**CIGAL Reference Manual, Chapter 7 (Hardware): Parallel Port Interface**



=====PPORT - Simple parallel port I/O interface=====

 **usage: init pport [flag ArevPol devNum base_address]**

The PPORT software interface in CIGAL makes use of the [[http://logix4u.net|INPOUT32.DLL]] parallel port function library and driver.

Device initialization options for the [[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter2:initialize|initialize]] pport command are:

    FLAG:
        8 - FBIRN a/d input device
    AREVPOL:
        Analog reverse polarity.
        If AREVPOL != 0, input a/d value will be
           inputval = arevpol - valuefromdevice
    DEVNUM:
        LPT device number 1,2,3 (default = LPT1)
    BASE_ADDRESS:
        LPT base address (0=Default).
        Only change this address with great care! 

**Hardware installation**

CIGAL is currently distributed with a copy of the "inpout32.dll" library file. This file contains both the application interface functions, as well as the device driver.  In order to use the interface the device driver needs to be installed into Windows on your computer.  This should happen automatically the first time you use the INPOUT32 library.  However, **you will probably need System Administrator priveleges** for the first-time installation step to work.

To install the driver, log into your computer as a system Administrator.  If you do not have Administrator priveleges you may need to find someone who does. Once logged in, start CIGAL. Then initialize the INPOUT32 parallel port interface by entering the command:

   init pport

That should be all you need to do.  To test the device try setting values in the parallel port output variable [[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter4:lpt|LPT100]] as:

   lpt100 = 0
   lpt100 = 255
   
Any 8-bit value you assign to CIGAL's LPT100 variable should be immediately sent as output data on the parallel port.

Once the driver has been used once it should remain installed. If you had to do this step as Administrator you can now log back in as a regular user.

**CIGAL configuration**

In order for CIGAL to use this device it must be told to look for it via its **init pport** command. Usually that is done by using the CIGAL [[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter1:configure|Configure(1)]] program to put the appropriate [[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter2:initialize|Init(2)]] command into the automatic [[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter1:startup|start-up]] scripts. To do so, simply start CIGAL, enter the **configure** command, and click yes when asked if you have a parallel port device (click no in response to other parallel port configuration options).  (Alternatively you could simply edit your **userconfig.imp** or **sysconfig.imp** file if it already exists and manually change the commands in the initialize section.)

**See Also:**\\
CIGAL: [[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter2:initialize|Initialize]],
[[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter1:configure|Configure]],
[[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter4:lpt|LPT data variables]]\\
Inpout32 Library: [[http://logix4u.net|Inpout32.dll for Windows 98/2000/NT/XP]],
[[http://www.lvr.com/parport.htm|Jan Axelsons Parallel Port Site]]

[[jvs:cigal|CIGAL Home]], 
[[jvs:cigal:manual|CIGAL Manual]],
[[jvs:cigal:manual:chapter7|Hardware]],
[[jvs:cigal:manual:help|Manual Help]]