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From: HEAGYWS@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu ()
Subject: Re: parallel ports
In-Reply-To: jtsch1@mdw053.cc.monash.edu.au's message of 28 Aug 1994 23:55:20 GMT
Message-ID: <1994Aug29.012643.29487@news.vanderbilt.edu>
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Date: Mon, 29 Aug 1994 01:26:43 GMT
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In <33r858$s24@harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au> jtsch1@mdw053.cc.monash.edu.au writes:

> G'day!	I am a want-to-be in the robotics world, eventually aiming to
> work on mobile robot intelligence etc.  However, since i am currently on
> a strict (low) budget, i would like to try and avoid having to buy a
> board such as the miniboard etc., by interfacing the robot to my IBM
> compatible.  I have seen specs for an expansion board that could do
> this, but it tended towards overkill for the simple start which i am
> looking for (non-mobile, simple if any sensors), and so i was thinking 
> about using the parallel port for this.
> 	So, if i was to use the port instructions 'in' and 'out', how
> does the 8 or 16 bit number get transferred to/from the parallel port?  Do
> the bits latch straight onto the line, or what?
> 	The parallel port i have is centronics compatible controlled by
> a PT606 (or something like that) super-io card on a 486DX50 ISA if it
> makes a difference.... :)
> 
> 	Would this method be reasonable (I would multiplex the data lines
> to get more IO lines), or is there an easier/better way?
> 

There is a pretty good explanation of this in the book "Robot Builders
Bonanza".  It deals with accessing the parallel port directly with simple
Basic commands and shows how to build some different hardware interfaces.

Also, MicroComputer Journal has been running articles on interfacing to
the parallel port.  Code examples and hardware interfaces are also 
included.

If you need an example, let me know.  I have some very simple software
written in QuickBasic that accesses the parallel port to spin a 
stepper motor.

Win
heagyws@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
