USB to parallel port converter

[john]

Hi,

I have a FPGA board that can be programmed via parallel port. But I
have no parallel port on my laptop. Can I use a USB to parallel port
converter to program the board? If yes, then does the converter come
with some software or driver. Please advice also for parallel to usb
converter too!
John

 

[Costas Vlachos]

Hi,

I have a FPGA board that can be programmed via parallel port. But I
have no parallel port on my laptop. Can I use a USB to parallel port
converter to program the board? If yes, then does the converter come
with some software or driver. Please advice also for parallel to usb
converter too!
John

No, a USB-to-parallel port converter won't work. These converters simply
emulate the parallel port and are designed for use with printers. They
do not provide the low-level hardware access necessary for programmers,
dongles, etc. There are PCMCIA cards that provide a true parallel port
(with a proper physical address on the PC bus). Check this out:

http://www.transdigital.net/

I've been using their PCMCIA-to-parallel card on my laptop with no
problems. My PIC programmer works fine with it. There may be other
brands too, try Google, but always look for PCMCIA, *not* USB.

--
Regards,
Costas
_________________________________________________
Costas Vlachos Email: [email protected]
SPAM-TRAPPED: Please remove "-X-" before replying

 

[Vince]

Hi John,

like Costas told you; use a PCMCIA card and not an USB to
serial/parallel convertor (from FTDICHIP --> http://www.ftdichip.com/)
..

I have tried to use those and it gave a lot of problems over here for
programming.

Best Regards,
Vince

http://www.fpga.be

 

[Roger Hamlett]

Hi,

I have a FPGA board that can be programmed via parallel port. But I
have no parallel port on my laptop. Can I use a USB to parallel port
converter to program the board? If yes, then does the converter come
with some software or driver. Please advice also for parallel to usb
converter too!
John

You need to get a proper PCMCIA parallel port card. Just about the best,
is the Quatech unit.
Unforunately, the USB adapters, are not really USB-parallel adapters, but
USB-printer adapters. The difference is that the 'printer', only needs
basic 'printer' transfers and handshaking. The actual parallel port, can
be directly programmed to do a whole lot of other things, but these
emulators can't do any of these...

Best Wishes

 

[Peter Nyffeler]

As others already mentioned USB to Parallel Converters don't emulate a printer
port.
Connecting such a converter, the computer will see a printer with USB
interface.
I bought two of them to get aware of this!

However I found a webpage for DIY converter for USB to IEEE1284 printer port,
but haven't time to build one yet.

the URL is:
http://www-user.tu-chemnitz.de/~heha/bastelecke/Rund um den PC/
click on USB2LPT it opens the page in German.
on top left there is a link to the English translation

Peter

 

[jasen]

Hi,

I have a FPGA board that can be programmed via parallel port. But I
have no parallel port on my laptop. Can I use a USB to parallel port
converter to program the board?

maybe (probably not)

If yes, then does the converter come with some software or driver.

usually, if your operating system doesn't and isn't too ancient.

Please advice also for parallel to usb converter too!

parallel port has no 5V output, that makes it kind of hard.

with a 5V supply from elsewhere and the right software it may be possible to
bit-bang USB at a low rate. (I don't know for sure)

Bye.
Jasen