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I'm planning to drive a Noritake VFD GU256x64D-3900 through parallel port from a Windows 10 PC.

For that purpose I started investigating ways to use parallel ports on Windows. I found some documentations about Communications Resource Handles and Client Interfaces to System-Supplied Parallel Drivers.

It seems that a lot of people toying around with parallel ports on Windows are using a specific driver named inpout32 to access the parallel port registers. Ideally I would like to avoid using it in the final solution and stick to Microsoft's driver, if at all possible. Though it's proving useful to test my parallel port notably through LPT Test Utility using the suggested circuit.

Now using the sample code provided there, that WriteFile function hangs no matter what I set my Ack and Busy pins to using the LPT Test Utility circuit. It hangs even if I try writing a single byte of data. However calling WriteFile turns on Strobe and Linefeed LEDs.

Through LPT Test Utility I get the following results:

  • I can control all data LEDs
  • I can read all status controlled through DIP switch (Error, Select, Paper out, Busy, Ack)
  • Init and Select Printer LEDs are working fine
  • Strobe and Linefeed LEDS can only be turned on and off together. If I untick either of them both LEDs turn off.

I believe the parallel port I'm testing that with is in ECP mode.

Since that Noritake VFD only connect to D0-D7, /WR (strobe), Busy and grounds I'm concerned I might get that same hang behavior once I connect the display.

I have yet to start checking various functionality of the Microsoft driver, apparently accessible through DeviceIoControl, to see how and if I could influence the workings of my port.

Is there anyone out there with knowledge and possibly working code samples for such specific usage a parallel port on Windows?

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Slion
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    There is no "Microsoft driver" that's going to be useful to you. If you want to run that LPT test utility then you'll actually have to use a printer that uses a Centronics connector, so the ACK signal gets used, they've gone the way of the dodo a long time ago. Check with the vendor for recommended solutions to use this board, but pretty likely that they expect you to use inpout32. – Hans Passant Jun 15 '16 at 07:42
  • LPT Test Utility is working. It does not need a printer. – Slion Jun 15 '16 at 08:28

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