A section on programming (with Delphi/FreePascal) the PC with devices attached to USB. parallel and serial port.
A PC is such a dull device. With my other computers it is so much fun to control other devices, especially the 6502 SBC’s are great for that.

What would be great is to let the PC talk to a SBC, with something faster than a serial port. Or have the PC control the SBC via that serial port with a program much more intelligent that hyperterminal.

So I have been looking lately at ways to get something done with that.
Pascal as programming language, Delphi 7 is what I have. Good books, lots of information on the internet very stable and a functional very rich version. This should also work on Freepascal now.

First program is TEST LPT. Gives access to all pins of the parallel interface, good for testing. I learned a lot, I/O port access, all the visible things, event driven programming, object orientation, make a help file, add a menu, add an installer. All the essential things to create a professional program. I know how to program for some decades now, I have now learned to do that in Delphi’s rich visual environment.

Installation programs are made with the excellent Inno Setup.
I/O port access is made with DLPORTIO, which works fine under WIndows 32 bit.

There is now a version of the inpout libraryDLPORTIO (local copy), usable from Delphi 7 as I have shown before, also for 64 bit (Windows 7 and 8.1). From Version 1.0.0.7, InpOut provides basic DLPortIO compatibility, for use with the programs presented here: take the 32bit DLL (in \Win32) and rename it to DLPortIO.dll

See the menu on the left for ports, programs and electronics.

Delphi, 1998. See my travel photo websites!