Programmers and Adapters questions

[jacklick]

Don't know what I don't know yet. I picked up some stuff recently and before selling any of it want to make sure I may not need it for this hobby at some point. I now have 5 different eprom burners and am enjoying learning about each of their capabilities (no topmax or data i/o or expensive ones yet though)

I can't see myself dealing with plcc stuff but maybe there would be a reason to be able to program a microcontroller or something.

I posted this in the price check forum but doubt anyone in the know is going to look there.
https://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=446158


things like converting some cps2 boards or converting a neo geo board interest me just for my own fun. I like tinkering in board repair and the ability to burn proms, gals and pals with emp-30 would likely be useful.

Anyway looking for some guidance on what is useful, I should keep, or is trash. Thanks

 

[codeX]

I can't see myself dealing with plcc stuff but maybe there would be a reason to be able to program a microcontroller or something.

I've found using the TL866 for programming EEPROM PLCCs useful as a replacement for some OTP bipolar PROMs on my JAMMA Ikari Warriors boardset that are hard to find and require a high-end bipolar PROM programmer. There are a few PLCC32 that are in the 45-55ns range, fast enough to replace these rare OTP 55ns DIP16-20 PROMs with an adapter board. It's an edge case, but I didn't think I'd need PLCCs either until I came across this issue.

 

[jacklick]

that is the kind of potential use case I was looking for. I have a tl866ii w/ those adapters as well. I actually like the functionality (testing ttl chips) of this cheap little dude.

 

[parism]

that is the kind of potential use case I was looking for. I have a tl866ii w/ those adapters as well. I actually like the functionality (testing ttl chips) of this cheap little dude.

The TL866 gets a lot of bad comments but it is a good programmer (at least for me) and a bargain for testing (most) of TTL and SRAM ICs.

paris

 

[jacklick]

The TL866 gets a lot of bad comments but it is a good programmer (at least for me) and a bargain for testing (most) of TTL and SRAM ICs.

paris

Yea, don't want this to turn into a programmer debate per se but I have been rereading lots of threads and have some decent experience with the GQ-4X (pros and cons) and thinking an eventual sticky worthy thread on programmers would be good.

I have TL866ii, GQ-4X, eetools rommax, needham emp20 and 30. All in the <$100 range.

Broken down or detailed by
< $100 >$100 and Vendor
Noted capability support or lack of.
Cards/adapters suggested
OS (DoS, Windows) System requirements (USB, ISA, Parallel port, serial, etc)
Voltage support for VPP and VCC
Programming Algorithm support (50ms, 1ms, 100usec) I have recently started considering this to be some of the reason GQ-4x struggles with certain chips beyond the incorrect default settings for said chip.

>edit> also thinking of doing some speed tests. I messed with the rommax recently with isa card it was a speed demon. (could have been the program algorithm though).