Re: EPROM programmers

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

John Townsend <utownje@lexis-nexis.com> wrote:

> I'd like to get an EPROM programmer that I can connect to my Apple IIe
> through a serial port (specifically, a Super Serial Card).  I've used
> the type that are a card that plugs into one of the expansion slots, but
> never was very happy with it.  Anyhow, does anyone know whether any of
> the stand-alone programmers that have a serial port will allow me to
> transfer data with an Apple IIe using terminal software, such as ProTERM
> 3, and a reliable protocol, such as X/Y/Zmodem?

I've used two standalone programmers, each of which had a serial port.
Neither of them were used with an Apple II, but there is no reason why
they couldn't be used with one.

The first one was rather old and I don't remember its name.  The largest
EPROM it supported was probably a 27128 (16KB).  The other one was a
Dataman S3, which supports up to 27C512 (64KB).  There is at least one
newer Dataman model (the S4) which supports larger EPROMs, but I've
never used it.

The Dataman is made by Dataman, Inc. (if I remember right), who are in
the UK.

Both the old one and the Dataman transferred data through their serial
port using one of the standard formats used in the embedded programming
world: Intel Hex.  The computer can send this using an ASCII transfer.
If you are starting from a binary image file, you would need a utility
program to generate an Intel Hex file from it.

The Dataman S3 also supports a raw binary data transfer, and possibly
the Motorola S1S9 format (similar in structure to Intel Hex, just a few
details vary).

I've never come across a standalone programmer which uses a
communication protocol like X/Y/ZModem.  There isn't really any need -
Intel Hex and Motorola S1S9 have data checksums built in.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P O Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand