Help wanted :How to output data to parallel port

[Graham Symns]

Hi All,

My first post on this forum.
I have written a suite of programs for a quilting machine I have built.
I am trying to convert these to VB6.0 but when I acquired VB6.0 I did not get the MSDN help library so
my first question is ..How best to get it?
My next request is for some code snippet to show how to output data to the parallel port.

out portxyx,&Hnum does not cut it!!

Cheers Graham

[Bonnie West]

... but when I acquired VB6.0 I did not get the MSDN help library so
my first question is ..How best to get it?

This may not be the best way but MSDN still hosts the VB6 docs.

My next request is for some code snippet to show how to output data to the parallel port.

out portxyx,&Hnum does not cut it!!

Have you searched this forum?

[Graham Symns]

Hi Bonnie,

Thanks for your reply.
Yes I have spent time searching this site but what looked like a good line was very old so I must say I did not think that it would be useful.

Regards Graham

[Graham Symns]

Hi Bonnie,

Sorry..I thought about your question and realised I had not "searched" but I had browsed about.
I searched and I found what I was looking for.

Regards Graham

[electrodoc]

Hi graham I've done a bit with the LPT Port. what is the code you have for the machine or what input does it require.. ie does it have its own data clock or does it rely on external data clock.?? are there inputs to separate motors for control or is it done internally with Decoders.?

[Graham Symns]

Hi,

I have managed to get the program to do what I wanted once I found how to add the Inpout32.dll by adding a module (I'm using VB 6.0 with no MSDN
library!)
The immediate goal is to display a quilting pattern (formatted in a pixel by pixel xy format ) which is decoded to give xdir,xclk,ydir,yclk output to a parallel port
to 2 UHU servo boards to drive a quilting machine of my design.A third servo drives the needle down-up according to the prepended code to do the stitching
and also to to do the "Must do" stitches at the cusp points of the pattern.
When the pattern is completed the machine is returned to it's starting point.
I had written all my previous programs in QB4.5 for ease of proving any concept I wanted to evaluate.
Because I wanted to do an more up market presentation I thought I would re-create my previous work using VB 6.0!
Now here was the challenge!

Cheers Graham

[si_the_geek]

Is there a particular reason that you decided to use VB6 (aka VB 1998, which is no longer supported), rather than a newer version?

You can get the latest version (with its equivalent of the MSDN library) for free: www.microsoft.com/Express

[Graham Symns]

Hi si_the_geek,

A good question.......the reason for using VB6.0 was that I had it on hand for about 5 years and initially looked at it and thought that it looked good albeit without the MSDN
library.
I passed on it as I thought that I would get more progress using QB4.5 to learn and get some progress on my project which I did.
You may be aware that we had a few earthquakes(ChCh New Zealand) .
As I type another demolition truck just rumbled past and we are only now in the process of a re-build in another locality.
So as therapy I chose to use VB6.0 to while away the time until our house is re-built.By the way I also have the VB you refer to but it looked to have a very steep learning curve.
Thanks for your enquiry.
Regards Graham

[dilettante]

There is also some doubt whether a copy of VB6 without the MSDN Library CDs has legally been transferred to you under the license terms.

Another reason you might consider VB.Net instead.

[dilettante]

You might also want newer versions of the inpout driver/API like those at InpOut32 and InpOutx64. Normally you want to put the standard DLL "next to" your EXE (same folder) rather than into System32 (or SysWow64).

For VB6 programs you'll probably still want the 32-bit version:

Please bear in mind, that on 64bit operating systems, many applications are still 32bit. If your application is 32bit you MUST use my version of InpOut32.dll which contains both 32bit and 64bit drivers and determines which one to install and use at runtime.

[Graham Symns]

Hi si_the_geek,

You say to use a later version of VB.
As I have Windows XP is the download I should use the
" Express 2012 for WINDOWS DESKTOP" one ?

Regards Graham

[si_the_geek]

The only other desktop-compatible one is Windows 8 specific, so you the one you mentioned is correct for all other desktop versions of Windows (including XP).

[electrodoc]

Hi,

I have managed to get the program to do what I wanted once I found how to add the Inpout32.dll by adding a module (I'm using VB 6.0 with no MSDN
library!)
The immediate goal is to display a quilting pattern (formatted in a pixel by pixel xy format ) which is decoded to give xdir,xclk,ydir,yclk output to a parallel port
to 2 UHU servo boards to drive a quilting machine of my design.A third servo drives the needle down-up according to the prepended code to do the stitching
and also to to do the "Must do" stitches at the cusp points of the pattern.
When the pattern is completed the machine is returned to it's starting point.
I had written all my previous programs in QB4.5 for ease of proving any concept I wanted to evaluate.
Because I wanted to do an more up market presentation I thought I would re-create my previous work using VB 6.0!
Now here was the challenge!

Cheers Graham

I See.. It sounds like 2 halves of a display panel I Built. How far does the Head move in 10 clocks.? and what minimum pulse length do the clocks need to be.?

(I Wrote my first in Qbasic Too Lol), Well I Had too. after translating Some Bingo Random Number Code from ZX Spectrum Basic To QBasic on A 386 PC and Experiencing the Processing Speed Difference It Was A Must. However I Tried VB.Net And found it 'UNEnglish'..

TTFN