Byron A Jeff wrote:

>>>> Are USB-parallel converters common at all? To be honest, I have not
>>>> seen a physical one yet. USB-seral converter is much more common.

>>> Both in the computer shops in town and at my main supplier they are as
>>> common as a serial converter, and cheaper. [...]

>> But it still costs $13 (and the warranty sounds kind of strange). If the
>> goal is to make a low-cost PIC programmer, a programmed PIC for a "real"
>> programmer is probably cheaper.
> 
> I started this thread. Cheap isn't the sole goal. Part of it is to maintain
> some measure of control of the hardware. [...]

> So the cables represent one of the few commodity links to allowing for 
> direct control of hardware on a PC.

I still question the means... between 

1- buying a commercial USB-to-Parallel converter to be able to wiggle some
pins in a limited way and building a limited programmer around it, and 

2- buying a programmed PIC to do exactly that (wiggling some pins) in a
much less limited way (and then build the rest of the minimal hardware
around the PIC), 

to me the second version looks more "in control", more "DIY".

In a way, to me this feels similar to trying to make a CD player look like
an old record player :)

Gerhard

-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist