Proworx Plus DOS on XP

Proworx Plus, the DOS version will not work on XP due to problems with the serial port. WinNT/2k/XP doesn't allow direct talking to hardware. The only reason I'm still trying this and not using Proworx Nxt is because we waited too long to get Proworx Nxt and now it costs a fortune.

Has anyone worked a way around this?

So far I have tried:

DOS Box, supposed to make old DOS programs work on XP -- it won't recognize the dongle on the parallel port.
Portalk/allowio has a driver that talks to ring 0 -- can't seem to make it work.

Considering a ethernet to Modbus adaptor by BB ($300).

Suggestions, criticisms cheerfully considered.

The only way I got it to work was to install DOS in a second boot partion on my hard drive.

DOS Proworx

I should explain a litte more. We have a Win95 box that we use to run Proworx Plus. We could just keep doing that.

However we'd like to be able to put the computer on the network so we could remotely look at the PLC. This means we have to put Proworx Plus DOS on XP for better security, maintablity, etc. (or use Proworx NxT or 32). Since this is on aging hardware, it doesn't seem worth it to buy NxT or 32. (Unless someone can sell me NxT cheap)

I have found another DOS emulator call Tao ExDOS that I am going to try next. It promises to talk to both the serial ports and my parallel port dongle. DOS Box doesn't see my dongle and I don't have a floppy on this particular computer.

From the DOSBox Forums, it's mainly designed for games so they didn't include parallel port support. They have other builds like Jaballa that support "printing". I'm not sure how your parallel port dongle works, but a build that allows you to map a virtual LPT1 to your parallel port may do the trick.

http://qv90.hopto.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14

I didn't do a very in depth search. I would keep looking under: "Parallel", "LPT1", and "printing".

SteveTSM said:

DOS Box, supposed to make old DOS programs work on XP -- it won't recognize the dongle on the parallel port.
Portalk/allowio has a driver that talks to ring 0 -- can't seem to make it work.

Click to expand...

I don't think you are going to be able to buy NXT except used. The only options I know of for XP are Proworx32 or Fastrack Softworks PLC workshop for Modicon. Neither one is all that great, and there is no guarantee if NXT will work on XP, but NXT does work under WIN2K.

SLCIntegrator is using NXT on a Win2K Vitrual Machine under XP.

That's interesting - I don't understand why a DOS app would work any better on Win 2K than XP. As I understand they're both based on the NT kernel, running a similar copy of NTVDM - if anything, XP should have improvements. 95/98/ME, especially running in "compatibility mode" would make sense though.

Alaric said:

SLCIntegrator is using NXT on a Win2K Vitrual Machine under XP.

Click to expand...

surferb said:

...I don't understand why...

Click to expand...

Now do you understand why?

lol - such a handsome photo.

Further down the rosy path

Thanks surferb, but I didn't find anything with Jaballa that seemed to help, but I'll keep trying.

Tao exDOS seems like a no go also. I'll keep trying that one as well. Doesn't see the dongle, but maybe its my setup.

Finally I think I have to give in to the possiblty of using PW32. Anyone know a ballpark figure for what it's going for?

I'm working with the ExDOS program for a while now with WordMill, another dongle protected DOS software. I know the issue you're talking about.
Sometimes dongle support requires special settings in ExDOS. I'd advice you to contact their support team, they were very helpful when I had the same issue.
They also have a new version out, maybe it's more simple there... try and see.