Re: [avr-chat] DAPA programming hardware options

[David Brown]

On 30/09/2012 04:32, Richard Cavell wrote:
> Ahh the joys of Microsoft dictating what you can and cannot install on
> your own hardware. Have you tried booting up a Linux LiveCD to see if
> it can drive the parallel port?
>
> - Yes, and it can't.
>
> Damn it, a parallel port used to be ubiquitous.  Now it's a real problem.

(You've got a problem with your email program - it seems to be sending 
in html, it's not quoting previous posts properly, and it is not 
tracking threads and setting the "References" header correctly so that 
threading is messed up.)

The parallel port was a great tool, but these days it is more effort 
than it is worth.  Third-party parallel port boards exist, but they are 
often problematic.  One issue is that they often use non-standard port 
addresses or IRQs, or at least addresses other than the LPT1 addresses. 
 Or sometimes they /do/ use the LPT1 addresses, but the motherboard has 
claimed these for itself (even though it does not implement a parallel 
port physically).  And a lot of parallel port software is fixed for LPT1 
only.

We make a point of keeping a few old PCs with parallel ports (and XP or 
earlier windows) for when they are needed, but it's been several years 
since I've used a parallel port.  (I haven't used them at all under 
Linux - most parallel port software is DOS/Windows only.)

Do yourself a favour and move to USB.  It may feel a little like you are 
giving in to the pressure, but it's a lost battle.  USB works smoothly 
and reliably in Linux, and it works most of the time on Windows, and a 
USB Atmel USB ISP programmer will cost you far less than a motherboard 
with a parallel port.

mvh.,

David