Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Interface. Gauging interest.

On Monday 15 May 2006 03:21 pm, Codesuidae wrote:

> Mariss Freimanis wrote:
> >> ballendo wrote:
> >>
> >> What we truly need is a usb EQUIVALENT of the parallel port.
> >
> > That's just not possible for CNC programs that output step and
> > direction signals from a parallel port. Step pulses have timing in
> > the microsecond range.
>
> You are of course presuming that microsecond precision is required.
> There are plenty of motion control tasks that could be performed using
> less precise pulse timing. The availability of a cheap, bit-bangable
> USB parallel port would enable control of such tasks from a wider range
> of hardware. It doesn't take much imagination to see a variety of
> possible configurations and applications for such a device. I suspect
> that it's probably more 'neat' than 'useful' though.
>
> Applications that require higher performance (of the sort for which one
> might be inclined to use a Geckodrive) probably wouldn't be driven from
> such a device and likely would justify spending a bit more to get better
> hardware.

I for one do NOT understand the focus on USB. Nor do I understand this stuff
all seemingly headed toward "needing" the latest and greatest in terms of
computer hardware to make it run, which is where the "no ISA slots" seems to
come in.

What the heck am I supposed to do with all these 486 boards I have around
here, anyway? :-) Seriously, I do believe that they're quite suited to a
great many machine control tasks, and maybe I'll even eventually get around
to doing so with some of them.

--
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
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