Ask Slashdot: Best EEPROM Programmer For a Hobbyists?

Arduino by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:30 · Score: 0

Isn't this what that arduino crap is about?

Re:Arduino by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:35 · Score: 0

Isn't this what that arduino crap is about?
No.
Re:Arduino by mangu · 2011-10-29 08:54 · Score: 4, Informative

Came here to say that. The easiest way to program an EPROM today without a legacy programmer would be to put it into a breadboard and use an Arduino.
I used to have a universal programmer like the one he wants, but it ran off an ISA card in a PC, it stopped working when my last 486 PC gave up the ghost.
By coincidence, it was only last week that I found some old spare EPROMS for a custom-built equipment we used to have where I work. Just for curiosity, I wanted to read their content. I wired an Arduino to read them, just a few minutes work.
Re:Arduino by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-30 10:19 · Score: 0

I used to have a universal programmer like the one he wants, but it ran off an ISA card in a PC, it stopped working when my last 486 PC gave up the ghost.
Gave up the ghost, or gave up the magic smoke?
Re:Arduino by leptons · 2011-10-30 15:50 · Score: 1

Arduino is not a way to program EEPROM / PROM / PIC / GAL chips. What Arduino is, is a way for noobs to get their feet with with microcontrollers. Arduino will not solve every problem, and you might in fact need an EEPROM / PROM / PIC / GAL and a way to program it.

Soulskilless. by Forty+Two+Tenfold · 2011-10-29 08:30 · Score: 0

Dude. At least edit the title.

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Upward mobility is a slippery slope - the higher you climb the more you show your ass.

Re:Soulskilless. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:34 · Score: 0

+1
Re:Soulskilless. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:36 · Score: 0

Also, put it in another category than "programming". This is about hardware, even if it has the word "programmer" in the title.
Re:Soulskilless. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:58 · Score: 0

Yeah the correct title would have been "I can haz EEPROM?"
Re:Soulskilless. by Forty+Two+Tenfold · 2011-10-29 09:12 · Score: 1, Funny

Yeah the correct title would have been "I can haz EEPROM?"
It damn well could.

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Upward mobility is a slippery slope - the higher you climb the more you show your ass.

Any programmers which connect to a Linux box ? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:35 · Score: 0

I have one requirement to add to BigSes's query: Are there programmers which connect to a Linux box, eliminating the requirement for a Windows PC?

Re:Any programmers which connect to a Linux box ? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:48 · Score: 1

You can build one yourself: http://outflux.net/unix/software/EPROM/
Re:Any programmers which connect to a Linux box ? by lcreech · 2011-10-29 09:59 · Score: 1

PonyProg

Dont call them Programmers by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:36 · Score: 5, Funny

Call them EEPROM Software Engineers ;)

Re:Dont call them Programmers by TeknoHog · 2011-10-29 09:11 · Score: 1

Seriously, this is a good point. Since taking up FPGA work, I've learned that "programming" simply means putting a bitstream on a chip, and the actual writing of the code should have a different name, such as "design" or "engineering". I also think it is much more geeky to say "I design microchips" than saying you program (give instructions to) chips that somebody else designed.
On a side note, some older network cards have sockets for boot EEPROMs, and you can use them to program compatible chips for any purpose, using flashrom from the coreboot project. However, they seem to have a limited number of address lines, so the full capacity of the chips is not exposed.

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Re:Dont call them Programmers by jones_supa · 2011-10-29 09:26 · Score: 1

Seriously, this is a good point. Since taking up FPGA work, I've learned that "programming" simply means putting a bitstream on a chip, and the actual writing of the code should have a different name, such as "design" or "engineering".
Well, another way to make a distinction, how about calling putting a bitstream on a chip "flashing" and writing code "programming"?

I also think it is much more geeky to say "I design microchips" than saying you program (give instructions to) chips that somebody else designed.
But that sounds more like doing the hardware design of the chip.
Re:Dont call them Programmers by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 09:48 · Score: 0

Well, another way to make a distinction, how about calling putting a bitstream on a chip "flashing" and writing code "programming"?
You can do that but that would be incorrect for PROM, EPROM, EEPROM and FRAM devices.
Programming is also the correct term for configuration your VCR to record tv-shows at the correct time, are you sure that you would like to call writing software something that can be confused with that?
Re:Dont call them Programmers by TheGratefulNet · 2011-10-29 09:57 · Score: 1

Well, another way to make a distinction, how about calling putting a bitstream on a chip "flashing" and writing code "programming"?
to explain what flash REALLY is; you historically had to erase ('flash') the ram in 1 step and then write to it as a whole unit (sector) at a time.
other ram is not flash and so you don't strictly 'flash' every form of NVRAM.
flash is generally for program but eeprom is more for random access read/write data, saved between reboots.

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Re:Dont call them Programmers by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 10:53 · Score: 0

Are you so unfulfilled in your life that you care?
Re:Dont call them Programmers by Scratch-O-Matic · 2011-10-29 13:26 · Score: 1

I vote for "filling." And the code that's ready to be put in is called "the fill. "

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Re:Dont call them Programmers by TeknoHog · 2011-10-29 21:25 · Score: 2

I also think it is much more geeky to say "I design microchips" than saying you program (give instructions to) chips that somebody else designed.
But that sounds more like doing the hardware design of the chip.
When you code FPGAs, you design electronic circuits at the gate level. I think that counts as hardware design. Besides FPGAs, the same design can be fabbed into real ASICs, and often the FPGA is simply used to prototype things before such production.

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Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
Re:Dont call them Programmers by jones_supa · 2011-10-29 21:53 · Score: 1

Ah yes, in FPGA case that's indeed true.
Re:Dont call them Programmers by John+Bresnahan · 2011-10-29 23:09 · Score: 1

Seriously, this is a good point. Since taking up FPGA work, I've learned that "programming" simply means putting a bitstream on a chip, and the actual writing of the code should have a different name, such as "design" or "engineering".
If you're not going to use the word "programmer" for someone who writes programs, then you shouldn't use the word "engineer" for someone who develops hardware or software.
Everyone know that an "engineer" is someone who drives a train.
Re:Dont call them Programmers by mirix · 2011-10-30 16:06 · Score: 1

On a side note, some older network cards have sockets for boot EEPROMs, and you can use them to program compatible chips for any purpose, using flashrom from the coreboot project. However, they seem to have a limited number of address lines, so the full capacity of the chips is not exposed.
A few years ago, I added an 8 bit latch onto a 3com card, the highest address line would select it, and latch the upper 8 address lines (so effectively adding 7 bits of address space).
I had planned on adding higher voltage lines for old EPROMs and the like... never got around to it though. It was kind of hokey, mostly just did it to see that i could. I think I had a board I had screwed the bios up on, and that was the whole reason for it.
(I ended up buying one of the chinese programmers eventually, but never use it really.. shifted gears i guess..)

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Sent from my PDP-11
Re:Dont call them Programmers by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-31 01:43 · Score: 0

no we used to call it 'burning' an eprom
(not eeprom, jeez you young whippersnappers, learn your acronyms, now get off my lawn)

Cheap Chinese ones are fine by raburton · 2011-10-29 08:36 · Score: 4, Interesting

I bought one several years ago (Top2048, don't think it's a current model now). Forget what it cost but probably in the region of 100 USD. Build quiality is good. Software isn't great or well translated, but at the end of the day it does what it's supposed to. In terms of writing eproms I've never had any problems with it. Ultimately writing an eprom isn't a particularly difficult concept so I see no reason a Chinese factory can't mass produce a cheap a programmer. Or put another way, why on earth do branded ones from the West cost so much money? Richard.

Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by fermion · 2011-10-29 09:02 · Score: 1

I will second this. I ordered the cheapest GAL programmer I could find off eBay and it arrived and worked fine. I spent no where near 80. A USB to rs-242 converter will add to the cost, but if you find a good deal on serial it is no a big deal.

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Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by TheGratefulNet · 2011-10-29 09:07 · Score: 1

the 'western' ones invented the tech and did all the hard work and research.
the chinese come in, swoop down, copy things and do it for slave labor wages.
duh, how can they copy our tech and yet with no overhead, sell for less?
(sheesh).

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"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Miamicanes · 2011-10-29 10:01 · Score: 2

That's not quite true. Chinese companies over the past 10 years have been carving out a new market category for themselves -- things that are dirt cheap due to sheer unfathomable economy of scale and large-scale ASIC design. When your domestic economy *alone* has more than a billion consumers who, due to language, aren't terribly thrilled by foreign (ie, English-oriented) alternatives to begin with, you can hardly help but become very good at cranking out millions of products. Look at phones. Companies like Huawei have more real customers within 500 miles than Motorola and Nokia would have if they owned 100% of their respective (American & European) markets in their entirety.
Yes, Chinese companies copy. So did Japanese companies. So did American companies, for that matter (back in the 1800s, European nations were perpetually up in arms about cheaply copied goods from America flooding their markets). The point is, if you focus on the copying too much, you're likely to miss the REAL long-term threat presented by Chinese companies to America and Europe -- their unbelievable potential for vertical integration and unbelievable economy of scale that will keep them competitive LONG after workers in Chongqing are making wages comparable to workers in Tennessee.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by hedwards · 2011-10-29 10:50 · Score: 1

Except that even in China Chinese goods have a reputation for being crap. Most of them would much rather buy American when they can afford it, rather than having to worry about safety and quality issues.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by ChrisMaple · 2011-10-29 11:10 · Score: 1, Interesting

A factor of 3 in population simply does not make "sheer unfathomable economy of scale". Our biggest disadvantage is that we have a large population of layabouts, lawyers, and losers. Their two biggest advantages are they're smarter than everyone else (except for a small population of Jews [ just fact, not commentary ] ) and being only a generation away from universal government-imposed poverty means they're working quite hard.

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Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by lucm · 2011-10-29 12:18 · Score: 1

> Except that even in China Chinese goods have a reputation for being crap
So were the Japanese cars in the 90s, and then Korean cars. It's a learning process.

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lucm, indeed.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by jonwil · 2011-10-29 12:26 · Score: 1

I have car dealer friends who have said that the Chinese cars now available in Australia (from Great Wall, Cherry and Geely) will likely never improve in quality in the way the Korean and Japanese cars did because the chinese cars are just made up of bits of other cars technology licensed, stolen, copied or otherwise obtained rather than being a whole coherent car.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by lucm · 2011-10-29 14:36 · Score: 1

Yeah maybe you have a point. It's like the USSR where the investment in R&D was mostly related to finding ways to copy western technology. I don't know if this is a side-effect of Communism or if it's culture-related.

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lucm, indeed.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by JoeMerchant · 2011-10-29 15:18 · Score: 1

Concur with parent, cheap works, whatever I have used in the past (half a dozen varieties, at least) has always "just worked" apparently it's not too hard to do.
On the flipside, if I were designing a project, I'd lean toward Flash over EEPROM, or, what I have done a few times, a RAM over PROM solution (bootstrap in the ROM, but load the dev code to RAM for testing, when the code matures, drop it into the ROM (one-time programmable chips are usually 1/10th the cost of a "windowed" part, or less) and leave the hook in to be able to load new test code up into RAM for further development.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Lord+Kano · 2011-10-29 16:30 · Score: 1

So were the Japanese cars in the 90s
I agree that in the 70s Japanese cars were regarded as crap, but I seem to remember then steadily getting better though the 80s and in the late 90s they became a real force to be reckoned with in the American marketplace.
LK

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Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Pence128 · 2011-10-29 16:56 · Score: 1

I bought a USB/Serial adaptor on eBay for less than $4 shipped a while ago.

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Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Pence128 · 2011-10-29 17:02 · Score: 1

You overestimate how trivial *PROM/PIC/AVR etc programmers are. I designed and built one in an afternoon.

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Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by jrumney · 2011-10-29 17:15 · Score: 1

Perception lags behind reality. Especially when it is combined with patriotic bias.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Genda · 2011-10-29 17:19 · Score: 2, Interesting

What you've all ignored is that China is exploding into cutting edge technology, cranking out Phds like they're going out of style. Last year they produced more international patents than America. They're building both a huge industrial manufacturing infrastructure as well as a huge and growing intellectual leadership. If they couldn't produce quality work, then the bulk of American and European industry wouldn't be using them to manufacture their products, no matter how cheaply they can produce (can you say Apple, Gucci???)
Face it kids, they are perfectly lined up on a trajectory to take a leadership role in global production through the rest of this century. They will eclipse the American economy some time in the middle of this decade. They are already the third largest global consumer of luxury items. You better believe that businesses everywhere are going to pander to a market with a billion and a half buyers.
As stupid as their government is, it has the advantage of moving in a monolithic manner. So once a decision if made, the nation marches in lockstep. Makes for a very impressive ability to turn the nation on a dime. The U.S. can't do that. We have other strengths, some huge, we just don't have the ability to act like that except maybe in the face of a national crisis.
Don't assume we have anything on the Chinese, we need to put our game faces on, and play full out, because these guys are hungry and they want our lunch really bad.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by lucm · 2011-10-29 17:58 · Score: 2

> As stupid as their government is, it has the advantage of moving in a monolithic manner. So once a decision if made, the nation marches in lockstep. Makes for a very impressive ability to turn the nation on a dime. The U.S. can't do that. We have other strengths, some huge, we just don't have the ability to act like that except maybe in the face of a national crisis.
Between Confucius and Mao not a lot of things happened in that huge country. That's a hell of a big dime they need to turn on.
Surprisingly things are moving much faster since westerners are involved in their business. Must be a coincidence.

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lucm, indeed.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 20:48 · Score: 0

Implying American product is no longer crap and of superior quality? Where has world become?
Weren't you the guys who figured people buy new stuff faster when you put at least one plagued capacitor per unit. And you called it planned obsolescence or maybe even "product life-cycle management".
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by DNS-and-BIND · 2011-10-29 20:58 · Score: 2

Oh, please. The same things were said about the Japanese in the 80s before their economy imploded. There is no way China can maintain a 10%+ growth rate and the growth is all that's keeping the people quiet. It's like Disco Stu's "if current trends continue, Disco music will take over the world by 1980!"

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Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by inasity_rules · 2011-10-29 21:53 · Score: 1

Why not roll your own? You just need an old PC with a parallel port, a NOT gate chip (7400 series works)(or a buffer) and appropriate software.

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Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-30 02:08 · Score: 0

Pense128, fermion, and raburton - If you're Americans, you're betraying the US just to save a few bucks if you buy Chinese products.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Kazymyr · 2011-10-30 02:09 · Score: 1

I agree. I use a cheapo ($15 or so) serial port Chinese-made programmer for DIP8 I2C and SPI EEPROMs, has been working like a charm for over 2 years. Looks like this: http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Serial-Eeprom-programmer-24Cxx-93Cxx-and-25xxx-/22/!C!P6,0QBWk~$(KGrHqV,!jME0DV!UBpyBNCNme3PvQ~~_12.JPG
I believe you can find USB versions for not much more money.

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Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Aighearach · 2011-10-30 06:10 · Score: 1

That would be more relevant if the complaint was they will always be ugly or indistinct, but it is just not a coherent reason that they would be low quality.
Actually the opposite would be much worse for them, if they stuck to only their own ideas even when they're aware of what else is available. Cars aren't a new field, manufacturing prowess is a huge part of it. Especially in the middle price range, where they might be able to imitate high end design and sell it at an affordable price.
I know when I buy electronics it doesn't make a squat of difference where it was made. If the factory buys good equipment and has good QA then it will be a solid product. There is not something in the air in one country or another that will seep into the product and make it better or worse by having been built there. ;)
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Pence128 · 2011-10-30 07:20 · Score: 1

And you're propping up worthless corporations that can't compete. Free market, bitch.

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Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-30 10:32 · Score: 1

You haven't been paying attention in lots of areas.
First, 'monolithic' is always dumb when dealing with the future. The future is unknowable for reasons of mathematical chaos, computational complexity and emergent properties of systems. Parallel small-scale search and imitation of what works will win every time of a monolithic, top-down architecture.
You are about to see that in China. Their property bubble is huge, 65M homes and apartments are un-occupied. At the same time, their manufacturing sector is hit hard by the world-wide depression we are entering into.
They are keeping their economy going with infrastructure projects, just like the US. As in the US, a high proportion of those are wasted money. China's high-speed rail project costs far more than projected and is losing money on even the high-usage links.
You should have stopped after 'As stupid as their government is'. No government that has attempted to manage its economy has succeeded over any 50-year period of time. It isn't enough to have a KGB and complete political control, you have to know what to do, at a very low level of detail. Political power does help with that.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by ncc74656 · 2011-10-30 14:19 · Score: 1

Or put another way, why on earth do branded ones from the West cost so much money?

Low production volume. EPROM burners aren't nearly as ubiquitous as other computer hardware. Mine has a 4-digit serial number IIRC, and it's not even a particularly fancy model as such things go.

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20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by qpqp · 2011-10-30 19:41 · Score: 1

What are you talking about, Disco *did* take over. Just turn on the radio, and you can hear all the same samples you've heard when you we're attending Studio 54 parties.
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Defenestrar · 2011-10-31 00:53 · Score: 1

Places like the United States have moral superiority because they were isolationists and invented their own industrial revolution... Right?
Now imagine if we had to pay modern style IP violation penalties for our industrial revolution and derivative works...
Re:Cheap Chinese ones are fine by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-31 03:06 · Score: 0

Perfectly said!!

It's an obsolete technology by tftp · 2011-10-29 08:37 · Score: 2, Informative

Very few people need EEPROM programmers these days. You, with your restoration projects, are one of few exceptions.

I very much doubt that there is a modern design that can reliably do what you need. The problem is not in building the thing but in testing it on chips that don't exist today outside of dusty old boards.

Your best bet is to buy an old programmer. I'd think many companies are junking this equipment left and right, so you should be able to find it in surplus stores, flea markets, on the Internet, etc. The key part is that it must be old today - and from the same century as the ICs that you are programming with it.

Re:It's an obsolete technology by Pence128 · 2011-10-29 17:22 · Score: 1

I very much doubt that there is a modern design that can reliably do what you need.
It's trivial to program EEPROMS. Finding an EEPROM programmer that can't reliably program EEPROMS would be like finding a coaster that can't reliably stop a coffee ring. And guess what? Flash is just EEPROM that you can't erase a byte at a time, so the technology isn't obsolete yet.

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Re:It's an obsolete technology by tftp · 2011-10-29 17:45 · Score: 2

Flash is just EEPROM that you can't erase a byte at a time
As I understand the OP wants a programmer that can program UV PROMs as well. The devil there is in details. Each part requires unique conditions for programming; some of them are onerous, like 15V, 1us pulses with certain rise/fall times. It takes a careful design of the hardware to be able to program those. Modern EEPROM or Flash is a piece of cake (which is a lie) compared to those old ones. Worst of all, some are OTP PROMs - which means that you burn them once and that's it. If you want to experiment with programming of those you need to have a fat wallet first. That's why it's best to defer to a good old programmer that had been not just "tested" on those parts but specifically designed to program them. I worked with programmers that supported hundreds of devices and came with several plug-in trays, each with ten different sockets (ZIF usually) for all kinds of packages.
Some of these programmers are manufactured and sold even today, for example ALL-100. Per manufacturer's claim they support over 12,000 different parts. Note that they mention "pin drivers" - this is the key word here; it means they know what they are doing. Every pin is programmatically controlled in terms of high and low voltage, slew rate and perhaps other settings (a DAC is commonly used.) It's not trivial to make these drivers - some of them need to source and sink the full Icc of the part, which means low output impedance.
The cost of ALL-100 is $1K. I'd say it's money well spent if you want a new programmer. As I said, an old one can be often had for a song; I got a few pieces of test equipment this way.
Re:It's an obsolete technology by Pence128 · 2011-10-29 18:41 · Score: 1

That thing is like... the Monster Cable of programmers. This is old stuff so high/low will only be 0V and 5V. Slew rate has to be only one thing: faster than the most demanding part. Only one pin needs to source Icc: Vcc, and all it needs is a switch to +5V. Programming pulses are 0.5 or 50 milliseconds for CMOS and NMOS EPROMS. The most difficult pin is Vpp. Amplify a dac to 0 - 30V, buffer it with an emitter follower and switch between that, 5 and 0 volts. Just make sure the voltage is what the datasheet says it should be.

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Re:It's an obsolete technology by tftp · 2011-10-30 07:03 · Score: 1

This is old stuff so high/low will only be 0V and 5V.
Generalizations are always false. For example:

The M27W401 has been designed to be fully compatible with the M27C4001 and has the same electronic signature. As a result the M27W401 can be programmed as the M27C4001 on the same programming equipment applying 12.75V on VPP and 6.25V on VCC by the use of the same PRESTO II algorithm. [...] Programming with Presto II consists of applying a sequence of 100us program pulses to each byte until a correct verify occurs
Even some modern parts (Atmel AVR MCUs) support high voltage (12V) programming. This link explains what it is for, and the datasheet has far more to say.
Re:It's an obsolete technology by Pence128 · 2011-10-30 08:39 · Score: 1

You're half right:

The M27W401 is in the programming mode when VPP input is at 12.75V, G is at VIH and E is pulsed to VIL. The data to be programmed is applied to 8 bits in parallel to the data output pins. The levels required for the address and data inputs are TTL.

Ok, make the Vcc pin the same design as the Vpp pin.

Even some modern parts (Atmel AVR MCUs) support high voltage (12V) programming.
The only "high voltage" in AVRs and PICs is on the MCLR/Vpp pin. This is covered by the design of my Vpp pin. The STK500 just uses a fixed 12V.

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Re:It's an obsolete technology by tftp · 2011-10-30 08:51 · Score: 1

The levels required for the address and data inputs are TTL.
That's all good when you are programming only one type of the IC. However if you need to program 12,000 different ICs (with perhaps a hundred pinouts and a hundred of slightly different methods, voltages and timings) then your hardware needs to be pretty flexible. Ideally you'd want every pin to be capable of every function. If you can't afford that then you start switching, building plug-in cartridges with special wiring and pin drivers, and all that stuff. In a perfect world you'd want a RAMDAC on every pin, and with programmable clock too :-)
Fortunately we are out of that mess now. It's just a piece of history. And yes, in the old days I built a programmer for UV EPROMs that I needed to program. It was controlled by a variant of MCS48, IIRC.
Re:It's an obsolete technology by Pence128 · 2011-10-30 09:09 · Score: 1

True, one socket will cover most (E)EPROMs, but if you really have to program every chip under the sun not messing with adaptors is worth a great deal. Putting a RAMDAC on every pin would be like driving a rocket car to work though. You could get the same functionality from analog multiplexors selecting from 0V, Vlogic, Vcc and Vpp.

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Second hand Dataman by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:38 · Score: 2, Informative

We use Dataman programmers at work, http://www.dataman.com/Products.aspx i would try and pic up and old parallel port one (new ones are usb) on ebay or second hand sites.

Get a good adapter set by BennyB2k4 · 2011-10-29 08:42 · Score: 3, Informative

I've used a GQ-4X Willem Programmer with good success. The trick is to get a good set of adapters, so you have the flexibility to cover many packages. PSOP, TSOP, etc. I've even found one that lets me do a serial SOIP8 EEPROM while it is still on the board-- very handy to not need the remove&resolder.

Re:Get a good adapter set by Mister+Transistor · 2011-10-29 11:58 · Score: 1

I'll second the Willem programmers; the software is free (public domain) and the boards are small, about 3x4 inches, and have sockets for FPGA, PLCC, DIP, etc. EPROMS or EEPROMS. They sell for around $100.00 last time I checked. I borrowed one from a buddy for about a year (good friend!) and liked it very much. I'm now in the market for a programmer myself and unless I find something better, I'm getting a Willem.

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Re:Get a good adapter set by stangbat · 2011-10-29 12:57 · Score: 1

I have one too and it has served me well. I repair pinball machines so the EPROMs I need to program usually don't require an adapter or anything special. I've also had good support from their forum. Looks like mcumall.com, which sells the GQ-4x forgot to renew their domain registration. Oops!
Re:Get a good adapter set by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 18:54 · Score: 0

i 3rd this device. well built works without problems and is not expensive. only downside is its windows only, but not a problem with virtulization these days.
Re:Get a good adapter set by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-30 01:53 · Score: 0

I agree The willem boards are great! Cheap well made and a wide range of adapters !!!
Re:Get a good adapter set by Karzz1 · 2011-10-30 03:43 · Score: 1

I am jumping on the Willem bandwagon as well. Just a couple months ago I was tasked with backing up the data on some chips that are prone to go out in some PLCs we use in our manufacturing. I purchased one of these and could not be happier with the results.

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Re:Get a good adapter set by giminy · 2011-10-30 15:49 · Score: 1

I'll seventeenth the GQ-4X. I have a bunch of adapters, some soldering tongs, and the like for reverse engineering and reprogramming chips. It's been a great programmer, works fine under virtualization (I use it on a mac, using a windows guest VM, inside of VMWare Fusion. It does not work to share this with a guest under Virtualbox, but Virtualbox is crap for USB support).
I grabbed mine from mcumall also. It's been a very reliable (with one exception) programmer.
My only problem with mcumall's parts was one of their PLCC32 adapters was laid out wrong. It promised to work with a particular Atmel chip, but had one of the address lines swapped with the 'read' strobe, which made for very confusing output until a friend exhibited the intelligence to trace the adapter out. My buddy cut the trace on the board and blue-wired the adapter, since then it has worked fine.

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The Right Reverend K. Reid Wightman,
Re:Get a good adapter set by BigSes · 2011-10-31 10:08 · Score: 1

Ive read that the USB only devices (used for programming and power) can be a problem with voltage, and using an AC adapter is highly recommended. Have you experienced this? Also, could you specify what type of AC adapter the Willem uses (voltage + amps) so that I can order all that I need at once? With so many recommendations for this unit, it seems like it would be the winner!

Don't give up on serial by ninjackn · 2011-10-29 08:42 · Score: 5, Informative

Don't give up on the serial port. There are a large number of great USB to serial port adapters on the market and they're not too expensive either. Even if you really wanted to give up on the serial port the more modern cheaper usb chip programmers are just the old serial programmers with a FTDI chip to convert serial to usb. Even the super popular arduino uses the mentioned method. All that being said take a look at sparkfun.

With regret I must say to give up on the parallel port. The older true parallel ports with ECP/EPP were amazing for hobbyist hackers. Throw in a few buffers and bit bang anything you could ever need out of it. Stay away from those "usb to parallel port" adapters as they are not the gloried parallel port from the olden days and are just ports meant for older printers.

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[FUCK BETA 2.6.2014]

Re:Don't give up on serial by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:49 · Score: 0

+1
Re:Don't give up on serial by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2011-10-29 08:54 · Score: 2

Depending on what computer the poster is using, or willing to use for EEPROM work, you don't necessarily have to count parallel out, either.

There are, to my knowledge, no USB->Parallel converters that are the genuine article, rather than a somewhat dodgy USB Printer class horror, and the degree to which today's "USB->Serial" converters succeed in fooling hardware or software expecting a real serial port can be pretty variable(though much better than with parallel)

However, if your computer of choice has a PCI, PCIe, PCMCIA, or Expressport slot available, you can get a good-honest-old-fashioned serial, parallel, or combo card for comparatively little money(more than the USB dongles; but easily cheap enough to be worth it if it means getting a good deal on a programmer with an "outdated" interface)...
Re:Don't give up on serial by TeknoHog · 2011-10-29 08:57 · Score: 1

(Y) (This is supposedly a thumbs-up in some messaging systems, but to me it looks like a female form, which is likewise a positive statement.)

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Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
Re:Don't give up on serial by petermgreen · 2011-10-29 09:37 · Score: 3, Insightful

There are a large number of great USB to serial port adapters on the market
FTFY
Most USB to serial port adaptors have lower voltages than serial ports traditionally had and afaict ALL of them have much higher latencies than traditional serial ports. These issues will cause some equipment not to work. The first issue can be solved by building your own adaptor with custom level shift circuitry but there is really nothing you can do about the second issue.

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Re:Don't give up on serial by luder · 2011-10-29 13:04 · Score: 1

There are a large number of great USB to serial port adapters on the market and they're not too expensive either.
Don't waste your money on cheap USB to serial port adapters from ebay. I bought one really cheap and it gave me nothing but trouble. They even sent a free replacement, but nothing would work with it. I heard good things about FTDI adapters, next time I consider buying one that will be my choice.
Re:Don't give up on serial by BeaverCleaver · 2011-10-29 13:50 · Score: 1

The new Arduino Uno dispenses with the FTDI chip and instead uses another Atmel microcontroller (an 8u2 I think) to do the USB to serial conversion. Apparently this is faster to copy programs to the arduino than the FTDI version and also gives the user the option to use custom firmware on the USB-serial converter, so the arduino can identify itself to the host as something other than a generic serial device.
When programming picaxes with a USB-serial converter, the maker of the picaxe recommends converters that use the Prolific PL2303 chipset. It seems that some converters don't properly emulate the serial "BREAK" command which some legacy devices rely on. I'm not sure which devices require this, but it's something to look into if the emulated serial port isn't behaving as expected. I still managed to pick up a PL2303-based converter on ebay for under ten bucks.

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sustainable living
Re:Don't give up on serial by Olorion · 2011-10-29 20:03 · Score: 3, Informative

Serial ports are sloooow, especially if you have to do the programming repeatedly, such as when you are developing firmware. A USB-to-RS232 adaptor won't speed the downloading of your data, since the RS232 bottleneck is still there. Trust me, I've been there, done that (without the USB adaptor). I got really tired of transferring 64K bytes at 9600 baud every time I needed to do a bug fix.
My company bought a true USB programmer capable of 1 megabit/s downloads, and it was a huge improvement. The device was expensive at the time ($700) but very much worth it. I won't bother telling you the name of that programmer, since you should be able to buy the equivalent for $100 or less these days.
Re:Don't give up on serial by inasity_rules · 2011-10-29 21:55 · Score: 1

This is unfortunately correct...

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I have determined that my sig is indeterminate.
Re:Don't give up on serial by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-30 12:14 · Score: 0

I agree with the Aduino. (If you don't go with an STK500)
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/jy-mcu-arduino-mega-interactive-media-mega1280-development-board-104318
$23.70 for the PCB with a uController, and you need free software plus a USb cable to program it.
Re:Don't give up on serial by Anonymous Coward · 2011-11-01 02:20 · Score: 0

Agreed. I've switched our company across the board to utilizing FTDI's converter-in-a-cable. With the virtual driver software set to the lowest latency setting, it's a flawless drop-in replacement for our finicky firmware. Worked perfectly out of the box.

What do you want out of the device? by thylordroot · 2011-10-29 08:44 · Score: 2, Informative

In order to address the kind of ROM programmer you need, it's helpful to know what you're looking for. Are you looking for a universal programmer, or are you willing to buy a ROM programmer that might only cover a certain class of PROMs? If you can peg down your requirements, that could potentially open a lot of opportunities up to you that you might not normally consider. It might even be possible to leverage the work of other hobbyists and roll your own, perhaps something like this. You might also be able to get a good deal on such a device through surplus.

I have a Xeltek Superpro universal programmer that I bought a few years ago for about $500. (I know, not quite within your $300 upper bound) It was an alright investment, I guess, but I haven't really used it much. At the time I bought it, it appeared that there were only Windows drivers for it, and I didn't really have the time to write my own drivers for it at that point. The few times I did use it, however, it was a decent device. If you could find something like that within your price range, it might be worth your consideration.

Re:What do you want out of the device? by emt377 · 2011-10-29 15:01 · Score: 1

The Xelteks are quite okay - and more importantly, the company is still there to support them. I see a SuperPro 280U on eBay for $250 right now for instance... a $200-$300 budget for a USB device should be more than feasible. It's really the way to go IMO. I used to love Needham's gear, but they went out of business some time ago and I wouldn't recommend buying a programmer with spotty software support. The USB devices generally work under VMware on OS X as well.

Build one. They're simple. by John+Hasler · 2011-10-29 08:47 · Score: 1

A UV toothbrush sterilizer will work for erasing.

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Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.

True-USB GQ-4X by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:52 · Score: 0

Might take a look at the True-USB GQ-4X for around $100. I purchased the GQ-2X model some time ago and have been pretty pleased. I use it to program 28F/29F series flash chips as well as 8-bit Atmel AVR chips. According to the the GQ-4X page, it supports Altera and Xilinx CPLD programming as well as a ton of other devices. For PIC programming I bought a Pickit3 (~$45) due to the relatively low price and debugging support.

Spark Fun by Phibz · 2011-10-29 08:52 · Score: 4, Informative

Spark Fun has some that are reasonably priced

http://www.sparkfun.com/categories/1

Re:Spark Fun by Osgeld · 2011-10-29 12:34 · Score: 1

nothing on sparkfun's site is reasonably priced, its the same chi-co shit for more money, go to ebay
Re:Spark Fun by Sebastopol · 2011-11-02 06:06 · Score: 1

SparkFun doesn't carry universal programmers, just ones specific to the particular ucontroller.
MicroController Pros are where the good stuff is at:
http://microcontrollershop.com/default.php?cPath=92&osCsid=c0eab1d9c7b6bbc4a4ec8f048d529bc2

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Cool! by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:53 · Score: 0

Just wanted to say - Amusement repair industry. That sounds like a fun job!

I love arduino by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 08:55 · Score: 1

The arduino language is very similar to C & Java, making it very easy for people who are familiar with those languages.

& the other thing is that arduino boards are super cheap & easy to start with.

Re:I love arduino by TheGratefulNet · 2011-10-29 09:11 · Score: 1

The arduino language is very similar to C
are you one of those people who, when your modem is hung, say 'the internet is down' ?
there is no arduino 'language'. its C and C++. same old GCC based C, in fact.
arduino is a set of api's (a very thin layer, btw) and some chosen hardware along with standard pin mappings. that's all arduino is (disc: I work on arduino stuff pretty much fulltime, now).

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"It is now safe to switch off your computer."

Elnec by solidraven · 2011-10-29 08:55 · Score: 1

I've been using Elnec programmers the past few years. Works great, software isn't bad either. You can often find them on eBay for less than $100. They also have a few programmers specifically for EEPROMs that are a lot cheaper.

Microchip PicKit is ~$50 by canowhoopass.com · 2011-10-29 08:56 · Score: 1

If you want to get back into Microchip PIC programming, the PicKit 3 is USB and supports programming and in-circuit debugging of a large range of their chips. If can be bought for around $50. Many of their PIC's are low-cost and come in hobbyist friendly DIP packages.

Re:Build one. They're simple. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 09:00 · Score: 0

EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM, therefore there is no need for an UV eraser.

Why are you asking here? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 09:03 · Score: 0

Ask the MAME/MESS people.

Just search on eBay by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 09:17 · Score: 0

Seriously.

Re:Build one. They're simple. by guruevi · 2011-10-29 09:19 · Score: 1

If you're talking about UV, you're talking about EPROM, not EEPROM. Big difference.

Either way, PROM programmers are prevalent and you can build them yourself especially if your PROM (like some PIC and most modern all-in-one boards) comes with a serial port. Some resistors and capacitors, sometimes a single chip will get you a serial-port PIC programmer. For USB-serial I like the KeySpan USA19HS since they have Windows, Mac and Linux support and are not too picky about the signals.

It really depends on what type of boards you want to program. These days, an Arduino or similar system will do a LOT of things with 1 system that you used to have a range of different micro controllers for (I used to have a few PIC's, 8051, ARM boards, AVR). Unless you're embedding in a specific cost you don't need to do that anymore.

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Willem GQ-4X USB by johnthorensen · 2011-10-29 09:24 · Score: 1

As another poster mentioned, these are hard to beat. Lots and lots of adapters available, decent software, USB, fast, process just about anything. Mine ran me about $125.

Atmel ATMega fan here by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 09:38 · Score: 0

A serial programmer is easy to solder up, plans are just a google away, code is straightforward C, the Linux gcc toolchain is easy to get up and running and there is a ton of help available out on AVR Freaks.

Often still serial by thegarbz · 2011-10-29 09:39 · Score: 4, Informative

While many think of serial as a throwback to the older ages, many of these programmers are still serial but simply feature an onboard ft232 or similar USB->USART interface. They act no differently then buying a cheap USB->Serial dongle and then working with a serial device.

There are a few native USB options but you'll find these at a higher expense.

As for Chinese quality, you can pretty much guarantee that regardless if you buy a $10 programmer or a $200 programmer it's going to be made in China. My experience with other programmers like those for AVR and PIC is the "Chinese inport types" can often be as good as the original manufacturer's programmer without the ludicrous markup. For the most part a programmer is nothing more than an interface that gets data from the computer, does a few simply electrical things to enable programming mode on a chip, and then spits out data in a format required. Total bill of materials is often sub $20.

Which reminds me, if you DIY inclined with electronics maybe build your own programmer? There's tons of schematics on the net for this and it will be as cheap as the Chinese import option except that you know exactly what you're getting. Failing that SparkFun is a company that caters quite well for hobby engineers and I'd be surprised if you can't find what you need there.

Re:Often still serial by Osgeld · 2011-10-29 12:37 · Score: 2

"Failing that SparkFun is a company that caters quite well for hobby engineers"
no they are not, they are a company who preys on noobs selling a 25 cent chip on a breakout board instead of selling the dip version for 5 bucks, or a 40$ knock off iron for the price of a hakko.
Re:Often still serial by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 16:57 · Score: 0

Sort of like the scam artist Bre Pettis and his overpriced knock off of the Rep Rap? Oh no, excuse me, 3D printing will revolutionize the world. Especially when powered by nickel fusion reactors....
Re:Often still serial by thegarbz · 2011-11-01 21:20 · Score: 1

As with all things, fine if you can build it, fine if you can find yourself a nice group buy for the parts and the boards, but for the most part there's only a hand full of items sold by Sparkfun that are more expensive than the sum of the core components if they aren't sourced from very decent places. Want an example?:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/710
I bought something similar for $5 less off ebay. It came with no datasheet, no pinout, nothing. Given the proliferation of these LCDs, and the inability for them to play along nicely with each other I wasted half a day figuring out the damn pinout. Next time I'm spending the $5 more.
Another example? They sell an ATMega128 with breakout board and pre-wired ISP and JTAG headers, 5V regulator, all for less than the cost of the chip alone from every local electronics store. (Though I can buy 5 of them for cheaper on ebay and maybe get them). Or 50 of them for cheaper unit cost from another part of the country.
They sell plenty of per-assembled finished kits too like the Bus Pirate for a pissy little $35. Now if you had the board manufactured and sourced the parts for this well, you could assemble, build, download the program, and in a couple of days maybe scrape in just shy of $35, but some of us buy things because we want them to work not because we want to screw around with them.
But since we're on the topic of interfacing, take a search for JTAG ARM on Sparkfun. The most expensive product that comes up in the results is less than half the price of Atmel's own JTAG interface. Can I build it for less than that? Maybe, but I don't want to build a JTAG interface, I want to use it to build something else.
So I'll take them and their rip-off prices thanks. (oh their Hakko knock-offs are cheaper than all my local sources for Hakko knock-offs as well, bought an iron from ebay once, arrived with a broken heater and no warranty, thanks but no thanks.)

Pay cash when you buy it by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 09:43 · Score: 0

There are various groups that think all hardware tinkerers are pirates. When you buy something like this its good to pay for it with cash so you don't end up being sued later.

For example see the problems people got into buying similar equipment in the past: http://www.directvdefense.org/newsarch.shtml

ElectronicsKits? by jo7hs2 · 2011-10-29 09:50 · Score: 1

For pic programming, I was very pleased with this USB kit. http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/prog/ck1708.htm It looks like they sell similar assembled units now. http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/prog/ck1710.htm

TopMAX by roman_mir · 2011-10-29 09:53 · Score: 2

I still have one, they are obsolete today! or so this says but it is a very reliable programmer, if you can get one, it's definitely going to be used and so it should be cheap maybe 50 bucks or so.

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You can't handle the truth.

Re:TopMAX by pcolson · 2011-10-29 17:34 · Score: 1

The Topmax is a great choice as it will burn the PROMs that were used on arcade boards as well. I haven't seen any selling cheap though. The Topmax 2 has replaced it, but is considerably more than the stated budget. I use the GQ-4x from MCUMall, and it works great for the intended application. It will not burn the PROMs that you may need (like 82sXXX), but it will burn most of what you will need. You may need to use a power supply for some of the 2764s, but a lot of them will burn just off of USB power. I have never had any problems burning 2716, 2532, or 2732. Even the larger ones seem to always burn fine, but some of the 2764s just require more voltage. I also have a Data I/O 29b to use for the PROMS and any others not covered by the GQ4x (although I haven't run across any except for the PROMS). These are big and slow, but will burn just about anything from that era. They can be found for around $100 on eBay. If budget wasn't a concern, I would definitely suggest the Topmax 2, but the GQ-4x and 29b will get you the same result a lot cheaper. If you don't keep a supply of PROMs, It is probably better to just use the GQ-4x, and use hobbyroms.com for the PROMs when needed.
Re:TopMAX by roman_mir · 2011-10-29 22:35 · Score: 1

Actually you are right, I don't see used ones on ebay, well, they don't really break so if somebody bought one 6-7 years ago (like I did), they'd still be in good shape.
Craigslist maybe.

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You can't handle the truth.

EzoFlash by Ironchew · 2011-10-29 09:59 · Score: 1

If you're willing to build it yourself, and your computer has a parallel port, there are schematics available for a programmer called EzoFlash. The website has a list of flash modules that are known to work with it.

I've had good results with Batronix... by the_rajah · 2011-10-29 10:06 · Score: 1

I have their "Batupo" model that I use for EPROMS in my work and have found it very easy to use and it works well. The only gripe I've got is that their software is Windows only and uses .NET, but other than that they're solid. See http://www.batronix.com/shop/programmer/eprom-programmer.html

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"Do the Right Thing. It will gratify some people and astound the rest." - Mark Twain

GQ-4x USB EEPROM programmer works well by x_man · 2011-10-29 10:07 · Score: 1

I purchased a GQ-4x USB EEPROM programmer a few years ago and it has worked very well. It's basically a Willem programmer, supports a lot of different programmable devices from old 80s EEPROMs to the newer pics. I primarily use it for programming custom 2732s, 2764s and 27128s for vintage PC stuff (Apple IIs, Kaypros, etc.). The software is decent and has a large database, although make sure you set the speed to the slowest possible setting and plug in an AC wall adapter (not included) if you want a good burn. It works with USB and all Windows versions. Sadly, no OSX and don't try to run it through VMWare or Parallels.

I also recommend you get a UV eraser while you're at it.

Arduino, built for hobbyist by widgetaah · 2011-10-29 10:08 · Score: 1

I have used these open-source hardware boards for quite some time in a university setting.
littlebirdelectronics.com/collections/arduino

They are USB and programmed with the wiring and/or processing software (open-source, multi-platform).
wiring.org.co/download processing.org

They are cheap, robust and easy to program.

Re:Arduino, built for hobbyist by Anonymous Coward · 2011-10-29 10:51 · Score: 0

On the http://hackaday.com/ website there is lot of examples of what can be done with an Arduino.

Corollary question: UV eraser? by Curlsman · 2011-10-29 10:51 · Score: 1

I've got some old hardware with UV erasable EPROMS, and a cheap programer, but the erasers seem to be absurdly expensive or cheap in the worst sense. Any pointers?

Re:Corollary question: UV eraser? by Mister+Transistor · 2011-10-29 12:23 · Score: 1

You're either going to find $80-$150 ones with 1 UV tube that will erase about 4-5 parts at at time, or $500 UVP ones that have timers and do 20 or more parts at a time. That's about it.

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Re:Corollary question: UV eraser? by pcolson · 2011-10-29 17:41 · Score: 1

The $20 UV erasers found new on eBay will work just fine. You can find better (more capacity, better timer, etc) used ones fairly cheap on eBay, but unless you need to erase more than 6-8 at a time, it is probably not worth it. They all use a UV light to erase. I have seen people use a UV bulb in a cardboard box, and it worked great.
Re:Corollary question: UV eraser? by Pence128 · 2011-10-29 20:05 · Score: 1

Grab one of those battery powered closet fluorescent lights, one that takes a 6" tube. One with a DC jack is preferable so you don't go through batteries. I know you have a box full of adaptors somewhere. Find a germicidal UV tube*. If you can't find one at a hardware store you'll probably be able to find one at a plumbing shop, but it'll probably cost more there than here. Buy an egg timer if you don't have one. It should all be less than thirty bucks. Jam the UV tube in the light**. Leave the plastic window off when you put it back together, it might block UV light. Attach the light to to the lid of any old box, probably with the included Velcro stickies. Program an EPROM all zero and throw it in. Pull it out and check it every 5 minutes or so. Multiply the total time it took to erase by 1.5 and write it on your box.

Super ultra cheap bonus design: leave it out in the sun. Disadvantages: For one, the sun's UV intensity is lower than an actual UV bulb, so it takes longer. Expect 12 hour erases. Two: remember to keep checking it and put it away when it's erased. Leaving it out in bright sun for a week might hurt it.

*Warning! UV light is bad for your eyes! Don't turn it on and stare at it.
**Remember to properly recycle your florescent tubes, or like me keep it forever because there's nothing wrong with it.

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404: sig not found.

Wellon VP-290 $159 by DRMShill · 2011-10-29 10:56 · Score: 1

I use this one at work: http://www.kanda.com/products/Wellon/VP-290.html. I've never had a problem with it. The nice thing is that it runs off USB power. Good luck.

Atmel SDK by RecycledElectrons · 2011-10-29 10:58 · Score: 0

Forget the EEPROM. The concept of programming a ROM seperately from a chip is so 1970's.

Get a programmer that programs chips with on-chip flash.

I'm biased in favor of Atmel's AVR architecture. http://www.avrbeginners.net/ http://www.avrfreaks.net./

You need to decide: will you go with dated (but doable) through-hole technology, or will you go surface mount (SMT) which is more modern, but more difficult to solder. That will impact what kind of programmer you need. Atmel AVRs can be programmed in-curcuit with a cheap dongle.

I don't always design in-circuit programming, debugging, and emulation into my circuits, so I keep a few of Atmel's AVR boards around. The STK500 is awesome: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools_card.asp?tool_id=2735

$82.16 at Digikey: http://search.digikey.com/us/en/cat/programmers-development-systems/general-embedded-dev-boards-and-kits-mcu-dsp-fpga-cpld/2621773?k=stk500

You can get samples of the AVR Microcontrollers from Atmel's distributors, or they are available at many resellers, including DigiKey. Search for "atmega" and limt yourself to DIP packages.

Re:Atmel SDK by Mister+Transistor · 2011-10-29 12:27 · Score: 3, Informative

Did you even read his entire post? He WANTS to do 1970's type EEPROMs or, actually, I suspect UV erasable EPROMs. All you people who responded "Use an Arduino!" or "Use a PIC" or whatever the hell you are recommending, completely missed the point - he wants an inexpensive, modern programmer that does OLD EPROMs or EEPROMs. Sheesh.

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Re:Build one. They're simple. by John+Hasler · 2011-10-29 11:14 · Score: 1

> you're talking about UV, you're talking about EPROM

Yes. So is the OP.

> your PROM (like some PIC and most modern all-in-one boards)

Those don't use PROMs. PROMs (Programmable Read Only Memory) were one-time-programmable via fusible links and are even more obsolete the EPROMs (Erasable Progammable Read Onl;y Memories). I used both in their heyday.

> It really depends on what type of boards you want to program.

He wants to burn new EPROMs for old games.

He could also build an EPROM emulator.

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Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.

Re:Build one. They're simple. by John+Hasler · 2011-10-29 11:17 · Score: 1

> Yes. So is the OP.

I'm wrong: he wrote EEPROM. However, he also mentions PROMs, so it isn't entirely clear what he means.

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Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.