18 Nov
2005
18 Nov
'05
12:40 p.m.
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 15:41:28 -0500
From: "Teo Zenios" <teoz at neo.rr.com>
Subject: How exactly do PAL chips get programmed?
As some of you might recall I was looking for drivers
for my Tokamac II FX
PDS card on my mac IIfx. Well I found the drivers from the original company
founder. I read in Macworld (and had it confirmed from the company contact)
that you need a PAL chip on the IIfx reprogrammed (or replaced?) because
Apple screwed up BUS mastering on the IIfx and nobody caught on at the time
because those types of cards were rare.
Well I have found another person who has the same card AND the PAL chip
needed on his unit but is having other problems getting his setup to work.
What I want to know is are PAL chips somewhat like eprons in getting
programmed or is there some other process involved? Does anybody know of a
way to get a pre programmed chip dumped so it can be duplicated or do you
need the original chip (or code) to do this? If I can be duplicated does
anybody here have equipment to do it?
PAL chips require a programming machine that supports them in order
to program them. Many of the PROM programming machines also support
PALs.
Tony already covered the facts about reading out an existing PAL.
But, since you were able to contact the company founder regarding the
software, is there any chance he could supply you with the revised
PAL code? That would be much simpler than desoldering the other
fellow's PAL and trying to read it out.
I have a Needham EMP-30. It will program Lattice GALs and AMD PALs
from 16V8 up to 22V10. Anything more complicated than
that and my
machine doesn't support it, I think. I'm willling to help and
am in
Austin, TX.
What package is the PAL in? Probably PLCC or DIP, and I'm betting
PLCC. Whoever helps you with the programming will need the
appropriate adapter for the PAL you are using. DIP is no problem as
the programmers come with a large DIP ZIF socket. However, PLCC will
require an adapter or the building of an adapter.
Does anybody here have any experience with a IIfx
running a Tokamac II FX
upgrade processor?
No experience with that setup. I'm still working on my IIfx 16 MB
SIMM project. It's slow at the moment because I need to do an 8" X
11" panel of PCB for economical reasons, and my layout software
doesn't copy and paste traces, just other board features. Very
tedious.
Jeff Walther