14 Aug
2010
14 Aug
'10
10:52 a.m.
On 12/08/10 20:25, Tony Duell wrote:
Indeed. "Universal 32-pin programmer" is on my 'potential projects'
list. 32 MOSFET pin drivers, a couple of separate power supplies with
variable current limit, and an FPGA to do the heavy lifting (timing, I/O
expander, that sort of thing).
I'm still
waiting for an EPROM programmer with Linux software available.
Make one!. The programming specs for most EPROMs are available, I think... Are enough of the programming algorithms documented to
make this
possible?
The GAL programming algorithms have been figured out. C't and Elektor
published them a few years ago, and Manfred Winterhoff designed the
GALBlast around them. The hardware is fine, but the software is
horrendous -- all stuffed into one C file, makes extensive use of 16-bit
Windows APIs, and is about as portable as a skyscraper...
For the fusible-link PROMs (and PALs), every
manufactuer seemed
to do it their own way. Some would release the programming specifications
(they were even sometimes in the data sheets), others wouldn't.
I'm only really interested in the Signetics 82S series, and maybe some
of the MMI parts (assuming I can find programming specs). Anything else
would be a "nice to have".
Ditto for GALs (although, actually, geting any
programmign specification
for those was 'interestings')
Indeed. Lattice won't give out any info on them, period. I asked a few
years ago, and I got exactly five words in response: "We don't provide
that information."
MaWin's documentation and the Elektor article, combined with the
GALBlast sources ("Use The Source, Luke!") provide more than enough info
to do a decent GAL programmer.
The one thing that is as finicky as hell on the GALBlast is the damn Vcc
switch. Stupid thing has an insane amount of voltage drop, if I ever use
the thing again (translation: if I can find it) I'll be swapping the NPN
driver for a MOSFET (possibly with a BJT gate-driver).
--
Phil.
classiccmp at philpem.me.uk
http://www.philpem.me.uk/