USB Port Replicator: Parallel port question.

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Tordek

[H]ard|Gawd
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Dec 9, 2003
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I'm an EE student and I bought a laptop without parallel or serial ports...Big mistake there...

I need those two ports to either program Microchip PICs or Altera's CPLDs and FPGAs (basically programmable integrated circuits...)

There are usb options on the programmer hardware market, but my school already has the serial and parallel devices. And these are very expensive devices...



So, to my question: I have read and experienced on a cheap usb port replicator that the typical serial and parallel port offered is not really compatible with all the hardware. It only accepts printers and that even in that area it doesnt catch all of them.

The Analysis on this is that general port replicator drivers dont map all the ports used by your typical parallel or serial port. It only maps the most common (LPT1).
Is there a port replicator that actually maps everything and works for all type of serial and parallel hardware...?


thx in advance.
 
depending on the model you could look to see if there is a port replicator.
 
skeeder said:
depending on the model you could look to see if there is a port replicator.
Click to expand...
And this port replicator would allow me to use any hardware i would want on the parallel and serial ports? This goes in regards to my specific needs of parallel and serial programming with MICROCHIP and ALTERA programable integrated circuits...

For example this one, directly from toshiba:

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/adet.to?poid=267477&seg=HHO
 
Almost any usb->serial adapter should work. I use this with PIC and HC11/12 dev boards/programmers and it works fine.

A buddy of mine used a cheap usb->LPT adapter like the serial one I posted for an Altera CPLD dev board with both MAX+II and Quartus successfully. Unfortunately, I can't speak to how well the one I linked works since I don't know the exact adapter he used.
 
I made the same mistake. I bought a usb to lpt adapter off ebay to program a MaxII/ Flex thingy in Quartus2 but I never tried it. I know they make pcmcia adapters the offer a true lpt port but it was pretty expensive
 
Hunter said:
Almost any usb->serial adapter should work. I use this with PIC and HC11/12 dev boards/programmers and it works fine.

A buddy of mine used a cheap usb->LPT adapter like the serial one I posted for an Altera CPLD dev board with both MAX+II and Quartus successfully. Unfortunately, I can't speak to how well the one I linked works since I don't know the exact adapter he used.
Click to expand...
Could you ask him... please?

its the difference between 30 bucks from newegg and 179 from toshiba...
 
Well, bad news. Apparently I was mistaken. :confused: He did buy an adapter like that and I thought that's what he ended up using, but he said he never got it to work. He ended up buying a PCMCIA adapter which cost significantly more, but still under 179. This is what he suggested.
 
my dad needed to add on a parallel port to his new laptop for use with a parallel hardware lock for a couple of programs (zemax, and maybe matlab, but I dont think matlab uses that key anymore).

First he bought a USB to parallel adapter, no go, key not detected
next he bought a universal USB docking station style from targus, did not work.

last I know he gave up and made boeing buy him a different laptop :(
 
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