LPT add-on and compatibility with Stepcraft 420

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 🙂