Best EPROM programmer for older games

Tornadoboy

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Hi all,
I know there's a thread already on one type of programmer but I thought I'd throw the general question out there, which is what is the best EPROM programmer I can get for a reasonable price which can handle chips from older games like 2716, 2732, 2532, etc which is reliable and not a nightmare to figure out?

I'm trying to do some work on some Exidy boards but my cheapo Willem 5.0c programmer is a serious pain in the ass to figure out when it comes to anything old.
 
Hi all,
I know there's a thread already on one type of programmer but I thought I'd throw the general question out there, which is what is the best EPROM programmer I can get for a reasonable price which can handle chips from older games like 2716, 2732, 2532, etc which is reliable and not a nightmare to figure out?

I'm trying to do some work on some Exidy boards but my cheapo Willem 5.0c programmer is a serious pain in the ass to figure out when it comes to anything old.

my newer williams does them with no problem
 
I love my TopMax but it's NOT cheap!

Will the Topmax burn the 82s123 proms? I think we have one at work, but I haven't been able to grab it yet to find out which model it is. I think I remember it not being the top model though. I think I the top model lists the proms, but I don't remember seeing it on the others.

I would love to have a current burner that will take care of everything so I don't have to keep an old computer around for the 29b.
 
The willem GX-4 does 2716, 2532, 2732 no problem. If you want to do proms you need to spend some bucks or pick up an old Data IO 29B. Like mentioned, the bad thing about the data IO is you need an older pc to use it. I have it running reliable on an XP machine. Im getting ready to move my office in the shop which includes my windows 7 pc. Im going to attempt to get it running on Win7 with serial to USB adapter. Yeah I know its a long shot but im going to try so I dont have an extra pc hogging up space.
 


I highly recommend AGAINST the PP3. Their tech support is total crap. I had issues with mine shortly after I got it....they sent me a replacement which worked for a while then started having issues too. They tried blaming my eproms as bad but I tried to explain that they were NOS chips and I tried several different manufacturers and date codes. I also explained that the same roms burned just fine with another programmer. I sent them a couple tubes of roms to them on two different occasions never to hear back from them either time. I never got my roms back as promised and no resolution to the problem.
I bought a willems to replace it and the williams has programmed everything I throw at it. Not to mention I can buy three willams for the price of one PP3.
The only reason to buy the PP over a willams would be for tech support. There is nothing special about it that warrants the price they charge. I can assure you their tech support is a joke.
 
The willem GX-4 does 2716, 2532, 2732 no problem. If you want to do proms you need to spend some bucks or pick up an old Data IO 29B. Like mentioned, the bad thing about the data IO is you need an older pc to use it. I have it running reliable on an XP machine. Im getting ready to move my office in the shop which includes my windows 7 pc. Im going to attempt to get it running on Win7 with serial to USB adapter. Yeah I know its a long shot but im going to try so I dont have an extra pc hogging up space.

Please post your results on that project!
 
The willem GX-4 does 2716, 2532, 2732 no problem. If you want to do proms you need to spend some bucks or pick up an old Data IO 29B. Like mentioned, the bad thing about the data IO is you need an older pc to use it. I have it running reliable on an XP machine. Im getting ready to move my office in the shop which includes my windows 7 pc. Im going to attempt to get it running on Win7 with serial to USB adapter. Yeah I know its a long shot but im going to try so I dont have an extra pc hogging up space.

Riptor,

Do you know which 2732 menu choice for the GX-4 is needed to burn the TMS 2732 chips? There is no direct choice currently, but will one of the generic 2732 choices do the trick?

Jon
 


Stay away from the TOPxxx. They are only powered via 500ma USB cable. They do not have enough power to handle 12+ volt chips. They may claim they can (they read fine) but don't have enough juice, unless perhaps you use a 1 inch USB cable and somehow crank the power up on the bus. Trust me, I've used these programmers, and I have rarely had 12V's programm successfully, and I think only one 21V ever work right, and no 25V's.

They have a unique feature to test 74LSxxx chips out (if you can trust the results), but the software is horribly designed, and clunky UI and Chinenglish bad translations (if translated at all).

I have a PocketProgrammer2 and it reliably writes to all of my 25xx and 27xxx chips including TMS ones without problem. Yeah the interface is old DOS-feel to it, but it simply works.

When I was purchasing years ago, the Willem couldn't do 21v/25v chips (without power hacks, adaptors, etc..). Now I see that it can in the 3x/4x series. Hopefully that's true, as that seems like a good deal.
 
When I was purchasing years ago, the Willem couldn't do 21v/25v chips (without power hacks, adaptors, etc..). Now I see that it can in the 3x/4x series. Hopefully that's true, as that seems like a good deal.

Yes its true, I have programmed hundreds without a single issue.

All the generic settings work fine but if its in the list I pull the right part number. Just make sure you dont mix up the 2732 & 2732A since they program at different voltage.
 
Will the Topmax burn the 82s123 proms? I think we have one at work, but I haven't been able to grab it yet to find out which model it is. I think I remember it not being the top model though. I think I the top model lists the proms, but I don't remember seeing it on the others.

I would love to have a current burner that will take care of everything so I don't have to keep an old computer around for the 29b.

Yes. It'll do quite a few PROMs

It'll burn most everything I throw at it, even the 82S100/PLS100 PLA chips for the Commodore 64.

Even the Motorola 68764/68766 24 pin 8k x 8 EPROMs.

And the 2532s....

What it won't do: 2708 and the tri-voltage TMS2716 EPROMs.... Standard 2716, yes... tri-voltage, no...

I keep an ancient assed Data I/O Series 22 with the 064A PROM adapter to do oddball PROMs and tri-voltage EPROMs.

The TopMax is made by eeTools.com

RJ
 
The one we have at work is the Chipmax2. I am taking it home over the weekend, so I will try to burn my Donkey Kong Jr Prom with it. Hopefully it is supported.

Edit: 82sXXX is listed on the Topmax, but not the Chipmax. Maybe it has been added in updates? (Hoping)
 
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The willem GX-4 does 2716, 2532, 2732 no problem. If you want to do proms you need to spend some bucks or pick up an old Data IO 29B. Like mentioned, the bad thing about the data IO is you need an older pc to use it. I have it running reliable on an XP machine. Im getting ready to move my office in the shop which includes my windows 7 pc. Im going to attempt to get it running on Win7 with serial to USB adapter. Yeah I know its a long shot but im going to try so I dont have an extra pc hogging up space.

make sure your get the edgeport usb/serial adapter. I have to do a lot of serial communications on the machines in the field, this is the only one that works with everything for us. I have it on windows 7 and it works great for all the machines that I used to have to run on xp.
 
I highly recommend AGAINST the PP3. Their tech support is total crap. I had issues with mine shortly after I got it....they sent me a replacement which worked for a while then started having issues too. They tried blaming my eproms as bad but I tried to explain that they were NOS chips and I tried several different manufacturers and date codes. I also explained that the same roms burned just fine with another programmer. I sent them a couple tubes of roms to them on two different occasions never to hear back from them either time. I never got my roms back as promised and no resolution to the problem.
I bought a willems to replace it and the williams has programmed everything I throw at it. Not to mention I can buy three willams for the price of one PP3.
The only reason to buy the PP over a willams would be for tech support. There is nothing special about it that warrants the price they charge. I can assure you their tech support is a joke.

I agree. PM ELutz and ask him about his. It had been a problem since day one. I have a PP2a and have had great luck with it. Save for some occasional issues with a 2732 its been great. At one time I took a freshly installed XP based laptop to Elutz's shop and we swapped back and fourth his PP3 and my 2a. His would fail repeatedly. Swap mine in, same image, same chip, it would program, check-sum correctly, and work in a game.
 
The one we have at work is the Chipmax2. I am taking it home over the weekend, so I will try to burn my Donkey Kong Jr Prom with it. Hopefully it is supported.

Edit: 82sXXX is listed on the Topmax, but not the Chipmax. Maybe it has been added in updates? (Hoping)


The Chipmax2 does not support the 82sXXX proms. You need the Topmax2 to gain that support. I guess it is time to finally setup the 29b. :(
 
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