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Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

Category: PC Tweakage

Remembering which tweaks worked

  • LinuxCNC HAL Pin Names: Belkin Nostromo N52 SpeedPad

    A (formerly Belkin, now Razer, which is evidently unrelated to Mazer Rackham) Nostromo N52 SpeedPad might not be a perfect CNC pendant, but it does have plenty of buttons and an (oddly oriented) XY joypad that might be useful for, say, a 3D printer controller running LinuxCNC.

    Belkin Nostromo N52 SpeedPad
    Belkin Nostromo N52 SpeedPad

    Following the same path as with the Logitech Dual Action Gamepad that became the Joggy Thing, we find that the N52 reports itself as a keyboard and a mouse:

    less /proc/bus/input/devices

... snippage ...
I: Bus=0003 Vendor=050d Product=0815 Version=0110
N: Name="Honey Bee  Nostromo SpeedPad2 "
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:02.0-10/input0
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0/usb2/2-10/2-10:1.0/input/input3
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=kbd event3
B: EV=100013
B: KEY=e080ffdf 1cfffff ffffffff fffffffe
B: MSC=10

I: Bus=0003 Vendor=050d Product=0815 Version=0110
N: Name="Honey Bee  Nostromo SpeedPad2 "
P: Phys=usb-0000:00:02.0-10/input1
S: Sysfs=/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0/usb2/2-10/2-10:1.1/input/input4
U: Uniq=
H: Handlers=mouse1 event4
B: EV=20017
B: KEY=70000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B: REL=103
B: MSC=10
B: LED=7

    The corresponding device files belong to the root user:

    ll /dev/input
... snippage ...
crw-r-----  1 root root 13, 67 2013-02-08 11:06 event3
crw-r-----  1 root root 13, 68 2013-02-08 11:06 event4
... snippage ...
crw-r-----  1 root root 13, 33 2013-02-08 11:06 mouse1

    Which calls for some udev trickery to change the owner & permissions during boot / hotplugging so that it becomes available to mere mortals such as I.

    First, get the bus connection information:

    lsusb
... snippage ...
Bus 002 Device 004: ID 050d:0815 Belkin Components Nostromo n52 HID SpeedPad Mouse Wheel
... snippage ...

    Then dump the attributes:

    udevadm info --query=all --attribute-walk --name=/dev/bus/usb/002/004

Udevadm info starts with the device specified by the devpath and then
walks up the chain of parent devices. It prints for every device
found, all possible attributes in the udev rules key format.
A rule to match, can be composed by the attributes of the device
and the attributes from one single parent device.

  looking at device '/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02.0/usb2/2-10':
    KERNEL=="2-10"
    SUBSYSTEM=="usb"
    DRIVER=="usb"
    ATTR{configuration}==""
    ATTR{bNumInterfaces}==" 2"
    ATTR{bConfigurationValue}=="1"
    ATTR{bmAttributes}=="80"
    ATTR{bMaxPower}==" 90mA"
    ATTR{urbnum}=="1354"
    ATTR{idVendor}=="050d"
    ATTR{idProduct}=="0815"
    ATTR{bcdDevice}=="0210"
    ATTR{bDeviceClass}=="00"
    ATTR{bDeviceSubClass}=="00"
    ATTR{bDeviceProtocol}=="00"
    ATTR{bNumConfigurations}=="1"
    ATTR{bMaxPacketSize0}=="8"
    ATTR{speed}=="1.5"
    ATTR{busnum}=="2"
    ATTR{devnum}=="4"
    ATTR{version}==" 1.10"
    ATTR{maxchild}=="0"
    ATTR{quirks}=="0x0"
    ATTR{authorized}=="1"
    ATTR{manufacturer}=="Honey Bee "
    ATTR{product}=="Nostromo SpeedPad2 "

... snippage ...

    Note the trailing blank in the manufacturer and product values.

    Create a new rules file /etc/udev/rule/90-Nostromo.rules to change the group and permissions:

    # Belkin Nostromo N52 SpeedPad controller for LinuxCNC
# Ed Nisley - KE4ZNU - February 2013

ATTRS{product}=="Nostromo SpeedPad2",GROUP="plugdev",MODE="0660"

    Note that the file name must start with a number around 90- to avoid being clobbered by a rule in /lib/udev/rules.d/50-udev-default.rules that (re)sets the permissions to 0640; the doc suggests that rules without numbers happen after all the number rules, so perhaps you could just use meaningful names. That took an embarrassingly long time to figure out…

    There’s no need for the trailing blank in that rule, as the match proceeds left-to-right and stops at the end of the test string.

    You must, perforce, be in the plugdev group. If not, add yourself.

    You need not unplug the N52 to test the rule. Just use:

    sudo udevadm trigger

    Which produces the desired result:

    crw-rw----  1 root plugdev 13, 67 2013-02-08 15:09 event3
crw-rw----  1 root plugdev 13, 68 2013-02-08 15:09 event4
... snippage ...
crw-rw----  1 root plugdev 13, 33 2013-02-08 15:09 mouse1

    Poking around using, among other things, xev reveals:

    • Main keypad is the left half of a standard QWERTY keyboard
    • Joypad returns cursor keys, center push = nothing
    • Orange button is, weirdly, the Left-Alt key
    • Wheel is a mouse scroll wheel
    • Push wheel = middle mouse button
    • Thumb pad = space
    • RGB LEDs are, respectively, num-, caps-, and scroll-lock

    Then load HAL:

    halrun
loadusr -W hal_input -K +Nostromo:0 -KRL +Nostromo:1
show pin input.*
loadusr halmeter

    The + prefix tells HAL to capture the named device and prevent its events from reaching X. The KRL codes suggest which functions you’re interested in for that particular device. The suffix digit selects successive devices for multiple gadgets matching the same name string.

    Apparently, the N52 reports it can produce all the usual keyboard and mouse values & buttons, even if they’re not connected to physical hardware. I suspect it has generic keyboard / mouse controllers inside, with just a few of the usual matrix crosspoints connected to switches.

    The basic key mapping, sorted by the Nostromo functions:

    Type Dir Name Nostromo key
    bit OUT input.0.key-tab F1
    bit OUT input.0.key-q F2
    bit OUT input.0.key-w F3
    bit OUT input.0.key-e F4
    bit OUT input.0.key-r F5
    bit OUT input.0.key-capslock F6
    bit OUT input.0.key-a F7
    bit OUT input.0.key-s F8
    bit OUT input.0.key-d F9
    bit OUT input.0.key-f F10
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftshift F11
    bit OUT input.0.key-z F12
    bit OUT input.0.key-x F13
    bit OUT input.0.key-c F14
    bit OUT input.0.key-space F15
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftalt Orange button
    bit OUT input.0.key-right Pad bottom
    bit OUT input.0.key-down Pad front
    bit OUT input.0.key-up Pad rear
    bit OUT input.0.key-left Pad top
    bit OUT input.1.btn-middle Wheel press
    s32 OUT input.1.rel-wheel-counts Scroll wheel
    bit IN input.1.led-numl Red LED
    bit IN input.1.led-capsl Green LED
    bit IN input.1.led-scrolll Blue LED

    The bit pins also have inverted values available on the corresponding -not pins. The LEDs have an -invert that flips the sense of the input pin. The rel-wheel pin has other useful tidbits as suffixes; the count changes by ±1 for each wheel detent.

    The Tab key and all the letters auto-repeat, the various Shift and Alt keys do not. That seems to make no difference to the bit values reported by HAL.

    The complete table, sorted by HAL pin name:

    Type Dir Name Nostromo key
    bit OUT input.0.key-0
    bit OUT input.0.key-0-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-1
    bit OUT input.0.key-1-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-102nd
    bit OUT input.0.key-102nd-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-2
    bit OUT input.0.key-2-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-3
    bit OUT input.0.key-3-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-4
    bit OUT input.0.key-4-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-5
    bit OUT input.0.key-5-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-6
    bit OUT input.0.key-6-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-7
    bit OUT input.0.key-7-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-8
    bit OUT input.0.key-8-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-9
    bit OUT input.0.key-9-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-a F7
    bit OUT input.0.key-a-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-apostrophe
    bit OUT input.0.key-apostrophe-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-b
    bit OUT input.0.key-b-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-backslash
    bit OUT input.0.key-backslash-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-backspace
    bit OUT input.0.key-backspace-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-c F14
    bit OUT input.0.key-c-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-capslock F6
    bit OUT input.0.key-capslock-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-comma
    bit OUT input.0.key-comma-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-compose
    bit OUT input.0.key-compose-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-d F9
    bit OUT input.0.key-d-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-delete
    bit OUT input.0.key-delete-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-dot
    bit OUT input.0.key-dot-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-down Pad left
    bit OUT input.0.key-down-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-e F4
    bit OUT input.0.key-e-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-end
    bit OUT input.0.key-end-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-enter
    bit OUT input.0.key-enter-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-equal
    bit OUT input.0.key-equal-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-esc
    bit OUT input.0.key-esc-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f F10
    bit OUT input.0.key-f-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f1
    bit OUT input.0.key-f1-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f10
    bit OUT input.0.key-f10-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f11
    bit OUT input.0.key-f11-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f12
    bit OUT input.0.key-f12-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f2
    bit OUT input.0.key-f2-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f3
    bit OUT input.0.key-f3-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f4
    bit OUT input.0.key-f4-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f5
    bit OUT input.0.key-f5-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f6
    bit OUT input.0.key-f6-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f7
    bit OUT input.0.key-f7-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f8
    bit OUT input.0.key-f8-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-f9
    bit OUT input.0.key-f9-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-g
    bit OUT input.0.key-g-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-grave
    bit OUT input.0.key-grave-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-h
    bit OUT input.0.key-h-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-home
    bit OUT input.0.key-home-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-i
    bit OUT input.0.key-i-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-insert
    bit OUT input.0.key-insert-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-j
    bit OUT input.0.key-j-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-k
    bit OUT input.0.key-k-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp0
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp0-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp1
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp1-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp2
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp2-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp3
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp3-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp4
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp4-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp5
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp5-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp6
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp6-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp7
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp7-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp8
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp8-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp9
    bit OUT input.0.key-kp9-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpasterisk
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpasterisk-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpdot
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpdot-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpenter
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpenter-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpminus
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpminus-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpplus
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpplus-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpslash
    bit OUT input.0.key-kpslash-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-l
    bit OUT input.0.key-l-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-left Pad top
    bit OUT input.0.key-left-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftalt Orange button
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftalt-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftbrace
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftbrace-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftctrl
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftctrl-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftmeta
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftmeta-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftshift F11
    bit OUT input.0.key-leftshift-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-m
    bit OUT input.0.key-m-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-minus
    bit OUT input.0.key-minus-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-n
    bit OUT input.0.key-n-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-numlock
    bit OUT input.0.key-numlock-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-o
    bit OUT input.0.key-o-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-p
    bit OUT input.0.key-p-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-pagedown
    bit OUT input.0.key-pagedown-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-pageup
    bit OUT input.0.key-pageup-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-pause
    bit OUT input.0.key-pause-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-q F2
    bit OUT input.0.key-q-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-r F5
    bit OUT input.0.key-r-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-right Pad bottom
    bit OUT input.0.key-right-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightalt
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightalt-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightbrace
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightbrace-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightctrl
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightctrl-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightmeta
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightmeta-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightshift
    bit OUT input.0.key-rightshift-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-s F8
    bit OUT input.0.key-s-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-scrolllock
    bit OUT input.0.key-scrolllock-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-semicolon
    bit OUT input.0.key-semicolon-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-slash
    bit OUT input.0.key-slash-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-space F15
    bit OUT input.0.key-space-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-sysrq
    bit OUT input.0.key-sysrq-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-t
    bit OUT input.0.key-t-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-tab F1
    bit OUT input.0.key-tab-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-u
    bit OUT input.0.key-u-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-up Pad right
    bit OUT input.0.key-up-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-v
    bit OUT input.0.key-v-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-w F3
    bit OUT input.0.key-w-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-x F13
    bit OUT input.0.key-x-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-y
    bit OUT input.0.key-y-not
    bit OUT input.0.key-z F12
    bit OUT input.0.key-z-not
    bit OUT input.1.btn-middle Wheel press
    bit OUT input.1.btn-middle-not  … inverted
    bit OUT input.1.btn-mouse
    bit OUT input.1.btn-mouse-not
    bit OUT input.1.btn-right
    bit OUT input.1.btn-right-not
    bit IN input.1.led-capsl Green LED
    bit IN input.1.led-capsl-invert
    bit IN input.1.led-numl Red LED
    bit IN input.1.led-numl-invert
    bit IN input.1.led-scrolll Blue LED
    bit IN input.1.led-scrolll-invert
    s32 OUT input.1.rel-wheel-counts Scroll wheel
    float OUT input.1.rel-wheel-position  =count/scale
    bit IN input.1.rel-wheel-reset Clear pos’n
    float IN input.1.rel-wheel-scale  count→pos’n
    s32 OUT input.1.rel-x-counts
    float OUT input.1.rel-x-position
    bit IN input.1.rel-x-reset
    float IN input.1.rel-x-scale
    s32 OUT input.1.rel-y-counts
    float OUT input.1.rel-y-position
    bit IN input.1.rel-y-reset
    float IN input.1.rel-y-scale

  • Capacity Test For USB Flash Drive Memory

    Centon 4 GB USB Flash Drives
    Centon 4 GB USB Flash Drives

    It’s always a good idea to verify that a USB flash drive works and has its rated capacity, even when you buy them from a reputable vendor.

    The easiest way to measure their capacity (quite different than measuring battery capacity):

    • Create a monster file of random data
    • Copy it to the drive
    • Verify that the copy matches the original
    • Delete the copy

    That doesn’t verify that you can successfully create a bazillion little files, but it’s a good rough-and-ready check that you haven’t gotten, say, a 2 GB drive mis-labeled as 4 GB. It could happen…

    Assuming you’ve deleted any shovelware (these were clean) and that the drives are now empty (as these were), find out how big they claim to be:

    df /media/ed/CENTON\ USB/
Filesystem     1K-blocks  Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sdb1        4107284     4   4107280   1% /media/ed/CENTON USB

    Pour /dev/urandom into a file that will fill the available space (not the total space), which will take several minutes:

    time dd bs=1K count=4107280 if=/dev/urandom of=/tmp/test.dat
4107280+0 records in
4107280+0 records out
4205854720 bytes (4.2 GB) copied, 450.883 s, 9.3 MB/s

real	7m31.162s
user	0m0.712s
sys	6m54.166s

    Copy it to the drive, using rsync with a progress indicator:

    time rsync --progress /tmp/test.dat /media/ed/CENTON\ USB/
test.dat
  4205854720 100%    8.45MB/s    0:07:54 (xfer#1, to-check=0/1)

sent 4206368202 bytes  received 31 bytes  8772405.07 bytes/sec
total size is 4205854720  speedup is 1.00

real	7m59.035s
user	0m24.490s
sys	0m17.433s

    Verify that the two files match:

    time diff /tmp/test.dat /media/ed/CENTON\ USB
real	3m32.576s
user	0m0.588s
sys	0m6.268s

    Then delete the file:

    rm /media/ed/CENTON\ USB/test.dat

    Repeat as needed for the other flash drives, using the same test.dat file. All these drives worked; one subsequently caught a disease at the library.

    And, yes, one of them is noticeably darker; four of the others seem lighter and five darker gray. Most likely, the cases came from three different anodizing batches and, I suppose, if I were to pry them apart, the innards could be radically different. Ya never know!

  • Capacity Test For New UPS Batteries

    Just got a quartet of 12 V 7 A·h lead batteries, prompted by a big Belkin UPS that instantly shut down during a power blink. It needs only two batteries, but the shipping was the same for two or four and I’m sure the spares will come in handy.

    A stiff 2 A discharge test shows that SLA batteries really don’t like high currents, which is exactly what they must provide in a UPS:

    Rhino SLA - 2013-01
    Rhino SLA – 2013-01

    The capacity is barely 4 A·h at 2 A, not to mention that I’m using a conservative 11.4 V cutoff.

    The two batteries with the highest capacity also were the closest matches, so they’re now in the UPS.

  • Epson R380 Printer: Cutting In a Continuous Ink Supply System

    The continuous ink supply system on the Epson R380 printer developed a slow air leak in one cartridge, which may have contributed to the nozzle problems, so I just installed another system from the usual eBay supplier: prefilled with ink and $30 delivered.

    As nearly as I can tell, Epson designed a number of features into the R380 specifically to thwart CISS installation, including the awkward bridge across the middle of the printer that interferes with the flat tube feeding ink to the flying cartridges. I managed to route the previous CISS tubing around the bridge, but this time I figured enough was enough.

    So I tucked a shop rag inside the printer, put a vacuum cleaner nozzle near the operation, and applied a fine-tooth pull saw to the bridge:

    Epson R380 - bridge removed
    Epson R380 – bridge removed

    That certainly simplified the rest of the installation…

  • Why Friends Don’t Let Friends Run Windows: Conficker

    Mary gave a gardening presentation at the local library, popping a 4 GB USB memory stick with the presentation into a library computer connected to the display projector. Back home, she deleted the presentations and was about to add more files, when she noticed something interesting:

    drwx------  4 ed   ed    4096 Dec 31  1969 ./
drwxr-x---+ 3 root root  4096 Jan 31 19:21 ../
-r--r--r--  1 ed   ed   59288 Mar 21  2009 autorun.inf
drwx------  3 ed   ed    4096 Jan 30 19:31 RECYCLER/
drwx------  4 ed   ed    4096 Jan 31 19:10 .Trash-1001/

    Ubuntu 12.10 automagically mounts FAT filesystems with the current user as owner and group. The .Trash-1001 directory is the Linux trash heap, but where did all that other stuff come from? The autorun.inf definitely looks Window-y, doesn’t it?

    Perforce, the library runs Windows, but that shouldn’t add files to a USB memory stick that just was plugged in and used for a read-only presentation, should it?

    Huh. You know where this is going…

    Let’s hand autorun.inf to VirusTotal for a second opinion. The first three results from their long list confirm my suspicion:

    Antivirus Result Update
    Agnitum INF.Conficker.F 20130131
    AhnLab-V3 Win32/Conficker.worm 20130131
    AntiVir Worm/Kido.IH.40 20130131

    The executable file containing the actual payload is, of course, buried in a subdirectory that might look more innocent on a Windows box:
    /RECYCLER/S-5-3-42-2819952290-8240758988-879315005-3665/

    It sports a randomized name to evade a really stupid malware detector:
    jwgkvsq.vmx

    Here’s what VirusTotal reports from some heavy hitters in the AV field:

    Kaspersky Net-Worm.Win32.Kido.ih 20130131
    Kingsoft Worm.Kido.ih.(kcloud) 20130131
    Malwarebytes Worm.Conficker 20130131
    McAfee W32/Conficker.worm 20130201
    McAfee-GW-Edition W32/Conficker.worm 20130131
    Microsoft Worm:Win32/Conficker.B 20130131

    The Wikipedia article gives the details. I suppose that PC got it from somebody else’s USB stick, but the library really should be running some defensive software; Conficker dates back to 2008, so it’s not new news these days.

    That kind of Windows Genuine Advantage makes up for all the hassles of running Linux, right there. Mary reported the problem to the library; we’ll never know the rest of the story.

    [Update: We got an update!]

  • Anonymous 5 Axis Parallel Port Breakout Board Pinout

    Parallel port breakout boards of this ilk run about $14, complete with cable, on eBay:

    5 axis parallel port breakout board
    5 axis parallel port breakout board

    The PCB has no part number and the inferred URL isn’t productive. The “driver CD” accompanying it has doc for every possible board the vendor might sell and, absent a part number, the file names aren’t helpful. An exhaustive search suggests it corresponds to the HY-JK02-M 5-axis interface board manual.doc file.

    Despite any implication to the contrary, the board does not have optoisolators between the parallel port pins and the outside world. The stepper driver bricks should, but the input signals from limit switches and suchlike connect directly to the guts of your PC.

    This overview (from the manual) shows the physical pin layout (clicky for more dots) and reveals the hidden silkscreen legend:

    HY-JK02-M Breakout Board - overview
    HY-JK02-M Breakout Board – overview

    It looks like the board I got added a spindle relay driver transistor, plus a few resistors over by the manual control connector on the right.

    Notice that the fourth terminal on each axis is GND, not the positive supply required for the optoisolators on the 2M415-oid driver bricks, which means you can’t just run a section of ribbon cable from the breakout board to the brick. You’ll need a separate +5 V (or whatever) power supply wire for each brick, with a common return to the system ground for this board. Those terminals are firmly bonded to the top and bottom ground planes on the board, so there’s no practical way to re-route them.

    The small switch in the upper left, just to the right of the parallel port connector, selects +5 V power from the USB port (which has no data lines) or the power connector in the lower left. The LED near the switch won’t light up until you have both the parallel port cable and the USB cable plugged in.

    The doc includes a timing diagram with no numeric values. I established that it can’t keep up with a 500 kHz pulse train and seems content at 100 kHz, but that’s conjecture. Setting the timing to match whatever the stepper driver bricks prefer will probably work. The diagram suggests the setup and hold times for direction changes are whatever you use for the minimum time between step pulses.

    This shows the functional labels:

    HY-JK02-M Breakout Board - function labels
    HY-JK02-M Breakout Board – function labels

    The parallel port connector output pins, sorted by function:

    Pin 9 1 2 14 16 3 7 8 6 5 4 17
    Function Spindle
    motor    		 Enabled X step X dir Y step Y dir Z step Z dir A step A dir B step B dir

    The parallel port connector input functions, sorted by pin:

    X -Limit Y- Limit Z- Limit A- Limit Emerg Stop
    10 11 12 13 15

    The table uses Chinese for Pin 15: 急停.

    It’s not clear whether the pins on the manual control connector are inputs or outputs, nor what the three separate Enabled lines do:

    P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14 P15
    B step B dir A dir Z step Y step X step X dir Enabled 5V/VDD 5V/GND A step Z dir Y dir Enabled Enabled

    The three white connectors in the middle drive an LED readout board that’s probably most useful as a DRO for CNC-converted manual mills using the pendant for positioning.

    The small white connectors duplicate the functions of the green screw terminals. They’re probably useful in a small machine that I’m not building.

    This isn’t the board I intend to use in the final setup, because I need far more I/O pins, but it’ll serve for the short term.

  • Kill A Watt: IEC Adapters

    I should have done this a long time ago:

    Kill-A-Watt - IEC plug and socket
    Kill-A-Watt – IEC plug and socket

    It makes measuring PC power consumption much easier!

    I picked up some cheap AC plugs and sockets, cut a short IEC extender cable in half, and wired ’em up. If the IEC extender link breaks again, search amazon.com for something like “computer power cord extension” and rummage around.

    IEC color code hint: brown = hot, blue = neutral (unless they cheat).

    US NEMA 5 plug / socket hint: the blade marked W is neutral. More expensive hardware will have dark brass = hot, light brass = neutral, but don’t bet your life on it.