How can I do this...

[JoeH]

I have a situation here... I am trying to hook up an LCD to the PC through the parralel port (to play MP3's). I have the code to drive the LCD in C++. I converted the code to VB6, but it it runs slower than the C++ code (The text scrool is not as smooth). Since VB can't access I/O ports directly, I had to use a dll (inpout32.dll) to allow access to the I/O ports. I think that is where my problems are. Is there a way to compile the C++ code into a dll or something and use it in VB? (keep in mind that I don't know much about C, C++, or making and using DLL's)

Thanks

[Gimpster]

I would recommend trying to learn enough about C++ to use the code that you already have. Because when it comes to animation and multimedia, VB has a long ways to go when compared to C++. VB handles it fairly well, but it is pretty slow when you start doing anything with a lot of animation or graphics. C++ would be much faster. The reason for this is because of the engine in VB. It just doesn't run that kind of thing very fast.

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Ryan

[JoeH]

All what the C++ code does is comunicating with the parallel port. It is not actually displaying anything on the screen. The text scrolls on the LCD not the monitor. So there is no REAL animation there. But It might be faster if I use a the C++ code as a DLL. And I guess thats what I need to know how to do.

Thanks

[Bob Baddeley]

Well, a tad bit off topic, but a few friends and I are making a car mp3 player, and for the visual part (track name, artist, time, number, etc.) we are also using an LCD, 16x2, and there is a winamp plugin that allows this to work. (don't ask me about using windows 98 in a car; the boot time is terrible, but they were too scared to do it in dos)

anyway, we had to test it using another program. here is a good site: http://www.eio.com/lcdintro.htm

go into the hyperemail interactive forum thingy at http://eio.com/public/lcd/

good luck

bob

[KENNNY]

it wouldnt be faster if u compiled your c++ code into a dll, cos inpout32.dll will be written in c++ anyway :)
i dont have a solution though :(


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cintel rules :p
www.cintelsoftware.co.uk

[JorgeLedo]

I programmed a gizmo I sold to some music mega-malls here in Portugal that after reading the barcode from the CD played 45 secs. of each music in it and displayed the title, singer, etc of the cd data. The LCD I was using was serial and I had no problems with it. I tried one that was paralel and had the same problem, the transmition time was too slow (i deduced it was a paralel port limitation). I'm I stupid or what?

If you need any code (or hardware) for the serial port email me.



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Jorge Ledo
j_ledo@hotmail.com
Portugal

[JoeH]

Kenny, if I compiled the the C++ code into a dll, I would not need the INPOUT32.DLL since the C++ code will take care of comunicating with the parallel port. So if the INPOUT32.DLL is the cause of my problems, then would it be a good idea to start messing with figuring out how to do the C++ as a DLL?

Thanks


Joe Handal
Workstation Engineer
joe.handal@carle.com

[Juan Carlos Rey]

I used inpout32.dll in a 486 and could output data at an amazing 100.000 bytes per second.
Before getting into deeper troubles, check if the speed limitation lies in your LDC module instead. Parallel port is always faster thas serial port, despite the DLL you are using, and besides that, it outputs whole bytes in each cycle, instead of single bits (ten times faster).