Description:

This hat adds a DB25F Parallel Port to your Raspberry Pi.  This is useful for hobby grade CNC routers or mills to use the Raspberry Pi as the main controller.  The 5 axis CNC Breakout board is really inexpensive and available everywhere, and this hat is the simplest way to connect it to the Pi. 

Note that full Parallel Port pin control is not included on this board.  It is designed to be used specifically with the 5 axis CNC Breakout board also sold on this site.  A parallel port will not be added to the Pi.  LinuxCNC will toggle the GPIO pins to drive the BOB board. Please use the sample HAL files for implementation.  If you need a full parallel port control for a different purpose, please contact us.

Features

• Adds a DB25F Parallel Port to the Raspberry Pi
• When used with 5 Axis Breakout Board: 
• Stepper motor outputs to external drivers for axis X, Y, Z, A, and B (B axis DIR signal is shared with Relay Output, so only one can be used at a time)
• 0-10V analog (PWM) output to VFD
• 5 inputs for home or limit switches
• DC Spindle Motor Control Up to 60V or 10A, 350W max. 
• Able to drive a diode laser 
• RS485 port for possible VFD connection (LinuxCNC configs not tested yet)
• Designed to be used with LinuxCNC
• LEDs indicate 3.3V, 5V, and Output Enable
• Standoffs are included

Downloads

Note: some people have reported issues with the latest build of LinuxCNC for the raspberry Pi. The error occurs when trying to start LinuxCNC with the HAL file I provide. The error indicates that GPIO26 cannot be found. The quick fix to this is to use a slightly older version of the LinuxCNC image. The 11-17-2023 build located here appears to work: https://www.linuxcnc.org/iso/

• Sample Pi4 HAL Config: LinuxCNC Hal file for Raspberry Pi 4
• Sample Pi5 HAL Config: LinuxCNC Hal file for Raspberry Pi 5
• Example Config Folder for my router: Example Config Folder
• The 3D printable stand: Pi Parallel Hat and Breakout Board Stand v8
• Schematics: ParallelPiHatSchematicRev2.pdf

For more information on setup/troubleshooting, see our Blog: https://byte2bot.com/blogs/instructions/setting-up-and-troubleshooting-the-pi-parallel-hat