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From: rstevew@armory.com (Richard Steven Walz)
Subject: Re: EPROM, ser-par-EEPROM, PIC programmer damn near FREE!!
Organization: The Armory
Date: Wed, 4 Jan 1995 13:58:47 GMT
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In article <3ebkvo$7k7@jabba.cybernetics.net>,
Mark Reeves <robotek@cybernetics.net> wrote:
>How about a PIC programmer for 39.95, I'm working on one that will use 
>the serial port....
>
>Details later...
------------------------
Now THERE's what I like to see around here! However, I propose just
conniving together the *PD* schematics and program source to do a bunch of
different devices out of the parallel port, which *I* maintain is the best
HOME use of I/O, even if screwing an RS232C onto it IS very froody! (And it
deals with the poor Mac owner's needs as well!!) Like I always say, the
serial port is for pre-made devices that have that interface, and the
parallel port is for the stuff you will just use for your own HOME-SHOP
stuff, because it is SO simple!!! The best of both worlds would be a PD
schematicized multiport board that was serial and served lots of bench-top
I/O bits and could be easily configured with a cheezy menu driven prog
which is PD source available! And have code in assembly, C, and BASIC!
We could make it fast enough with assembly to do low-BW sound D2A and A2D
and that speed would be the fastest we'd need it for, for sound and for I/O
for device programming. Let's face it. Yes, code can be written, and
programmers can be built to program a device in an incredibly short time!
However, NONE of the microcontrollers, PIC's or other, and none of the
EEPROM's and EPROM's, and none of the GAL's and PAL's DEMAND to be
programmed fast!!! That it could take a couple minutes to do a device
wouldn't mess with our minds too badly for the chance to do it all with
a minimal amount of equipment soldered together with homebrew cheeze board
methods! And then you have the I/O system that the loonies SHOULD have
built into the IBM/clone and into the Mac!!!
-Steve Walz   rstevew@armory.com

