hm2: Firmware contains unknown function (gtag-45)

What is the actual error that you get?

Using POSIX non-realtime
. /my LinuxCNC machine.hal: 10: parameter or pin 'hm2 7196:0.watchdog. timeout ns'

That error. I will take screen shot when I get home tonight or try to figure how to post my error like I see how others do it. 

off topic, I’m currently testing my old 6040 Chinese machine on another Linux setup    using parallel port and it works like a charm. I Immediately love the Linux system. So on my custom built mill with ATC I need a little bit more I/o  so therefore I’m trying to test out the Mesa 7i96s. Here a link to my mill currently running Mach3. 

If this is a 7I96S that is an error on the hal file since that's the wrong card name

(should be 7i96s)

That makes logic sense. So how would one fix this? Thanks again 

Globally replace 7i96 with 7i96s with a editor is one way, but how was the hal file generated in the first place?

if it was made for a 7I96s it should not use 7i96 as a card name

Under pncconf wizard. I don’t have the option to select 7i96s. But the 7i96 and other board are an option. Did I miss something? 

You could use JTs MesaCT which has direct 7i96s support
or edit the pncconf generated hal file or ini file

(With pncconf created hal/ini files the card name can
either be spread throughout the hal file or just appear once
in the ini file depending on a setup option)

Ok. I’ll look into it this weekend.  Thanks for all your input. I’ll keep you posted on how it went.  Take cares. 

I’m using rt kernel. Is there a certain one that need to be use to make it work properly?  I am fairly new to Linux and trying to understand how it works.