Ey guys i want to build a automatic car parking control project and i want to connect it to parallel ports and use V.B.6 to programme it.But my problem is interfacing the hardware with my programme.

 

Sounds more like a hardware problem. You must be aware that the parallel port and hen's teeth are becoming equally common.

Why not get a workable interface first? What hardware are you proposing to use?

 

You can still buy PC motherboards with parallel ports. I built a PC for a friend recently with a specific parallel port interfacing project in mind. I found a number of ASUS motherboards with full-spec parallel ports. To use the port from VB, check out Inpout32.dll and Inpout64.dll via a Google search. I'm using the 64-bit version under Windows 7 and VB.NET and it works a treat.

 

That still tells us nothing about the hardware and interfacing it.

 

I wouldn't call Paul57's contribution "nothing". From my experience, having done some parallel port interfacing, he provided a key piece of information for what is needed to allow the program access to the hardware if Luthando is using any recent Windows OS.

 

But my problem is interfacing the hardware with my programme.

I ask again - what hardware? The port is simply interfacing. You cannot tell a car to park without something (hardware) between the port and the car.

 

Im using a DC motor as my Gate to the parking lot,a steper motor as my parking card dispencer,and an LDR coparator circuit as my sensor to check if the whole length of the car has passed b4 the gate closes and using the screen as my GUI to show how many cars have gone in and how much space is available, and a red LED to show the parking lot is full,and a green 1 to show the is still space, and a dip switches to enter pin because its a private company parking lot.

 

Those hardware items are external to the computer. The interface allows the computer to control them or accept inputs. You need some means of driving the gate motor, for instance, plus some inputs to indicate that the gate has fully opened or closed. That ticket dispenser needs a control interface as well. It might need inputs to indicate that ticket stock is available to dispense, and that the driver has taken the ticket.

It's a good idea to make up the circuitry to control all these external devices and figure the needed inputs and outputs necessary to control or sense proper operation. The parallel port has limited a limited number of pins for digital inputs and outputs, so figuring out how to accommodate all the inputs and outputs can be challenging.

Here is a link to using the parallel port - http://www.beyondlogic.org/ecp/ecp.htm

 

Bill Bowden's website also has good information. Be aware, newer operating systems do not do this well, if at all. It almost requires a DOS style OS, such as Win98SE.

http://www.bowdenshobbycircuits.info/

 

Im using a DC motor as my Gate to the parking lot,a steper motor as my parking card dispencer,and an LDR coparator circuit as my sensor to check if the whole length of the car has passed b4 the gate closes and using the screen as my GUI to show how many cars have gone in and how much space is available, and a red LED to show the parking lot is full,and a green 1 to show the is still space, and a dip switches to enter pin because its a private company parking lot.

use cheap and simple Relay Board as interface, there are 8 output (Data) to control 8 devices.
LPT/Parallel port can have up to 8 inputs (5 Status + 3 Control), but unfortunately you only have 5 inputs (Status) if you use PCI to LPT board as additional input/output.
use serial port for input, it more flexible, even you use USB to Serial cable, it fully compatible.
pls read Jan Axelson's book : "Serial Port Complete" and "Parallel Port Complete".
good luck.

purwoko_edi @ yahoo.com