# To my computer geeks



## InPhase277 (Feb 9, 2008)

I know I could ask this question on alot of computer forums, but I'd be hard pressed to get an answer anytime soon. I know alot of the regulars that post here are computer geeks to one degree or another, and I have a question.

I built a CNC mill to make circuit boards and small machine parts and whatnot. Very cool. Anyway, it works great mechanically and under the control of certain software, but when I use the control software I really want to use, it just jerks along... until I move the mouse, then it picks right up. If I keep the mouse in continuous motion, it works great. But when I stop, it goes back to the jerky motion.

For some background, the machine receives its signal pulses from the parallel port on pins 1-9 and 14,16, and 17. The mouse is a PS/2 optical. What the hell is causing this behavior and how do I correct it? It's driving me batty! I have tried adjusting the mouse and LPT port resource options to no avail.

What next?

EDIT: Sorry I didn't realize we had a PC forum. To any mod: please move accordingly.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

Does this software stress the system? Does it take up a lot of resources?

I suppose it could be interference from the mill, but enough to affect the ps/2 port...I highly doubt it.

Than again, interference might be possible. It has been a long time since I've used ps/2.


And yes, I am surely a geek. Right now I'm ocing, very exciting!


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

have you tried a USB mouse?

DM


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

and just curious, but what OS?

DM


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## InPhase277 (Feb 9, 2008)

rgsgww said:


> Does this software stress the system? Does it take up a lot of resources?
> 
> I suppose it could be interference from the mill, but enough to affect the ps/2 port...I highly doubt it.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I'm a hardware geek myself, but I have let it fall off for awhile. Anyway, the comp it's attached to runs at 2 GHz with a gig of RAM. I don't have another computer with a parallel port, so I'm kinda stuck. The software doesn't seem to be stressing the system noticeably, at least not according to my CPU and RAM graphs. The same computer, running different software runs the mill fine, but it's sucky software, in that it always mis-interprets my CAD files and skews them badly.

I could get a USB mouse and build a circuit to continuously pulse the PS/2 port, but surely there's a software or resources solution?


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## InPhase277 (Feb 9, 2008)

DangerMouse said:


> have you tried a USB mouse?
> 
> DM


Not yet, but the mill still runs jerky with the mouse unplugged. Though, I haven't actually tried disabling the PS/2 port to see what happens...

Win XP Pro btw.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

Good, win xp is pretty nice.

Try going into the bios and disabling unnecessary ports, controllers. This also helps performance overall.


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Seems like an IRQ or resource conflict
Seems like the mouse is using the same address as software?
I remember something like this, it's basically waiting for the mouse input as I recall. As soon as it goes thru the rest of the "traffic" can get thru


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

try this for laughs.... download this--> http://download.cnet.com/Auto-Mouse-Move/3000-2084_4-10585354.html
and run the mouse in circles to teach it, then loop it continuously and see what happens with the mill then.

DM


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

Scuba_Dave said:


> Seems like an IRQ or resource conflict
> Seems like the mouse is using the same address as software?
> I remember something like this, it's basically waiting for the mouse input as I recall. As soon as it goes thru the rest of the "traffic" can get thru



I had the same problem with my sound card.

All of that crackling drove me insane


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## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

Try the CAMS listserver; Chesapeake Area Machinists Society. These guys eat and sleep CNC.


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## InPhase277 (Feb 9, 2008)

Yoyizit said:


> Try the CAMS listserver; Chesapeake Area Machinists Society. These guys eat and sleep CNC.


Thanks, I'll check them out. As an update, I've tried every setting, it's not an IRQ, or DMA problem. I disabled the PS/2 port in the bios, but no luck, still jerky. 

What I'm trying to understand is why this is behaving like it is.


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## theatretch85 (May 17, 2008)

First things first, winxp as great as it is, really needs a gb of ram just to run well. If the software that's "better" is running slow, id strongly suggest increasing your memory to 2gb. With XP Pro 32bit/x86 don't bother with more than 3gb of ram as XP won't see it and it would be a waste. Also, what exactly are the specs of this machine? You say its a 2ghz, AMD/Intel? What processor? Could be bus speed thats causing you problems.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

did you try what i suggested in post #9? it would tell us what the problem is if it works....... or at least what it is NOT!

DM


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## InPhase277 (Feb 9, 2008)

DangerMouse said:


> did you try what i suggested in post #9? it would tell us what the problem is if it works....... or at least what it is NOT!
> 
> DM


Yes, I downloaded the software, but as soon as I ran it it froze the system. Even after several retries. Also, I put another stick of RAM in, giving me 2 gigs, and the effect is the same. Still jittery until I move the blasted mouse.


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## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

InPhase277 said:


> it just jerks along... until I move the mouse, then it picks right up. If I keep the mouse in continuous motion, it works great. But when I stop, it goes back to the jerky motion.


You seem to be saying that the s/w requires a continuous input in order to stay on track. I can't imagine a programming code error that would give this result.

Try other ways to induce and/or eliminate the symptom. See if the keyboard affects the symptom.

You could also search the Web using the name of your program; there might be TSBs out on this problem.


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

Whats the name of the program? I should have plenty of time after school to look it up, I have to wait on this darn prime 95 cpu test.


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## jamiedolan (Sep 2, 2008)

InPhase277 said:


> I know I could ask this question on alot of computer forums, but I'd be hard pressed to get an answer anytime soon. I know alot of the regulars that post here are computer geeks to one degree or another, and I have a question.
> 
> I built a CNC mill to make circuit boards and small machine parts and whatnot. Very cool. Anyway, it works great mechanically and under the control of certain software, but when I use the control software I really want to use, it just jerks along... until I move the mouse, then it picks right up. If I keep the mouse in continuous motion, it works great. But when I stop, it goes back to the jerky motion.
> 
> ...



HI;

List of things to try, my guesses anyway

1: Open task manage, go to processes, find the app in question, right click it and move it's priority status up to real time.

2: Not high on my list of things to try, but possiable; Memory could be an issue, once in a great great while there are bad dimms, bad dimms do weird things, (and it is often not obvious they are the cause of a problem, and it is virtually impossible to really fully test memory without a dedicated hardware tester) I generally get all my memory from www.datamem.com I normally get the certified memory for just a couple bucks more. Been buying from them since 93, never a hassle.

3: Run msconfig.exe and disable everything in your startup tab, unless there is something in there critical to running this ap. Also look in the services tab and disable anything that maybe unnecessary.

4: Find a different mouse driver on the net and load it and see if it makes any difference.

Try 1 & 3 First...

One more, Turn off hardware acceleration on your graphics card, and also can try droping the screen resloution down and reducing the number of colors displayed.

Good Luck...

Jamie


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

By the way, you should try memtest86 to test your memory and use something like prime 95 or software provided by your processor manufacturer to stress your cpu. This will rule out bad memory and cpu.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

wow.... it wouldn't even run the mousemover??? that should tell us something too.....
not sure what at this point, but something! hmmmmm.... this is a good mystery!

DM


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## rgsgww (Jul 5, 2008)

When testing memory, try stick by stick. Each stick is different than others.


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## Hobb3s (Apr 2, 2008)

What is the software that you're having problems with, what architecture was it built for? I know in the past on older system we've actually had to fool the older program into thinking the machines processor was slower than it was because there were no limiters built into the program. In this case it may be that the program is attempting to communicate through the parallel port faster than the the port can handle. I had this issue with reprogramming of eproms via a parallel connection.


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## stephen44 (Feb 24, 2009)

i wonder if you used a parallel to usb convertor and ran it through the usb port if this would help ?

http://www.emtcompany.com/catagories/usb-to-parallel-adapters.htm?gclid=CPPLl4yDlpoCFRo-awodLiG1Nw


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