EPROM Programmers

[Spencer Owen]

A few people have asked for EPROM programmer recommendations.

Personally, I just use a Willem PCB5 clone.  It's a rugged thing and can program pretty much anything, although you will need a machine with a real parallel port to run it (USB to parallel adapters don't work).  They're not too expensive and the software is freely downloadable for Windows or Linux.  It can also electrically erase EEPROMs like the W27E512, which is quite handy.

I know there are some USB EPROM programmers out there, but I've never used any, so can't recommend anything in particular.

I'd be interested to hear what programmer other people are using or what they recommend.

Spencer

[Filippo Bergamasco]

Honestly it's difficult to find a machine with a real parallel port nowadays if you also consider that many people (like me)  only own a laptop.

I'd rather buy an affordable USB programmer, but I've no experience at all.

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[Spencer Owen]

That's pretty much why I started this thread.  I know parallel ports are quite rare, but I've no experience of USB programmers.

I have got some plans that I need to prototype for a simple standalone SD Card to EPROM Programmer.  It would be OS independent, and basically just take a file (image.rom) and burn it on to a blank chip.  Hmmm... maybe I need to revisit that design...

Spencer

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[Scott Lawrence]

I've got a Needhams EMP-10 hooked up to the parallel port of an old Todhiba Libretto laptop running Windows 98. ;). It's cumbersome to put my rom images onto floppies but it's been reliable since I got it many years ago. ;)

I've also got a good stash of pulled EPROMS which I use. I should note that I also do stuff with Arcade games and years ago did the menu system for a PacMan (z80) multi game system. 

:D

S

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[Anthony Drake]

I did a lot of online searching yesterday for a serial EPROM programmer.  I found many reviews of the Chinese-made TL866A (or TL866CS for the non-ICSP version), and they were all positive.  A couple of reviewers opened it up, and said nice things about the quality.  One excellent reviewer experimented with it for a YouTube video, successfully trying the included software and several kinds of EPROMs.  They all warned that the instructions are in Chinese and "Chinglish", but the YouTube videos I saw showed the operations were pretty straight forward, with all the important labels in english.  That all convinced me, so I ordered one from eBay.  I live on the East coast of the US.  If you are willing to wait for a shipment from China, they sell for roughly $60 US.  I wasn't willing to wait the 2 to 9 weeks it takes to get to the US, so I paid extra for one from a place in Canada, and I just got my shipping notice, one day after placing the order.  I'll let you know how it works out.  (I'm still waiting for my RC2014 kit to swim across the Atlantic.)

--Tony

[Spencer Owen]

Excellent, I'll be interested to hear how the TL866A works out.  I'm sure I could Google it as quick as type it here, but do you know if the software is available for Linux?  Or just Windows? 

Thanks

Spencer

(btw your first RC2014 order was shipped on Friday, and your other order left today.  Hopefully at least one will be with you by the end of the week)

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[Anthony Drake]

Their support site lists the OSs and the bazillion chips they support (which includes the TMS-27C128):

Supported Operating Systems:   Windows 2000,XP,2003,2008,Vista & Win7(32/64) WIN8 WIN10

from http://autoelectric.cn/minipro/miniprosupportlist.txt

Yes, I'm really hoping my kit arrives before next weekend so I can get started.  

--Tony

.

On Friday, May 27, 2016 at 3:37:50 AM UTC-4, Spencer Owen wrote:

[Spencer Owen]

One of my Aussie customers has also gone down the TL866 route for programming his RC2014 and has written up a nice review of it here;

https://feilipu.me/2016/06/08/tl866_testing/

[also, at the risk of sending this thread off-topic, you should check out his Goldilocks Analog Arduino board on Tindie https://www.tindie.com/products/feilipu/goldilocks-analogue/ It really is rather good!]

Cheers

Spencer

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[phillip.stevens]

Thanks Spencer.

Yes its working great. Next step is to create a C compiler / linker environment, and get some C going. It shouldn't be too hard, as there is a wealth of information to lean on.

[Filippo Bergamasco]

Hey Phillip,

thank you for sharing your experience.

I've also started experimenting with a C environment for the RC2014. I'm quite happy with the z88dk toolkit. You can read my discussion about it here:

https://groups.google.com/forum/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer#!topic/rc2014-z80/-4jOOxYXGEo

Also, if you want some starting point to start coding, you can check the stuff I'm working on here:

https://github.com/fbergama/pigfx/tree/RC2014/RC2014

Filippo

On Wed, Jun 8, 2016 at 2:43 PM, phillip.stevens <phillip...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks Spencer.

Yes its working great. Next step is to create a C compiler / linker environment, and get some C going. It shouldn't be too hard, as there is a wealth of information to lean on.

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[JOHN SMITH]

I know I am replying to an old post but for those who are still looking, I recently acquired one off eBay.  Its the TL866CS, which uses USB.  It's about US$45 and does EPROM, EEPROM, AVR's, PICS, serial EEPROMs, FLASH devices, etc.  If one acquires the TL866A for a few dollars more, it suports ISP for AVR and PIC.

Something to consider is this: instead of setting your system up with a UV erasable EPROM , try a 28xxx series EEPROM like the ATMEL 28Cxxx series.  Its 5 volt only and it can be erased and programmed in pages.  If you can get a small loader into it, then upload a utility to burn your code into it on-the-fly.

Personally, I am working on my own Z80 SBC design.  I've decided to use an AVR as a "system controller" so that I can control the Z80's clock speed, access memory for code upload and "boot ROM" code insertion (into RAM), act as a serial port (emulate a MC6850?), act as a "disk controller" (using an SDcard interface) and perhaps a single-stepper.  For higher integration, I am going to use the PJRC TEENSY 2.0++ with the AT90USB1286 on it because it has USB support in hardware and lots of I/O pins that are tristate-able.

As I make progress, I will update the board.

Peace and blessings,

Johnny Quest

On Friday, May 27, 2016 at 3:37:50 AM UTC-4, Spencer Owen wrote:

[Frank Roper]

Ive got a uviprom programmer attached to my bbc b plus computer, bit of a pain transferring from pc to bbc though. It does 16k ones at 25v!

[Scott Lawrence]

I've got a Needhams EMP-10 hooked up to an old Toshiba Libretto 70CT.  I have to either use a floppy to get the rom files there from my laptop, or find the PCMCIA ethernet card for it and send it over from my mac.  (It runs windows 98.  the programmer is a DOS application.)

On Thu, Sep 29, 2016 at 12:54 PM, Frank Roper <dfrind...@gmail.com> wrote:

Ive got a uviprom programmer attached to my bbc b plus computer, bit of a pain transferring from pc to bbc though. It does 16k ones at 25v!

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[Jez Harrison]

I too have a TL866 programmer, I paid about £35 2 years or so ago and it has served me well - the only drawback is that the bundled software is Windows only.

[Jan S]

Recently I gave up on my chinese burner G540 and got myself a Batronix BX32 Batupo II (109€)
http://www.batronix.com/shop/programmer/BX32/eprom-programmer.html

The main software is for Win10 (...and downto XP)
There's also versions for Ubuntu,Suse,Fedora,Gentoo and Arch
And even a beta-version OS-X
http://www.batronix.com/shop/software/prog-express/download.html

nb: The burner also supports the old eproms (25V)

/Jan

[Jason Fagan]

I bought this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141701435348 and so far it has worked perfectly on EPROM, PIC and AVR, for the price it was worth the gamble.

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[phillip.stevens]

I have a MiniPRO High Speed TL866CS device for programming OTP EEPROMs.

For that it works great.

But it doesn't program PLD or GAL devices like it says in its manual, and supported devices list.

Specifically, I tried to program ATF16V8C devices, trying all of the different modes and programming voltages available for both Atmel and Lattice options.

Nothing!

It does correctly load the JDEC file into its buffer, and goes through the motions of programming. But at the end of the process no fuses are set or cleared.

The contents of the device are all "1"s.

Now, I have to work out  another way to program PLDs. ;-(

[patrick revol]

Hi, I use a GQ-4X4 and I'm very happy, compatible with most of the chips except the very old who 27C08 necessities negative voltages.

 http://www.ebay.fr/itm/True-USB-GQ-4X-V4-GQ-4X4-EPROM-chip-Burner-Programmer-29F400-/260819856441

http://www.mcumall.com/comersus/store/mcumall_TrueUSBWillemsupportICs.asp

Patrick