ABSTRACT
The Parallel Port as a Host Interface Port This chapter looks at using the parallel adapter as a channel for communicating between the PC processor and another embedded processor. Many complex control applications must perform intensive mathematical calculations. One approach to tackling this problem is to use the PC as an all-in-one device to provide a user interface, a mathematical calculation engine, and I/O to the external device that needs to be controlled. Another approach is to use the PC only to provide a user interface and to use a separate embedded controller such as a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to perform the math and I/O. The latter solution is especially attractive because it does not put any demands upon the PC resources (as long as the PC can provide a suitable graphical user interface). Motion control systems typically use this approach. If you are going to interface the PC with a DSP, it is important to provide a suitable communication channel between the PC and the embedded controller.
