Question LPT add-on and compatibility with Stepcraft 420

Hi, sorry for my poor English, I hope this is the right section for my question.
I have bought a new PC desktop to control my Stepcraft 420 and my 3D printer.
In the old PC I have an integrated LPT port, but in the new one no.
I've bought from aliexpress a PCI Express LPT, but I'm not able to control my 420 with Mach3.
I've already changed the default address with the PCI-E LPT port address...
Then I set pins... Nothing.
I've read that not all LPT add-on can work.
This model have some wch chip (maybe wch ch82x).
I've seen an other model with MosChip MCS9900 chipset. The seller said "..
PCI-Express I / O card offers superior performance and unmatched data transfer speeds. and 'ideal for industrial automation applications."
Could this PCI-E LPT work or it's better to buy an UC100 adapter?
I prefer to have an LPT add-on solution for a more compatibility, but if it's not possible I only have the UC100 solution...
Someone have tried these (or other PCI-E ports? Have you find at least one LPT that works fine?
Thank you so much for your answers

What do you mean with "more compatibility" when LPT is just before extinction?

I'd always prefer an external controller, because the communication between controller and PC is not timing critical. If the PC has to create the stepper signals on it's own it is a critical task.
And tasks can be interrupted as most PCs do not run a realtime operating system.

Hi, thanks for your answer.
Yeah, I understand, but I thought that with a LPT card I could use (in the "future") other CNC softwares based on LPT and the PCI Express card is the cheapest way.
UC 100 works only with mach3 and mach4, that's righ?
Which is a cheap controller that let me interface my 420 with (almost) any LPT based software?

PS I still have the USB interface for my machine, but I have not the complete version of WinPC-NC and there aren't many other software based on USB.

The german users strongly prefer EstlCAM, which has the possibility to use an Arduino as a controller. This works pretty good.

Do you have plans to use the 4th axis? The 3D printer head? The tool-changer?

Only in those cases you need to use a different software. But in those cases the usage of WinPC NC fulo-version would be the easy choice, because SC works together with the producer of that software.

Once you've decided to use a certain software, there is hardly a reason to use another one. It`s only the controller which simply reads g-code and moves the machine.

I only want to use my Stepcraft to cut and engrave wood.
This is a cheap solution, but it's also (maybe) the less simple.
I'm thinking the only solution for me is to buy the UC100 controller

Hi cesc85,

IMHO you can't go wrong using the UC100 controller - it relieves the driving PC of all the onerous timing tasks that can trip up a PC running Windows.

An additional plus is that you would be able to use the UCCNC interface software from CNCzone , which is free and uses a USB link to the UC100 controller. The license which comes with the UC100 enables communication, otherwise UCCNC runs in simulation mode.

I personally have this combination and am very satisfied with it's performance and flexibility. It will certainly do all that you require and much more besides.

Peter

thank you so much, I think to buy a UC100 controller now.

Hi, I've bought a UC100 controller. I've installed it, but I've some issue, because I'm not able to move the machine on the Y axis. If I try to load a project the machine moves only on X and Z and in a wrong scale (I work and draw in mm's).

Please, anyone can help me?
I set the port pins as in the manual, so the Y axes has the #4 for the direction and tge #5 dor the step.
Rhe UC controller is not original, but the seller said me that I've some wrong setting on the software.
I think the problem is the UC100 fake...

Hi everyone..
I'm here to update my situation.
I thought right, so the problem was the fake UC100 buyed in China for about $45.
I have bought an ORIGINAL UC100 (for about €105 with the shipping cost) and it works fine with the same LPT parameters.
I'm really happy now.
Thank you so much for your support