Hi Fellows
I just made myself an MPG utilizing parts from 2 medical machines and standard electronic components.
Photo attached. (AAA battery shown is only for scale ref)
it doesn't have any switches (not yet as encoder function is all I need) just the MPG.

However, I am not finding a lot of info on how to set it up in Mach3.  I found a bit of info that it must be set up in a LPT2 port.

Could it not be set up on the 4th Axis on LPT1??   since LPT is Bi-directional Could mach3 be set up to become  INPUT only on the 4th Channel?

I do have an LPT2 plug in (need find it) in case I must go with it if LPT1 4th Ch. is not possible.

and last: How to use it.  Where are the controls, (Axis selection, etc.)
Does anybody have any info or Ideas.

AL

You can connect to any spare  input pins you wish whether that is port 1 or 2.
You go to Config, Ports and Pins, Encoder/MPG page and set up MPG1 and  tell Mach the Port and Pins for your A and B channels and then to tune you go to Function Configs menu and Calibrate MPG. Click on Call detent size, click one notch of MPG then press Calculate then Save, next do the max speed, turn as fast as you can, calculate button then save then apply and exit.
Pressing the Tab on your keyboard allows you to switch to MPG mode and you can change the mode of operation from Velocity to step etc. The two I use are Velocity and Multistep as I find they work well.
Hood

Thanks HOOD
I found that my setup already had MPG1 on port1  13 15 settings.
IDK if I did that in the past (I come back to the project in cycles )or Mach3 was preset.

I'll go thru the rest Thanks.  Great Tips.

I'll report later.

AL


 

Should be fine as long as pin 13 and 15 are where you are connected to
Hood

How to use it

To Each Their Owne.................
There are no detents on the ones i use and have two of them side by side.
I randomly set the units such that one turn gives me about .004" and the axis speed they provide is based on how i want to
just creep along ( so there is no logic to it and more a matter of personal preference / intuitive movement). Real slow turn allows me to  in very small increments ( .0002") and fast turn is rather relative but can move an 1/8" rather quickly. Using two and no switches for example where one would be X & Z for the lathe i can visual , under magnification, just touch off very accuratey , measure distances, and even do machining with them.

Axis movemement is intuitive , turn MPG left ( CCW ) the axis goes left, etc.

Just a way of using them and as i said To Each Their Owne,
RICH