it out. lol

[handlewanker]

Hi, the screen resolution cannot be reset to 1024X768.....when I set the slider to that setting the screen goes blank and a message box comes up saying .....input signal out of range.......then it goes back to the screen as 800X600.

The problem is the oversize display only happens with the Mach3 screen display....all other displays, photos etc are normal.

Even if the Mach3 program is now working, it's impossible to use as the controls are out of the picture.....I've got approx. 2/3rds of the Mach3 display available.....and it's the same with both the 4:3 monitor and the wide screen monitor.

I'm still in contact with the help team so I'll see what comes up next..
Ian.

[handlewanker]

handlewanker

We have all had problems with computers at some time, but don't be afraid of them, they are quite easy most times to fix, just have to know where to look

Try this

Press START bottom left hand corner, in your windows screen

Then CONTROL PANEL, OPEN

Then find DISPLAY top row on most, OPEN

SETTINGS This is where you change the SCREEN RESOLUTION, CLICK OPEN

Try it at 1024 by 768 You just move the slider to change the resolution

Press APPLY And you are done

Do it in this order and you can't go wrong

This may be slightly different than this on your computer, it will depend on what service pack you are running

Hi Mac.....running with service pack 3.
Yes, I already tried that .....I'm familiar with that screen resolution change...... problem is, the system won't allow it........two monitors and both get the same message......"input signal out of range".....whatever that means.......why does it only happen with the mach3 display?
Ian.

[mactec54]

Hi Mac.....running with service pack 3.
Yes, I already tried that .....I'm familiar with that screen resolution change...... problem is, the system won't allow it........two monitors and both get the same message......"input signal out of range".....whatever that means.......why does it only happen with the mach3 display?
Ian.

You may not have a driver for those monitors, when you are in settings, click on advanced, and see what you have for a driver, and monitor support

Also do you have any buttons on your screen side/front Etc, if so select the menu button, here you will be able also to find information about your monitor, plus do some adjustment to the size

The ASUS 19" monitor you have will do 1440 x 900 so no problem to get the 1024 x768

[Skyfire]

Hi handle,

I simulated your problem on a PC with WINXP. I adjusted the resolution to 800*600 and it can still open MACH3 will its full screen. Only the screen details are very poor. so basically MACH3 screen is a image you can always fit the screen solution.

From what you just said, it's actually not a MACH3 problem. It's your graphic card driver/configuration problem. "input signal out range" happen under two conditions as I know:

1. resolution too big, as you just want 1024*768, it should not be a reason here.
2. screen refreshing frequency----can't be more than 60HZ. Check this from display-->advanced-->monitor. (I'm not sure it's the exact words because I'm not using English version winxp)

Make sure these 2 steps are both no problem.

If still have problem after 1, 2 above,

Your graphic card driver may be not installed or not installed correctly. Download(if necessary) a new version for your graphic card for WINXP, not for win7,win8 system.... And install this new graphic driver to your PC, reboot... it should be solved here anyway unless your computer is 486..

post your graphic card type here if you can't find a driver for it. Can help with that too.

[justkeen18]

I don't have time to read all of what is going on here, however I see the words LPT and USB in the same sentence.
I showed a breakout board I was playing with to a computer tec mate of mine, and asked him how I would convert the LPT to USB,
I suggested I wanted to use just a converter cable from a thermal docket printer I have.
He wasn't familiar with CNC or breakout boards, but said it may not work if the breakout board was using each LPT pins as a pulse/signal as apposed to data or something to that affect as USB has only 4 pins instead of 23? of the LPT cable. I tested that idea and could not get it to work, worked a treat on an old XP system I had tho

[RCaffin]

Sounds as though Skyfire has it right. You probably don't have the driver for the graphics card, so it is defaulting to 800x600, which is the base condition. Get the driver.

Cheers
Roger

[RCaffin]

Hi justkeen18

I showed a breakout board I was playing with to a computer tec mate of mine, and asked him how I would convert the LPT to USB,
I suggested I wanted to use just a converter cable from a thermal docket printer I have.
He wasn't familiar with CNC or breakout boards, but said it may not work if the breakout board was using each LPT pins as a pulse/signal as apposed to data or something to that affect as USB has only 4 pins instead of 23? of the LPT cable.

Ah .... 4 pins instead of 23...
Blimey.

Sigh
Roger

[daniellyall]

Hi Ian after you check the stuff defang has said to do check. your General config it`s under config, the screen control bit, does it have all 4 tick boxes ticked like the image.

Attachment 297638

[Skyfire]

I don't have time to read all of what is going on here, however I see the words LPT and USB in the same sentence.
I showed a breakout board I was playing with to a computer tec mate of mine, and asked him how I would convert the LPT to USB,
I suggested I wanted to use just a converter cable from a thermal docket printer I have.
He wasn't familiar with CNC or breakout boards, but said it may not work if the breakout board was using each LPT pins as a pulse/signal as apposed to data or something to that affect as USB has only 4 pins instead of 23? of the LPT cable. I tested that idea and could not get it to work, worked a treat on an old XP system I had tho

Hi justkeen18,

USB-LPT cable usually can not work with MACH3. It's something specially for old printers. If you want the extra parallel port, you have to use a PCI interface parallel port card, or PCMIA parallel poart card.. they are all old stuff.. but never USB.

[Skyfire]

during the time waiting Ian's new progress, I want to post the problems feedback from customers and the solution I take.

1. electrical problem. We have two electric problems feedback now. Basically both of them are all come from local power supply voltage difference. My testing condition is standard 220VAC 50HZ in China. All long time tests are all no problem before sending out machines. But after the first clients received the machines, 2 problems were found.

A. Main breaker action mistake when power on the machine. I use a DZ47-60 20A breaker on SVM-1/2. A client reported that the breaker on his machine sometimes act when power on. This problem I didn't find in my tests. After eliminate any shortcut possibilities, we found the client's local power supply is about 230-240VAC, much higher than we get in China. And the breaker I used is a C20 type. It's action current is about 5X rated number. When power on the machine, the peak current is bigger than in China. It may be over 5X so the breaker acted.

Solution: replace the C20 type breaker to D20 type. D20 type has same 20A rated current but 7-10X action current. Thus problem A solved.
Attachment 297640


B. Axis driver over voltage alarm. This problem happened on a SVM-0 equipped with closed loop stepper drivers. Same thing, tested all OK in China, but the machine always shows DRIVER ERROR and then trigger MASTER ALARM on the panel. Open the electric box and the client observed a driver lighted up the RED ALARM LED. Measuring the local power supply voltage and found it's 232VAC. So I can confirm it's the high power supply voltage problem again. Frankly, I want to "dig" out as much strength as we can from the driver..so I don't leave much margin of the transformer power supply unit. It gets easier to trigger the driver alarm if the local power supply is higher than 220VAC.

Here are the diagnosis pictures from client:
Attachment 297652 Attachment 297654

Solution: so we have to make the transformer output voltage be adjusted to normal range. My choice is a $5 cost solution: silicon controlled regulator.
It's something like this:
Attachment 297658

Connect this tiny regulator to the 220VAC input wires in series and adjust the small tuner to make transformer output voltage to the "safe zone" of the driver. Then this problem can be solved easily. And you can still make the drivers get the higher work voltage to make sure motors have bigger strength.

These are all of the electric problems we found so far and the solutions.