absence of +5V on parallel port

[Doug Fortune <pentam-at-home.com>]

Tim Goldstein wrote:

> I needed to have a 5v to hook up the Geckodrive step and direction servo
> units for the common on the step and direction lines. I just ran a wire from
> an unconnected power connector in the computer.

That of course will work fine, but you have extra wires running around.

Because  a standard parallel port has ground, but does NOT have +5V
the new series of Geckdrives (210&340) are configurable to use
either +5V or ground.

> > Rick Price wrote:
> > > I think there may also be 5v somewhere on the parallel port

nope !   It would have been a good idea to put +/- 5 and +/- 12 on there,
but IBM never asked me for my opinion!