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Parallel port config? - probably

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8 years 6 months ago #108312 by Gr8funTargets
Parallel port config? - probably was created by Gr8funTargets
Hi all
I've been enjoying LinuxCNC for some years now.
My previous version was 2.6.x(I think) but due to a hardware fault I lost the motherboard and monitor, so now I'm rebuilding.
I have Gigabyte E3800n motherboard, as it has a built in parallel port
www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-E3800N-rev-1x#kf
In the BOIS, the parallel port is set to SPP, but gave no indication what address it was on...

I've installed a fresh copy of linuxCNC 2.7.12 and all appeared to be going well - no errors.
I ran through StepConf with the settings attached (these were taken from the previous machine)
When all is saved and I start the machine I get no movement at all.
When I clicked the "test this axis" button I get the error attached - This did not worry me, as this feature did not work in my previous installation.

I have done some digging and wanted to start at the start, apparently lshw should tell me the hardware attached, but alas, I get a 'command not found', even with a "sudo" but I do get this...

lsmod | grep parport
parport_pc 21896 1
parport 35208 3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc


Any advice on how to move forward would be greatly received

Thanks in advance
Danny

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8 years 6 months ago #108321 by Todd Zuercher
Replied by Todd Zuercher on topic Parallel port config? - probably
From the command line you could try this command to try to find the parallel port address.
Code:
cat /proc/ioports |grep parport

If nothing shows up the parallel port is probably disabled some how.

Do you have a backup copy of your old configuration. It should work with the new version of Linuxcnc with only minor modifications. (one line of hal code needs removed or commented out)

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8 years 6 months ago #108328 by Gr8funTargets
Replied by Gr8funTargets on topic Parallel port config? - probably
Thanks for your prompt reply!
I really appreciate it.

From cat /proc/ioports |grep parport I get
0378-037a : parport0

..and from dmesg |grep parp I get
[ 11.100374] parport_pc 00:06: reported by Plug and Play ACPI
[ 11.100427] parport0: PC-style at 0x378, irq 5 [PCSPP,TRISTATE]
[ 20.127729] lp0: using parport0 (interrupt-driven).

and lsmod | grep parp provides..
parport_pc 21896 1
parport 35208 3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc

Which makes the port look promising.
Do I need to unload the parport_pc module or something?

I DO have a backup of the configs. What needs modifying?
Would it help to attach the files?

ATB
Danny

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8 years 6 months ago #108330 by Gr8funTargets
Replied by Gr8funTargets on topic Parallel port config? - probably
Interestingly, when I run the command loadrt hal_parport cfg="0x378"
I'm informed the "loadrt: command not found"

Am I reading legacy documentation?

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8 years 6 months ago #108333 by Todd Zuercher
Replied by Todd Zuercher on topic Parallel port config? - probably
Where did you type loadrt hal_parport cfg="0x378"?
(It won't work just from the command line, you would first need to start Halrun to get a halcmd prompt.)

To use your 2.6 parallel port config with 2.7 the only modification I think you need to make is to comment out or delete this line in your old hal file.
Code:
loadrt probe_parport

Why don't you give the old configs a try (with the nessisary modification) and if that still doesn't work, We will need to look more carefully at the error messages that are given when Linuxcnc fails to start.

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8 years 6 months ago #108336 by Gr8funTargets
Replied by Gr8funTargets on topic Parallel port config? - probably
Thanks Todd
I will be able to test it tomorrow.
ATB
Danny

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8 years 6 months ago #108362 by Gr8funTargets
Replied by Gr8funTargets on topic Parallel port config? - probably
Morning all
I've copied the file Marvin.stepconf and the folder "Marvin" to the configs folder on the new machine.
Then edited the file Marvin.hal.
I added a # at the start of the line with "loadrt probe_parport"
Saved and tried it.

Still no change.
No movement of the axis, despite them moving on the screen.
I've powered off ALL devices including the BOB, power supply, drivers and PC and restarted them all.
Stil no change.
I was planning on changing the location of the PC so have a longer and new parallel cable, so I've swapped this out too just in case.
No change.

In case it is helpful, here is the Marvin.hal file
Code:
# Generated by stepconf at Sun Jul 13 21:22:44 2014 # If you make changes to this file, they will be # overwritten when you run stepconf again loadrt trivkins loadrt [EMCMOT]EMCMOT base_period_nsec=[EMCMOT]BASE_PERIOD servo_period_nsec=[EMCMOT]SERVO_PERIOD num_joints=[TRAJ]AXES #loadrt probe_parport loadrt hal_parport cfg="0x378 out " setp parport.0.reset-time 5000 loadrt stepgen step_type=0,0,0 addf parport.0.read base-thread addf stepgen.make-pulses base-thread addf parport.0.write base-thread addf parport.0.reset base-thread addf stepgen.capture-position servo-thread addf motion-command-handler servo-thread addf motion-controller servo-thread addf stepgen.update-freq servo-thread net spindle-cmd <= motion.spindle-speed-out net spindle-on <= motion.spindle-on net estop-out => parport.0.pin-01-out net xstep => parport.0.pin-02-out setp parport.0.pin-02-out-reset 1 net ydir => parport.0.pin-03-out net zstep => parport.0.pin-07-out setp parport.0.pin-07-out-reset 1 setp parport.0.pin-08-out-invert 1 net zdir => parport.0.pin-08-out net spindle-on => parport.0.pin-09-out net xdir => parport.0.pin-14-out net ystep => parport.0.pin-16-out setp parport.0.pin-16-out-reset 1 setp stepgen.0.position-scale [AXIS_0]SCALE setp stepgen.0.steplen 1 setp stepgen.0.stepspace 0 setp stepgen.0.dirhold 50000 setp stepgen.0.dirsetup 50000 setp stepgen.0.maxaccel [AXIS_0]STEPGEN_MAXACCEL net xpos-cmd axis.0.motor-pos-cmd => stepgen.0.position-cmd net xpos-fb stepgen.0.position-fb => axis.0.motor-pos-fb net xstep <= stepgen.0.step net xdir <= stepgen.0.dir net xenable axis.0.amp-enable-out => stepgen.0.enable setp stepgen.1.position-scale [AXIS_1]SCALE setp stepgen.1.steplen 1 setp stepgen.1.stepspace 0 setp stepgen.1.dirhold 50000 setp stepgen.1.dirsetup 50000 setp stepgen.1.maxaccel [AXIS_1]STEPGEN_MAXACCEL net ypos-cmd axis.1.motor-pos-cmd => stepgen.1.position-cmd net ypos-fb stepgen.1.position-fb => axis.1.motor-pos-fb net ystep <= stepgen.1.step net ydir <= stepgen.1.dir net yenable axis.1.amp-enable-out => stepgen.1.enable setp stepgen.2.position-scale [AXIS_2]SCALE setp stepgen.2.steplen 1 setp stepgen.2.stepspace 0 setp stepgen.2.dirhold 50000 setp stepgen.2.dirsetup 50000 setp stepgen.2.maxaccel [AXIS_2]STEPGEN_MAXACCEL net zpos-cmd axis.2.motor-pos-cmd => stepgen.2.position-cmd net zpos-fb stepgen.2.position-fb => axis.2.motor-pos-fb net zstep <= stepgen.2.step net zdir <= stepgen.2.dir net zenable axis.2.amp-enable-out => stepgen.2.enable net estop-out <= iocontrol.0.user-enable-out net estop-out => iocontrol.0.emc-enable-in loadusr -W hal_manualtoolchange net tool-change iocontrol.0.tool-change => hal_manualtoolchange.change net tool-changed iocontrol.0.tool-changed <= hal_manualtoolchange.changed net tool-number iocontrol.0.tool-prep-number => hal_manualtoolchange.number net tool-prepare-loopback iocontrol.0.tool-prepare => iocontrol.0.tool-prepared

My logic is now pointing at the BOB, but I'm no expert here - hence me asking for help ;-)
Are there any tests I can perform?

Many thanks for your persistence with this.
ATB
Danny

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8 years 6 months ago #108374 by Todd Zuercher
Replied by Todd Zuercher on topic Parallel port config? - probably
Well, the first thing I would check on your BOB; many of them require an external power source(s) such as by a USB cable to the computer. Do you have those connected?

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8 years 6 months ago #108389 by Gr8funTargets
Replied by Gr8funTargets on topic Parallel port config? - probably
Hi Todd
Yup, I have power from the driver power supply into the micro USB. This has not changed since it was last working a couple of weeks ago (when the PC died).
It is a ZP5A-INT Breakout board
BOB

(This shows what I have, the pic was taken when I was first setting up, hence the lack of wires to the drivers etc )
The is one red LED lit to show it has power.
Interestingly, there are no LEDs lighting when the motors *should* be running, that suggests it is either not getting a signal or not processing it.

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8 years 6 months ago #108494 by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic Parallel port config? - probably
Start LinuxCNC from the command line (with the command "linuxcnc") and see what output you get.

But if the UI loads and LinuxCNC starts it sounds like the software side of things is correct. So i would start to suspect hardware (including the parallel port hardware).

There are some suggestions here: www.cnczone.com/forums/stepper-motors-dr...driver-problems.html that the enable signals might be problematic. Perhaps the new MB can't quite source enough current to drive the enables?
Does anything else seem to work? Inputs (limit switches) would tell us a lot.

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