Looking for a device programmer that doesn't require Weendoze

From: Peter C. Wallace <pcw_at_mesanet.com>
Date: Sat Mar 20 18:05:38 2004

On Sat, 20 Mar 2004, Michael Sokolov wrote:

> Does anyone know where I can get a device (EPROM, flash, etc) programmer that
> doesn't require Weendoze? I can use any OS in the Universe (UNIX, Linux, DOS,
> etc) except Weendoze, and I need a device programmer that can program a
> reasonable set of devices. My most immediate need is to program 3.3V flash
> devices in PLCC32 package. Needham's Electronics has nice programmers for a
> reasonable price, but they all have "Weendoze required" in the fine print. I
> once had a chance to borrow a BP Microsystems BP-1200 and it worked with my DOS
> machine (using the original IBM PC/AT unidirectional parallel/serial port card
> no less!). I called BP Micro and asked them about their current offerings.
> They offered me their cheapest current programmer, BP-1400 and told me that if
> BP-1200 worked on my machine then BP-1400 would work too. Then I asked for the
> price. They told me that the cheapest 84 pins max version of BP-1400, their
> cheapest product, sells for $2000. Add another few hundred for the PLCC32
> socket module, or another $1000+ if I want a generic PLCC module for more than
> one pin count. Is there anything cheaper available for non-Weendoze users?
>
> MS
>

At one time we made a simple device for our own use for programming 32 pin 5V
flash memory chips. It connects to a printer port and has an presetable
address counter for generating the flash chips' addresses and a 8->4 mux to be
able to read back the data bus plus a PNP transistor for a power switch. It
has both a 32 pin dip socket and a 32 pin PLCC socket for the flash chip.

The sockets are not ZIF but a ZIF socket can be installed (we use an Emulation
Tech 32 DIP to 32 PLCC adapter since we program 100s of BIOS chips) If you
only need to program a few hundred PLCCs, the on card socket would be OK

We ended up using this much more than our fancy programmer since it just uses
a simple DOS program to do the programming, can autoselect the programming
algorithm based on the chip ID readback and can be run from a batch file.


I am willing to make an updated version of this (with 5V, 3.3V and 2.5V device
support) for about $20 if anyone has any interest...


Peter Wallace
Received on Sat Mar 20 2004 - 18:05:38 GMT