After much research I bought this dual parallel port to run a second BOB off Mach3. This is, incidentally, my favorite place to buy my geek stuff.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815166007

It works in a really old computer runing Win2000 (the one that actually tuns the mill), a relatively new computer running XP and even a 'middle aged' computer runing Windows 7 beta. I did not test it with Vista. It took quite a bit of tinkering to sort out, so I though I'd pass this info along and save people some time if they go with this card (apparently lots of cards don't work with Mach at all.)

Caveats are:

1) Go to www.MOSchip.com to get the drivers for the chipset on the card. The ones that come with the card didn't work for me . . YMMV.

2) The card has two ports.  You need to give Mach3 the address of what the device manger lists as LPT3 as that's the port address for the connector on the card itself. There is a second connector on a bracket that connects to the card with a ribon cable. So that one must be LPT2.

Hope this is helps someone.

Thanks for the info - I purchased this card earlier this week and installed it yesterday with your recommended drivers.  Everything worked great and it plays nice with Mach.  I now have an extra parallel port which I could later use to hook up another machine

You are very welcome.

Since I posted the info, I have discovered that although for me 90% of the time the second port (ribbon cable) was assigned LPT2, the physical ports on the card are not locked in any order and either can be assigned LPT2 or LPT3.

To get the addresses, follow this sequece:

Start>Control Panel>System>Hardware>Device Manager>Ports>Printer Port>Resources

What you seek is the first hex address given for LPT2 and for LPT3. For the port physically on the card, give Mach3 the address shown for LPT3 (that's USUALLY what it is). If that does not work, then just try the address for LPT2 and it should spring to life.

I wish I would have seen this thread a few days ago...I just ordered this card. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?Sku=C250-3706
Crossing my fingers it will work 

You are very welcome.

Since I posted the info, I have discovered that although for me 90% of the time the second port (ribbon cable) was assigned LPT2, the physical ports on the card are not locked in any order and either can be assigned LPT2 or LPT3.

To get the addresses, follow this sequece:

Start>Control Panel>System>Hardware>Device Manager>Ports>Printer Port>Resources

What you seek is the first hex address given for LPT2 and for LPT3. For the port physically on the card, give Mach3 the address shown for LPT3 (that's USUALLY what it is). If that does not work, then just try the address for LPT2 and it should spring to life.

I did some testing of my own as soon as I installed the card to figure out which port was which.  Like you said, it assigned LPT2 to the ribbon cable and LPT3 to the card.  Before realizing I could swap them around via Windows Config, I physically moved them in my computer case so that there were in order from top to bottom

I wish I would have seen this thread a few days ago...I just ordered this card. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?Sku=C250-3706
Crossing my fingers it will work 

It may, but keep us informed.  We could make this thread into a "various PCI parallel ports that play nice with Mach3" thread.

Will do

Update...
I got the second parallel port installed and hooked up to a CNC4PC 10 BOB...Only getting 2.4v from all the inputs...

Edit: I added a 5v power supply and all is good now.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815166007

I have been running this one for a while now , you can occasionaly find it at cyberguys for less than $10 , mine didnt work with the driver supplied on the cd either but works well with the one on the chip manufacturers website

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815166007

I have been running this one for a while now , you can occasionaly find it at cyberguys for less than $10 , mine didnt work with the driver supplied on the cd either but works well with the one on the chip manufacturers website

That is the same card that the OP linked to.

Hey Guys
I bought this card  SYBA because I needed to set up an 8 axis controller.
http://www.directron.com/sdnecpr2u1p.html

It appears this doesn't work.  and tech support at directron is worthless.
the pamphlet w card said in XP no drivers are needed.  (disk included was for w98-Me)

XP pro apparently did see the Parallel port and the USB ports and sequentially installed some drivers.

However, the PCI LPT can not be found anywhere even I rebooted a couple of times.

on previous postings was mentioned that the second LPT was visible in device manger.
in my machined only the serial and LPT1 ports from motherboard appear.


UPDATE:  I just went searching for the chip and realized that since this card also has 2 USB ports;
this CARD is a PCI to USB Primarily and  then they decided to piggy back a USB to Parallel (1284) on that.
http://www.prolific.com.tw/eng/files/PL-2305%20Market%20Spec.pdf
so,  Don't buy cards that have USB ports  ...I guess...

But the Question still remains..  WHY Doesn't LPT2 it show anywhere?
XP pro did detect both the USB and Parallel ports and drivers were installed....

USING  HP/Compaq 2.66Ghz