pci to parallel adapter configuration

[tweist]

I am trying to configure a PCI to parallel adapter for communications to my Grinch boards. The OS is Win XP pro, and when I install the card the systems will not put the IRQ where I need it. The system also will not allow me to move or reconfigure the IRQ. Any suggestions, or ideas where I can get PCI to parallel adapter cards that I can hardware configure?

tweist
5 Grinch 320 channels.

[tweist]

Clarification: I have a PCI to parallel adapter. This is in a desktop, not a laptop, if that helps any.

Sorry for the mistake.

[dirknerkle]

The problem likely isn't the irq -- pci can share interrupts. The problem is likely the memory address that is set in Vixen to use the adapter.

Open the control panel, choose system and then the hardware tab. Then choose the device manager. Scroll down to the ports area and open it. That's where you'll find the parallel port listed. If it has a yellow warning by it, it's not working right. If it doesn't, check it's properties, and under the resources property tab you'll find the addresses listed. Use the first address you see as the hardware address in vixen's configuration for the parallel adapter. That normally works.

[tweist]

I tried your suggestions, and yes I can see the new port as LPT2 but the Resources at listed at 9000-9007 and it will not allow me to reconfigure to Resources of 0278-027F which is where I need it. I will contact the manufacture and see if there is another driver I can download enabling me to configure it correctly.

If you have any other suggestion, I'm open to try them.
Thanks for the assistance.

[dirknerkle]

I tried your suggestions, and yes I can see the new port as LPT2 but the Resources at listed at 9000-9007 and it will not allow me to reconfigure to Resources of 0278-027F which is where I need it. I will contact the manufacture and see if there is another driver I can download enabling me to configure it correctly.

If you have any other suggestion, I'm open to try them.
Thanks for the assistance.

If you're using the standard parallel plugin, when you go to configure the plugins, it shows 378 for lpt1 and 278 is normally for LPT2, but you can choose OTHER. Then you type in the address that it's using.

[tweist]

I'm not sure where the 'Other' option is. I am currently using the Olsen 595 Plugin and it only offers LPT 1, 2, & 3. where should I look for the 'Other' option. it would be great to get this all set up and tested.
Otherwise, any idea what PCI card I can buy that will work?

Thanks again for your help.

[dirknerkle]

I'm not sure where the 'Other' option is. I am currently using the Olsen 595 Plugin and it only offers LPT 1, 2, & 3. where should I look for the 'Other' option. it would be great to get this all set up and tested.
Otherwise, any idea what PCI card I can buy that will work?

Thanks again for your help.

Instead of the Olsen 595 plugin, try the Basic Parallel. That will give you the option to change the memory address to "other"

[tweist]

Will that work with the Grinch controller boards? If so that is great.

[dirknerkle]

Will that work with the Grinch controller boards? If so that is great.

Yes.

[tweist]

Thanks again, I will try it this evening and let you know.

[dirknerkle]

Thanks again, I will try it this evening and let you know.

Olsen 595 and Grinch boards use the same signaling scheme from the parallel port, even though the two board use different chips.

I once had the same problem you have, I changed it from the Olsen 595 to parallel, defined the 64 channels and it seemed to work just fine. At least that's what I remember. I also built a couple Grinch boards just for the heck of it and they were plug-in replacements for the 595's -- I didn't have to change anything other than the RJ45 plugs on the Grinch are in a different order than the 595's. The grinch has four chips, and the four RJ45s on either side of the board are directly related to the MBI chip they're closest to. On the 595, it's similar but the channel numbering goes counter-clockwise around the board instead.

A better solution is to install a Ren-C board as the front-end for your Grinch and use serial communication to it instead. Not only do you get longer cabling options (RS-232 serial can be upwards of 50 feet long, serial RS-485 up to 1000'), but you also get dimming as well. You also don't have the port issue because the Ren-C can use either a hardware serial port or a USB port adapter, etc. Lot more flexibility and overall, it makes the Grinch (or the 595) actually much more powerful for not very much money ($30-$40 or so total)

[tweist]

I have investigated the Ren-C solution and will be incorporating it next year. It sounds and looks like a much better way to go and like you said, I will get the ablity to dim the channels. I'm just not sure I will get time this year to get that far. I currently have the system setup for 320 channels but this year I am only using 164. If time permits I may still try to build up the Ren-C.

Thanks again for all the support.

[tweist]

Ok, I tried the Basic Parallel Plugin, I set the first one up to channels 1-64 on LPT 1 with resource of 0378, and I set the second one up for channels 65-128 on LPT 2 with resource of 9000. I get no lights triggering on at all. I then scaled back to just channels 1-64 on LPT 1, still nothing. To ensure I still had good connections, I deleted the Basic Parallel plug in and reused the Olsen 595 for the first 64 channels. That still works great. I then remove the Olsen 595 plugin and used the Basic Parallel again, still no lights. Is the wiring of the connector the same, pin 1=strobe, pin 2=Data Bit 0, pin 14 =Autofeed, and pins 18-25=Gnd?

I must be missing something very simple.
Any suggestions?

[dirknerkle]

Ok, I tried the Basic Parallel Plugin, I set the first one up to channels 1-64 on LPT 1 with resource of 0378, and I set the second one up for channels 65-128 on LPT 2 with resource of 9000. I get no lights triggering on at all. I then scaled back to just channels 1-64 on LPT 1, still nothing. To ensure I still had good connections, I deleted the Basic Parallel plug in and reused the Olsen 595 for the first 64 channels. That still works great. I then remove the Olsen 595 plugin and used the Basic Parallel again, still no lights. Is the wiring of the connector the same, pin 1=strobe, pin 2=Data Bit 0, pin 14 =Autofeed, and pins 18-25=Gnd?

I must be missing something very simple.
Any suggestions?

Hmmmmm that's not how I remember it working... sorry you're having this much trouble...

Here's another idea, since the Olsen 595 works with channels 1-64. Define the Olsen plugin to use channels 1-128 instead and daisy chain the first grinch into the second one. Then forget about LPT2 all together.

[tweist]

That does work just fine, but I need 164 channels for this sequence.
So I started trying other plugins. I used the Simple 595 and configured the first 64 channels to LPT 1 resource 0378, then I added a second Simple 595 and configured it for LPT 2 resource 9000. Now it works great.
My final configuration will be to put channels 1-128 on LPT 1 and 129-164 on LPT2.

So if anyone else has this problem, try using the Simple 595 plugin and select other for the strange resource address.

Thanks for the support and all the options. I know we would get it to work.

[A Marchini]

oops replied after the solution..

So a little redirect , The Basic Parallel Plugin basically just makes a parallel port a one signal per data bit output. So Bit 0 on the port is Channel 1 , Bit 1 is Channel 2, etc.
So essentially it won't work with 595 bit streams, DIRECTLY (you can be creative and make it work, but it would just be silly).

Tony M.

[dirknerkle]

That does work just fine, but I need 164 channels for this sequence.
So I started trying other plugins. I used the Simple 595 and configured the first 64 channels to LPT 1 resource 0378, then I added a second Simple 595 and configured it for LPT 2 resource 9000. Now it works great.
My final configuration will be to put channels 1-128 on LPT 1 and 129-164 on LPT2.

So if anyone else has this problem, try using the Simple 595 plugin and select other for the strange resource address.

Thanks for the support and all the options. I know we would get it to work.

Good job!!! You did all the hard stuff -- the tearing-out of the hair, the foot-stomping, the slamming of the wall with a fist, etc... ;)