Topic: Two Parallell ports?

[Micael Åman]

Hi

I am planning to install an E-smith server with two parallell printers. I have to install a second parallell port. Has anyone done this?

Micael
Sweden

[Emiel van Leeuwen]

Hi Micael,

In fact I have a HP deskjet 815 C and an Hp 5L laserjet printer connected and they both work fine. The only thing that's important is when you add an lpt card on your mobo the onboard lpt will become lpt1 and the newly installed ISA card wil become lpt0 at least that how it was om my e-smith box. For the rest linux will discover the port when booting so you will be able to configure a new printer through the e-smith web manager. I you want to print from your Windoze boxes just goo to network neighborhood and right click the printer and choose install.

Have the printer driver disks /cdrom close cause you will need them.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to mail me.

Regards

Emiel

[Henry]

This is just the opposite for me. The additional parrellel port on the ISA IDE controller card came up as lp1, with the original port on the mobo as lp0, go figure. As for the rest of it, just let e-smith do it's thing and follow the printer config instructions.

I have a HP inkjet and a HP laserjet on the e-smith box and another HP inkjet on a win95 client box. All 3 are visible in the my computer window and when I want to print, I can chose from them and the fax driver. All very cool!!

Good luck and let me know if you need any more help.

Henry

[Charlie Brady]

Henry wrote:

> This is just the opposite for me. The additional parrellel
> port on the ISA IDE controller card came up as lp1, with the
> original port on the mobo as lp0, go figure.

It will depend on the I/O addresses of the two ports - the lower address becomes lp0, etc.

The moral of the story is, after adding an extra port, you may need to reassign your printers.

Charlie

[Micael Åman]

Thanx!!

It not look bad at all.
I will test it on Saturday. I let you know how it turned out.

Have a nice weekend


Cheers


Micael

[Micael Åman]

It worked nice.

I had som trouble with the I/O adresses but after that it worked fine.




//Micael

[John Sadie]

There are 3 standard parallel ports - 3BC, 378 and 278, as defined by the original IBM PC in 1971. (How time flies!)

Other addresses can be used, but then you will have to tell the OS about them.

On a DOS / Windows PC do a debug with d 40:0. You will see all the PAR and SER ports listed in the top line, in backwards format: 78 02 BC 03, etc.

You can do this on a LINUX box by booting up a DOS or WINDOWS floppy disk, with debug on it. Also, the CMOS startup screen after power up will usually show the ports - press PAUSE to view.

In the DOS/WIN world, if you have only one PAR port, that will be LPT1, regardless of it's address.

If you two ports, ie 378 and 278, then 378 will be LPT1 and 278 will be LPT2

If then add 3BC, it becomes 3BC=LPT1, 378=LPT2 and 278=LPT3. Note that usually ALL three ports may be set to use IRQ7.

It does not matter whether the ports are on the main board, or on seperate boards -the addresses are all that counts. Preferably use PAR cards that allow you to use jumpers to set up the ports, then no software loading will be necessary.

Charlie - if you read this, does Linux really start at the LOWER addresses, ie: 278=LPT1, 378=LPT2 and 3BC=LPT3? Just curious.

I am impressed that you gus can produce such a good product and still have time to help on these forums - thanks !

John Sadie