Looking for Beta Testers for new Axxon 5V PCI Express Parallel Port Adapters

Hello everyone. This first post is not intended to be spam. If there is a suggestion on how to properly introduce our mutual interest, please share the details. End users have requested for us to review the support of this and other parallel port CNC designs with our host adapters. Hence the reason for this post.

Our company is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of assorted add-on computer adapters (Est 1985). We were the first designers of PCI Express add-on i/o cards. All products are Designed and Assembled in Canada. Our company has beta tested silicon for Oxford Semiconductor, Moschip, Asix, PLX, Cypress, Fairchild and many other semiconductor firms.

We are about to launch our latest 4th generation 5 volt tolerant with 5 volt output level, PCI Express EPP1.9 / ECP capable host adapter. Would like to work with end users who are knowledgeable with this s/w to beta test our latest design. A PCI version of the same will be offered after the approval of the PCI Express version. Our websites do not reflect this new PCIe model but will do so very soon.

Legacy website: www.softio.com

New website: www.axxon.io

Please share your details on how you can assist in beta testing our new adapter and supply required feedback while using this LinuxCNC software. We reserve the right to qualify and limit the number of beta testers. The beta testers will be supplied with our latest 5 volt PCIe Parallel Port Host adapters without cost to their location. Our adapter designs are supported on all Windows and Linux platforms. Linux support is native by design. We have key international OEM accounts using our serial and parallel port adapters including many government and aerospace agencies.

Email us: softio[at]softio.com with your contact details and a brief introduction on your experience working with the LinuxCNC software.

Thanks for your time.

Regards
Kumar Bhatia
CTO
Axxon (OEM) Inc.
www.axxon.io
www.softio.com

I have let this through, to see where it goes.

Not sure why you are developing something that is already widely available at low prices.

Possibly the key section is 5 volt tolerant with 5 volt output level, which would be very useful
in some circumstances, where weak 3.3v TTL signals caused problems.

Perhaps you could expand upon why you think your proposed product would be of interest to users,
(beyond the potential prospect of getting a free parport card as a tester that is),
when there are so many other cards out there that work perfectly well already.

regards

Thanks for allowing this post ArcEye. A few quick comments in order of priority on why and where we can be an improved solution over existing adapters:

1) our adapter designs being referenced are capable of 5 volt output with IEEE1284 compliance. This feature is not common to current parallel port interfaces. The vast majority of the add-on adapters and/or motherboard ports (if still available) are 3v3 voltage swing only.

2) we offer 30kv ESD protection on most port pins and a minimum of 15kv ESD protection on others. Most designs are with 2kv ESD protection, if at all.

3) we are 5 volt tolerant so can accept up to 5 volt as an input without damage. From our quick review of the add-on breakout boards for the CNC market seen so far, have opto-isolated interfaces which mate with the parallel port interface. For this initial reason, the 12 volt tolerance should not be required as 3v3 or 5 volt swing is the norm to operate with the parallel port interface. However if there is a possibility of 12v signals being mated to the parallel port, then we can review such a feature to protect against damage.

4) we are able to support PS2, EPP1.7, EPP1.9, ECP modes on Windows, Linux platforms. We have mature drivers for Windows (32 and 64 bit) and Linux support (32 and 64 bit) for these adapters. Also able to support DOS, VMWare, SCO Unix for many of our parallel port designs.

5) we have over 30 years of design and manufacturing experience and are able to remain competitive with our features, higher grade of quality control (assembled in Canada), 5 year warranty and supply support by Design Engineers. As the designers of all products bearing our company name, we monitor and value customer feedback to further refine the end product. Most of the add-on adapters on the market are offshore builds and many are just private labelled for the reseller. Very few manufacturers of I/O card adapters are in North America and even less that manufacture their products in the US or Canada. Respectively, we are able to control the EOL position and/or offer a proper form, fit and function if a replacement is required to be made.

6) We have a solid track record on compatibility with many motherboard vendors and key OEMs. High volumes of our products have been deployed for PCI Express and PCI bus over the past 15+ years by major computer system manufacturers. Being a fast interface we use 4 layer PCB designs for these adapters to properly support the PCI Express and PCI bus designs. Many competing models are 2 layer PCB designs.

Well good luck with your tests, I assume you are doing something similar with Mach.

As far as any endorsement goes ( I assume that is what you are looking at ) you would have to take that up with the management board of Linuxcnc.

There is nothing to stop you saying "Tested with Linuxcnc", but I don't know how they would feel about a specific endorsement by Linuxcnc.

Saying "Approved by Linuxcnc" is completely different and gives the false impression that products which don't have this endorsement, do not work.

That is one for them.

I am going to lock the topic and anyone interested can contact you direct

regards