Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Indexer LPT FAQ

At 11:49 PM 9/17/02 -0000, you wrote:

>Is the "translator" above the same as a stepper motor driver as in
>G201 or Camtronics 2A etc?

More or less. I-LPT controls stepper amps thru printer ports, each properly
dipswitched to match its output pattern by axis. Its prime duty is to
handle interpolation, timing and feedback, and send pulse trains to the
stepper amps. The software consists of a driver loaded as would be any
device driver, thru config.sys ... and a TSR that handles I/O from PC. You
read/write to it from a master program as it it were a file, using file
pointers as usual. (You can also use DOS 'type' command, which will send it
an existing file of commands in I-LPT format.) It doesn't directly handle
g-code, which is where interpreters come in, like mine and that of AS
themselves.

>Is the "Indexer" refered to above the same as the controller programs
>often mentioned on this list such as CNCPro, TurbocCNC, Master5,
>etc., except at a "lower" level and able to interpret more than just
>Gcodes?

Not on same level as they are, and unable to handle G-code directly. It's
intended for people who can write a front end to interface with it and send
it commands. For ex, with I-LPT if you want a canned routine for drilling,
you have to write one, with PC taking the params from user and generating
the series of individual commands. Itself will only accept strings of
commands each with one move or setting embedded.



Regards, Hoyt McKagen


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