Dlp-flash

sfp

I recently purchased a board from DLP Design that has a USB FIFO chip interfaced to a SX48 (DLP-245SY). To go with that board I purchased their Flash programmer (DLP-FLASH) which looks very, very similar to the SX-Key except that it's USB instead of RS232.

Is it possible to use the DLP-FLASH with the SX-Key IDE?

It looks like I can save the hex file in the IDE and then load it with the DLP-Flash application. Besides being cumbersome, I lose some of the capabilities of the IDE.

I want to avoid having to buy the SX-Key adapter after spending $75 for the DLP-FLASH.

Paul Baker

I doubt anyone on these boards could help you with your question, asking DLP Design would probably be more fruitfull. That said, the DLP-FLASH uses the FTDI chip, so you can install the driver to get it to mimic a serial port, something nessesary for it to be usable by the SX-IDE. The DLP-FLASH has 5 pin sockets, whereas the SX-Key has 4, if you can figure out a mapping scheme you can try to program a bare SX28 through the SX-IDE·(chip <$5, software is free). Finally, I think if you do get it to work it will only have the equivalent functionality as the SX-Blitz and not the SX-Key, meaning in circuit debugging is not provided. If this is true and you can get it to work, you may want to use it until you can afford the SX-Key because the SX-Key's debugging feature is very usefull to get a real world assesment of what is occuring inside the chip, greatly shortening the development cycle.

Ok, Ive looked a little further into it, the SX-Key and the DLP FLASH are pin compatible if you ignore the 5th socket which isn't used for SX programming, connect it the way it is shown on http://www.parallax.com/dl/docs/prod/sx/sxkeyman1_1.pdf#page=9

install the SX-IDE and try to see if it works. And it does not support in circuit debugging.

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Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 12/1/2005 5:50:47 PM GMT

Ron Belknap

I·have the DLP-Flash and·the SX-key, but have only used them with they're own software.· I primarily use the SX-key·to program SX chips, as the SX-key IDE has more functionality than the DLP-Flash.· I primarily use the DLP-Flash to program the PIC16F877 that's on the DLP-245PB.

The DLP-245SY can be programmed using either device, you just have to be careful about the extra line when connecting·DLP stuff with non-DLP stuff.

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sfp

Ron and Paul,

Thank you for your replies. Once I get past the "hello world" types of programs I'll likely pick up one of the SX-KEYs. The additional capabilities will be worth it.