Definition of "bit banger"?

[Jeff Haas]

Quick question...how would you define a "bit banger"?  It seems to allow you to record info entered via real-time input, instead of painstakingly programming it in.  But why the term "bit banger"?

[menehune]

I believe a "Bit Banger" is a quick-n-dirty serial link that a processor sends or receives serial data upon. 

There is no UIRT (serial) interface chip, buffer or error correction in the circuit.  The only thing the processor can do is listen for bits of data.   If the processor is performing something other than listening for the serial data, the data will be lost.

Generally not a problem for simple low speed connections, but complex, high speed, multi-threaded processors generally require additional parts.

If you need robust communication or communication that occurs in the background, it will require additional circuitry or programming.

[JonnyMac]

In the context of prop controllers a "bit-banger" is a controller tha is programmed in real-time by enabling the record cycle and then entering the output sequence with a button.  The device is, essentially, a digital recorder that is progammed one channel at a time.  In the case of the EZ-8 with eight channels, each channel occupies one bit of the stored byte for each frame, hence the term "bit banger."

[Jeff Haas]

I see!  Thanks for the info.