# Sending triggers to parallel

**URL:** <https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/sending-triggers-to-parallel/2953>\
**Category:** Builder\
**Created:** [August 22, 2017, 8:49am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/sending-triggers-to-parallel/2953 "2017-08-22T08:49:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Yiannis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/yiannis/32/35056_2.png) [@Yiannis](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/Yiannis)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2017, 8:49am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/sending-triggers-to-parallel/2953/1 "2017-08-22T08:49:48Z")

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**OS** W7 32bit University Networked  
**PsychoPy version** (e.g. 1.85.1):  
**Standard Standalone? Y**  
**What are you trying to achieve?:** Send triggers to parallel port

Hi,

Completely at dark here so any help would be much appreciated. I believe I have read all the relevant posts out there including [here](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/issue-sending-triggers-using-neurospec-usb-parallel-port-adapter/2705/2), [here](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/cannot-send-a-signal-via-parallelport-using-psychopy-on-windows7-64bit/969), [here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/28581854/psychopy-send-triggers-over-parallel-port-of-pc-with-xp-32-bit) and [here](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/psychopy-users/MrGu-MPeFjU).

I am trying to send triggers through the parallel port to a Biosemi recorder.  
I have built a minimal example using builder: just a parallel port that runs 3 times with an isi between repeats. The programme runs without errors but it does not send triggers, either when run using builder or coder

Using `print` statements in the code component I found that all triggers are set to high from the beginning. So I thought to set all pins to low `parallel.setData(0)` and then `print` pin 2 ` print port.readPin(2)` and it shows that it’s still high i.e.1.

I then set pin 2 explicitly to low by `port.setPin(2, 0)` and again the read out of pin 2 was that it was high.

**My Question:** What am I doing so blatantly wrong that I cannot send triggers using this minimal example?

**Additional Info:**

1. ParallelOutput demo runs without errors but it does not send triggers.
2. I have full rights for read, write and execute for C:\Windows\System32\drivers\parport.sys as I was reading in another post.
3. There is no hardware damage - I can send triggers successfully using alternative software i.e. E-Prime.
4. inpout32.dll is included in the working dir
5. I have used different port addresses

Below I enclose a screenshot of the builder but I also attach it as a file. The custom code component is to force psychopy to use the driver.

Thanks for any help.

 ![parallel](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/psychopy/original/3X/8/9/8931075cf034a736cde1cbef70ad47af9e60e719.png)  
[untitled.psyexp](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/psychopy/original/2X/0/04fd34016af96cbb55e8f3f0dbad4a9b88fd519a.psyexp) (5.0 KB)

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**Author:** ![heidamaria](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/heidamaria/32/888_2.png) [@heidamaria](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/heidamaria)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 11:27am UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/sending-triggers-to-parallel/2953/2 "2018-01-25T11:27:20Z")

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Hi, have you gotten this to work since you posted this? If so, what did you change?

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**Author:** ![Yiannis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.psychopy.org/yiannis/32/35056_2.png) [@Yiannis](https://discourse.psychopy.org/u/Yiannis)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 4:14pm UTC](https://discourse.psychopy.org/t/sending-triggers-to-parallel/2953/3 "2018-01-25T16:14:50Z")

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Hi @heidamaria,

I am afraid I had to give up. The researcher used E-Prime instead.