HOWTO: Build a Parallel Port Interface Card

So I have a hankering to get my computers to interact more with their environment (not in a Terminator kind of way, honest). I ordered a nice USB input/output interface today which should arrive next week. Being hugely impatient, I browsed the local DSE store and found a (soon to be extinct) parallel port interface card (more info here).

This bad boy has 10 analogue inputs, 2 analogue outputs and 8 digital outputs; quite a bit of jazz for $20. The only downside is the sample software is written in QBASIC (and included only in printout form!). After a little Googling I found a company who had written some nice basic C++ functions to read the inputs and write the outputs.

See the blank PCB and the finished product below (And no, the kit did not come with that nice little tidy box. I like to prepare by separating all major components out, resistors, capacitors, transistors/regulators, IC’s, connectors and other miscellaneous mechanical components then install them in that order. )

HOWTO: Align a satellite dish with two Mac’s

I had a problem today that the signal strength meter I had borrowed only did terrestrial tv and not satellite signals. Now anyone who has aligned a dish without a satellite finder will tell you it is not the easiest thing to accomplish.

I was then faced with the problem that I did not have a small tv I could take outside and connect the set-top box to and view the signal strength meter menu. Thinking my sister is home with her Mac I might just be set.

So I setup iChat with Bonjour on both, sat her Mac in the lounge room facing the tv and took my Mac on the room and volia it worked like a charm. And even better, I was able to give directions to my brother downstairs through the iChat session! See the pictures after the jump