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  #1  
Old Mon 16 February 2009, 03:39
mrloeng
Just call me: Svein
 
Trondheim
Norway
My PC does not have a parallel port - how can I drive the PMDX-122?

Hi!
I thinking build a machine and wonder...
My pc dont have printer cable connection, is it possible to use a cable with printer connection and usb connection innto pc??
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  #2  
Old Mon 16 February 2009, 03:58
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Sorry, that does not work.

However, many people are using a "Smoothstepper" that accepts USB input, and it gives "printer" output to the PMDX.
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  #3  
Old Mon 16 February 2009, 07:19
sailfl
Just call me: Nils #12
 
Winter Park, FL
United States of America
mrnorway,

If you can afford an older PC they have printer ports on them. Most of us are buying on EBay. I bought an old Dell for $125 USD.
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  #4  
Old Mon 16 February 2009, 13:14
mrloeng
Just call me: Svein
 
Trondheim
Norway
Thanks.
I have a 3 year old Dell, and it is not printer port on it!
Last time i buy Dell! : )
Ok, a must by a old PC somewhere...
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  #5  
Old Mon 16 February 2009, 13:28
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
First look for a printer port expansion card before you look for another PC.
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  #6  
Old Mon 16 February 2009, 15:22
bradm
Just call me: Brad #10
 
Somerville(MA)
United States of America
But watch out when you get that printer port expansion card. You want one that's just a parallel port. There's a pretty common design out there for a 'usb and parallel port' PCI card, which actually implements the parallel port as a USB device. Clever as it is, it won't work for this purpose. DON'T BUY THIS
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  #7  
Old Mon 16 February 2009, 17:46
mrloeng
Just call me: Svein
 
Trondheim
Norway
Thank you for inormation!
I will see what I find out there.
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  #8  
Old Mon 16 February 2009, 18:19
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Brad,
Thanks for the info, good to know!
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  #9  
Old Sat 21 February 2009, 07:33
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
Svein - check your motherboard - I too have a new gigabyte MB which does not have a parallel port - but after a little investigation found out that it has an internal connector for it - if you have it too - then it is just a matter of adding the right connector with the cable.

Check you motherboard manual for this.

RGDS
IRfan
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  #10  
Old Sat 21 February 2009, 08:22
Gerald D
Just call me: Gerald (retired)
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Thanks Irfan, that is an important observation! Yes, some motherboard makers simply moved the port to the inside and did not remove them as we quickly thought.
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  #11  
Old Sat 21 February 2009, 09:06
YRD
Just call me: Yuri #17
 
Brasilia - DF
Brazil
I traded my PC a few days.

Is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000 to 2.6 Ghz 4GB.

See the photo that the parallel port (purple highlight the left)

Out the cable of an old PC and turned on the door. Operates normally. Do not forget to configure the BIOS.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg biostar1.jpg (88.1 KB, 770 views)
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  #12  
Old Sun 22 February 2009, 04:09
mrloeng
Just call me: Svein
 
Trondheim
Norway
Thanks for the tip!
There is no parallel port connection inside of my machine.
And Dell support could not find anything either
So it looks like I need to get another pc...
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  #13  
Old Sun 22 February 2009, 05:40
smreish
Just call me: Sean - #5, 28, 58 and others
 
Orlando, Florida
United States of America
You can't get a pci bus parallel port card? Why another machine?
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  #14  
Old Sun 22 February 2009, 07:08
mrloeng
Just call me: Svein
 
Trondheim
Norway
I can`t much about pc, I dont noe where I can get card that fits Dell, and how I put it into the pc and get it to work.
I must investigate some more..
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  #15  
Old Sun 22 February 2009, 15:18
mrloeng
Just call me: Svein
 
Trondheim
Norway
Think I buy a smoothstepper.
Appears that they are good.
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  #16  
Old Sun 22 February 2009, 16:07
PEU
Just call me: Pablo
 
Buenos Aires
Argentina
a $10 PCI parallel card will do the trick if your computer is a desktop.
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  #17  
Old Tue 24 February 2009, 11:44
mrloeng
Just call me: Svein
 
Trondheim
Norway
It is the cheapest yes.
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  #18  
Old Tue 17 March 2009, 10:24
mrloeng
Just call me: Svein
 
Trondheim
Norway
Do I need PCI 32-bit/33Mhz or PCI 64-bit/66Mhz card??
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  #19  
Old Tue 17 March 2009, 10:55
javeria
Just call me: Irfan #33
 
Bangalore
India
Think Win XP is 32 bit -
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  #20  
Old Tue 17 March 2009, 21:39
jeffh
Just call me: Jeff #21
 
Bellingham WA
United States of America
Send a message via Yahoo to jeffh
Hi Svein!

The PCI 32bit/33Mhz will be perfect.

I actually haven't seen a 64 bit PCI card or slot in a looooong time so I'd stay
away from those.

Good Luck!

-Jeff
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  #21  
Old Wed 18 March 2009, 13:42
mrloeng
Just call me: Svein
 
Trondheim
Norway
Thanks!
I buy PCI 32.
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  #22  
Old Thu 04 February 2010, 14:45
Jason Marsha
Just call me: Jason
 
B'Town
Barbados
Google search for

DB25 Motherboard Parallel Port Connector cable

This get you some results. This cable will plug into the LPT outputs on your motherboard and then screw it into an empty slot

Jason
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  #23  
Old Thu 11 February 2010, 17:18
brianpretty
Just call me: grandmasterb
 
bone
Canada
http://www.rosewill.com/products/478/productDetail.htm

exact one I have and works perfect got it at newegg.

has twin ports which is a bonus.
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  #24  
Old Thu 11 February 2010, 17:30
MetalHead
Just call me: Mike
 
Columbiana AL
United States of America
Yep - that is a good card - I have used one also and it worked fine. Just need to know what LPT port it is setup as for setup in Mach
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  #25  
Old Thu 11 February 2010, 23:38
Surfcnc
Just call me: Ross #74
 
Queensland
Australia
Hi Svein

Jason's advice is spot on buy the cable he has recommended. To clear up something though - the image of the motherboard above has a purplish oval drawn around the floppy disk connector, the pin header you will use is immediately above the FDD connector (just two rows of pins sticking straight out of the plastic). That's just in case there was any confusion.

Secondly and more generally, if in any doubt as to what you have available on the motherboard, hunt through the BIOS. If something is listed but not on the back panel, then look for the header on the motherboard. In the BIOS the general area to look for the ports are Advanced - On Board Devices or something similar depending on the BIOS.

Same goes for serial (com ports) ports they are often only a header on the motherboard these days. A Lot of the reports on the forum saying the new boards do not have parallel ports will be easily solved by purchasing the cables. Both of the above mentioned ports are considered to be legacy stuff in the industry now. The cables are not supplied with every motherboard manufactured as only a tiny percentage of people will ever use them.

regards
Ross
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  #26  
Old Fri 12 February 2010, 04:00
Surfcnc
Just call me: Ross #74
 
Queensland
Australia
Apologies Svein - I re-read the post and realised you do not have the pin header on your Del. The big guys get to design their own hardware and have the option to leave stuff out as they see fit.
Regards
Ross
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