Dual parallel port setup/lava PCI add-in

Hello,
I'm attempting a stepper/encoder setup which requires a secondary parallel port card... I'm having some immediate problems. What I'd like to know, before I even attempt the stepper/encoder configuration is if there are any known problems with the Lava PCI 1 port EPP card (www.lavalink.com/dev/index.php?id=69). It's installed, and I can detect an output signal when using stepconf to confirm that I'm using the correct address (0x0278). However, I need to use this card as an input for encoders. When performing simple testing, and setting the inputs on the Lava card as limit switches (to check basic input functionality) I get nothing... Again, I know that there are a lot of other questions I'll have to ask down-the-line, but I want to confirm that this card will work at all..

Thanks!

Thanks for the quick replies!

Andy:
In retrospect I probably should have opted for one of the Mesa cards, they seem very capable as well as well supported and fairly priced. I naively thought that since I have some experience setting up single parport step/dir systems that adding a second would be a no-brainer.. Who knows, I may end up going with a 7i43 in the end anyways, but not before I make a reasonable effort with what I have..

My limit switch test was this: I set the configuration to use limit switches on pins 2-5, and made a chopped-off parallel port cable (which I pin mapped with a multimeter). With the config loaded in EMC, I touched the corresponding 2-5 wires to pin 18 as well as the card shield.. With no results. I went ahead and tried out the rest of the wires just to make certain. It's my understanding that even if I have the signal inversion set incorrectly I should have seen something (either the limits would be on until touched to ground, or would turn on when touched to ground).

I'll try verifying this result this evening with the port tester program, and also post the .hal parport configuration string, since this seems to be either a configuration oversight on my part, or some sort of funkiness unique to this parport card.. However, the configuration loads without any errors. I'm not sure if this is applicable or not, since I think I read that there were some parport problems related to it, but I'm using a d510mo motherboard, and emc 2.4.5.. I'll go ahead and upgrade to 2.4.6 to see if that changes anything..

Thanks again!