Re: Unitron EPROM writer?

["Tim Haynes" <trhaynes@yahoo.SPAMBGONE.com>]

Hey Mark,

I am working on getting a good scan of the card.  My computer with the
scanner on it has been acting up, and I don't want to move the scanner to
another machine just yet.  But, thank you so far for your expert
information!! :)

Thanks,
Tim

"Mark Cummings" <NOTfigjams@primus.com.au> wrote in message
3bc442b6@news.iprimus.com.au">news:3bc442b6@news.iprimus.com.au...
> > Good advice!  I thought about trying this the other night -- after I had
> put
> > away the machines with convenient slot access!  Well, I tried again
> tonight
> > in a IIe that I have.  The card wasn't getting recognized in slots 3, 4,
> or
> > 7.  Then I hit paydirt in slot 2!  I think it has to do with whether I
had
> > the card turned on or off during bootup (yeah, the card has an on-off
> > toggle!  Crazy).
>
> My card has an ON/OFF toggle and matching LED, but that is used to turn on
> the programming voltage to the EPROM for burning them, nothing to do with
> disabling the card. To read EPROMs the swith stays OFF.
>
> >  I think I need to flick the card on while the machine is
> > booting - if I leave the card in the "on" position before booting, it
> > doesn't actually come on.  If I want too long to turn it on, it doesn't
> get
> > recognized.
>
> Strange
>
> > Anyway, when I do pr #2 and get into the software, all I get is a very
> > simple screen (but hey, at least it's a screen!!).  It says:
> >
> > EPROM WRITER USE PR#1-PR#7 ROM SIZE:
> > 2708=1 2716=2 2732=4 2764=8
> > ROM SIZE?
>
> This is basically all they do, so I think that is all you need. funny that
> it says PR#1 to PR#7 and only works in slot 2. maybe it is conflicting
with
> other cards. I have discovered by accident that mine doesn't like my AHS
> card.
>
> > If I hit "?", I get a little menu:
> >     1) WRITE
> >     2) READ
> >     3) COPY
> >     4) MON
> >
> > Hitting 4 drops me into the monitor.  I haven't played too much with the
> > other options, but they seem to be very particular about the memory
> regions
> > that you are interested in reading/writing/copying.
>
> normally you drop into the monitor so you can access the disk drive for
> reading and writing data which is stored in regular RAM. That's why you
need
> to boot a DOS/ProDOS disk first otherwise you have no way to save your
data.
> OK, except for the tape routines in ROM :)
>
> > I think that the four sets of numbers refer to 4 empty sockets on the
> board,
> > numbered "08", "16", "32", and "64".  They are 14 pin sockets, but are
> quite
> > distinct from the large EPROM socket (which has an open/shut lever, kind
> of
> > like a ZIF socket on a PC motherboard).  There are other populared 14
pin
> > sockets, but I don't think they are related to these empty ones - I can
> > transcribe their markings, if that sounds interesting.
>
> Sounds like your burner uses a 14 pin header socket (dongle) which is
> plugged into the appropriate 'type' socket to get the right voltages to
the
> right pins on the EPROM ZIF socket. you WILL need that bit to get it to
> work. They should be easy enough to make, but you will need advice from
> someone who has that exact model so you can copy the dongle. Most likely
> it'll have a 14 pin header and a few jumpers or resistors, maybe with a
> plastic hood.
>
> There is one other way to make this dongle but it would require analysing
> the circuit board to see where the tracks go between the ZIF and the 14
pin
> 'type' sockets. or in other words a circuit drawing. If you can't find a
> someone with the info you are after I may be able to help, but at the very
> least I would need a closeup scan of the card from both sides showing the
> ZIF and the empty 'type' sockets.
>
> Mark
>
>