Accessing parallel port through add on PCI Express card

[SGB]

We use the parallel port to send event markers to an EEG system through labview.  In the past the parallel port address was standard (378) as it was on the motherboard.  Using a newer computer and needed to add a parallel port so have used a PCI Express card.  In device manager there are 2 I/O ranges (2018 - 201F) and (2011-2017).  We typically have used the outport.vi to achieve this using the address 378.  With the new card however that is not the correct address, but using any of those in the range specified in the device manager for the PCI Express card does not work (i.e., no event codes are sent though the parallel port to the EEG computer).  We are using LabView 7,1 (yes I know its old - we have 12 but haven't upgraded yet...) and Windows 7. Previous programs using this were labview 7.1 and windows XP.

Any help would be appreciated as the parallel port is a great way for us to communicate with out other lab systems.

SB

[Joshua-B]

Hi SB,

According to the following article, the In Port and Out Port VIs are not compatible with Windows Vista or Windows 7.

Accessing Hardware Registers and Physical Memory in Windows NT/2000/XP with LabVIEW

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/E6415E8A8376F63D86256C46007592E8?OpenDocument

It appears that you may need to use VISA to write to the parallel port as described in the article below.

How Do I Use the Parallel Port in LabVIEW?

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/B937AC4D8664E37886257206000551CB?OpenDocument

[SGB]

Hi Josh,

Thanks for the reply.  I ran across that article as well - another one (http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/496CD7613F331EA4862571E200633507) states that the in and out port vi's will work with Windows Vista, although I haven't found an article about Windows 7.  The work around I found for the port address issue is a PCI parallel port card that features a re-mappable address (i.e., it supports legacy addresses like 378, which is the typical address of the parallel port).  It arrives tomorrow so after I install I'll find out if Windows 7 will allow use of the outport.vi to access the parallel port.  Will post again with results.

Thanks again.

SB

[SGB]

Hi Josh,

Quick update on how things are going and then a question:

I installed a re-mappable PCI parallel port card (startech) that allows for legacy addresses.  I've set the I/O of the port (now LPT1) to 0378.  The other important point is that I'm using a PC with Windows XP installed, so I can avoid the Vista and 7 OS issues as they relate to the outport.vi.  The thing that is strange is that using the outport.vi in this configuration it still is not sending triggers through the parallel port.  The vi that I'm using works fine on another PC (also XP), the only difference is that the one that it works on the parallel port card is on the motherboard, and in the new computer (the one that it doesn't work on) its installed via a PCI slot.  My assumption is that so long as I specify the port address to the outport.vi (in this case 378), and that address matches the parallel port card, there should be no issue.  Any thoughts/suggestions?

SB

[Joshua-B]

Hi SB,

Can you use a VISA Test Panel in Measurement & Automation Explorer to send a command through the parallel port?