Kent Vander Velden, Freelance Software-Hardware Creator

Once upon a time, every computer came with a parallel port. No longer, and in a Windows dominated world, USB to parallel port adapters are often suggested. Even if a card based parallel port can be found, it's going to be even rarer to find one that guarantees Linux support. The parallel port still has utility, especially with maker projects where simple electrical interfacing with the world is needed.

For a new project, I needed a parallel port supported by Linux, and usable by LinuxCNC. A PCI based card is likely to work, but they will become rarer, as many newer computers only have PCIe ports. Here I document my trial of parallel port cards. I hope the information is useful and if you know of additional cards, please comment.

Four parallel ports cards were purchased and tested on a Fedora 20 system with the kernel 3.15.7-200.fc20.x86_64. Two of cards are PCI and two are PCIe. each card has a picture of the card and of the primary chip. The relevant sections of dmesg -r and lspci -vvvx are also included for those interested. Finally, a mention of a parallel port breakout card is included.

Summary

Intek21 TK9902	PCI	Worked	Moschip MCS9805CV
StarTech PCI1P	PCI	Worked	Moschip MCS9805CV-BA
StarTech PEX1P	PCIe	Worked	Oxford Semi OXPCIe952-FBAG
Iocrest SI-PEX10010	PCIe	Failed	WCH CH382L Board also sold as Syba WCH382L Chipset SI-PEX10010?

Intek21 TK9902 Worked

Appears nearly identical to the StarTech PCI1P.

Output of dmesg



[    6.267491] PCI parallel port detected: 9710:9805, I/O at 0xcff8(0xcff0), IRQ 19

[    6.267586] parport0: PC-style at 0xcff8 (0xcff0), irq 19 [PCSPP,TRISTATE]

Output of lspci



06:00.0 Communication controller: MosChip Semiconductor Technology Ltd. PCI 1 port parallel adapter (rev 01)

Subsystem: LSI Logic / Symbios Logic Device 0010

Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-

Status: Cap- 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-

Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 19

Region 0: I/O ports at cff8 [size=8]

Region 1: I/O ports at cff0 [size=8]

Region 2: I/O ports at cfe8 [size=8]

Region 3: I/O ports at cfe0 [size=8]

Region 4: I/O ports at cfd8 [size=8]

Region 5: I/O ports at cfc0 [size=16]

Kernel driver in use: parport_pc

Kernel modules: parport_pc

00: 10 97 05 98 01 00 80 02 01 00 80 07 01 20 00 00

10: f9 cf 00 00 f1 cf 00 00 e9 cf 00 00 e1 cf 00 00

20: d9 cf 00 00 c1 cf 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 10 10 00

30: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0b 01 00 00

Images

StarTech PCI1P_LP Worked

Appears nearly identical to the Intek21 TK9902.

Output of dmesg



[    6.179325] PCI parallel port detected: 9710:9805, I/O at 0xcff8(0xcff0), IRQ 19

[    6.179427] parport0: PC-style at 0xcff8 (0xcff0), irq 19 [PCSPP,TRISTATE]

Output of lspci



06:00.0 Communication controller: MosChip Semiconductor Technology Ltd. PCI 1 port parallel adapter (rev 01)

Subsystem: LSI Logic / Symbios Logic Device 0010

Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-

Status: Cap- 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-

Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 19

Region 0: I/O ports at cff8 [size=8]

Region 1: I/O ports at cff0 [size=8]

Region 2: I/O ports at cfe8 [size=8]

Region 3: I/O ports at cfe0 [size=8]

Region 4: I/O ports at cfd8 [size=8]

Region 5: I/O ports at cfc0 [size=16]

Kernel driver in use: parport_pc

Kernel modules: parport_pc

00: 10 97 05 98 01 00 80 02 01 00 80 07 01 20 00 00

10: f9 cf 00 00 f1 cf 00 00 e9 cf 00 00 e1 cf 00 00

20: d9 cf 00 00 c1 cf 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 10 10 00

30: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0b 01 00 00

Images

StarTech PEX1P Worked

Output of dmesg



[    6.513089] PCI parallel port detected: 1415:c110, I/O at 0xcf00(0xce00), IRQ 19

[    6.513214] parport0: PC-style at 0xcf00 (0xce00), irq 19 [PCSPP,TRISTATE,EPP]

Output of lspci



07:00.0 Parallel controller: Oxford Semiconductor Ltd Device c110 (prog-if 02 [ECP])

Subsystem: Oxford Semiconductor Ltd Device c110

Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-

Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-

Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 4 bytes

Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 19

Region 0: I/O ports at cf00 [size=8]

Region 1: I/O ports at ce00 [size=4]

Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3

Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=55mA PME(D0-,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+)

Status: D0 NoSoftRst+ PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+

Address: 0000000000000000  Data: 0000

Capabilities: [70] Express (v1) Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00

DevCap: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <128ns, L1 <2us

ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset-

DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-

RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-

MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes

DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr+ TransPend-

LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Exit Latency L0s unlimited, L1 unlimited

ClockPM+ Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot-

LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- CommClk+

ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-

LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-

Capabilities: [100 v1] Device Serial Number 00-30-e0-11-11-00-01-10

Capabilities: [110 v1] Power Budgeting <?>

Kernel driver in use: parport_pc

Kernel modules: parport_pc

00: 15 14 10 c1 05 00 10 00 00 02 01 07 01 00 00 00

10: 01 cf 00 00 01 ce 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

20: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 15 14 10 c1

30: 00 00 00 00 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0b 01 00 00

Iocrest SI-PEX10010 Failed

This board was sold as "Syba WCH382L Chipset SI-PEX10010" but Iocrest was the name on the box. Regardless, the same chipset is present and the same model number is used.

While this board failed to be recognized as a parallel port, there may be hope. However, an better solution is likely to avoid the card.

Output of dmesg



[    0.183504] pci 0000:07:00.0: [1c00:3050] type 00 class 0x070005

[    0.183526] pci 0000:07:00.0: reg 0x10: [io  0xcc00-0xccff]

[    0.183542] pci 0000:07:00.0: reg 0x14: [mem 0xfbef8000-0xfbefffff pref]

[    0.183559] pci 0000:07:00.0: reg 0x18: [io  0xcf00-0xcf03]

[    0.183620] pci 0000:07:00.0: reg 0x30: [mem 0x00000000-0x00007fff pref]

[    0.183702] pci 0000:07:00.0: PME# supported from D0 D3hot D3cold

Output of lspci



07:00.0 Serial controller: Device 1c00:3050 (rev 10) (prog-if 05 [16850])

Subsystem: Device 1c00:3050

Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-

Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-

Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 19

Region 0: I/O ports at cc00 [size=256]

Region 1: Memory at fbef8000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=32K]

Region 2: I/O ports at cf00 [size=4]

[virtual] Expansion ROM at fbe00000 [disabled] [size=32K]

Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3

Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=375mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)

Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable- Count=1/32 Maskable+ 64bit+

Address: 0000000000000000  Data: 0000

Masking: 00000000  Pending: 00000000

Capabilities: [80] Express (v2) Legacy Endpoint, MSI 00

DevCap: MaxPayload 256 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <2us, L1 <32us

ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset-

DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-

RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+

MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes

DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr+ TransPend-

LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Exit Latency L0s unlimited, L1 unlimited

ClockPM+ Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot-

LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- CommClk+

ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-

LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-

DevCap2: Completion Timeout: Not Supported, TimeoutDis+, LTR-, OBFF Not Supported

DevCtl2: Completion Timeout: 50us to 50ms, TimeoutDis-, LTR-, OBFF Disabled

LnkCtl2: Target Link Speed: 2.5GT/s, EnterCompliance- SpeedDis-

Transmit Margin: Normal Operating Range, EnterModifiedCompliance- ComplianceSOS-

Compliance De-emphasis: -6dB

LnkSta2: Current De-emphasis Level: -6dB, EqualizationComplete-, EqualizationPhase1-

EqualizationPhase2-, EqualizationPhase3-, LinkEqualizationRequest-

Capabilities: [100 v1] Advanced Error Reporting

UESta: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-

UEMsk: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-

UESvrt: DLP+ SDES- TLP- FCP+ CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF+ MalfTLP+ ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-

CESta: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr-

CEMsk: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr+

AERCap: First Error Pointer: 00, GenCap+ CGenEn- ChkCap+ ChkEn-

00: 00 1c 50 30 03 00 10 00 10 05 00 07 01 00 00 00

10: 01 cc 00 00 08 80 ef fb 01 cf 00 00 00 00 00 00

20: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1c 50 30

30: 00 00 00 00 60 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0b 01 00 00

Kent Vander Velden

Freelance Analytic Creator

KvvCreates

Linux parallel port cards

Summary

Intek21 TK9902 Worked

Output of dmesg

Output of lspci

Images

StarTech PCI1P_LP Worked

Output of dmesg

Output of lspci

Images

StarTech PEX1P Worked

Output of dmesg

Output of lspci

Iocrest SI-PEX10010 Failed

Output of dmesg

Output of lspci