eppio utility


The 'eppio' utility provides a command-line interface directly to enhanced parallel port hardware on a PC running Linux.

Developed to support a research group that needs to transfer data to and from a FPGA circuit- prototype board, this utility may be useful to other researchers, engineers, developers, students or hobbyists who want to drive a peripherial device which communicates using IEEE 1284 EPP protocol.

The command-line interface allows users to easily prototype and debug higher-level device communications manually, or with a scripting language.
 

example usage

'eppio --write-address=1 --read-data --write-data=02ab --read-data=100'

'eppio -wa: 1 -rd -wd: 2 ab -rd: 100'

Both example commands do the same thing. They begin by writing a hex '1' byte to the EPP address channel.  Then they read a byte from the data channel, and output it in hex to stdout.  Then they write a hex '2' byte to the data channel, followed by a hex 'ab' byte.  And lastly, they read hex 100 bytes from the data channel, with output again in hex to stdout.
 

system requirements

To use 'eppio', you will need a PC compatible machine (Intel x86 architecture) running the Linux operating system.  In addition, you must have a hardware EPP port, either on the motherboard or on an adapter card.

To compile the source, you will need a recent version of gcc, and  glibc version 2+ (libc 6).

'eppio' is tested on a Dell Dimension with stock Red Hat 7.0 installed.
 

download

GNU GPL'd source code is available at: View the README file.
 

tech note

'eppio' uses ioperm() and inb(), outb() to communicate with the parallel port in user space.  It does not use the parport device driver.
 

more info...

Contact  "Ned Ulbricht" <nedu@netscape.net>
 

no news is good news

Nobody has sent in any bug reports yet.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
 
 

Updated: May 30th, 2001.