help me to solve parallel PCI slot issue

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R

riyazny

Member
May 8, 2006
27
0
0
i have recently bought dell dimension 5150 Pentium D processor PC

which don't have any parallel port but have 2 free PCI slots..

Now i have installed one PCI card with parallel port on my PC..Problem is this i use Unigraphics NX 2 ..Which i was using in the Old PC which requires Dongle to run..
But in this new PC after installing the PCI card , i connected my dongle to that parallel PCI port.My Unigraphics doesn't recognize the dongle, I have installed the correct driver for the PCI card .I m confusing rite now wht am i going to do next/

please help me, whether we need to do any modification..

 
bruceb

bruceb

Diamond Member
Aug 20, 2004
8,874
111
106
Look in Device Manager for the Parralel Port Card you installed
First see if there are any Driver Problem (yellow ? marks)
Next see if there are any IRQ Conflicts
Then, check to see what LPT # the new card thinks it is on
Finally, check the Software for the Dongle is set to the Same LPT # as the card

 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
18,998
0
0
You have to make sure the parallel port is set to bidirectional. If you had an integrated parallel port, you could set the type of the port (basic, bi-dir, ECP, EPP, etc) in the BIOS. Not sure how you set the type on your PCI card - perhaps with a jumper.

And if there is a way to set the Port and IRQ that the card uses, be sure those are set to one the first two standard addresses and IRQs. LPT1 (common default) = 378, IRQ 7; LPT2= 278, IRQ 5; LPT0 (early address seldom used now)= 3BC, IRQ 7.

You can check the current settings for address/IRQ in device manager > click on the + next to Ports > rt. click on the LPT port > choose Properties > look at the Resources tab.

Also look at the settings of the software that uses the dongle - in recent software there should be a way to set the port address and IRQ for it to look for the dongle - may have to reinstall the software to choose the port parameters as the software probably can't be accessed w/o the dongle. Stupid Catch-22. Smart software would be able to locate its dongle on ANY parallel port whatever the address/IRQ - or provide the ability to enter port paramaters any time it runs and can't find its dongle. You can evaluate just how SMART your software is by those features...

You may also need to go into your BIOS to reserve IRQ 7 for your parallel port card. First find out what is currently using IRQ 7 if anything. Otherwise some other hardware/software may not work as expected after you reserve it. IRQs usually can be shared now quite successfully but the card will have to be able to deal with signal level sharing. Best to have it exclusive to your card.

.bh.
 
P

Peter

Elite Member
Oct 15, 1999
9,640
1
0
PCI parallel ports are electrically compatible, but being PCI not ISA(ish), they aren't fully software compatible - and that's exactly what those dongles and their software require - a legacy port to pull some tricks on.

IRQ assignment trickery won't help that at all, but it will quite possibly screw other stuff up as well.
 
R

riyazny

Member
May 8, 2006
27
0
0
my parallel pci card shows its a ECP & shows LPT1 ,LPT2 , LPT3

i cannot change it to Bidirectional..

IRQ address is 18.

In my bios also i cannot do anything it just only shows communication card.

please help me . My dongle have no software .I think it automatically takes the driver from unigraphics software.
Anyother way for configuring this port
 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
18,998
0
0
Sometimes you can change the port settings within the Properties of the card on the Redources tab. Just uncheck "Use Automatic Setting" then the "Change" button should become "ungrayed" so you can click on it and change the port address and IRQ. Try changing them to the standard ones for LPT1:

As a last resort you may have to switch that application to a machine that still has an integrated parallel port.

Finding these sorts of things out is part of the planning process for new computers - I guess thorough planning was not done...

..bh.
 
R

riyazny

Member
May 8, 2006
27
0
0
i cannot uncheck the "Use automatic setting" its unchangeble..

but i can change the port to LPT1 & i tried with my dongle it still the same..

Actually planning is not done properly, i am a software developer this system is recommended by me to the company i am working ,

is there problem with the Paralel pci slot/.

thanks for ur suggestions
 
R

riyazny

Member
May 8, 2006
27
0
0
can i try with the usb to parallel port converter whether it helps to solve the problem..

instead of using Parallel PCI port.

Please suggest me.

riyaz
 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
18,998
0
0
USB to parallel converters can work sometimes and sometimes they have trouble with bidirectional communication. They aren't expensive online so it won't cost too much to give it a try.

All thru this, I've not seen any indication of your contacting the company that supplied the dongle for help. That's always be the first thing that should be done as they supplied the dongle and would have the best info available on how to make it work. Appealing to a forum like this is often not going to be of much help due to the specficity of your application. It is unlikely that more than a few of the members here have direct experience with your specific application and even less likely that they will actually see your thread. And it's not a parallel port issue - it's a Unigraphics Dongle issue.

From the thread title, no one would know that.

.bh.
 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
18,998
0
0
Hey bruce,
. Those two cards are real winners... :roll: One is for an ISA slot - when's the last time there WAS an ISA slot on a Dell. The other is a low-profile card - I suppose you could bend the bracket to make it fit, but...

.bh.
 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
18,998
0
0
The Lava card that Bruce just linked may work. Make sure you can return it if it doesn't w/o incurring a restocking fee as it is pretty expensive for just a parallel port.

.bh.
 
V

Visual

Member
Oct 27, 2001
125
0
71
i suggest you contact the makers of the stupidly protected program you use, and ask them for advice. you payed for it afterall, probably quite high too. i wont be too surprised if they offer you a patch or a newer version which works for you.
if they don't want to help you, i'd suggest just getting the program cracked. LPT dongles are so last century that i can't even believe someone is still using them.
 
Z

Zepper

Elite Member
May 1, 2001
18,998
0
0
There are plenty of cracks and simulators for that dongle already - weren't hard to find with a web search.

.bh.
 
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