Re: RE: DRO UPDATE

Art,
I need some help here, I put together a circuit using a 74hct14
like you did but I can't seem to get it to work with a computer. When
I run Steve Linsay's dro40 program it doesn't react to the movement
of the encoders. I've tried it on three different computers, setting
the parallel ports to both ECP and EPP, there's just no movement of
the readout for any axis. I've tried it in a DOS window under 98 and
booting directly to DOS.
The part that's driving me crazy is that when I hook up the
encoders to a Pwr Sup and a scope I get good square waves out of the
chip on all 6 lines to the parallel port connector. I've checked the
wiring about a gazillion times but can't find any mistakes.
Using the parallel.exe program Steve included with his SW, the
ports look good, but when I use his Portstuf.exe hooking an external
voltage to the port pin 2 and grd pin 22 doesn't have any effect. I
can change the port setting using the keyboard in the program but
that's it.
I don't have any other ways to check the ports that I know of, but
when I hook a Snappy video capture device to the ports they work fine.

Any ideas?
Thanks
Terry

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@onelist.com, "A. G. Eckstein" <axtein@s...>
wrote:

> Terry,
> Thanks for the words of encouragement. I need that and hope my

little bit

> will help. I appreciate all the words that I have gotten on the

site and as

> things progress, will try to update it. My long term goal is to get

to the

> magical resolution of 0.0001"
> Actually, when I started the goal was to get accuracy to 0.001"

with no

> backlash. I have far exceeded that but now it is a challange.
>
> Please let me know if I can help further.
>
> Art
>
> At 11:56 PM 02/28/2000 -0000, you wrote:
> >From: "Terry May" <tmay@...>
> >
> >Art,
> > Just wanted to tell I have been looking at your website, great
> >pictures!! It really helps to visualize your setup as you have been
> >discribing it on the list. I hope my DRO turns out to be half as

good

> >as yours.
> > Just a quick update from my shop, I didn't have any 7414's or the
> >decrete transistors that Steve Linsay used on my bench so I just
> >played around a bit. Hooked up the encoders to my scope and checked
> >out the waveform and then used a freq counter to do the same. All

the

> >encoders look like they are working fine so after work tomorrow I
> >will pickup some chips at Radio Shack and put together a board.
> > Concerning the discussions about wires/cables for the setup, I

have

> >lots of good parts left over from a dearly departed HP plotter.
> >Amoung the goodies are all the wires used to move the pen holder, I
> >think they will be long enough for the Y and Z axis' of my

mill/drill

> >if not the x axis.
> > As I was playing with the encoder still hooked to the motor and
> >reading it with the freq counter, I realized that just one channel
> >out of a 1000 line encoder is a very nice division factor for a
> >tach????. I think I will experiment with that a little also.
> > Thanks again for sharing your experiences and your website!
> >Terry May
>
> OLDER THAN DIRT
>
> Country Bubba
>
> (Actually the inventor of Country and Bubba)