[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] Reading from the parallel port

ingar@bibsyst.UUCP (ingar) (06/27/91)

Hi, I need to know if it is possible to read 8 bits from the 
centronics parallel port on an ibm compatible PC. I know it is
possible to read 3 bits, and I have even heard it is possible to
read 5, but is it possible to read 8 bits, and if it is 
possible how is it done??

Ingar Pedersen, PreIng.

ingar@bibsyst.no

rubini@ipvvis.unipv.it (Alessandro Rubini) (06/28/91)

               ingar@bibsyst.UUCP (ingar) writes:

>Hi, I need to know if it is possible to read 8 bits from the 
>centronics parallel port on an ibm compatible PC. I know it is
>possible to read 3 bits, and I have even heard it is possible to
>read 5, but is it possible to read 8 bits, and if it is 
>possible how is it done??

Actually, it is possible to read five bits into the parallel port,
   but nothing more (I also would like too, and studied a schematics
   of the circuit).
The fact is that the parallel port of the PC has born to drive a printer
   only. The 25pin connector deserves some 8 pins to GND. It'd have been better
   to mark 7 of them 'reserved', for future uses like this one.
-- 
==============================================================================
 Alessandro Rubini                                     Almo Collegio Borromeo
                   rubini@ipvvis.unipv.it              27100 Pavia, Italy.
==============================================================================

dprrhb@inetg1.ARCO.COM (Reginald H. Beardsley) (06/28/91)

See page 7 of Tech Specialist, Vol. 2, No. 6, June 1991 for an article on 
using the parallel ports for high speed I/O between two PC systems.

-- 
Reginald H. Beardsley       
ARCO Information Services
Plano, TX 75075           
Phone: (214)-754-6785
Internet: dprrhb@arco.com