31

PARALLEL-PORT (CENTRONICS) TROUBLESHOOTING

2
SYSTEM DATA AND TROUBLESHOOTING

CONTENTS AT A GLANCE Understanding the Parallel Port

Addresses and interrupts Parallel-port signals Port operation Advanced parallel ports IEEE 1284 modes ECP/EPP cable quality IEEE 1284 issues

Troubleshooting the Parallel Port

Tips to fix parallel ports Symptoms

Further Study

Even after more than a decade of intense computer development, the parallel port (also
called the LPT port or printer port) remains the fastest and most reliable printer-connection technique in the computer industry. By sending an entire byte of data from computer to printer simultaneously, and managing the flow of data with discrete handshaking signals, the circuitry required to bundle and decode data and control signals (such as that needed by serial ports) is virtually eliminated. The longevity of parallel ports has been largely because of their simplicity and good overall performance, but todays parallel ports are not invulnerable to failure. Cable problems, static discharge damage, and spontaneous IC faults can easily disable printer communication. Additional parallel-port problems can arise from the new generation of high-performance printers and other parallel-port devices. This chapter explains the pinout and operation
997

998

PARALLEL-PORT (CENTRONICS) TROUBLESHOOTING

of conventional parallel ports, explains the advances that have occurred, and present a series of troubleshooting procedures intended to help you isolate and correct port problems.

Understanding the Parallel Port

The parallel-port interface is one of the simplest and most straightforward circuits that you will encounter in a PC. Figure 31-1 illustrates a typical bi-directional port. A parallel port is composed of three separate registers: the data register, the status register, and the control register. Address bits A0 to A9 are decoded to determine which of the three registers are active. The use of I/OR (I/O Read) and I/OW (I/O Write) lines determine whether signals on the data bus (D0 to D7) are being read from or written to the respective register. When the port is ready to accept another character, handshaking line conditions will trigger an interrupt to request a new character. The heart of a parallel port is the data register. In older PCs, the data register could only be written to (which renders the port unidirectional). But virtually all PCs since the release of i386 systems provide data registers that can be read and written (which makes the port bi-directional). To access a printer, the system CPU simply loads the port data register with the value to be passed. The bi-directional control register manages the behavior of the port, and affects the conditions under which new characters are requested from the CPU. For example, the control register is typically set up to generate an interrupt whenever the printer is ready to accept another character (i.e., IRQ7 for LPT1, and IRQ5 for LPT2). Finally, the status register is read to determine the printers status (extracted from the logic conditions of several printer handshaking lines). All that remains is the port connector itself, which is a female 25-pin sub-miniature D-type connector.
Bus IRQ5/7 Data IRQ logic Control register Data register D0D7 ERROR D0D7 DSL INI AF STR

Status register Address decoder

ACK BSY PAPER SEL

FIGURE 31-1

Block diagram of a bi-directional parallel port.

UNDERSTANDING THE PARALLEL PORT

999

ADDRESSES AND INTERRUPTS

As you saw above, the conventional parallel port in a PC is implemented through a series of three registersone register simply buffers the 8 data bits while the other two registers handle the ports handshaking lines. Although older BIOS versions only supported two or three parallel ports, todays PCs use BIOS written to support up to four complete parallel ports designated: LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, and LPT4. The base addresses allocated for each port are 0378h (LPT1), 0278h (LPT2), 03BCh (LPT3), and 02BCh (LPT4). The base address of each port corresponds to the data register. The status register of a respective port is accessed from the base address with an offset of 01h (i.e., 0379h, 0279h, 03BDh, and 02BDh), and the control register is accessed with an offset of 02h (i.e., 037Ah, 027Ah, 03BEh, and 02BEh).
Although a typical PC can theoretically support four LPT ports, it is extremely rare for a PC to offer more than two ports. Even then, the IRQ for LPT2 (IRQ5) often conflicts with the IRQ assigned to Sound Blaster-type sound boards.

2
SYSTEM DATA AND TROUBLESHOOTING

During initialization, ports are checked in the following order: 03BCh, 0378h, 0278h, and 02BCh, and LPT designations are assigned depending on what ports are found, so LPT addresses might be exchanged, depending on your particular system. The specific I/O addresses for each port are kept in the BIOS data area of RAM starting at 0408h (see Table 23-8). As you might expect, only one LPT port can be assigned to a base address. If more than one parallel port is assigned to the same address, system problems will almost certainly occur. The use of interrupts gets a bit complicated. There are basically two modes of requesting new characters for the printer: polling and interrupt-driven. Polling is the most popular method where BIOS polls (or checks) the respective ports status register to see if it is ready to accept another characterno interrupts are generated. An interrupt-driven interface is much more efficient, but can bog down other important operations during printing. For technicians who work on older machines, remember that address 03BCh was originally reserved for a parallel port located on the IBM Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA). If you are servicing an older system with no video support on the motherboard, the address 03BCh might be reserved in the event you (for some reason) want to install an IBM MDA card. For newer systems with video support located on the motherboard, address 03BCh might be the first parallel port address. Always begin your service examination by checking the number of parallel ports in your system. Parallel ports are so simple and easy to add to various expansion cards, you can exceed the limit of four parallel ports without even knowing it. If more than four ports are active, a hardware conflict can result and crash the systemyou will have to remove or disable the extra ports.

PARALLEL-PORT SIGNALS
IBM and compatible PCs implement a parallel port as a 25 pin sub-miniature D-type female connector, similar to the one shown in Fig. 31-2. The parallel connection at the printer uses a 36-pin Centronics-type connector (Amphenol type 57-30360). The exact reasoning for this rather specialized connector is not clear because 11 pins of the Centronics connector

1000

PARALLEL-PORT (CENTRONICS) TROUBLESHOOTING

18

19 Centronics connector

36

13

14 Subminiature D-type connector FIGURE 31-2 A typical parallel cable assembly.

25

TABLE 31-1 PINOUTS FOR A CENTRONICS-TYPE PARALLEL CABLE COMPUTER END 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1825 n/a n/a n/a n/a PRINTER END 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 32 31 36 1930, 33 16 17 18 34, 35

DESIGNATION STR D0 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 ACK BSY PAPER SEL AF ERROR INI DSL Ground 0V Frame +5 Vdc n/a

DESCRIPTION Strobe (send character) Data bit 0 Data bit 1 Data bit 2 Data bit 3 Data bit 4 Data bit 5 Data bit 6 Data bit 7 Acknowledge (character received) Busy (processing character) Paper out (out of paper) Select (printer is on/off line) Auto feed (line feed manual/automatic) Error (printer error) Initialize (reset the printer) Device select (master printer control) Common electrical ground Open Frame electrical ground Remote voltage source Unused

will remain unused. Be concerned with three types of signals in parallel connections: data lines, control (or handshaking) lines, and ground lines. Table 31-1 identifies the name and description of each pin. The following section describes each signal. The pin numbers at both the PC and printer ends are listed for your reference. Also remember that all signals on the parallel port are compatible with TTL signal levels.

UNDERSTANDING THE PARALLEL PORT

1001

Data lines The data lines are conductors that carry information from the parallel port to

(or from) the printer (or other peripheral). The eight data lines (D0 to D7) are located on pins 2 through 9. To reduce the effects of signal noise on parallel cables, each data line is given a corresponding data ground line (pins 18 to 25). Ground lines also provide a common electrical reference between the computer and peripheral. The remainder of a parallel port is devoted to handshaking.
Initialize and select To ensure that the printer starts in a known initialized state, an

Initialize signal (INI on pin 16) sent from the computer is used to reset a printer to the state it powered up in. Initializing the peripheral has the same effect as turning it off, then turning it on again. The Initialize line is active-low, so the printer must apply a logic 0 to trigger an initialization. The select line (SEL on pin 13) tells the waiting computer that the peripheral is on-line and ready to receive data. Select is an active-high logic signal, so a logic 1 indicates that a device is on-line and ready, and a logic 0 indicates that the printer is not ready to receive data. The computer will not send data when the select line is logic 0. You can usually determine the select lines general condition from the printers front-panel on-line light.
Strobe, busy, and acknowledge Once a computer has placed eight valid bits on the

2
SYSTEM DATA AND TROUBLESHOOTING

parallel data lines, the peripheral must be told that the data is ready. A Strobe signal (STR on pin 1) is applied to the peripheral from the computer just after data is valid. The brief Strobe signal causes the peripheral to accept the byte and store it in the printers internal buffer for processing. Under ideal circumstances, parallel ports can achieve data rates of up to 500,000 characters per second. With such a tremendous throughput, the printer needs some method of coordinating data transferthe computer must wait between characters until the printer is ready to resume accepting new characters. Printers use the Busy signal (BSY on pin 11) to delay the computer until the printer is ready. Peripherals drive the Busy line to logic 1 any time a Strobe signal is received. The Busy signal remains logic 1 for as long as it takes the peripheral to prepare for the next byte. Notice that a Busy signal can delay the computer indefinitely if a serious peripheral error has occurred (e.g., paper exhausted or ribbon jammed). When the peripheral has received a byte and dealt with it, the peripheral must then request another character from the waiting computer. The printer drops the Busy line and initiates a brief Acknowledge pulse (ACK on pin 10). Acknowledge signals are always active-low logic signals, and a typical acknowledge pulse lasts about 8 seconds. This interaction of data, Strobe, Busy, and Acknowledge signals handles the bulk of data transfer in a parallel port.
Auto feed Some printers make the assumption that a carriage return signal (<CR>) will

automatically advance the paper to the next line, while other printers simply return the carriage to the beginning of the existing line without advancing the paper. Many printers make this feature selectable through the use of a DIP switch in the printer, but an Auto Feed signal (AF on pin 14) from the computer can control that feature. A TTL logic 0 from the computer causes the printer to feed one line of paper automatically when a carriage return command is detected. A TTL logic 1 from the computer allows only a carriage return (paper would have to be fed manually). Most computer parallel ports keep this line at logic 0.

1002

PARALLEL-PORT (CENTRONICS) TROUBLESHOOTING

Device select The Device Select line (DSL on pin 17) allows the computer to bring

the peripheral on and off-line remotely. Many parallel ports leave this signal as a logic 0 so that peripherals will automatically accept data. A logic 1 on this line would inhibit printer operation.
Error The Error signal (Error on pin 15) generated by a printer (or other peripheral)

tells the computer that trouble has occurred, but is not specific about the exact problem. A variety of problems can cause an errorit depends on your particular peripheral and what it is capable of detecting. The error line uses active-low logic, so it is normally logic 1 until an error has occurred. An Error signal can typically indicate an out of paper, printer offline, or general printer fault error condition.

PORT OPERATION
This part of the chapter describes a standard sequence of events in a parallel port. The parallel data transfer begins by placing the printer on-line. Strobe and Acknowledge must be TTL logic 1, while Busy must be logic 0. In this state, the peripheral can now accept a byte of data. When printing is attempted, the CPU polls the desired LPT port and checks its status register. If the post is ready, a byte is written to the data register, and passed to the peripheral. Data must be valid for at least 0.5 seconds before the computer initiates a logic 0 Strobe. The printer responds by returning a logic 1 Busy signal, which changes the ports status. Subsequent polling of the status register will indicate that the port is unavailable. The Strobe pulse must last at least 1.0 s. Data must be held valid at least 0.5 s after the Strobe pulse passes. This timing ensures that the peripheral has enough time to receive the data. Because Busy is now logic 1, communication stops until the data byte has been processed. Processing can take 1 ms if the printers buffer is not full. If the printers buffer is full, communication might be halted for one second or longer. After the data byte has been processed, Busy is dropped to logic 0 and the printer sends a 5.0-s logic 0 Acknowledge pulse to request another data byte from the waiting computer. Once the Acknowledge line returns to a TTL logic 1 condition, the interface is ready to begin a new transfer. The status register then indicates the port is ready. When the port is next polled, a new byte can be written. Figure 31-3 illustrates this relationshipone complete cycle can take a bit longer than 1 ms.

ADVANCED PARALLEL PORTS

The appeal of a parallel port is easy to understandit is simple. While serial devices struggle with baud rates, stop bits, and parity (problems that continue to this day), parallel devices just plug into the 25-pin D-type connector, and away you go. The parallel port offered Plug-and-Play capability before the term ever became vogue. Although the parallel port has been a staple of PC communication, it certainly has not gone unchanged over the last 15 years. If youve been shopping for new computers or I/O boards over the last year or two, youve probably noticed the terms Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) or Enhanced Capabilities Port (ECP) associated with the parallel port. With a recent IEEE 1284 parallel-port standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engi-

UNDERSTANDING THE PARALLEL PORT

1003

Select Initialize signals Busy

Acknowledge Ptr selected Data (D0D8) Strobe Data transfer Busy signals Acknowledge Old data processed New data request Paper out Processing data New data loaded New data available Paper replaced On-line or select key pressed Typical parallel-port timing diagram. New data request

Paper out Error signals Select Busy FIGURE 31-3

2
SYSTEM DATA AND TROUBLESHOOTING

neers (IEEE), the PC industry has finally moved past the parallel-port architecture, and embraced a truly improved parallel port. This part of the chapter compares the various parallel port modes.
Unidirectional ports The original PC utilized a unidirectional parallel port. That is,

the port sent data only one way (from the PC to the peripheral device, which was almost always a printer). For the time, unidirectional communication was adequate for generalpurpose PCs, and the parallel port became synonymous with printer port. Unidirectional ports reigned in the PC market until 1987 (around the time of the i386).
Type 1 bi-directional ports By 1987, IBM had launched its PS/2 line. Among the

other technological advances in the PS/2, IBM incorporated a bi-directional parallel port. Now, bi-directional ports were hardly a breakthrough (older hobby-type PCs had used similar ports), but IBM was really the first to use a bi-directional port in a commercial PC. The bi-directional port was really not any faster or better than a uni-directional port, but the ability to send data back to the PC opened up the parallel port to other devices besides printers. Clone PC manufacturers jumped on the improvement, and bi-directional ports became common in almost all subsequent clones.
Type 3 bi-directional ports One of the problems with bi-directional parallel ports is that they are CPU-intensive, requiring relatively large amounts of CPU attention to manage the transfer of data. Later models of the PS/2 (the 57, 90, and 95) made an attempt to increase the throughput of a parallel port by using Direct Memory Access (DMA) techniques. The DMA approach allows the CPU to define a block of memory (e.g., printer ASCII char-

1004

PARALLEL-PORT (CENTRONICS) TROUBLESHOOTING

acters) to be sent. A DMA controller takes over control from the CPU and transfers the data without CPU interventiongenerally resulting in faster data transfer. This approach also worked when receiving data. Currently, Type 3 bi-directional ports are rarely used because todays high-performance CPUs can transfer data much faster than a DMA process.

IEEE 1284 MODES

By the end of the 1980s, it was becoming clear that conventional bi-directional parallel ports were simply not adequate to handle the new generations of faster peripherals that were appearing for the parallel port (e.g., CD-ROMs, tape drives, and laser printers). The 150KB/s parallel transfer rates that were once considered speedy were now severely limiting the new peripherals. In 1991, a group of major PC manufacturers (including IBM, Lexmark, and Texas Instruments) formed the Network Printing Alliance (NPA) in an attempt to develop a new parallel-port architecture. In 1994, the IEEE (in conjunction with the NPA) released the Standard Signaling Method for a Bi-Directional Parallel Peripheral Interface, also known as IEEE standard 1284. The IEEE 1284 does not define a single parallel approach, but instead outlines five different operational modes for the parallel port: compatibility mode, nibble mode, byte mode, ECP mode, and EPP mode. All four modes offer some amount of bi-directional capability (known under IEEE 1284 as back channel communication). When the 1284-compliant parallel port is initialized, it checks to see which operating mode is most appropriate.
Compatibility mode IEEE 1284 is fully backward-compatible with conventional par-

allel-port technologies, where data is sent along eight data lines, the status lines are checked for errors and to see that the device is not busy, then a Strobe signal is generated to push the data into the device. As with ordinary parallel ports, the output of a single byte requires at least four I/O instructions. Data bandwidth is limited to 150KB/s.
Whenever problems are encountered operating parallel-port devices, try setting the parallel port to Compatibility Mode in the CMOS setup. Nibble mode The nibble mode (four bits at a time) is a simple means of receiving data

back from a peripheral device in fewer I/O instructions, although it is very inefficient. When used by itself, the nibble mode is limited to about 50KB/s. In most practical implementations of IEEE 1284, the nibble mode will rarely be used for more than gathering brief diagnostic or status information about the peripheral.
Byte mode The byte mode allows the PC to disable the hardware drivers normally used

to operate parallel data lines, which allows the data lines to be used as an input port to the PC. When in the byte mode, a peripheral can send a full byte to the PC in only one I/O cycle. Thus, it is possible to acquire data from a peripheral much faster than would be possible in the nibble mode.
ECP mode The Enhanced Capabilities Port (ECP) allows bi-directional data transfer within a single I/O cycle. When a transfer is requested, the ports hardware will automatically perform all of the port synchronization and handshaking operations formally handled

TROUBLESHOOTING THE PARALLEL PORT

1005

by software-driven I/O cycles in the compatibility mode. When properly implemented, an ECP port can run from 800KB/s to 2MB/s, depending on the device at the port and the cable quality between them.
EPP mode The Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) is the apex of IEEE standard 1284. Like

the ECP mode, EPP operation facilitated bi-directional data transfer in a single I/O cycle with the port hardware itself handling all synchronization and handshaking. EPP operation also can run from 800KB/s to 2MB/s. However, EPP operation takes another step forward by treating the parallel port as an extension of the system busthis allows multiple EPP devices to exist on the same port, while still remaining uniquely addressable (similar to a SCSI bus, where multiple devices can exist on the same bus).

ECP/EPP CABLE QUALITY

Conventional parallel ports are limited to cable lengths of about 10 feet (about 3 meters). Beyond that, cross-talk in the parallel cable can result in data errors. Ideally, high-quality, well-shielded cable assemblies can extend that range even more, but the cheap, mass-produced cable assemblies that you often find in stores are rarely suited to support communication over more than six feet (about two meters). To support the high-speed communication promised by IEEE 1284, a new cable specification also had to be devised. This is hardly a trivial concernespecially considering that IEEE 1284 seeks to extend parallel-port operation to as much as 30 feet (about 10 meters). Be sure to use an appropriate cable when configuring a parallel port in ECP or EPP modes.

2
SYSTEM DATA AND TROUBLESHOOTING

IEEE 1284 ISSUES

Unfortunately, although the potential and promise of IEEE 1284 offers a lot of appeal, some serious considerations are involved in configuring an enhanced port arrangement. Specifically, you will need an IEEE 1284-compliant parallel port, cable, and peripheral (e.g., printer, tape drive, hard drive, etc.) to take full advantage of enhanced capabilities. Installing an IEEE 1284 parallel port is certainly not a problemmost current multi-I/O boards and late-model motherboards are now providing IEEE 1284-compliant ports. The trouble is that using a $5 printer cable with your old Panasonic KX-P1124 dot-matrix printer will just not provide any advantages. To start benefiting from an IEEE 1284 port, you will need at least an IEEE 1284 cable and a device with significant memory capacity (such as a laser printer). At that point, you might start to see some speed improvements, but the additional speed will still fall far short of the projected figures. Ultimately, you will need to install IEEE 1284-compliant peripherals that will provide ID information to the port and allow optimum performance.

Troubleshooting the Parallel Port

Although the typical parallel port is a rather simple I/O device, it presents some special challenges for the technician. Older PCs provided their parallel ports in the form of 8-bit expansion boardswhen a port failed, it was a simple matter to replace the board outright.

1006

PARALLEL-PORT (CENTRONICS) TROUBLESHOOTING

Today, however, virtually all PCs provide at least one parallel port directly on the motherboardthe feature usually supported by an I/O Controller component of the motherboards main chipset. When a problem is detected with a motherboard parallel port, a technician often has three choices:
s Replace the chipset IC that supports the parallel port(s). This requires access to sur-

face-mount soldering tools and replacement ICs, and can be quite economical in volume. But this is a totally impractical solution for end-user troubleshooting. s Set the motherboard jumpers (if possible) to disable the defective parallel port and install an expansion multi-I/O board to take the place of the defective port. This assumes there is an available expansion slot. This uses an expansion slot, but offers a cheap, fast fix for a defective parallel port. Remember to disable all other unused ports of the multi-I/O board. s Replace the motherboard outright. This simple tactic requires little overhead equipment, but can be rather expensivea general solution of last resort if you can confirm the parallel port to be defective.
If a diagnostic cannot identify the presence of a physical parallel port (a loopback plug might need to be attached), chances are that the port is defective.

TIPS TO FIX PARALLEL PORTS

Parallel ports are generally not complex devices, but some common issues show up regularly. Before you check out the symptoms later in this chapter, take a look at some of these points:
s Check the cable Youd be surprised how many LPT problems are caused by loose,

cheap, or damaged printer cables. Be sure that the cable is 6' or less in length, see that it is secure at both ends, and try a different cable (or try the cable in place of a knowngood one). s Beware of the port mode Remember that modern parallel ports can operate in several different modes such as compatibility, ECP, or EPP. Not all devices work properly with ECP or EPP modes. If you have trouble with a printer or other parallel-port device, try setting the parallel port to compatibility mode in the CMOS setup. s Beware of hardware conflicts LPT ports use IRQ7 and IRQ5. For systems with a second LPT port (LPT2), it is common for IRQ5 to conflict with IRQ5, which is almost always used by sound boards. It might be necessary to reconfigure the sound board to use another IRQ or remove the sound board entirely. s Careful for printer-driver conflicts This problem often arises with parallel-port devices, such as Iomega Zip drives or SyQuest SyJet drives. The drive software sends special reserved non-printable characters to the parallel portthis signals the drive to know the next data being placed on the parallel-port cable is for that drive (not the printer). Color printers and multiple-font printers can also be using some of these special characters for their printer setups. This can cause conflicts between the two drivers and make each unit (the printer and the parallel-port drive) look defective to the system.

TROUBLESHOOTING THE PARALLEL PORT

1007

Many printer companies, such as HP, are in the process of rewriting printer drivers to stay clear of these reserved non-printable characters, but some drivers still use these characters and will cause conflicts that cannot be resolved. The only way to correct this problem is to use one LPT port for the parallel-port drive and another LPT port for the printer. You should contact the printer manufacturer to see if they have updated drivers that will not interfere with the parallel-port device. s Problems with printer-monitoring software Another form of driver conflicts happens with printer-monitoring software. Some companies, such as HP, have status drivers that monitor the printers status. If these printers are connected to the pass-through port of a parallel-port drive, the printer-monitoring drivers should be disabled. These drivers can also cause data corruption and system problems. Disabling status communications does not affect the printing.

SYMPTOMS
Symptom 31-1. You hear a beep code or see a POST error, indicating a parallel-port error The system initialization might not halt, depending on how the

2
SYSTEM DATA AND TROUBLESHOOTING

BIOS is written. Low-level initialization problems generally indicate trouble in the computers hardware. If the computers beep-code sequence is indistinct, you could try rebooting the computer with a POST analyzer card installed. The BIOS POST code displayed on the card could be matched to a specific error explanation in the POST cards documentation. Once you have clearly identified the error as a parallel-port fault, you can proceed with troubleshooting. Start with the system as a whole and remove any expansion boards that have parallel ports available. Retest the computer after removing each board. If the error disappears after removing a particular card, then that card is likely at fault. You can simply replace the card with a new one, or attempt to repair the card to the component level. If there is only one parallel port in the system, it is most likely built into the motherboard. For older systems, the fault is probably in one or more of the discrete I/O ICs or latches directing the ports operation. You will need to refer to the schematic(s) for your particular system motherboard to determine exact signal flows and component locations. Newer system motherboards enjoy a far lower component count, so all parallel port circuitry is usually integrated onto the same application-specific IC (ASIC). A schematic would still be valuable to determine signal paths, but you could probably trace the parallel port connector directly to its controlling IC. Replace any defective components, or replace the motherboard outright.
Symptom 31-2. A 9xx parallel adapter displayed on the XT or early AT system BIOS has not located any parallel-circuit defects on initialization, but has been un-

able to map LPT labels to the appropriate hardware-level ports. As in Symptom 31-1, the 9xx-series error codes usually indicate a hardware fault in the computer. Follow the procedures in Symptom 31-1 to isolate and resolve the problem.
Symptom 31-3. The computer initializes properly, but the peripheral (printer) does not work Your applications software might indicate a printer time-

out or general printer error. Before you even open your tool kit, you must determine

1008

PARALLEL-PORT (CENTRONICS) TROUBLESHOOTING

whether the trouble lies in your computer or your peripheral. When your printer stops working, run a self test to ensure the device is at least operational. Check all cables and connectors (perhaps try a different cable). If the peripheral offers multiple interfaces, such as serial and parallel, be sure that the parallel interface is activated in the peripheral. Also be sure to check the software package being used (e.g., word processor, painting package, system diagnostic, etc.) to operate the printer. Ensure that the software is configured properly to use the appropriate LPT port, and that any necessary printer driver is selected. If no software is available, you can try printing from the DOS command line using the <Shift> and <Print Screen> keys. This key sequence will dump the screen contents to a printer. Disconnect the printer at the computer and install a parallel loopback plug. Run a diagnostic to inspect each available parallel port. Take note of any port(s) that register as defective. Locate the corresponding parallel port. If the port is installed as an expansion board, replace the defective expansion board. If the port is on the motherboard, you can replace the defective port-controller IC, install an alternate expansion board, or replace the motherboard outright.
Symptom 31-4. The peripheral (printer) will not go on-line Before data can be

transferred across a parallel port, proper handshaking conditions must exist: the Busy (pin 11) and Paper Out (pin 12) lines must be TTL logic 0, and the Select (pin 13) and Error (pin 15) lines must be TTL logic 1. All four signals are outputs from the peripheral. You can examine these levels with an ordinary logic probe. If any of these signals is incorrect, the peripheral will not be on-line. First, try a new communication cable. An old or worn cable might have developed a fault in one or more connections. Next, try the computer with a different peripheral. If a new peripheral does come on-line, the error exists in the original peripherals parallel-port circuitry. If a different peripheral does not operate properly, the problem is with the computers parallel port. Examine and alter the computer configuration to ensure that there is no conflict between multiple parallel ports. Disconnect the printer at the computer and install a parallel loopback plug. Run a diagnostic to inspect each available parallel port. Take note of any port(s) that register as defective. Locate the corresponding parallel port. If the port is installed as an expansion board, replace the defective expansion board. If the port is on the motherboard, you can replace the defective port-controller IC, install an alternate expansion board, or replace the motherboard outright.
Symptom 31-5. Data is randomly lost or garbled Your first step should be to check the communication cable. Be sure that the cable is intact and properly secured at both ends. The cable should also be less than six feet (about two meters) long. Very long cables can allow crosstalk to generate erroneous signals. If the cable checks properly, either the port or peripheral is at fault. Start by suspecting the parallel port. Disconnect the printer at the computer and install a parallel loopback plug. Run a diagnostic to inspect each available parallel port. Take note of any port(s) that register as defective. Locate the corresponding parallel port. If the port is installed as an expansion board, replace the defective expansion board. If the port is on the motherboard, you can replace the defective port controller IC, install an alternate expansion board, or replace the motherboard outright. If you cannot test the computers parallel port directly, test the port indirectly by trying the peripheral on another known-good computer. If the peripheral works properly on an-

FURTHER STUDY

1009

other computer, the trouble is probably in the original computers parallel-port circuitry. Replace any defective circuitry or replace the motherboard. If the peripheral remains defective on another computer, the peripheral itself is probably faulty.
Symptom 31-6. You see a continuous paper out erroreven though paper is available and the printers paper sensor works properly Plenty of pa-

per is installed in the printer and you have already checked the paper sensor. Try another printer. If another printer works, the problem is in your original printer, not in the parallel port. Use a logic probe and check the Paper Out signal at the computer. Try removing and re-inserting paper while the printer is running. You should see the Paper Out signal vary between a TTL logic 0 (paper available) and a TTL logic 1 (paper missing). If the signal remains TTL logic 1, regardless of paper availability, the printers sensor or communication circuits are probably defective. If the Paper Out signal correctly follows the paper availability, the trouble is probably in your computers communication circuitry. If you suspect that the problem is in the parallel port, disconnect the printer at the computer and install a parallel loopback plug. Run a diagnostic to inspect each available parallel port. Take note of any port(s) that register as defective. Locate the corresponding parallel port. If the port is installed as an expansion board, replace the defective expansion board. If the port is on the motherboard, you can replace the defective port-controller IC, install an alternate expansion board, or replace the motherboard outright.

2
SYSTEM DATA AND TROUBLESHOOTING

Further Study
Thats all for Chapter 31. Be sure to review the glossary and chapter questions on the accompanying CD. If you have access to the Internet, take a look at some of these parallelport resources: LPT Ports and Parallel Drives: http://syquest.com/support/papers.html HP: http://www.hp.com