> Since pretty much ALL devices that plug into a parallel port
> just have to exchange bytes of data back and forth, WHY do we
> have to keep adding drivers?  Windoze otta have a generic driver
> for EPP that we can just call.

Maybe it's because of the extremely wide variety of devices that
companies interface via the parallel port. Would you want to
support a basic driver that's used for 10,000 different types of
devices, most of which should never have been designed to be
attached to a parallel port? I wouldn't.

If you're not trying to do any critical timing, you can probably
do fine at ring 3 (DLL with in-line assembly doing in's and out's
or calls to _inp() or _outp()). Also, if you don't mind getting
interrupted, you'll be OK at ring 3. If timing is critical (say
you need to monitor a pin closely or clock data in/out serially)
you need to write a VxD. I highly recommend VToolsD from Vireo
Software - gets you up and running quick. I just finished writing
one which uses pins on the parallel port for doing in-circuit
serial programming of Scenix SX chips.

Steve Harter

Mind's Eye Software
Merrimack, NH
sharter@mindseye.mv.com