Seeking EPROM Programmer Advice

[airship]

I am (or am going to be sometime, hopefully soon) in the market for a good, cheap EPROM programmer. While I'd LOVE to have a PROMenade they seldom come up for sale on eBay and when they do they cost a fortune. So I guess I'll stick with one I can use with my PC.

There are many available on eBay all the time and that's the problem. Which one is 'best' for a C128 owner? I mean, you can buy one for $7 + $6 shipping from BULGARIA that sounds like it would work: 260177674404, but you can get one for just a bit little more from a USA shipping address that seems like it has a lot more features: ($19.95 + $9.95 shpg.): 260177101621.

So what's best for my purposes? One of these or something completely different? Can anyone point the way?

Oh, right, my intended uses: ROM replacements in all CBM equipment, burning ROMS for the C128 internal expansion socket, and making my own cartridges. I'd be interested in one that would also do EEPROMs, PALs, GALs, CPLDs, PICs, etc., though I suspect those features would drive the price WAY up there. (The second one above will do some of these.) But there are projects for the 64/128 that use 'em, and I'd hate to have to buy another programmer later when I found that must-do project that required me to burn a GAL.

PS Dan, if I DO get one, you'll never be left alone!

PPS Just how hard would it be for someone to design something like that little Bulgarian model for the User Port of the 64/128?

[Mark Smith]

I have one of these : http://www.willem.org/

Very nice, lots of compatibilty with a range of devices, easy to use software ... not hugely expensive either.

Mark

[Mark Smith]

Looking at the project .. I can easily flash a 27C256 or 27C512 and gift it to you (I've a pile of those here).

The GAL though .. is that programmed externally by a programmer, via the I2C ?  or done via software on the Commodore side ?

Mark

[airship]

Do you use it for anything but 24C series EPROMs?

Some of the flash chips they mention are compatible with the CBM stuff too, aren't they?

I've got some I2C serial EEPROMs I picked up to use with a BASIC Stamp, and it looks like it would work with those, too.

[airship]

Thanks for the offer, but this is something I've really wanted to get into for (literally) decades.

Since the GAL is used for on-board memory decoding, I'm guessing you have to program it elsewhere first, not on-board.

[Mark Smith]

Mainly used it for fixing Commodore gear, but have rescued a fiends motherboard with it (BIOS upgrade went wrong).

I'm slllllooooowwwwwwwlllllllyyyyyyy learning electronics and VHDL stuff (emphasis on slow), so I've an 8-bit Baby here I have to assemble and then see what I can make a CPLD do :-)  

Mark

[Guest]

I'd be interested in one that would also do EEPROMs, PALs, GALs, CPLDs, PICs, etc., though I suspect those features would drive the price WAY up there.

Take a look at this one, 230167134416, I just bought one one. It work just fine, but you will have to have an external 5 volt supply to burn EPROMs.

Dan...

[airship]

The external 5V wouldn't be a problem - I've got about 500 wall warts in a box in the garage, and just about enough 5V regulator chips to go with them!

That one would be perfect, Dan, and I realize that with all that capability it's well worth the $107 it would cost, with shipping. But it's probably out of my range for the time being. Too bad, because I'd probably never have to buy another one again.

Maybe it's time to sell some of the toys I have so I can buy some of the toys I want.

Note: Were you nervous at all about dealing with a Hong Kong supplier? I think I would be.

[Guest]

Note: Were you nervous at all about dealing with a Hong Kong supplier? I think I would be.

I haven't had any problems so far. I have bought from Hong Cong three or four times before.
I have communicated with them through EBay several times and they have responded right away each time. Better than some of the local sellers.

The manual translation in some places is kind of rough, but you can make it out alright.

I'm getting ready to order boards for the next generation of the Promenade C1. If you can wait, I'll sell my old one to you at a discount.

Dan...

[Guest]

OK, just got my programmer from the link that Airship posted.  Is there a "Howto" article anywhere for making ROMs for the 128?  I want to make a customized version of Servant and also make one for GEOS.  What chips should I buy for use with the 128?

[airship]

alee on eBay has the following available: EPROMs, blank cartridges, adapters, and even a guide to creating cartridges. I know you can  put the Servant and GEOS on the same chip, if you use a switch, because alee sells them preprogrammed like that sometimes. When I got my BASIC 8 ROM from them I almost got GEOS on it too, until I realized that GEOS sucks.

Check out this guy, too. He's got 'Arcade' chips (including C64 system chips) but he's also got 27C256 & 27C512 series EPROMs for $1.99/ea.

You'll also need a strong ultraviolet light source to erase them. You can pick up an 'EPROM Eraser', but a strong UV lamp or even direct sunlight on the little window will erase one eventually. Do NOT use sunscreen!

Nick over at 64HDD has some info on re-using Magic Desk cartridges that is very interesting, as well as info on making a 28-to-24-pin adapter.

And then there's this site called 'How to make your own Commodore cartridges'. Very informative, and he's got some good links at the bottom of the page.

I don't think I've seen anything specific to the C128. You can ask C128retired here on the forum, though. Dan has crammed a bunch of stuff into his internal C128 ROM.

Have fun! I'm VERY jealous that you're going down this road before I am.

[Guest]

Hmm, I'm thinking I should get a ZIF socket for my 128's ROM socket to make changing ROMs easier.

[airship]

Have you seen Fotios' (Mangelore's) 8-in-one cartridge? It lets you store 8 different programs with switch selection. I'm sure you could do something similar inside the case if you wanted to.

[Guest]

What, specifically, is the correct EPROM to use for 16K 128 ROM images?

[airship]

I had my eye on this EPROM eraser with a batch of EPROMs, but I can't afford it anyway so here you go: 220166745515

16 x 8 = 128 -> 27C128. Just multiply the number of k's you want by the 8-bit width to find the EPROM number.

Several of 'em on eBay, but shipping will kill you for just one. I'd suggest buying a mixed lot so you have different sizes available, like those with the EPROM eraser above, or like this one 220147771131 which comes out to a buck apiece, shipping included.

[airship]

BTW, a guy in LA is selling a DATEL EPROMMER 64 for $125: http://losangeles.kijiji.com/c-For-sale-Computer-software-EPROMMER-64-eprom-burner-for-C-64-by-Datel-W0QQAdIdZ28095594

[Guest]

You're going to get me divorced.

[airship]

Glad to help!

I hope your bid holds on the eraser!

"But honey, just the EPROMs would have cost me at LEAST that much! I'm actually SAVING money!" I can't count the number of times I heard THAT story when a couple of big bags full of new clothes walked in the door!

[Guest]

Yeah, me too!  Nobody else is allowed to bid on it!  I mean it!  I'll pull a Christian Lott on you guys if anyone else bids on it!

j/k

[airship]

Which programmer did you buy?

[Mangelore]

BTW, a guy in LA is selling a DATEL EPROMMER 64 for $125: http://losangeles.kijiji.com/c-For-sale-Computer-software-EPROMMER-64-eprom-burner-for-C-64-by-Datel-W0QQAdIdZ28095594

Nice, I wonder if he's willing to ship it to Australia.

[Andrew Wiskow]

Yeah, me too!  Nobody else is allowed to bid on it!  I mean it!  I'll pull a Christian Lott on you guys if anyone else bids on it!

j/k

I actually was going to bid on that...  But I don't believe in getting in a bidding war with another member of this forum.  

-Andrew

[airship]

Aw, c'mon Andrew - there's no fighting like family infighting!

[Golan Klinger]

I actually was going to bid on that...  But I don't believe in getting in a bidding war with another member of this forum.  

Don't worry, it's cool. In Payton's book, capitalism is always welcome so I say bid if you want to bid.

[Guest]

The Willem clone with dual power.