Incorrect information on linuxcnc wiki page

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02 Feb 2017 21:38 #87162 by DocStein99
There is a misleading problem with the WIKI page, for Linuxcnc. I setup a new machine, which only has PCI-E slots. My old standard pci paralell ports obviously will not work. I shopped out some cards, found "wch ch382l" as a solution. I refer to "trustworthy" linuxcnc wiki for information:

PCI-e paralell port card

The page lists as a single port parallel card. I assumed since it was on the WIKI, that it works and all is good, and there was no need for me to continue researching the card anymore.

I went a purchased one of these cards with the same chip designation. Install in machine, and test. About 2 hours of tinkering still no resolve. I researched more and eventually found someone else has tested the card, with the same FAILED results:

Kent Vandervelden test of WCH 382L

This above link would have been useful to me BEFORE I spent my money and time on information from the WIKI page.

The card shows up as a SERIAL device in the lspci -v function. I spent an additional 4 hours trying to research ways to trigger the card, and have failed. I'm not going to post the 6 hours of detailed attempts and information here on the reasons WHY this card will not work, with all my efforts and experience. It's a $15 mistake that could have been avoided if the page was accurate.

My intentions are to help the community, so that someone else does not get confused and make the mistake. How can I go about issuing a change on that WIKI page, to dispute the accuracy for the information on the page?

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02 Feb 2017 22:07 #87163 by Todd Zuercher
The impression I've gotten is that PCIe parallel port card compatibility, is sketchy at best, and the problem is not with (or just with) Linuxcnc. There are sometimes problems with mother board bios and/or kernels that seem to cause all sorts of problems. Google searches show up all sorts of problems, with very few solutions, one person says he fixed it or made it work, but the next guy can't reproduce his results. I don't have any PCIe parallel port cards, but with the list of frustrated users, If I had to use a PCIe slot, I think I'd just buy a Mesa 6i25 that will just work instead of trying to hassle with it.

The wiki is user controlled and not protected, anyone may edit it.
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?BasicSteps

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02 Feb 2017 22:38 #87164 by andypugh

The wiki is user controlled and not protected, anyone may edit it.
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?BasicSteps


You will need to know that the LinuxCNC is a machinist version of the Linux Mascot. The Linux mascot is called "Tux". Our mascot is called "Chips". (And the sample NGC file "3DChips" machines a 3D penguin.)

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02 Feb 2017 22:42 - 03 Feb 2017 00:29 #87165 by DocStein99
Todd;

The Mesa cards are nice, and too expensive - when I compare the cost of the entire computer, with a few other components. If that started to malfunction due to my clumsy mistakes testing, it's just not as cheap and easy to swap out a $15 parallel card from a shelf of the same ones I know will work. I am waiting for the Arduino and Raspberry code technology to evolve, to consider using those for stepper motion control.

Also on the ch382l card, are two MAXIM chips, whcih are used for rs232 serial conversion. This bogus card presents itself as a paralell card, that was designed as 2 serial ports. The manufacturer claims to use software driver to correct the mode. It is a PCIe version of what you would buy for a laptop to connect via parallel printer using a serial or usb adapter.

If the wiki is user controlled, I'll just create an account and start contributing to that. Thank you for the information. The page I want to modify has "This page is read-only" at the bottom.
Last edit: 03 Feb 2017 00:29 by DocStein99.

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03 Feb 2017 01:26 #87176 by DocStein99
Thanks Andy, I got it.

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03 Feb 2017 03:52 #87188 by jmelson
Pico Systems is now stocking PCIe parallel port cards with the Moschip MCS9900/9901 chips, as these are the ONLY PCIe cards I've found that work with our controller boards. I thought all this faulty EPP chip stuff had been sorted out a DECADE ago, but now with the PCIe, we start it all over again. What a hassle!

Jon

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03 Feb 2017 05:12 #87191 by DocStein99
Yes, I haven't needed to build another system until now. When I did, I chose this slim atx computer that only had 2 pci-e slots. Besides having to figure out how / what style PCI-e I could put in it, since the card is actually smaller than the slot. Now I have to go over the same nightmare of ordering one card after another to see if it shows up as a parallel port (AGAIN).

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05 Feb 2017 23:18 #87372 by BigJohnT
In case you missed the info about the wiki but it is user maintained and if you spot an error you can also fix it.

JT

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06 Feb 2017 00:43 #87378 by DocStein99
Thanks BigJohnT. The Wiki itself seems to lack maintenance, I don't remember needing to visit it for about 3 years and everything still looks the same. I was expecting to see more research on external stepping solutions, Raspberry Pi or Arduino. But then, the algorythems to drive motors fast, and precise isn't just a newbie level type of thing to learn. Whoever wrote that original system to use the Parallel port is a real wizard.

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27 Jun 2019 19:16 #138019 by Bari
The kernel has been updated to support this chip and board configuration: This driver was added to the kernel for Dev. ID 3050, Date: Sat, 26 May 2018, Kernel 4.14 git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/...788f7d57b3b8d1a030ab

Debian also back ported this to earlier kernels since it is working with Kernel 4.9

www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-DB25-25-pin-LPT-Por...Adapter/272174222785 $9.29 shipped, confirmed working with LCNC on newer kernels June 27, 2019

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