a busted machine
- clive
- Topic Author
- Offline
- Senior Member
Less
More
- Posts: 69
- Thank you received: 3
15 Apr 2023 02:03 #269049
by clive
a busted machine was created by clive
My set up has been working well for years. It's based on an ancient Xeon processor box which has a parallel port. After a winter of power interruptions the hard disk has died. I have the HAL etc. backed up so restoring LinuxCNC won't be starting from scratch.
That's the background.
The Xeon box is so old it won't boot from a USB ISO (no BIOS option). It doesn't seem to want to boot from a CD either, though it must have at some point (Duh ?). I found a PATA hard disk with LinuxCNC on it and that boots (I have stuff lying around, maybe it was a deliberate backup).
I have a much more modern machine available but it has no parallel port. I bought a add-in parallel port board but I can't seem to get it to work. Has anyone had luck with an add-in parallel port ?
Keeping a 20 year old machine alive is not much of a long-term plan.
That's the background.
The Xeon box is so old it won't boot from a USB ISO (no BIOS option). It doesn't seem to want to boot from a CD either, though it must have at some point (Duh ?). I found a PATA hard disk with LinuxCNC on it and that boots (I have stuff lying around, maybe it was a deliberate backup).
I have a much more modern machine available but it has no parallel port. I bought a add-in parallel port board but I can't seem to get it to work. Has anyone had luck with an add-in parallel port ?
Keeping a 20 year old machine alive is not much of a long-term plan.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- clive
- Topic Author
- Offline
- Senior Member
Less
More
- Posts: 69
- Thank you received: 3
15 Apr 2023 03:32 #269054
by clive
Replied by clive on topic a busted machine
looks like I need to read:
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Parallel_Port_Cards
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Parallel_Port_Cards
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- JPL
- Offline
- Platinum Member
Less
More
- Posts: 335
- Thank you received: 113
15 Apr 2023 05:29 #269058
by JPL
Replied by JPL on topic a busted machine
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- andypugh
- Offline
- Moderator
Less
More
- Posts: 23162
- Thank you received: 4860
15 Apr 2023 09:52 #269083
by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic a busted machine
Which parallel port card do you have?
Some work, some don't. I bought half a dozen of the cheapest that I could find a few years ago to survey which worked with LinuxCNC. I think that 4 out of 6 worked. It basically came down to the ones with a small, square chip (that turns out to be a general-purpose device that a driver converts to a paralle port at load time) don't work and the ones with a chip from Oxford or Moschip do work.
So, looking on Amazon:
www.amazon.co.uk/ASHATA-Express-Parallel...efault/dp/B07VHCQ9VN
Probably won't work (or any of that style)
Whereas:
www.amazon.co.uk/KALEA-INFORMATIQUE-Para...901CV/dp/B0085AMA32/
Probably would.
It might be possible to write a linuxcnc-specific driver for the other cards, but it seems a lot of work for a result of limited utility.
Some work, some don't. I bought half a dozen of the cheapest that I could find a few years ago to survey which worked with LinuxCNC. I think that 4 out of 6 worked. It basically came down to the ones with a small, square chip (that turns out to be a general-purpose device that a driver converts to a paralle port at load time) don't work and the ones with a chip from Oxford or Moschip do work.
So, looking on Amazon:
www.amazon.co.uk/ASHATA-Express-Parallel...efault/dp/B07VHCQ9VN
Probably won't work (or any of that style)
Whereas:
www.amazon.co.uk/KALEA-INFORMATIQUE-Para...901CV/dp/B0085AMA32/
Probably would.
It might be possible to write a linuxcnc-specific driver for the other cards, but it seems a lot of work for a result of limited utility.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Clive S
- Offline
- Platinum Member
Less
More
- Posts: 2239
- Thank you received: 474
15 Apr 2023 10:11 #269088
by Clive S
Replied by Clive S on topic a busted machine
Attachments:
The following user(s) said Thank You: tommylight
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- clive
- Topic Author
- Offline
- Senior Member
Less
More
- Posts: 69
- Thank you received: 3
15 Apr 2023 14:03 #269105
by clive
Replied by clive on topic a busted machine
https://www.sears.com/jeirdus-fbm-pci-jeirdus-parallel-port-pci-card/p-A084572677The one I have, bought in 2021 but never used, is a Jeirdus Parallel Port PCI Card PCI To DB25 LPT Parallel Port Expansion Card.
I'll give it a try this morning but I think it is of the "bad" type. Easy enough to order a good one from Amazon.
I'll give it a try this morning but I think it is of the "bad" type. Easy enough to order a good one from Amazon.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- clive
- Topic Author
- Offline
- Senior Member
Less
More
- Posts: 69
- Thank you received: 3
15 Apr 2023 14:21 #269109
by clive
Replied by clive on topic a busted machine
I think I should order a
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091TZPQ1K/ref...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1
which happens to claim Linux (2.6.X and up) and is from StarTech. It is twice the price but I bought the cheap one, naturally.
I'm in California but thank you for your offer Clive S.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091TZPQ1K/ref...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1
which happens to claim Linux (2.6.X and up) and is from StarTech. It is twice the price but I bought the cheap one, naturally.
I'm in California but thank you for your offer Clive S.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- cakeslob
- Offline
- Platinum Member
Less
More
- Posts: 799
- Thank you received: 231
15 Apr 2023 19:16 #269149
by cakeslob
Replied by cakeslob on topic a busted machine
sears is still a company?
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- clive
- Topic Author
- Offline
- Senior Member
Less
More
- Posts: 69
- Thank you received: 3
16 Apr 2023 17:31 #269221
by clive
Replied by clive on topic a busted machine
I think sears is gone but it was the only place on the web that I could find a reference to the parallel port I have.
I have found other aspects of my very old machine that are busted. I'm moving on and will assemble a new machine with a StarTech PCIe parallel port.
I have found other aspects of my very old machine that are busted. I'm moving on and will assemble a new machine with a StarTech PCIe parallel port.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- clive
- Topic Author
- Offline
- Senior Member
Less
More
- Posts: 69
- Thank you received: 3
16 Apr 2023 23:56 #269249
by clive
Replied by clive on topic a busted machine
Whoops, I have my backup ini and hal files but I'll be damned if I can figure out where to put them.
It seems LinuxCNC wants to be "helpful" and only likes configurations it has created when starting a new installation.
I just want to install these files and move on... Help !
It seems LinuxCNC wants to be "helpful" and only likes configurations it has created when starting a new installation.
I just want to install these files and move on... Help !
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Time to create page: 0.118 seconds