Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] parallel port interface

Sounds like a lot of folks have had good results connecting Geckos
directly to parallel ports. I've not been so lucky.

In working with Indexer LPT and G Code Controller - driving Geckos
directly from parallel ports has been harder than expected. Through
trial and error, (lots of the latter) I've accumulated several ISA Parallel
Port cards that simply don't have enough oomph to reliably sink the
nominal 17mA required by a Gecko. Swapping cards eliminates the
problem.

I've had reasonable success with the Dual port cards from
http://www.cyberguys.com/ but even with these, I eventually went to
adding a 74HCT244 buffer to the Step & Direction lines to eliminate
the problem completely. This is a pain but it eliminates one source of
lost step pulses...

Cheers, Peter