Linux will not recognize my BOB no matter WHAT I try to do

Is there some other way to put the parport_pc.ko kernel file into the HAL manually besides using the command terminal? I've tried insmod parport_pc and insmod parport_pc.ko, as well as typing insmod followed by the full file address for the parport_pc.ko kernel file and I cannot get Linux to load the parport_pc kernel to the HAL.

Kidkasual1 wrote: However, when I start the Axis GUI, it still gives me the same "Linux parallel port @57360 not found" error in the bottom right corner of the GUI display and I have ZERO communication with the BOB.

Depending on the version of LinuxCNC you are using, this message may be spurious. It is just saying there's no OS-connected parallel port that matches that address.

57360 (decimal) = 0xe010 (hex). So, the address is getting handled through the loadrt command.

Jon

Kidkasual1 wrote: Is there some other way to put the parport_pc.ko kernel file into the HAL manually

parport_pc won't help.

If the relay clicks when LinuxCNC starts up then LinuxCNC is changing the state of at least one pin on the parallel port.

Have you tried checking the voltage on the "dir" output of the BoB (and also the parport pin) as you jog back and forth. You can't see the step pulses with a multimeter, but you should see the DIR show high in one direction and low in the other.

In fact, go back to basics and take linuxCNC out of the picture. Open the LinuxCNC config picker and pick sample-configurations -> apps -> parport-0x378
Now, clearly that isn't the right address, but I believe that on an installed system it will copy the config to your ~/linuxcnc/configs folder, where you can edit the HAL file to match your 0xe010 address and re-try the utility. It allows you to see the state of the parport pins, and to toggle the outputs in a way that should be detectable with a multimeter. (and it should let you toggle the relay on and off)

If your drives don't lock up, and you are not using drive enables, the issue is not
with LinuxCNC

Right. That's what I can see. So why does it not talk to the BOB then? If I am telling Linux to look at parallel port 57360 (0xe010) to communicate with the BOB and it sends the power-low signal to the relay, why then does Linux THEN say throw an error code and say that it can't find the parallel port that it JUST sent the power-low signal to??? None of this make sense.

Kidkasual1 wrote: Is there some other way to put the parport_pc.ko kernel file into the HAL manually besides using the command terminal? I've tried insmod parport_pc and insmod parport_pc.ko, as well as typing insmod followed by the full file address for the parport_pc.ko kernel file and I cannot get Linux to load the parport_pc kernel to the HAL.

Yes and no. parport_pc is a real time module, so it looks like a kernel module, but requires services from the real time system, so it can't be run as a normal kernel device driver.

You could start the real time system by command line and then install the driver, but that really won't do much except for testing, and you have to be a bit of a guru to know how to do that.

There is a program you can load that tests the parallel port. See :
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?Parallel_Port_Tester

You can see what LinuxCNC is sending to the port, and also see what it is getting back from the input pins.

You will have to modify the ptest.hal file to put in the parport address.

Jon

Thank you Andy for showing me how to do the parport tester. I have saved it to my desktop and modified the port address, but when I open the port tester and test the pins with a voltmeter, I get nothing. The motors are powered on and locked up now though (which is a step in the right direction, I guess), but still no motion control and still getting the "Linux parallel port @57360 not found" error in the Axis GUI..... This is the WEIRDEST freaking thing.....

I didn't see your post, Jon Thank you for directing me to the port tester also. See prior post for results...

Ok, so after some farting around with it, I have been able to get signal generation to all 8 of the step/dir pins on the BOB through the parallel port tester. I get 0V when low and +5V when high on all 8 - AND the motors are powered on and locked up - so we know for CERTAIN that the BOB is INDEED receiving the signals from the computer over port 0xe010. That is GREAT progress! NOW the only problem is that when I try to jog the machine in StepConf or open Axis GUI, I STILL have ZERO motion control with the machine and it STILL gives me the "Linux parallel port @57360 not found" error in the bottom of the screen..... Didn't I JUST test the signal at that port address and get confirmation of communication??? What the HECK?????

I noticed this line in the terminal after I ran that last parallel port test in which I FINALLY got signals at the pins. Could this possibly be the cause of all of the trouble? If the system can't or isn't creating a base period to run everything from, would that cause the problems I am having??? And if so, how do I fix that?