diff --git a/light8/io.py b/light8/io.py
--- a/light8/io.py
+++ b/light8/io.py
@@ -1,109 +1,17 @@
 
-
-class BaseIO:
-    def __init__(self):
-        self.dummy=1
-        self.__name__ = 'BaseIO'
-        # please override and set __name__ to your class name
-
-    def golive(self):
-        """call this if you want to promote the dummy object becomes a live object"""
-        print "IO: %s is going live" % self.__name__
-        self.dummy=0
-        # you'd override with additional startup stuff here,
-        # perhaps even loading a module and saving it to a class
-        # attr so the subclass-specific functions can use it
-
-    def godummy(self):
-        print "IO: %s is going dummy" % self.__name__
-        self.dummy=1
-        # you might override this to close ports, etc
-        
-    def isdummy(self):
-        return self.dummy
+DUMMY=1
 
-    def __repr__(self):
-        if self.dummy:
-            return "<dummy %s instance>" % self.__name__
-        else:
-            return "<live %s instance>" % self.__name__
-
-    # the derived class will have more methods to do whatever it does,
-    # and they should return dummy values if self.dummy==1.
-
-class ParportDMX(BaseIO):
-    def __init__(self, dimmers=68):
-        BaseIO.__init__(self)
-        self.__name__='ParportDMX'
-        self.dimmers = dimmers
-
-    def golive(self):
-        BaseIO.golive(self)
-        import parport
-        self.parport = parport
-        self.parport.getparport()
-        
-    def sendlevels(self, levels):
-        if self.dummy:
-            return
-        
-        levels = list(levels) + [0]
-        # if levels[14] > 0: levels[14] = 100 # non-dim
-        self.parport.outstart()
-        for p in range(1, self.dimmers + 2):
-            self.parport.outbyte(levels[p-1]*255 / 100)
+def init(DUMMY_in):
+    global DUMMY
+    if not DUMMY_in:
+        getparport()
+        DUMMY=0
 
-class SerialPots(BaseIO):
-    """
-    this is a dummy object (that returns zeros forever) until you call startup()
-    which makes it bind to the port, etc
-    
-    """
-    def __init__(self):
-        # no init here- call getport() to actually initialize
-        self.dummy=1
-        self.__name__='SerialPots' # i thought this was automatic!
-
-    def golive(self):
-        """
-        ls -l /dev/i2c-0
-        crw-rw-rw-    1 root     root      89,   0 Jul 11 12:27 /dev/i2c-0
-        """
-        import serport
-        self.serport = serport
-        
-        self.f = open("/dev/i2c-0","rw")
-
-        # this is for a chip with A0,A1,A2 lines all low:
-        port = 72
-
-        from fcntl import *
-
-        I2C_SLAVE = 0x0703  #/* Change slave address                 */
-        ioctl(self.f,I2C_SLAVE,port)
-        self.dummy=0
-
-    def godummy(self):
-        BaseIO.godummy(self)
-        self.f.close()
-
-    def getlevels(self):
-        if self.dummy:
-            return (0,0,0,0)
-        else:
-            return self.serport.read_all_adc(self.f.fileno())
-
-
-if __name__=='__main__':
-    
-    """ tester program that just dumps levels for a while """
-    from time import sleep
-    from serport import *
-
-    i=0
-    while i<100:
-        sleep(.033)
-        i=i+1
-
-        print read_all_adc(f.fileno())
-
+def sendlevels(levels):
+    if DUMMY: return
+    levels = list(levels) + [0]
+    if levels[14] > 0: levels[14] = 100
+    # print "levels", ' '.join(["%3.1f" % l for l in levels])
+    outstart()
+    for p in range(1,70):
+        outbyte(levels[p-1]*255/100)