VOGONS


First post, by BattleZealot

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I´ve searched the forum and found some threads about this, but not quite what I´m looking for:

I want to use an old DOS based Robot automatization simulator program from 1995. (Won´t start under NT based Windows OS)
The program won´t start without a hardware lock, the lock is a parallell port dongle.

Is there a way for seeing this paralellport in DosBox? Maybe a patch or similar?

Maybe USB-TO-Parallell port converter? Config file to that?

Thanks in advance!

Reply 1 of 9, by bloodbat

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And here goes the mantra again "DosBox is meant for games."

Reply 2 of 9, by Zup

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1.- Use a real parallel port (in motherboard, or in PCI card), not a USB adapter.
2.- Use an unofficial build. I tried that with megabuild and it worked.

But keep in mind: unofficial builds are unofficial. Do not annoy DOSBox team with bugs, unless you're sure that they're present in official DOSBox. Also, you've got no guarantee that it should work with your dongle.

The best option would be getting a new version of your program that supports another authentication method (USB dongle, via internet) or getting a patch to avoid the dongle. Also, you've got no guarantees about your program running fine. If your robot goes crazy, break some equipment and kills your cat, it's gonna be YOUR fault.

I have traveled across the universe and through the years to find Her.
Sometimes going all the way is just a start...

I'm selling some stuff!

Reply 3 of 9, by BattleZealot

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Zup wrote:
1.- Use a real parallel port (in motherboard, or in PCI card), not a USB adapter. 2.- Use an unofficial build. I tried that with […]
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1.- Use a real parallel port (in motherboard, or in PCI card), not a USB adapter.
2.- Use an unofficial build. I tried that with megabuild and it worked.

But keep in mind: unofficial builds are unofficial. Do not annoy DOSBox team with bugs, unless you're sure that they're present in official DOSBox. Also, you've got no guarantee that it should work with your dongle.

The best option would be getting a new version of your program that supports another authentication method (USB dongle, via internet) or getting a patch to avoid the dongle. Also, you've got no guarantees about your program running fine. If your robot goes crazy, break some equipment and kills your cat, it's gonna be YOUR fault.

Thank you for your answer!
I´ve checked out some unofficial builds, but those I found just supports the parallell port for printer.
Or did i miss something? Can you help me find the one you used?

The problem is, the robot is so old that the program from 95 is the latest program that supports that robot version. So I have to use it.
Todays equivalent program for todays robots are ABB Robot Studio.

EDIT:
I have an old smal robot in my garage! Just for fun! I´m not using Dosbox for comercial purpuse!

Reply 4 of 9, by Jorpho

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There have been many other threads posted on this subject in the past. You will probably need the SVN Daum build, and you will probably need PortTalk. And you will probably need a real parallel port on your computer (or one on a PCI card) rather than a USB-to-parallel adapter.

There is one thread that discusses a patch that may allow you to do away with the dongle entirely, but it only works with a very specific kind of dongle.

Reply 5 of 9, by BattleZealot

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Jorpho wrote:

There have been many other threads posted on this subject in the past. You will probably need the SVN Daum build, and you will probably need PortTalk. And you will probably need a real parallel port on your computer (or one on a PCI card) rather than a USB-to-parallel adapter.

There is one thread that discusses a patch that may allow you to do away with the dongle entirely, but it only works with a very specific kind of dongle.

Thank you for the answer!
I´ve downloaded the SVN Daum build and port talk, Now I´m going trough the tread you tiped me about.
Yes, I have a real Parallel port on the computers Motherboard.

Reply 6 of 9, by BattleZealot

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I need some help about PortTalk.

I´ve booted a clean DOS-boot USB.
Pushed in the Parallell dongle in the port. Started the program and it ran flawlessly. It found the Hardwarelock (Parallell port dongle).

Now, I restarted the same computer with the dongle attached.
Booted up Win7,
Typed in the right directories in CMD: "allowio e:\olp3\lib\olp.bat 0x378"
But the OLP program tells me "unable to acces without Hardware lock".
Now the same program can´t see the same dongle.

Is there a setting or an missplaced adress I am missing in PortTalk?

Thanks in advance

Reply 7 of 9, by Dominus

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Either your description is missing something or you didn't install porttalk on your Windows 7 AND didn't run it in Dosbox (Daum SVN built).

Windows 3.1x guide for DOSBox
60 seconds guide to DOSBox
DOSBox SVN snapshot for macOS (10.4-11.x ppc/intel 32/64bit) notarized for gatekeeper

Reply 8 of 9, by Jorpho

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BattleZealot wrote:

Typed in the right directories in CMD: "allowio e:\olp3\lib\olp.bat 0x378"

This will do absolutely nothing to change the functionality of the program within DOSBox.

Reply 9 of 9, by BattleZealot

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Okey, I´ve found the problem, but found another.... 😀

A completley reinstalled DOSBox SVN-Daum.
I enabled the parallell port and reconfigred everything.
SVN-Daum found the hardware lock without problem. (and without PortTalk).
So the program start now, but...

I also need to use the serial port and the program can´t see it.
After serveral tries I concluded that DosBox can´t see both Parallell and Serial port at the same time.
If I enable both serial and parallell, the serial port works.
If I disable the Serial port, the paralell works and vise versa.
Can I enable something so both ports work at the same time?
(All diable/enableing are done in the config file).