Hi (name?),
I was able to successfully fix my Paxton Patterson CNC mill and it has
been working for a couple of years now. You must have noticed that
message was dated 2003.
The most important thing I found out - the answer to that first question
- is that the Microkinetics Optidriver controller in the P/P mill
enclosure does NOT use standard LPT signals from a PC. It is designed
for their controller card to be used in the PC. IF you are going to
keep the Microkinetics stepper controller in the PC, you need to rewire
your printer cable. If you use a standard printer cable you will blow a
fuse in the Microkinetics power supply.
Here's something I wrote up when I sold my spare Microkinetics hardware
on eBay. It will help you hook up to the mill from a regular PC.
1. Don’t use a standard 25 pin to 25 pin cable: This is because the
OptiDriver is designed to connect to another MicroKinetics card (the
OptiStep) that isn’t really necessary. Pin 25 on the driver card is +5V.
You’ll ground that to your PC, blowing the 3A fuse in the power supply
(ask me how I know!!) If you can find an OptiStep card, you can use the
additional features it provides: things like limit switch inputs for the
axes. If all you want to do is turn on a stepper motor and move the
axis, it will work with just these pins.
2. To connect this controller to a conventional printer port for use
with TurboCNC the pinout is
MicroKinetics DB-25 Description and Pin # (note offset of 1 pin) to PC
1 MOTOR #1 DIRECTION to: LPT 2 Direction
2 MOTOR #1 CLOCK LPT 3 Step
3 MOTOR #2 DIRECTION LPT 4 Direction
4 MOTOR #2 CLOCK LPT 5 Step
5 MOTOR #3 DIRECTION LPT 6 Direction
6 MOTOR #3 CLOCK LPT 7 Step
7 MOTOR #4 DIRECTION
8 MOTOR #4 CLOCK
9 CURRENT 0
10 CURRENT 1
11 OUTPUT 1
12 OUTPUT 2
13 OUTPUT 3
14 MOTOR #1 NEG LIMIT INPUT
15 MOTOR #1 POS LIMIT INPUT
16 MOTOR #2 NEG LIMIT INPUT
17 MOTOR #2 POS LIMIT INPUT
18 MOTOR #3 NEG LIMIT INPUT
19 MOTOR #3 POS LIMIT INPUT
20 SHIELD INPUT
21 MOTOR #4 NEG LIMIT INPUT
22 MOTOR #4 POS LIMIT INPUT
23 EXTERNAL GND
24 OUTPUT 4
25 EXTERNAL +5 VOLTS DC
* * * * * * * * *
I ended up buying a Xylotex 3 axis controller board because the middle
channel on the Microkinetics controller was bad, and switching to
TurboCNC instead of the software that came with the mill. You probably
won't want to do this, unless you can get the school to pay for it.
Feel free to ask any specific questions you might have.
Bob