Do i have to fork out $20 for a TTL-232R cable to connect my PC to the BBB, or can i cobble something together akin to the cable herehttp://www.instructables.com/id/Ghetto-Programming%3a-Getting-started-with-AVR-micro/?ALLSTEPS ?
As i have Parallel port connector and female pin headers.
Any help much appreciated :-*
You can get a BUB USB adapter or a P4B RS232 serial adapter for your BBB from wulfden, check it out
http://wulfden.org/TheShoppe/pa/index.shtml
You can order them assembled and tested or just get the kit and solder it yourself
Very cool stuff 
if you have an npn and a pnp transistor laying around (or can salvage them from some electronics in your recycle bin) you can replicate the serial portion of the serial arduino and rig up a serial cable:
thanks for your posts, was sort of hopping for something using a 25 pin serial port on one end and a 5 pin female header at the the other......any ideas?
:-*
You can use a 9pin to 25pin adapter
Remember 25pin serial was essentially phased out a long time ago, 9pin lasted a lot longer than 25pin but has recently been disappearing from many new computers as well
Most new computers no longer have a 9pin serial port, let alone a 25pin
Is there a particular reason you want 25pin?
Please check with wulfden.org they may provide you with alternate headers for the BUB-USB of P4B 9pin serial ( like a female instead of a male, or a header assortment and you can use whichever one you prefer to use )
Are you sure you need a 5pin? The BBB has a 6pin header for TTL serial ( usually 90degree male ) but you can replace it if you get the BBB kit version ( I have a bunch )
gnu_linux, are you on commission from wulfden.org? 
i was hopping to make a cable for free out of bits i have floating about, while I wait for my BUB USB adapter.
there has to be something i can make???????
Are you sure you need a 5pin? The BBB has a 6pin header for TTL serial ( usually 90degree male ) but you can replace it if you get the BBB kit version ( I have a bunch )
Yes its a 6 pin, but do i need all 6 if i user another power supply?
i do have the 3x6 female socket left over from the analogue I/O on the BBB, cant i just use the top row of 6 and on that and solder wires to the 25pin serial? and if so how?
How about this beauty http://arduino.cc/en/Hacking/ParallelProgrammer :o :o
I'm not on commission, just a satisfied customer
The designer of the BBB also designed the BUB-USB
That is a parallel port programmer used to burn bootloaders and programs onto the arduino via the 2x3 pin ICSP header
This does not allow you to communicate with the BBB, you have to use serial for that
So while the parallel port programmer is pretty neat it will not help you that much [ typo corrected ]
"http://arduino.cc/en/Hacking/ParallelProgrammer"
Parallel Port ProgrammerInstructions for building a parallel port programmer for the Arduino board (or any other Atmega8 chip). Allows you to program the board on Windows without any additional equipment. Cheap and fun. (Please note, however, that this doesn't allow for communication between the computer and programs running on the board. You'll need a serial cable for that.)
i do have the 3x6 female socket left over from the analogue I/O on the BBB, cant i just use the top row of 6 and on that and solder wires to the 25pin serial? and if so how?
No, I do not believe you can
The ATmega chips used on the arduino use TTL serial, your PC uses RS232, you cannot interface the two directly, you need an appropriate converter
Are you absolutely sure you have a 25pin serial port?
25pin serial ports were effectively phased out more than 10 years ago
The 25pin printer port in the back of your computer ( assuming it has one ) is a parallel port not a serial port
Parallel port devices and serial port devices are incompatible without a converter
That is a parallel port programmer used to burn bootloaders and programs onto the arduino via the 2x3 pin ICSP header
This does not allow you to communicate with the BBB, you have to use serial for that
So while the parallel port programmer is pretty neat it will help you that much
But i can use it just to load sketches onto the BBB? and will it provide power to the BBB or will i need to use the 5v power pack?
Are you absolutely sure you have a 25pin serial port?
Sorry no, i have a 25pin parallel port and 2 9pin serial ports.
so i can use the Parallel Port Programmer to the ICSP to load sketches (and bootload if i ever need too?)
As far as I can tell you can use the parallel port programmer to burn bootloaders and upload sketches but it only works on windows and you have to use the MIT software and uisp
I do not believe you can use the arduino software with the parallel port programmer
The P4B TTL to serial is pretty inexpensive ( $5 + $2 shipping ), but you could buy the individual parts and assemble it on a breadboard if you're in a hurry and cant order one
The wulfden page has the parts list, you'll need some resistors ( 6 ), 2 caps, 1 IC, a DB9 connector and I think that's about it
I do not believe you can use the arduino software with the parallel port programmer
As of version 0012 you can use an external programmer (I use an avrispmkII) to program the ATmega directly. You must edit boards.txt to add an appropriate entry, but it works.
I suspect any box with a real parallel port can do so.
-j
Thanks kg4wsv
Does it work for the bootloader and sketches?
Does it work for the bootloader and sketches?
Yes. I've burned mega168 bootloaders as well as direct sketch programming onto ATmega8/48/168 devices.
It invokes avrdude, so I believe if avrdude supports the programmer, then you can concoct a boards.txt entry to take advantage of it.
-j