Re: I-LPT

At 06:34 PM 10/14/99 -0700, you wrote:

>From: "Steve Carlisle" <quatsein@...>
>
>I was always under the impression that I-LPT was a
>device driver, which is used to drive hardware, through
>your software product that you build. I think it is not
>a fully operational program.

It is and it isn't. You can send it scripts for parts or whatever from DOS.
For ex: 'type filename > motor', sends the file to the Indexer and it
reacts with the appropriate responses line by line. How you generate the
file is up to you. I used DOS methods for while, even wrote simple scripts
by hand but even though that's stand-alone at some level it's tedious and
error-prone method.

It also can also be used with your own software, by opening file pointer to
it for reads and writes. Then you generate commands in your software and
write them to it. It also keeps track of position, speeds, feeds, status of
windings and just about anything else you like, which you can poll for,
take out of a mailbox variable and use as you like in your software. A good
example is using limit switch for a probing device; the switch is used
against the work instead of the machine motion, and by polling the switch
status as it seeks in and out you can get a perfect touch-on and then poll
and record position. Sounds ideal for tool-setting, no?

I've been using it for a couple years now, write more stuff every couple
weeks as I get jobs needing different handling. It's easy to install (one
line in config.sys and one in autoexec.bat). You can do 100% of the
configuration for any machine or part with a simple file of parameters and
settings or put them into part programs. It emits motor control or descrete
bits as you like. It's made a big difference over here.

Best wishes,

Hoyt McKagen


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