What alternatives to gantrykins?

Thank you very much for that Andy,
set the little old grey cells in motion, I remembered I posted my config way back so I went to my profile > Attachment Manager > #4 My Zip.Zip. - U Axis Configuration, had all my original files how lucky.
I simply took my old config folder (gan_xxyz ) dumped it in the configs folder created a shortcut to it with
CNC > Linux CNC > Linux CNC Configuration Selector
Ticked the create short cut box > hit OK

Now all I need to do is configure the Parallel Port

Thanks again

I now have

Debug file information:
Can not find -sec MOT -var MOT -num 1
Can not find -sec IO -var IO -num 1
Can not find -sec LINUXCNC -var NML_FILE -num 1
Can not find -sec EMC -var NML_FILE -num 1
insmod: error inserting '/usr/realtime-2.6.32-122-rtai/modules/linuxcnc/hal_parport.ko': -1 Resource temporarily unavailable
gan_xxyz.hal:13: exit value: 1
gan_xxyz.hal:13: insmod failed, returned -1
See the output of 'dmesg' for more information.
1510
PID TTY STAT TIME COMMAND
Stopping realtime threads
Unloading hal components

I then did parport test

paul@paul-desktop:~$ halrun -I -f ptest.hal
insmod: error inserting '/usr/realtime-2.6.32-122-rtai/modules/linuxcnc/hal_parport.ko': -1 Resource temporarily unavailable
ptest.hal:1: exit value: 1
ptest.hal:1: insmod failed, returned -1
See the output of 'dmesg' for more information.
halcmd:

The dmesg came back with

[ 115.260759] config string '0x378 out '
[ 115.260788] PARPORT: ERROR: port parport0 claim failed

So it seems to me that the file can't be found as it needs to find the parport first

The hal comand is

loadrt probe_parport
loadrt hal_parport cfg="0x378 out "
setp parport.0.reset-time 1000
loadrt stepgen step_type=0,0,0,0
loadrt charge_pump
net estop-out charge-pump.enable iocontrol.0.user-enable-out
net charge-pump <= charge-pump.out
loadrt pwmgen output_type=0

Do I reconfigure the parallel port to cfg="0x378 out" and if so could you point me in the direction of how this is done.
Or do I change the halfile to read the actual port and if so how do I find this.

Thanks Paul

Disregard all above it seems like I have a cooked break out board, just noticed a tiny bit of solder around the led for the first driver

Cheers Paul

OK so I've decided to go with 2.8
I have :-
Debian GNU / Linux, with linux 3.4-9-rati -686- pae
Grub Version 1.99-27+ deb7u3
and Linux cnc 2.8

Replied by captain chaos on topic Stepper enable?
I can't seem to get the Charge pump to work
Is "External Enable" Estop in or Digital in 0 (Digital in has 0,1,2 and 3)
Break out Board Pin Assignments and Step Conf images included


I'm using step config XY,UV foam to build a 4 joint XXYZ gantry router
Next question would be how do I split XY, UV to be X linked to joint U as it is and split V from Y to make it V=Z

This looks like a long hard slog, so should maybe move the topic to something like "Par Port Stepper Gantry XXYZ"

Thanks
Chers Paul

Additionally to the above I tried to set up the parallel port tester and got the following error :-

chaos@gantry:~/Desktop$ halrun -I -f ptest.hal
halrun: Realtime already running. Use 'halrun -U' to stop existing realtime session.
chaos@gantry:~/Desktop$ halrun -U
chaos@gantry:~/Desktop$ halrun -I -f ptest.hal
.
Could not open command file 'ptest.hal'
halcmd: exit
chaos@gantry:~/Desktop$ halrun -I -f ptest.hal
.
Could not open command file 'ptest.hal'
halcmd: exit
chaos@gantry:~/Desktop$ halrun -U
RTAPI: ERROR: could not open shared memory (No such file or directory)
ERROR: rtapi init failed
HALCMD: Release Mutex failed!
RTAPI: ERROR: could not open shared memory (No such file or directory)
HAL: ERROR: could not initialize RTAPI
halcmd: hal_init() failed: -22
NOTE: 'rtapi' kernel module must be loaded
RTAPI: ERROR: could not open shared memory (No such file or directory)
HAL: ERROR: could not initialize RTAPI
halcmd: hal_init() failed: -22
NOTE: 'rtapi' kernel module must be loaded
Error: Module hal_lib is not currently loaded
Error: Module rtapi is not currently loaded
Error: Module rtai_math is not currently loaded
Error: Module rtai_sched is not currently loaded
Error: Module rtai_hal is not currently loaded
chaos@gantry:~/Desktop$

Looks like I need to load the 'rtapi' kernel as opposed to the 3.4-9-rati that I have
if so how do I go about this

can anyone point me in the right direction please
Cheers Paul

Thanks for the reply but
Sorry been all over the been all over the show looking for a command
but can't find out how to start linuxcnc in terminal.
Cheers Paul

Not to sure if this is right:-

---

$ where is linuxcnc

---

S /usr/bin/linuxcnc
comes up with :- Linux CNC config selector gui
went to
Sample configurations>apps>parport>parport_0x378
ticked create desktop shortcut clicked on OK and got port tester gui

but where should I paste "and paste the error/debug info ?"
and are you referring to:-
Error: Module hal_lib is not currently loaded
Error: Module rtapi is not currently loaded
Error: Module rtai_math is not currently loaded
Error: Module rtai_sched is not currently loaded
Error: Module rtai_hal is not currently loaded

Thanks Paul

I now have the port tester working 1-9, 14,16 and 17 are all outputs and are red
10, 11, 12, 13 and 15 are inputs and are all green
all Parallel Port Signals are to be active high
does the red indicator indicate indicate active high or low
or do they indicate in or out
thanks Paul