Extra Parallel Port on a Laptop for 4-Axis Control
Posted by
David Goodfellow
on 2001-12-14 11:03:03 UTC
I recently purchased a Taig CNC mill with several accessories, one of which
was their rotary table. The table required a second parallel port on my
computer. Since I'm using a laptop to drive the system, I had to find a PC
card parallel port. I chose the Quatech PPS-100. My software required the
PC card to operate in DOS, which research told me was no problem with the
PPS-100.
WRONG!
To run in DOS, the card required Card and Services Software, which
apparently is no longer produced or supported. An alternative is to use
Enabler software that talks directly to the CPU. Trouble was, my Emachines
laptop had a CPU that the enabler did not recognize. I was up the
proverbial creek without a paddle.
I called Quatech. They transferred me from one to another until I found
their Chief Engineer, Mike Bodner. He went to work on the problem. It took
several weeks, for he tried to come up with enabler software that didn't
care what CPU it was talking to. Day before yesterday he emailed me a copy.
I installed it, and Lo and Behold! My rotary table works as advertised! I
don't know if Mike succeeded in making a "universal" enabler, but he made
one that works for me.
The point of all this is to give kudos to Quatech, who rather than change
their web site to fit their product, upgraded the product to fit their web
site. Their PPS-100 made it possible for me to run a 4-axis system from a
laptop computer.
I do my drawings on a desktop computer in another room, and transfer the
code in a .tap file to the laptop via floppy disk. (Hmm. I have LAN
capability. Maybe I'll try that out.) The laptop in the shop allows me to
keep my workhorse computer in an office environment, and its small footprint
leaves me more room in the shop for other stuff.
Dave Goodfellow
Northridge, CA
"No problem too small to baffle this expert"
was their rotary table. The table required a second parallel port on my
computer. Since I'm using a laptop to drive the system, I had to find a PC
card parallel port. I chose the Quatech PPS-100. My software required the
PC card to operate in DOS, which research told me was no problem with the
PPS-100.
WRONG!
To run in DOS, the card required Card and Services Software, which
apparently is no longer produced or supported. An alternative is to use
Enabler software that talks directly to the CPU. Trouble was, my Emachines
laptop had a CPU that the enabler did not recognize. I was up the
proverbial creek without a paddle.
I called Quatech. They transferred me from one to another until I found
their Chief Engineer, Mike Bodner. He went to work on the problem. It took
several weeks, for he tried to come up with enabler software that didn't
care what CPU it was talking to. Day before yesterday he emailed me a copy.
I installed it, and Lo and Behold! My rotary table works as advertised! I
don't know if Mike succeeded in making a "universal" enabler, but he made
one that works for me.
The point of all this is to give kudos to Quatech, who rather than change
their web site to fit their product, upgraded the product to fit their web
site. Their PPS-100 made it possible for me to run a 4-axis system from a
laptop computer.
I do my drawings on a desktop computer in another room, and transfer the
code in a .tap file to the laptop via floppy disk. (Hmm. I have LAN
capability. Maybe I'll try that out.) The laptop in the shop allows me to
keep my workhorse computer in an office environment, and its small footprint
leaves me more room in the shop for other stuff.
Dave Goodfellow
Northridge, CA
"No problem too small to baffle this expert"