Date: Sun, 02 Dec 2001 11:19:07 -0800 From: Mike Smith <msmith@freebsd.org> To: culverk@wam.umd.edu Cc: Alan Eldridge <alane@geeksrus.net>, freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: parallel port i/o hogs cpu badly; is this normal? Message-ID: <200112021919.fB2JJ7W01626@mass.dis.org> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Sun, 02 Dec 2001 14:10:58 EST." <20011202191049.28EF137B417@hub.freebsd.org>
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> I don't know if there's a way to stop this, but it's normal, whenever I use
> my Parallel port zip drive, I have similar problems.
There isn't, really. The parallel port is terribly inefficient.
> > But what surprises me is that copying that data to the parallel intfc burns
> > up an incredible amount of CPU. Until the document is printed, there's a
> > steady bg buzz of ~10% CPU use, with periods of 50% and even 100% CPU
> > utilization by the 'parallel'[1] process. The load is sufficient that it
> > locks out the mouse on X (interrupt blocking?).
> >
> > Anyone care to comment? Does this sound normal? Is there a way to reduce
> > the amount of CPU needed to drive the parallel port?
Get a USB printer, or a USB-parallel adapter cable. It won't necessarily
be much faster, but it will use a lot less CPU. The cables are pretty
cheap (< $30), and they're mostly based on a single design that's known
to work.
--
... every activity meets with opposition, everyone who acts has his
rivals and unfortunately opponents also. But not because people want
to be opponents, rather because the tasks and relationships force
people to take different points of view. [Dr. Fritz Todt]
V I C T O R Y N O T V E N G E A N C E
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