Downloading without a Com Port

Questions and discussion about the ZBasic IDE.
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Don_Kirby
Posts: 341
Joined: 15 October 2006, 3:48 AM
Location: Long Island, New York

Downloading without a Com Port

Post by Don_Kirby »

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have a VB application for downloading software/firmware to my ZX using the ZLoad dll. My project uses an FTDI chip for this purpose. The application, as it stands right now, uses a virtual com port, which works well enough.

Since I can't ever seem to stop 'tweaking', I am looking into the possibility of not using the VCP driver, and going the D2XX dll route. This would allow the user to plug in the USB cable, and not have to configure anything at all.

I don't see, however, any way to configure Zload.dll to not try to use a com port. Any suggestions?

-Don
dkinzer
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Location: Portland, OR

Post by dkinzer »

Use of a serial port is a fundamental assumption of the downloader code and the API. To use another method of communicating with the device (e.g. via the D2xx DLL) the API would need to be substantially modified or completely redesigned.
- Don Kinzer
Don_Kirby
Posts: 341
Joined: 15 October 2006, 3:48 AM
Location: Long Island, New York

Post by Don_Kirby »

dkinzer wrote:... the API would need to be substantially modified or completely redesigned.
Looking through the code, I see that the com port routines are embedded everywhere. I'll do a little experimenting and see if I can't roll my own 'ZLoadUSB.dll'.

-Don
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