Upgrade to PP 2.xx on Tormach 1100 series 1 from Mach 3

I'm pretty sure the 7I92 is supported by PP 2.xx, and it will likely write the appropriate
firmware to the 7I92 card, though I am not so sure about differences in Tormach
breakout versions

I was actually suggesting using the parallel port, if that is what the original Mach installation did.

In that case, this thread should be helpful:

forum.linuxcnc.org/pathpilot/30222-setti...-pathpilot-version-2

I don't think PP was ever designed for parallel port. It started with the 5i25/6i25, hardware step generation is always better...

To set up PP for parallel port is a lot of work and for the cost of a 5i25/6i25/7i92 I just don't think it is worth it. The BOB hasn't really changed in all this time, I have checked the circuit diagrams and the changes are fairly small. The earliest I have is 30162 Rev5 which was basically their first BOB but I don't have the circuit diags for it. Before my time...

I've had a look at the 'drive with pots on it', there is a single part number: 223-0462 Rev0.
I don't know who made it or what kind of drive it is but has 220/115V 1ph input and a 3ph output(U,V,W). The output stage is GB15B60KD IGBT's arraged in three half bridges. There is no micro that I can see but a 22V10 programmable logic chip.

It has an input for ENable, Direction and a Speed command (0-5V).

Perhaps someone here can shed some light on it.

belli wrote: I don't think PP was ever designed for parallel port. It started with the 5i25/6i25, hardware step generation is always better...

Agreed. But if the original Mach3 was parallel port (And I really have no idea if that was actually the case) then a basic LinuxCNC installation (without PP) is trivial.
Then, with some fluency in LinuxCNC gained, it would be a case of merging the two configs to get PP working on the PP.

belli wrote: I don't think PP was ever designed for parallel port. It started with the 5i25/6i25, hardware step generation is always better...

To set up PP for parallel port is a lot of work and for the cost of a 5i25/6i25/7i92 I just don't think it is worth it. The BOB hasn't really changed in all this time, I have checked the circuit diagrams and the changes are fairly small. The earliest I have is 30162 Rev5 which was basically their first BOB but I don't have the circuit diags for it. Before my time...

I just checked the bob, it is a 30162 ver 2.0 rev 0

andypugh wrote:

belli wrote: I don't think PP was ever designed for parallel port. It started with the 5i25/6i25, hardware step generation is always better...

Agreed. But if the original Mach3 was parallel port (And I really have no idea if that was actually the case) then a basic LinuxCNC installation (without PP) is trivial.
Then, with some fluency in LinuxCNC gained, it would be a case of merging the two configs to get PP working on the PP.

The Mach 3 is parallel port

Is there any sign of a Mach3 XML file? If there is then you could be up and running with LinuxCNC very quickly, as the "stepconf" wizard can import a Mach XML file.

Even if you don't plan to use the parallel port I think that this might be a useful exercise for the time it takes.

Here are some photos of the boards