Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Can I drip feed a bridgeport boss 5

Hello Alan,

Thanks for the reply.
Please understand that I only based my first post on what I was told
from the man who gave me the program. Let me add more of the exact
quotes from his emails, maybe you can clarify more on the subject on the
parallel port.

First off he states “These large programs must be fed to the machine
(Boss5) in increments that can be stored in the machines memory. The
only way to accomplish this on the a Bridgeport Boss5 control is to use
the Parallel interface for the tape reader. Basically, the DRIP.EXE
program sends commands from the a computers Parallel port to the tape
reader interface connector (the cable that normally plugs into the tape
reader) one line at a time. The machine loads the line, executes it and
then deletes it from active storage. It then request to the PC for the
next line which is then loaded, executed and deleted and so on, until
the program is completed. No settings are required in DOS, the software
has full control over the parallel port.”

Also,

“It is not possible to dripfeed with the Serial Communications. The
serial interface can only be made active while the machine is stopped
and is therefore only useful for program transfer to the machines RAM
which will hold about 4kb (3000 lines.).”

“You will need an OLD computer to run the software with at least one
available printer port, DOS operating system, 386 is perfect. Newer
computers are built to ever slacking standards for the printer ports and
they lack the drive capacity to interface with the bridgeport control.”

“Make sure you start the spindle before dripfeeding or it will appear to
“hang” the control. Also the tool offset needs to be loaded prior to
dripfeeding or strange things will happen. Double check your cable
wiring, particularly the flow control wiring. You might also check that
the computer printer port is set for “Standard” mode in the BIOS. I'm
not sure how an ECP and EPP port would be handled by the dripfeed
program...”

You can download this “DRIPFEED.EXE” programs from here:

www.pennswoods.net/~luke1027/DRIP.zip
<http://www.pennswoods.net/%7Eluke1027/DRIP.zip>

Maybe you can help us from the hardware end of things.

Thanks,

Luke


Alan Marconett wrote:

>Hi Luke,
>
>Interesting that you mention the 286 parallel port instructions are
>different? I know of no such differences, and I was quite involved
>with them starting with the IBM PC. Actually, there are no specific
>"parallel port instructions". There are I/O instructions that are used
>to access the parallel (and other peripheral devices) in a PC. The
>original PC used a 8255 parallel port interface chip, which had to be
>initialized. Perhaps you are thinking of that. Newer PC's mimmic the
>chip, and the BIOS initializes the chip. Perhaps you are thinking of
>that?
>
>Alan KM6VV
>
>Luke1027 wrote:
>
>
>>Brady,
>>
>>I do have a program and pin out from parallel port
>>to drip feed to the Boss5. I am told that
>>this program needs to run a 286 PC since it handles
>>the parallel port instructions different than the newer mother
>>boards do. I have not gotten it to work consistently
>>yet, nor have I spend a lot of time trying to do so.
>>I did get it to talk one day but never got it to work very well.
>>The guy I got it from uses it all the time running programs
>>for 6-8 hours. It was written by a friend of his in basic. However,
>>this man died shortly after it was finished and he never did get the
>>source code.
>>If you would like, I can find all the info I have on it and email
>>it to you off line. Maybe you and find out
>>what I am doing wrong!!??
>>
>>Luke
>>
>>
>>