Disclosed herein is a discharge lamp lighting device which realizes the minute control of the lighting sequence and electric power of a high-pressure discharge lamp and the control of various anti-error protecting functions by mounting a microcomputer. However, since microcomputer processing typically progresses in accordance with the programs previously recorded on a ROM, various actions of the discharge lamp are controlled in accordance with ROM-recorded data settings. To modify these settings, the contents of the ROM need to be updated. Therefore, a function for communicating with an external device is assigned to the microcomputer so that various data settings can be modified.