Using TAIT Parallel programer on USB

[mjankovski]

I build TAIT programmer 4 years ago, until recently it worked fine. But now I bought Lap-Top computer which doesn't have LPT port. I thought I could use USB to LPT converter, so I bought one too, but no success. Can somebody tell me where is the problem? I think it is some software problem..

[Tomi Engdahl]

Is the TAIT programmer you are referring to this one described at http://www.bobblick.com/techref/project ... cprog.html ?

Then about the USB to parallel port converters:

The USB-Parallel Port Adapter enables users to connect parallel port interfaced devices like printers to a desktop or laptop PC via the PC's USB port.
The parallel port through this kind of adapter looks pretty same as normal parallel port for high level programs on Windows system. The low level implementation of them is completely different. The USB-Parallel Port Adapters work when they are connected to printers and such products that use standard Centronics communications.

Very many programmers and special circuits connected to the PC parallel port use the port in non-standard way. The classic PC parallel port was very easy to control through low level I/O control operations to do all kinds things it was not originally designed for. I have described the PC parallel port programming and interfacing tricks at http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/parallel_output.html document. Very many microcontroller programmers and similar devices used those tricks to work (using those tricks allowed very simple hardware to work well and do things that normal printer communications can't do).

The low level I/O control operations commonly used with special hardware connected to PC parallel port not work with USB parallel port adapters.
USB parallel ports are generally targeted for driving normal printers, and not designed for anything else.
So you may be out of luck with your parallel port programmer.

Sad that parallel ports are no longer found on many computers.
There is a lots of parallel port hardware that cannot be used anymore with the new PCs.

[mjankovski]

Is the TAIT programmer you are referring to this one described at http://www.bobblick.com/techref/project ... cprog.html ?

Yes, exactly.

Then about the USB to parallel port converters:

The USB-Parallel Port Adapter enables users to connect parallel port interfaced devices like printers to a desktop or laptop PC via the PC's USB port.
The parallel port through this kind of adapter looks pretty same as normal parallel port for high level programs on Windows system. The low level implementation of them is completely different. The USB-Parallel Port Adapters work when they are connected to printers and such products that use standard Centronics communications.

Very many programmers and special circuits connected to the PC parallel port use the port in non-standard way. The classic PC parallel port was very easy to control through low level I/O control operations to do all kinds things it was not originally designed for. I have described the PC parallel port programming and interfacing tricks at http://www.epanorama.net/circuits/parallel_output.html document. Very many microcontroller programmers and similar devices used those tricks to work (using those tricks allowed very simple hardware to work well and do things that normal printer communications can't do).

The low level I/O control operations commonly used with special hardware connected to PC parallel port not work with USB parallel port adapters.
USB parallel ports are generally targeted for driving normal printers, and not designed for anything else.
So you may be out of luck with your parallel port programmer.

Sad that parallel ports are no longer found on many computers.
There is a lots of parallel port hardware that cannot be used anymore with the new PCs.

I guess I shuld buy new USB PIC programmator. Tanks for answering..