[WriteLog] Writelog LPT port on XP and Vista

[Jim Sullivan]

I have a few corrections/enhancements to this PortTalk posting.

When you  edit your writelog.ini file, The LPT1=0x???? Goes in the [Ports]
section of the file.

If your desktop or launch icon is not a short-cut (Target grayed-out) do the
following.
Navigate to the Writelog install directory in your file explorer/
Click and hold down your right Mouse button over the WriteL32.exe file and
drag your mouse to the desktop and release the right mouse button.
Select the create shorcut option from the drop down menu.

To add your new target line, right click on this new shortcut Icon, and
select properties. 
Set your Target textbox to:
AllowIo.exe WriteL32.exe  0x????
The ???? is your hex LPT hardware address.

Make sure your Start in textbox is set to your WL install directory.
Example of default WL directory:
"C:\Program Files\WriteLog\Programs"

You can get back the WL icon by the following:
Right click and select properties on your shortcut icon
selecting the change Icon button 
Use the browse button to navigate to the WL install directory.
Select WriteL32.exe to get the Icon back
Select OK

Hope this Helps
Jim W7EJ CN2R



-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Sullivan [mailto:jims at psws.com] 
Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 10:15 PM
To: writelog at contesting.com
Subject: Writelog LPT port on XP and Vista 


I recently ugreaded my contest computers to XP.
I use WL with an SO2R configuration. I need the LPT port to control my
hardware.

I have been using Direct-IO under WIN2000, in the past.
I am now using Intel manufactured mother boards. 
The DirectIO lpt solution was no longer worked on XP.

I solved the problem with a free driver called PortTalk
An explanation of the driver can be found at:
http://www.beyondlogic.org/porttalk/porttalk.htm
To download: Click on the "Version 2.2" link near the bottom of the page in
the "Downloading the Source, Drivers and Usermode Programs" 
 
You can get the zipped download file also at :
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/PortTalk-Download-101383.html
Click on the blue "External mirror 1" link.
Save the zip file to your disk.

Copy the following 3 files from the zipped file to your WL install
directory:
 AllowIo.exe
 porttalk.reg
 porttalk.sys

Next you need to find the PC IO address of your installed LPT card. Go to
the control panel and click on the System Icon. Select the "Hardware" tab
followed by the "Device Manager" button. The next step depends upon your LPT
card driver. Some cards have their own section category and some cards use
the "Ports(
COM & LPT)" section.   
Click on the "+" sign of your lpt section category or the Ports( COM & LPT)
section. My card's section name is "MultiPort Serial Adapters". Find a
sub-section with an LPT Expand your LPT? sub-section Click on the
"Resources" tab. The first IO range indicated, is usually the IO address of
your card. Mine is marked 0x10A8- 0x10af. So 0x10A8 is my base IO address

Next you need to edit your writelog.ini file(in Windows directory) and add
or change the LPT map. Since I use LPT1 and my IO address is 0x10a8 I added
the following: LPT1=0x10a8 This LPT1 mapping is only symbolic. It has
nothing to do with the OS mapping of your LPT card.

Finally to make the PorTalk driver work with WL you need to modify your WL
launch Icon. Right click on the Icon and select properties. Edit the target
window to look like the following: C:\Radio\Writelog\Programs\

You need to change the "C:\Radio\Writelog\Programs" path to you own install
WL path. Be sure to change both path instances. Also change the 0x10a8 to
your LPT IO address.

Launch WL and you should see the LPT1 radio button become active in the WL
setup-> ports dialog.
I have not tested PortTalk on Vista but it should work.

Jim W7EJ,CN2R