Needing a budget build

[inline 6]

You can convert USB to pretty much any pin in / pin out pattern. The signals are done via software. The only advantage to having a PCI based parallel port would be hard interrupt signals which would be transparent to the devices communicating.

What type of CNC router is it? I've seen a lot of videos of CNC machines running on arduino's and other small form factor GPIO's which would be no different than a USB based DB25 connector.

I don't want make this sound like an argument, I just want to educate myself if I am wrong.

It is a homebrew design. I don't claim to know all the ins and outs of this particular part but I have been told by people considerably more knowledgeable on the subject that it has something to do with a PWM signal and that the Hz of something has to be in a particular range that somehow gets distorted or skewed with a traditional adapter. Looking into it more I am now probably going to use a USB adapter that has a dongle between the USB side and the DB25 side that has a motion controller built into it. Apparently it is far more powerful of a setup using this than going straight from the pc DB25 to the breakout board for the stepper drivers.

[big_tiger]

http://www.cappuccinopc.com/solutions/fanless_mini_pc.asp

Probably too expensive but being fanless is a plus, and some of them have PCI slots.

[abecx]

I want a homebrew CNC machine now

[inline 6]

I want a homebrew CNC machine now

cnczone is a great resource. Its not all that complicated to do but there is a shit load of resourcing parts to do unless you buy something that is turn key. This is the 3rd one I have built, all of my own design and doing. This is also the nicest and most capable setup I will have owned.

[FunFordCobra]

AMD 7970 35 dollars. Save 300. Microcenter.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/411475/Radeon_HD_7970_3072MB_GDDR5_PCIe_30_x16_Video_Card

[inline 6]

AMD 7970 35 dollars. Save 300. Microcenter.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/4...x16_Video_Card

Dude are you around there? I would like one for sure. It says for pickup only

[FunFordCobra]

No sorry I'm in Arkansas all weekend.