IEEE1284 interface for DIY electronics
I built this IEEE1284 interface so that I can use a USB-to-parallel-port adaptor cable to control my foil punch: which is a CNC machine with three stepper motors. I wasn't able to find solutions of this kind (i.e., IEEE1284 interfacing without an MCU) on the Internet, so I thought this might be of interest to others. Background Ever since desktop computers ceased to provide parallel printer ports, DIY hardware hackers have been at a disadvantage. The old-school parallel port was the quickest and easiest way to get direct control of some 5-volt digital logic lines out of the computer, which could be directly connected to homebrew electronic circuits without needing a microcontroller or other complex storebought interface equipment. You could, for example, blink an LED with software, just by hooking it directly to the parallel port (with a resistor of course). Those days are long gone. Everything is now USB (or HDMI), and to get anywhere, you'll need a ...