EPROM ERASER technical help Spectroline PE-14

[Alpha-tron]

KLOV forums always crack me up with how things take a 180 degree turn so quickly

I figured that I would get a general idea of the timing with this eraser from those who are familiar with it as I dont want to fry any of my EPROMS. I do understand that different types, age and brands of EPROMS will affect the timing. The EPROMS that I listed in the 1st post are what I erase and use the most.

As some have mentioned the age of the bulb can also make a difference and with it being an older eraser I was planning on getting a new bulb and keeping the original as a backup.

It looks like I will just have to experiment with it and appreciate all of the responses.

Your asking for free advice from a bunch of arcade collectors.
Going sideways on a conversation is part of the norm.

Welcome to klov.

 

[andrewb]

There is no standard time. It depends on too many factors (type of eraser, age of bulbs, type of EPROM, etc).

I find that things erase in about half the time of my 2-bulb Spectroline, vs the cheap single-bulb blue Chinese one I had before it.

The longest I need to leave a 2716 in there is maybe 30 minutes, for stubborn ones (and even then I do it in multiple 10-minute bursts, checking after each run). For whatever reason, Texas Instruments 2716's tend to need noticeably more time than other brands. Chips do get hot when you leave them in there, so I don't like to 'set it and forget it'. (And maybe you can do it and be fine. But it just doesn't feel right, as in general, excess heat isn't great for electronics.)

Larger EPROMs generally take less time, since the cells on the die are smaller, so they need less energy to erase. 32's and larger are usually ok after one 10 minute run in my setup. And my bulbs are pretty old.

Just experiment and figure out what the minimum time to get a reliable erase is.

 

[swood]

You should find the minimum time to get a full clean erasure for the chips you are using, and then add 50% or so.

What we are doing here is creating a bridge, or closing a semiconductor switch.
The high energy UV photons collide with the silicon atoms, and drive an electron into the higher valence shell, thus creating a conductor.
There is a minimum number of electrons that must be energized in order to form a conductor. I have no idea what that minimum percentage of available electrons is, but it's certainly less than 100%.

Over time, some of those conducting electrons will fall back to the lower energy level, so you need to have a few extras in reserve if you want the programming to last.

So, you should find the minimum erase time, and then give it a little bit more.
</physics lesson >