Laptop with express/3 card want to use parallel port to control DSP DSK board - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: R_G_B_
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 07:49:12 pm
content: Laptop with express/3 interface I want to use parallel port to control DSP DSK board.Do such adapters work with legacy devices such as a parallel port?I would like to control and interface with a DSP development boards that communicates via the parallel port.http://1sourcecomponents.com/store/product_info.php/texas-instruments-tmdsdsk33-tms320vc33-university-dsk-p-590890if its possible can anyone recommend such a device which will work?ThanksR_G_B

author: gslick
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 08:50:10 pm
content: I have a SYBA SD-EXP50021 2 x Serial + 1 x Parallel Ports ExpressCard adapter which uses the Moschip/ASIX MCS9901 -- PCIe to Dual Serial and Single Parallel Controller. I forget why I originally bought. It was probably either to use with a parallel LPT port interfaced device programmer (something from BP Microsystems), and/or maybe with an Altera ByteBlaster, with whatever Windows based software was normally used to control the device programmer. I still have the SD-EXP50021 adapter but no longer have a laptop with an ExpressCard slot to check it out again. If I remember correctly it probably took a while of screwing around to get everything configured to work.If you are looking at ExpressCard adapters with parallel LPT ports, make sure the chipset used in the adapter is a PCIe chipset such as the Moschip/ASIX MCS9901. Some ExpressCard adapters with parallel LPT ports use USB connected chipsets instead of PCIe chipsets and those almost certainly won't work for your application.If the SYBA SD-EXP50021 is no longer available maybe try a StarTech EC1PECPS which is supposed to be based on the PLX/Oxford - OXPCIe952 chipset. Seems to be currently available around $50 in the US.Good luck, you'll probably need it.

author: ajb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 09:26:56 pm
content: Quote from: gslick on February 02, 2016, 08:50:10 pmYes, I looked into this a while ago and the vast majority of ExpressCard parallel port adapters were USB only, and would appear to the system strictly as a USB printer rather than an as a generic LPT port. I did find one USB-LPT adapter that had a virtual LPT port driver, but it wasn't supported in Windows XP (this was pre-Win7 when I looked). I could only find one PCIe expresscard for sale, and I think it was the same StarTech part that gslick mentioned.As another option there's this USB-LPT project, which appears to support through Win7, but has some limitations due to the nature of USB stacks:https://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de/~ygu/bastelecke/PC/USB2LPT/index.en.htm

author: Pjotr
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2016, 10:41:16 pm
content: Yes it is hassle which cable works. USB cables definitely not. Often de software is programmed "at the steel" to say so and you need a native parallel port. I solved it the easy way for a comparable project by getting a second hand old business laptop from the HP - NC series. Came with a native serial port alsoCost me less than $100. Maybe old, but more than fast enough for programming work.