Parallel interface

[mario22]

Hy my name is mario and i am from croatia.
I have question about interface that i have found in my school. the interface is paralel and comes in complete with robotic arm.
interface has a pc conection and it looks like this one :
since i dont know how to post picture i will put the link that i have found from the same interface:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lsnet/350998290/
My question is can i use this complete for something if i buy some adapter usb to prallel or pci prallel port and if would work like that what software must i use? can it work with robopro?

[sven]

Hello,

yes you can.
Knobloch GmbH had build an Adapter for this: The Robo Connection-Box:
http://www.knobloch-gmbh.de/wbcdirect.p ... uktid=2751

Greetings
Sven

[vleeuwen]

It also possible to use this interface as a front end for a microcontroller board.
The motor drivers on the interface are very nice one's.

As I remember myself well, there exist a schema of this interface on the FT-community site.
And a description of the communication.

The original interface on the Parallel port act much faster than the later one's.

Microchip and a lot of other microcontroller companies are selling cheap and nice microcontroller board with USB interface and drivers.

[mario22]

Thank you for fast reply,
My next question is if i buy robo adapter would it work with robo pro software or i am stuck on the basic?
Since my intentions are to make it possible to work for the kids i would like to have existing adapter not something diy

[vleeuwen]

The VPL (Visual programming language) part of MS Robotics Developer Studio with the message flow concept is very suitable for learning use.

Message flow oriented programming is easy to understand for children.
Fischertechnik has support for this with the FtTxService, FtTlService and Ft16Service for MS-RDS.
For the moment these drivers are published in the LinkedIn group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3639 ... =hb_side_g

We hope to move them soon to the Fischertechnik MS-RDS page.
The FT16Service give support to the RoboConnection Box.

[mario22]

Thank you for repply,
I will order robo box and try...
I was little experimenting with interface since i have found old pci parralel card and install it on my computer but have not get further then this. I connected the interface with my computer and power supply and there is nothing happening.
Is it possible to make it work like that with pci card or will just work with robo box?
sorry for multiple questions this is all new for me and i dont know where to beggin,
I was thinking first to make it work with the computer and then learn how to work with it...
since this is old school property and was forgotten for many years... i will try to make it working since today things are different than late 80 and 90-is when was much invested in schooling there is no money to buy new equipment so i must do with this equipment it has all neccessary parts but lack of litterature and informations lack of software support and i want to make it work with minnnimal investment.

[Mephisto]

Hello Mario...

a few weeks ago I started to run some of my old robots from 1985 with the old parallel interface...and now I have some experiments to try out
I also connected it to my PC via the RoboConnectBox - but first it didn´t work and the big question of course has been: WHY?? Well, the Connect box usually recognizes itself, wich interface it´s connected to. Unfortunately my box had the idea of being connected to a multiface, don´t know why... So here is my tip (for such a case): write an email to the producer of the RoboConnect Box and they will send you some actual software that you may use to set the connected parallel interface (or some others from a list) manually. That´s what I did (and the only reason why I saw that the box has been set for a multiface)...and now it works and nearly everything is fine ))

Of course, the old parallel interface has not as many ports as the newer ones, but with 8 digital and 2 analog inputs and 4 motor outputs it´s already fine for me. It also works with the most features of RoboPro and is a real challenge in some special cases of positioning systems of the older fischertechnik robots. F.e. it´s interesting to try the best way out to reproduce the positions with the two potentiometers (?=potis), there you might have to use some program-tricks with RoboPro. Normal digital input (just 0 and 1) of course is no problem. Another problem is the positioning system of the old Trainingsroboter...because the pulse rate is too fast for the Connect box (didn´t manage it yet, but people here in this forum gave me some good tips...so f.e. it would be possible to divide the pulse rate by 2 via a T-flipflop)...so wish you as much fun as I have with these actual tasks and good luck

Mephisto

[mario22]

While waiting for box i have try to make it work with LLWIN software since LLWIN have support for LPT interface but canot comunitate with interface maybe is problem in windows7? maybe on xp will work?

[vleeuwen]

It is a good idea to take and old computer with Windows 98 or Windows ME and make use of LLWIN.
I guess that you will need a older MS-Windows O.S. which you give support for full parallel printing port: Windows 98 or Windows ME.