SDR From the Ukraine?

[John Teller]

The last time I used anything (besides a printer) that plugged into the 
parallel port was back in 1992!  USB2 advertises 400 Mbps, but with all 
the required software overhead the actual throughput is a fraction of 
that. 

--- JST

Michael O'Dell wrote:
> WB4JFI wrote:
>   
>>  USB-to-parallel adaptors are easy to come by - but most do not work with
>> the Flex SDR-1000.  First, it needs to be fully bidirectional.  Second, it
>> needs to be 100% compatible with a "real" parallel port, most are not.
>> PowerSDR (the Flex software) and the SDR-1000 hardware interface uses all
>> the available parallel port pins, and even does a software UART on some pins
>> if the fourth board exists.  The Flex software talks directly to the
>> parallel port hardware.  If you try to use most USB adaptors, they don't
>> work the same way, and PowerSDR won't work.
>>
>> The Flex USB adaptor had special code inside the buried chip, that the
>> PowerSDR software handshakes with.  If a different USB adaptor is used, the
>> software won't work.
>>
>> In fact, some of the time the Flex USB adaptor flakes out as well.
>>     
>
> Ah - they destined to be screwed by grossly misusing the hardware.
> they did their customers no favors.
>
> as for firewire, SATA, and USB "going the way of the Do-Do Bird"
>
> it will be interesting to see how quickly USB 3.0 with its
> multi-gigabit data rate starts pushing other things out.
>
> firewire was designed by people trying to create a general-purpose
> interface, so not only can it supply significant power, it was
> designed for high-performance *symmetric* communication.
>
> USB was originally created to connect a telephone handset
> to a PC (i kid you not) so it is grossly asymmetrical.
>
> SATA will stay around as an interface because of SAS -
> Serial-Attached SCSI. that's the interface used by high-dollar
> high-reliability "enterprise class" drives. SAS isn't
> going away anytime soon and it rides atop the SATA L1 layer
> (essentially - not a perfect match with layering as we
> understand it, but close enough). and since SAS/SATA is trying
> to displace Fiber Channel as a drive interface, it will
> keep getting better.
>
> 	cheers,
> 	-mo
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