Application notes - HTML

ELNEC programmers, hints to increase speed of your programmer.

This hints are also applicable to all other ELNEC products, connected to PC through parallel (LPT) port. The speed of USB port connected products (BeeProg, SmartProg2, ...) can be affected by increasing of the PC speed, but only slightly.

Preface.

The ELNEC programmer concept is based on common control program for all our programmers. This program contain of part programming procedures and interface to corresponding programmer. Programming procedures part are common, only interface to each programmer are differ. Mentioned interface is like interpreter - it send commands from part "programming procedures" to the programmer and receive messages from programmer back to "programming procedures" part.

Great advantage of this concept is, that programming procedures are written only once for all programmers. Disadvantage of this concept is the programming speed of devices depends not only on the speed of the programmer.

Problem description.

As follows from above mentioned - the programming flow is as quick as fast is slowest link from PC to programmer. There exist two critical parts: PC performance and parallel port type. Performance of PC has visible influence up to Pentium 100 MHz processor. The LPT port type and setting has big impact to programming speed in case of better PCs (486DX and above). In another words. You can increase programming speed from twice to 5 times by suitable choice of PC and by correct setting of LPT port.

Tuning steps.

  1. use please Pentium 100 and above PC in case of ELNEC programmers
  2. use WIN version of control program, 32-bit version runs faster than 16-bit DOS version
  3. during programming flow have active (running) necessary tasks only, to allow the control program utilize more system resources.
  4. set please LPT port to utmost mode that hardware allows, the best to ECP/EPP (1284) mode. The control program set LPT port mode to best fit for connected programmer.
  5. use please additional LPT port card on PCI bus. This step is most important, due increasing of data throughput up to 3 times.

Impact of partial tuning steps.

Please, look at the next table to find overview of impact level of some improvements concerning to some ELNEC programmers and WIN version of software. Please understand, that listed values are valid as shown for read/verify procedures only. The programming procedure time depends also on the necessary time for programming of memory cell and this time is independent from programmer performance.

Programmer Conditions before change Conditions after change Programming time decreasing by
all DOS version SW WIN version SW 5% to 20% (1)
all PC 386 PC Pentium 100 30% to 50% (2)
all Pentium 100 Athlon 750 10% to 15% (2)
all LPT port on ISA bus LPT port on PCI bus 40% to 50% (1)(2)
JetProg (3) LPT port SPP/PS2 mode LPT port ECP/EPP mode 60% to 80% (1)
  1. depends on the PC speed
  2. depends on the programmer type
  3. applicable to other ELNEC programmers, capable to explore speed of ECP/EPP port (T51prog, PIKprog+, SmartProg and BeeProg - if LPT port used)

Recommended tuning steps for ELNEC programmers.

Programmer Recommended tuning steps
PREPROM-02, PREPROM-02aLV, MEMprogL, SEEprog, PIKprog, 51&AVRprog Better PC, WIN version of SW, LPT port on PCI
LabProg-48LV Better PC, WIN version of SW, upgrade programmer to Beeprog, LPT port on PCI
LabProg+ Better PC, WIN version of SW, set LPT port to BIDIR, LPT port on PCI
JetProg/BeeProg/SmartProg/T51prog/PIKprog+ (programmers, capable to explore speed of ECP/EPP port) Better PC, WIN version of SW, set LPT port to ECP/EPP (1284), LPT port on PCI

Note. Additional LPT port on PCI bus card is standard selling item of good computer-accessories shops. You can find suitable LPT port on PCI bus cards (single and dual) in our offer too.
Author (comments to): J. Puobis, Elnec