Has anybody used WinIO lately?

[StanHelton]

I found references to this program (essentially a kernal level driver for 2K and XP) in several posts from Jan to Mar 2005. It was recommended by several including Paul Dixon and Donald McNiel with very useful code for interfacing in PB.

Here's my question:
Has anybody used WinIO v2 on XP with PB lately?
How fast is it?
Does it make a difference using PB or CC?

[Fred Harris]

Guilty?

I just can't take the suspence any longer! I've got to know what WinIO is! Will somebody please tell me? I just don't know if I've ever done it or not!

[Paul Dixon]

Stan,

Has anybody used WinIO v2 on XP with PB lately?

I don't use it often but I do use it occasionally.

How fast is it?

I've never timed it but once installed it should allow access to I/O ports at the full speed of the port, whatever that is.

Does it make a difference using PB or CC?

I assume you mean PBWin or PBCC. No, it makes no difference.

Fred,

I've got to know what WinIO is!

It's a program you get from here:

http://www.internals.com/

That site will explain what it does.

Paul.

[Cliff Nichols]

If memory serves...its an old trick I used to use to access parallel port (pin by pin) but in general a "Low Level" set of code to let you access things (like the parallel port) that M$ deemed you could not handle yourself even if you were coursed in it.

That said the Internals site states

WinIo - This library allows direct I/O port and physical memory access under Windows 9x/NT/2000 and XP. Version 2.0 provides faster I/O port access, better memory mapping support and can be used from non-administrative accounts under Windows NT/2000 and XP.

Never tried the memory mapping thing, but it does make things easier if you just want access and not care how or why it does it

Falls into that category of "How MUCH research are you willing to do? vs How MUCH time do you have to do it right????"

Although good, but I HATE relying on someone else's code that I can not see (aka a DLL) to rely on my idea working.
(not that I am against it, but HIGHLY DISLIKE trying to debug a problem, just to find that is was not my code at all...it was something in a Dll used and I used it for something it was not intended for)

[StanHelton]

I don't use it often but I do use it occasionally.

I've never timed it but once installed it should allow access to I/O ports at the full speed of the port, whatever that is.

I assume you mean PBWin or PBCC. No, it makes no difference.

Thanks Paul. If I understand the docs I have a project pending that can use this. Appreciate the feedback.

Stan