Checking printer port in QBASIC

blackbox_dev · Post by **blackbox_dev** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:23 pm

I need to check the printer port (LPT1) to see if the printer is busy in QBASIC. It will need to check this around 1000 times every minute. Don't ask why, just answer my question.

If you don't know what i'm talking about, on the DB-25 printer port, Pin 11 is the busy pin. When the printer is busy it drives this pin high, and when it is ready again it drives it low. I need to check this pin for when it becomes high.

By the way, it will not be a printer attached, but is a custom circuit I am designing.

Also, QB Versions 1.0/1.1 or 4.5 version code is fine.

Post by **marshallh** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:26 pm

Do yourself a favor and get IO.DLL from GeekHideout, and use it with VB to mangle the parallel port.
The parallel port address is 0x378. You should be able to read bytes from that offset fine.

blackbox_dev · Post by **blackbox_dev** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:35 pm

The program has to run on a 286 computer... I don't think Windows and VB will run on that very well.