NB2DSK01 - NanoBoard-PC Interface (Parallel Port)
The NB2DSK01 can be connected to your PC via the computer's standard parallel port. The NB2DSK01 provides a corresponding parallel port through use of a 26-pin Male header.
Figure 1. Parallel port interface for connection to PC.
When you launch Altium Designer, the system loads a driver that configures the parallel port to run as a single multiplexed JTAG link between the NB2DSK01 and the PC. Three distinct JTAG chains present on the NB2DSK01 constitute this multiplexed link (NanoBoard JTAG chain, Hard Devices JTAG chain, Soft (Nexus) Devices JTAG chain), the multiplexing being handled by the NanoTalk Controller. Demultiplexing of the link is performed at the PC end, by the Altium Designer software.
Pin 26 of the header provides a 1-Wire bus connected to the DATA line of the DS2406 device used to provide board identification for the NB2DSK01. This is a spare pin of the header and is separate from the parallel port communications. This 1-Wire bus is used for production programming purposes only – allowing the ID device to be programmed externally through the parallel port. As such, it is not available for general use.
For more information on board identification, see NB2DSK01 - Board ID Memory.
Location on Board
The parallel port header (designated HDR6) is located on the solder side of the board, towards the top-left corner.
Schematic Reference
The parallel port interface circuitry can be found on the following sheets of the motherboard schematics:
- Sheet 32 (
PC_ParallelPort.SchDoc, entitled PC Parallel Port Interface)
- Sheet 33 (
CON_PCPPORT_26WBOXHDRRAM.SchDoc, entitled PC Parallel Port + 1-Wire).