Cannot use pins 2 - 9 as inputs, only outputs.

You never used a BOB but its 30 years ago since you made and wired your own one?

Doesnt matter...
I DONT use one. I run a MESA 6i25.
Now i wona combine my parport in "IN" mode
but pin 2-9 doesnt change.

Which are you using a parallel port or a Mesa card?

Both!

I use 3 axes + spindle + linear scales on a 7I85s.
Now i wona put a handwheel on my free parallel port.

Machine is a DIY with HSK63 Spindle.
So i also need more inputs for a toolchange.
Thats why i wona have it configured as "IN"

What if any daughter cards do you have for the 6i25? Maybe it would be better to attach your handwheel to that.

Perhaps you may need to add external pull up resistors to your inputs on the parallel port.

Emanresu wrote: Now i wona combine my parport in "IN" mode
but pin 2-9 doesnt change.

What type of parallel port are you using? Plug-in card or on the motherboard?
If on motherboard, you may have to make a selection on the BIOS setup screen to enable
bidirectional (PS/2) mode.

If a plug-in card, it should do this, but some cards from the 1990's - 2000's needed to have a
setup utility run on them. Almost any plug-in card since 2000 should support this without any
special stuff.

And, finally, the parport driver in LinuxCNC needs a setting on the loadrt command line to
select bidir or input modes. If you specify that command wrong, it will default to output, and
you MAY NOT get any error message.

Jon

Emanresu wrote: I use 3 axes + spindle + linear scales on a 7I85s.
Now i wona put a handwheel on my free parallel port.

TB1 pins 1 to 8 are a serial expansion port.
Plugging a 7i73 card in to that would give you 4 encoder / handwheel counters, drivers for a 64-key matrix-wired keypad, 8 inputs, 6 outputs and 8 analogue inputs. All for $50 and connected by a single CAT5 cable.
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