possible clue to balky interface

doninwny · Post by **doninwny** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 4:39 pm

Ok, quick summary, new laptop won't work with interface, remote is the same urc-8810b00 from walmart that worked on my old laptop. Checked and compared the printer and parallel port settings, same on both. I've tried fresh batteries, pulled one out, reversed one, "no response from remote". My only clue to the difference between laptops may be this....the remote is functional connected to the old laptop (a generic DeskNote A900, by the way), but not the new, IBM Thinkpad T23. Anyone?

whompus · Post by **whompus** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:40 pm

The only thing left I can think of. It may be a deference in the current from the parallel port on the new laptop. If it is you only have maybe 2 options for sure 1. The sure option is to go with usb cable. The other option is build or purchase ultra parallel cable The one that uses pcb inside the parallel connector. I don't know who or if anyone you can purchase one from. The instructions are still at the yahoo site for building one I think.

Capn Trips · Post by **Capn Trips** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 2:00 am

Another possibility is "re-working" the (presumed) simple parallel interface cable. Some time ago, (and probably for some sellers even later) the simple parallel interface used 10Kohm resistors, whilst the more recent design recommends 1Kohm resistors. If you have 10Kohm resistors, you may want to replace them with 1Kohm resistors and see if that helps. In some cases it seems to make a difference.

Post by **The Robman** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:53 am

Also, if the Simple JP1 cable is old, in addition to having 10k resistors, it may well have a regular signal (1N4148) diode, rather than a Schottky (1N5818) diode. Both of these revisions were done primarily with laptops in mind.

Nils_Ekberg · Post by **Nils_Ekberg** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 9:26 am

Another possibility is that something else is holding the port like a printer driver. Un-install anything that may be using the port. You can also try a driver like "porttalk" which may help. I had to use it with XP on my old ThinkPad because I could not give up the printer driver.

doninwny · Post by **doninwny** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:44 am

I'll try that software Nils, thanks. I don't think the printer port has a conflict with another driver, as I'm on a home network, my printer ports to the print server on my router. I'm using Windows 2000, by the way.

Post by **The Robman** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:43 pm

Are you logged in as the administrator on your W2000 PC? You need to have admin rights to use IR.exe on XP and W2k machines.

doninwny · Post by **doninwny** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 4:23 pm

Rob, I have my win 2000 set up so there's no password, and everyone logs on automatically as administrator, could the problem be there?

Post by **The Robman** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 5:28 pm

No, if you're logged on as the admin, you should be OK.

doninwny · Post by **doninwny** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 2:31 pm

well then, looks like I'm going to have to install all this stuff on another computer.....by the way, would an old version of IR work better?

Post by **The Robman** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:08 pm

doninwny wrote:well then, looks like I'm going to have to install all this stuff on another computer.....by the way, would an old version of IR work better?

It's possible. I have a laptop where the only version of IR that works is the old v2.03 version, nothing after that works. I just did a spot check and I don't think we still have a version of v2.03 available online, so I'll have to dig up an archived copy and post it somewhere.