Interfacing to the Parallel Port

While there is a choice of ports on

the PC for amateur use and direct
interfacing, the parallel port is
probably the simplest. With eight
data wires, several control wires and
bidirectional capability, it offers a
convenient way to get information in
and out of a PC. The examples in
the next two sections use an older
software language, BASIC or
GWBASIC to get information in and
out. Newer languages can be used,
but several varieties of BASIC are
available on the Internet at no cost.
The learning curve for someone who
has never used a programming
language is very short — usually a
matter of a few minutes. The two
examples that follow interface single
chip analog-to-digital and digital-to-
analog converters to the parallel port
of a PC.
Single-Chip Dual-Channel A/D
In this analog world, often there is
need to measure an analog voltage
and convert it to a digital value for
further processing in a PC. This
single chip converter and accompa-
nying software performs this task for
two analog voltages.
Circuit Description
The circuit consists of a single-chip
A/D converter, U2, and a
DB-25 male plug (Fig A). Pins 2 and
3 are identical voltage inputs, with a
range from 0 to slightly less than the
supply voltage VCC (+5 V). R1, R2,
C3 and C4 provide some input
isolation and RF bypass. There are Fig A — Only two chips are used to provide a dual-channel voltmeter. PL1 is
four signal leads on U2. DO is the connected through a standard 25-pin cable to your computer printer port. U2
converted data from the A/D out to requires an 8-pin IC socket. All resistors are ¼ W. You can use the A/D as an SWR
display by connecting it to a sensor such as the one shown in Chapter 19 of this
the computer; DI and CS are control Handbook (Tandem Match Wattmeter project). A few more resistors are all that are
signals from the computer, and CLK needed to change the voltmeter scale. The 50-kΩ Ω resistors from 2:1 voltage
is a computer-generated clock signal dividers, extending the voltmeter scale on both channels to almost 10 V dc.
sent to pin 7 of U2.
The +5-V supply is required. It
may be obtained from a +12-V
source and regulator U1. Current resistors, is shown in the figure. modify it, make sure you resave it as
drain is usually less than 20 mA, so Resistor accuracy is not important, an ASCII file. It can be imported into
any 5-V regulator may be used for since the circuit is calibrated in the QBasic and most other BASIC
U1. The power supply ground, the accompanying software. dialects.
circuit ground and the computer The program was written to be
ground are all tied together. If you Software understandable rather than to be
already have a source of regulated The software, A2D.BAS, can be highly efficient. Each line of basic code
5 V, U1 is not needed. found on the Handbook CD. It has a comment or explanation. It can
In this form the circuit will give you includes a voltmeter function and an be modified for most PCs. The printer
two identical dc voltmeters. To SWR function. It is written in port used is LPT1, which is at a hex
extend their range, connect voltage GWBASIC and saved as an ASCII address of 378h. If you wish to use
dividers to the input points A and B. file. Therefore, you can read it on LPT2 (printer port 2), try changing the
A typical 2:1 divider, using 50-kΩ any word processor, but if you address to 278h. To find the ad-

5.68 Chapter 5

Chapter 5.pmd 68 8/3/2007, 8:45 AM

 dresses of your printer ports, run
FINDLPT.BAS (also included on the
Handbook CD).
A2D.BAS was written to run on
computers as slow as 4.7-MHz PC/
XTs. If you get erratic results with a
much faster computer, set line
1020(CD=1) to a higher value to
increase the width of the computer-
generated clock pulses.
The software is set up to act as an
SWR meter. Connecting points A
and B to the forward and reverse
voltage points on any conventional
SWR bridge will result in the pro-
gram calculating the value of SWR.
Initially the software reads the
value of voltage at point A into the
computer, followed by the voltage at
point B. It then prints these two
values on the screen, and computes
their sum and difference to derive
the SWR. If you use the project as a
voltmeter, simply ignore the SWR
reading on the screen or suppress it
by deleting lines 2150, 2160 and
2170. If the two voltages are very
close to each other (within 1 mV),
Fig B — Only three wires and a ground lead are needed to connect the
the program declares a bad reading converter to your PC.
for SWR.
Calibration
Lines 120 and 130 in the program
independently set the calibration for Circuit Description address, run FINDLPT.BAS.
the two voltage inputs. To calibrate a This project is the complement of The program takes the value
channel, apply a known voltage to the parallel port A/D converter AIN from the keyboard (line 230),
input point A. Read the value on the described earlier. It takes a digital converts it to a number between
PC screen. Now multiply the con- number from the computer, and 0 and 255, and then sends it out
stant in line 120 by the correct value converts it to a voltage from 0 to 5 as a serial word to the DIA chip. If
and divide the result by the value V dc. Only one chip, the MAX 512, you would like to use the project
you previously saw on the screen. is required. It operates from a 5-V with another program, use your
Enter this constant on line 120. supply and is connected to the other program to set AIN to the
Repeat the procedure for input point computer by a standard DB-25 value you want to generate, and
B and line 130. parallel port connector. The chip then run this program as a sub-
may be ordered from Digi-Key, routine.
D to A CONVERTERS — Allied Electronics and other ham At the end of the program is the
CONTROLLING ANALOG DEVICES suppliers as MAX512CPD-ND. The clock pulse subroutine. In the event
The complement to A/D convert- voltage regulator in Fig B provides your computer is too fast for the
ers is D/A (digital-to-analog) convert- the 5 V source required to power converter chip, you can stretch the
ers. Once there is a digital value in the chip. clock pulses by changing CD in line
your PC, a D/A will provide an 5010 to a value greater than the
analog voltage proportional to the Software default value of 1.
digital value. Normally the actual The software needed to run
value is scaled. As an example, an the chip, D2A.BAS, can be found Applications
8-bit converter allows a maximum on the Handbook CD. It is about This circuit provides the capability
count of 255. If the converter is set 60 lines long, fully commented of setting a voltage under computer
up with a +5 V dc reference voltage, and written in GWBASIC, so it control. It can be calibrated to
a maximum value digital value of may be readily modified. The match the power supply and the
255 would result in a D/A output parallel port address is defined on actual chip used. Tests with several
value of 5 V. Lower digital inputs line 105 as PORTO=&H378. Your chips showed an error of 25 mV or
would give proportionally lower computer may use a different less over the range of 0 to 5 V dc
voltages. address. To find the correct output. — Paul Danzer, N1II

Electrical Signals and Components 5.69

Chapter 5.pmd 69 8/3/2007, 8:45 AM