Re: Mousecard HW question...

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Randall Frank asked:

>Wayne,
>	Thanks for the info.  I think I can track down a
>burner and will try making a new EROM. One thing, if an
>EPROM goes bad, will its output look like static or 
>dynamic garbage?  Right now, every time I list the ROM
>for the slot (C400L), I get different information (very 
>much not 6502 code).  My concern is that there may be 
>more wrong with this card than just the EPROM.

A "tired" EPROM will generally read consistently, or
nearly so.  And if an EPROM has an opaque label, and
it was properly programmed, it is actually quite unusual
for it to lose data.  I have many 20+ year-old EPROMs
and not a single demonstrable case of data loss.

Of course, if it has no label or a translucent label, then
if it spent enough time in sunlight, or under very bright
artificial illumination, data could eventually be lost.  The
critical issue is the cumulative amount of short-wave
ultraviolet dosage.  It's bad for humans and EPROMs.  ;-)

It sounds like you have something else wrong.

Does it do the same thing in other slots (not 3, of course)?
Are the slot connector and contacts clean?  Are all the
socketed chips on the card seated, and have they been
loosened and re-seated recently?

-michael

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