Problem running Axis

Equipment:
PC: Dell Laptop w/ Docking station for Parallel Port
CNC: 3-axis Chinese Step and Direction table top CNC machine
(I know that this combination works with Mach3)

Software:
OS: Ubuntu Live CD running from CD-Rom
EMC2:Came with the Live CD preinstalled
Axis GUI
(Axis using sim config works fine)

Problem:
While Configuring the parallel port pins, I can "Test" each axis by jogging in the configuration GUI. This works on my machine and turns the motors.
Once I open Axis with my configuration I cannot start because the "on" button is disabled. I press the red X to reset, which works in the sim configuration, but doesn't in mine. I think that I set up the Estop correctly, this could be the problem though. Also, I get a few errors that are related to my poor latency.



Could my problem arise from using a laptop which gives me poor latency? or my running Ubuntu from the disk instead of installing?

Please help, thanks.

well with out any info about how you set up your system in stepconf it's hard to trouble shoot.
what in the way of estop signals did you select. posting your HAL file would help.
bad latency would not cause the estop problem but needs to be addressed for reliable operation.
Laptops traditionally are a poor choice for EMC.

Hi

As Chris says, without more info impossible to be sure.

One thing that will do what you describe, is if you have a charge pump and connections in your .hal file are similar to this

net estop-out <= iocontrol.0.user-enable-out => charge-pump.enable
net estop.ext => charge-pump.enable

stepconf used to generate this, which meant it never generated a working config for me on a BoB with a charge pump circuit.
It has probably been fixed by now.

Substituting something like this worked for me

net charge-pump => parport.0.pin-01-out
net charge-pump <= charge-pump.out

net estop-ext <= parport.0.pin-10-in-not
net estop-out <= iocontrol.0.user-enable-out
net estop-ext => iocontrol.0.emc-enable-in

regards

I really appreciate the responses and good advice.

However, I found the problem. I had disassembled the CNC controller and forgot to plug the Estop switch back in. DOH!
Good to know though. Apparently I had configured it correctly and now it is working fine.

Thanks