Quote:
Originally Posted by Slothie
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This is work I would probably do, as I am more interested in there being a usable open source design out there to program these chips than the (few) highly expensive obsolete commercial designs out there, and realistically I am not in a position to make and sell them myself. Just need to get on with it!
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I don't think there's many old obsolete commercial programmers (like Data-I/O ones) that actually support the Tesla PROM's. And even many / most (expensive) commercial programmers
- Including the original (Advantech-designed) Dataman 48(LV/(U)XP), which they still sell despite updates not being that often / they have moved to a subscription licence model to have software that actually runs on > WinXP -Although you can still get for free the years-old last <=WinXP etc version)
do not seem to support these either.
It's only the Elnec-designed programmers (Sold as Re-badged as Dataman 48Pro(+/2) in many countries) - and a bit cheaper than original Dataman-48 design still being sold - that seems to support the Tesla PROM's.
Whilst their latest free-download software has dropped support for the oldest 48Pro (and more recently the 48Pro+ as well) - so free 'lifetime' updates are only for as long as they deem the lifetime of the programmer to be, before they want to sell you their later models - they do still provide the last versions that did support each of those models (And still do support most of the vintage-IC's we're likely to require / I doubt they'll add obsolete types to future updates on later programmers) as free downloads.
And Elnec/Dataman don't seem to ever remove support for older devices from their latest version (unlike Data I/O & Altera etc, so requiring keeping past versions of their software).
However, they have started to introduce 'credit boxes' for some newer devices, where you have to pay a fee to be able to program a fixed number of these - Not sure if there's also time limits (that some CAD etc software providers have annoyingly moved-to, with yearly subscription costs model rather than ever permanently owning the particular version you bought).
As virtually all new programmed devices are in-system programmable, often with manufacturer provided free software and usually fairly low-cost / standard USB etc. ISP adaptors, then the market for new IC programmers will be shrinking and could eventually almost-cease (especially free-updates) if not economic. Some have already introduced coded PIC-uC etc. protected adaptors, to ensure they get income from one required for new device and stop you making your own.
So having something that can be kept updated by an open-source community, like with KiCAD, would be rather advantageous.
- However, many IC-manufacturers have been rather reluctant to release the details to program these yourself (only providing these to major IC-programmer manufacturers, no doubt with NDA's), compared to decades ago I've also seen Hitachi / Renesas remove schematics of Parallel-EPROM adaptors for their uC's, from updated datasheets.