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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 8/12/2010 12:17:10 PM
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We need to send a TTL pulse out (to drive a MagStim TMS machine) from a laptop running eprime. Given that there are no laptops with a parallel port, and no laptops with PCMCIA slots either, what are our options? We are thinking of two:
(1) Buy a laptop with an expresscard slot. Buy a express-to-PCMCIA adaptor. Buy Quatech or similar parallel port that plugs into the PCMCIA port.
(2) Buy a laptop that is compatible with a port replicator. Fujitsu, Dell, and some others have such port replicators with a parallel port. But do these port replicators have a "real" parallel port or a "pretend" one that works only with printers? Has anyone tested particular port replicator that works?
Any other options? Anything that could work with USB? We have not bought anything (no laptop, no replicator, nothing) so far so we are flexible. This appears to be a very common problem that anyone using TMS or similar things must face.
Thanks!
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/12/2010 12:17:10 PM
Posts: 2,
Visits: 5
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There is also the expresscard-to-parallel port device like this:
http://www.usbgear.com/USBG-EX-LPT.html
It says it "Supports SPP, EPP and ECP modes via AutoSence(not user selectable)"
Could this work, or is this good only for the printer?
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 9/10/2010 2:15:31 PM
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| Me and my lab are in a similar situation. You probably want the ExpressCard Laptop Parallel Adapter Card (using a laptop with an ExpressCard slot), as it can connect via PCI express (or the slightly slower USB 2.0), as compard to PCMCIA cards which use the inferior (in terms of latency and bandwith) PCI connection. Refer to the website below for the significance of SPP/EEP/ECP. SPP is the older version, while EEP is geared toward non-printing devices and ECP is geared toward printing devices. Additionally, "most computers support SPP, ECP and EPP and will detect which mode needs to be used, depending on the attached device. If you need to manually select a mode, you can do so through the BIOS on most computers." http://computer.howstuffworks.com/parallel-port2.htm Hope this helps.
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