- DIY PARALLEL PORT CNC CONTROLLER DRIVER
- DIY PARALLEL PORT CNC CONTROLLER SOFTWARE
- DIY PARALLEL PORT CNC CONTROLLER PC
There is also an expansion connector that will give the SmoothStepper the ability to expand its capabilities in the future. It will be a priority to complete threading before the SmoothStepper is released. I have designed the pieces required for this function, but have not begun integration of them yet. The intended purpose of the differential encoder input is for synchronization to the spindle in threading applications. These inputs could be used as additional discrete inputs if they are not used for encoders/MPGs. One of the two inputs is differential, and the other is single-ended. In addition to the two parallel ports, the SmoothStepper has pluggable screw terminals for two encoder inputs with index. When I get some time in a few days I will post a picture of it. The SmoothStepper is 3.625" x 2.75" (92mm x 70mm) in size, allowing it to fit nicely in space-limited cabinets. The output drive from the SmoothStepper is suitable for driving opto-isolators directly (for example Geckos), so if you are on a budget, you could connect it directly. Be on the lookout for breakout boards that will have this capability. With female headers on the bottom of the board, the SmoothStepper can plug directly onto a breakout board that has the same connector spacing for a neat cableless connection. With male connectors on the top side of the board (component side), ribbon cables can connect to a breakout board or a DB25 cable. The connectors are 26-pin low-profile headers, and depending upon the application, may be either male or female (but not both). The second port is a bidirectional port, allowing pins 2 through 9 to be either inputs or outputs. The first port is configured with pins 2 through 9 as outputs.
The SmoothStepper has two parallel port interfaces on it. Upgrades are as simple as selecting a different plugin version.
DIY PARALLEL PORT CNC CONTROLLER SOFTWARE
Because it is all contained in one file, there is no chance of a mismatch between the plug-in software and the FPGA firmware. Each time you start Mach, the firmware is downloaded to the device in the blink of an eye. With the SmoothStepper, there is a single plug-in file that contains both the FPGA firmware and the Mach plug-in software.
DIY PARALLEL PORT CNC CONTROLLER DRIVER
FTDI provides a Microsoft WHQL certified driver for all versions of Windows ( ).
DIY PARALLEL PORT CNC CONTROLLER PC
Data is sent from the PC to the SmoothStepper in very fine segments, making it very suitable for "3D" work. In the current design, the maximum step rate is 4 MHz, but there is no reason why this couldn't be increased to 8 MHz or more if necessary. The SmoothStepper is powered by a Xilinx FPGA for very high performance. Existing breakout boards should interface with the SmoothStepper without any issues. The SmoothStepper looks and feels just like the parallel port. Even oddball setups that use something like pin 17 for the X Step signal are handled with no problem.
Except for a few unique parameters (such as maximum step frequency), all of the SmoothStepper's setup parameters come from the same setup dialogs that the parallel port version uses, such as Ports and Pins. The SmoothStepper plugin uses the same XML data that is used to configure the native parallel port version of Mach. New designs will also benefit from the very precise, fast, and clean step rates that the SmoothStepper produces. It was designed to emulate the parallel port (electrically and physically), which allows for a seamless integration into existing setups. The SmoothStepper is a new USB-based controller that is meant to be a replacement for the parallel port. This would work with the classic BOB's it does not replace the BOB.
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