Migrating buildlog laser from pport to 5i25

I have a retrofit 40W laser that uses Bart Dring's buildlog breakout board for controlling the laser and step/direction. I've been using this with software stepping on a parallel port for a while but I want to move it to a 5i25 without a daughter board. The pin assignment on the board roughly matches the prob_rfx2 configuration but not exactly. From the manual:

in # Function (goes to)
1 Output 1 (Relay Driver 1)
2 X Step
3 X Dir
4 Y Step
5 Y Dir
6 Z Step
7 Z Dir
8 Output 8 (Relay Driver 2)
9
10 X Limit Switch Input (J3-6)
11 Y Limit Switch Input (J3-8)
12 Z Limit Switch Input (J3-1)
13 Input 13 (J3-2)
14 PWM 14
15 PWM 15
16 Motor Enable Output
17 Laser On
18-25 Ground

Will I need a custom bit file for this?

Also, just experimenting, I tried to get pncconf to see the other config XML files downloaded from mesa's site. Based on posts in this forum, I copied those to /lib/firmware/hm2/5i25/ and restarted pncconf but they were not seen. Has the correct location for these changed?

no.
check the permissions of the folder and file.

Chris M

The only thing thats looks incompatible with probrfx2 is the two PWMs

Are these 2 independent PWM outputs?

@cmorley: All the files are owned by root with no one else having permission. What should it be?

@PCW: It's looking for a PWM source to control the laser power. It's select-able with a jumper for either pin 14 or 15.

I guess I'm not clear on how to use pncconf to set this up. The I/O connector 3 tab has me confused and when I try to launch the test panel, it appears for a second then disappears with this error:

Looks like just changing one pin definition (removing the PWM direction on DB25 pin16)
will make the probrfx2 config fully compatible

PCW wrote:

Looks like just changing one pin definition (removing the PWM direction on DB25 pin16)
will make the probrfx2 config fully compatible

I'm sorry. I don't understand how to do that. pncconf is making more sense, but I still don't understand the mapping of the 'num' columns to the I/O and pins from the .pin file.

yea dont use the test panel in pncconf , and you be ok

make your configuration as near as you can then i'd edit it by hand
or shout if it's a problem

Dave

To be able to use pin DB25 pin 16 as a output bit and use the PWM pin on DB25 pin 14,
a special modified bitfile would be needed (since the PWM part of the driver will claim pin 16 as a PWM direction pin)

PCW wrote:

To be able to use pin DB25 pin 16 as a output bit and use the PWM pin on DB25 pin 14,
a special modified bitfile would be needed (since the PWM part of the driver will claim pin 16 as a PWM direction pin)

O.k. Is that within the scope of a strong-back/weak-minded (but willing) amateur or is it something I can get from you?

freeby.mesanet.com/dring.zip

Has a simplified prob_rxf2 config with the PWM direction pin removed so should work with your BOB