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How to speed up SX-Key uploading — Parallax Forums

How to speed up SX-Key uploading

inakiinaki Posts: 262
edited 2005-07-08 20:48 in General Discussion
I am working with XGameStation using both parallel port and SX-Key.
I have found that using SX-Key is much slower than using parallel port when uploading code.
A program that can be uploaded in 5 seconds using the parallel port takes abut 2 minutes to load with SX-Key.

Is there any setting to set COM port speed or anything to speed up things ?

Inaki.
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Comments

  • Guenther DaubachGuenther Daubach Posts: 1,321
    edited 2005-05-16 19:45
    Inaki,

    to my knowledge, the SX-Key device uses a fixed serial communication rate which can't be changed. Therefore, I don't see a chance to increase the speed of serial programming the SX chip. On the other hand, I have never experienced programming times at about 2 minutes to program an SX with the SX-Key. To my experience, the duration of programming depends a bit on the total code size but even large programs are transferred within - say - less than 20 seconds.

    Did you download and install the most recent version of the SX-Key IDE from the Parallax site? This might help. You should also check with Task Manager while programming an SX with the SX-Key if there are any other applications or processes that request a high degree of CPU usage which most likely will slow down the data transfer.

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  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2005-05-16 20:25
    Guenther,

    ·· The slowdown problem might also explain his problem with programming through the parallel port.· Perhaps he has a virus, or Adware/Spyware problem which is affecting the timing of things?· I have seen this happen before.



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  • inakiinaki Posts: 262
    edited 2005-05-16 21:16
    Chris, the parallel problem went away when I sat the parallel mode to 'EPP' (thanks to your own recomendation).
    If you read carefully my first message on this thread I say that am I able to upload the same program in 5 seconds using the parallel port while it takes about 2 minutes to upload with SX-Key.

    Said that, I must add that I am very careful with security issues. I would not say it is anything related to a virus or spy-ware. It seems to me that there is patent difference between using parallel and Sx-Key at least on the XGS board.
  • Guenther DaubachGuenther Daubach Posts: 1,321
    edited 2005-05-16 21:39
    Inaki,

    I also do have an XGS board here. When this is set to SX-Key programming mode, the two relevant SX pins (OSC1 and OSC2) go straight through to the SX-Key pin header, so I can't imagine that any of the XGS board components cause such a slow-down.

    If you have the cance to program an SX device on another hardware platform (e.g. an SX28 on an SX-Tech Board) try to program a device there, and see how long it takes. As I said before, 2 minutes are way above the serial programming time I have ever experienced with the SX-Key.

    BTW - did you set the SYSMODE switch on the XGS board to "KEY" when using the SX-Key?

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    Greetings from Germany,

    G
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2005-05-17 03:09
    inaki said...
    Chris, the parallel problem went away when I sat the parallel mode to 'EPP' (thanks to your own recomendation).
    If you read carefully my first message on this thread I say that am I able to upload the same program in 5 seconds using the parallel port while it takes about 2 minutes to upload with SX-Key.
    Said that, I must add that I am very careful with security issues. I would not say it is anything related to a virus or spy-ware. It seems to me that there is patent difference between using parallel and Sx-Key at least on the XGS board.
    ·· You are correct, I missed that.· However, I, like Guenther cannot see why the Serial Port/SX-Key method takes too long.· Of course the Parallel Port will be faster, since you're transferring 8 bits at a time instead of 1.· I guess you have to go with what's easier for you.· wink.gif

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    csavage@parallax.com
  • inakiinaki Posts: 262
    edited 2005-05-17 10:55
    Guenther, when I use the SX-Key on a different board, it uploads the code quickly. This seems not to be related with code length because I have tested different program sizes.
    On the XGS board I set the SYSMODE lever to Sx-Key position when programming. The I set it to RUN and it works as expected.
    So, it seems to work, the only problem I see is speed.
  • ForrestForrest Posts: 1,341
    edited 2005-05-17 14:39
    I just upgraded to SX-Key 3.1 and on my Windows 98SE system, the programming speed doubled! Yesterday I programmed the SX28 on the RoboOlympics Medal that Parallax sells and it required more than 1 minute with SX-Key 3.0. I tried it again today using SX-Key 3.1 and the time was reduced to 37 seconds.
  • NewzedNewzed Posts: 2,503
    edited 2005-05-17 14:43
    You may not have seen the note I posted yesterday on another thread.· I downloaded a 2002 byte program in 47 seconds using 3.1 and Windows XP.

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  • cbmeekscbmeeks Posts: 634
    edited 2005-07-08 18:03
    what do you have your COM speed set at in Windows and in the BIOS?

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  • Guenther DaubachGuenther Daubach Posts: 1,321
    edited 2005-07-08 20:48
    The COM speed set in Winooooze, or BIOS has no influence on the speed, the SX-Key IDE communicates with the SX-Key, and finally the SX because the IDE always configures the COM speed to a fixed value which - to be honest - I don't know.

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    Greetings from Germany,

    G
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