ROM burner question

Lomotil

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Hey all... Talking to a fellow that has an older ROM burner and some chips he's looking to get rid of. Acquiring one of these has been a long-term thing on my 'bucket list' - but something I honestly know little to nothing about.

It's an older unit, designed to interface with a PC through DOS with a RS232 port (and the software is on a 5-1/4" floppy, too...)

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He's asking me to make an offer on it, and says he's got about 10 2716 chips he'll throw in (and maybe some others if he can find them.)

My concern here is that it may be too much of a hassle to put together an old computer for the sole purpose to run this thing, or expense to add a card to my modern computer.

Would I be better off getting a newer burner, or is there an advantage to having an old one like this?

Thanks in advance!
 

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No answer for you. Just posting because when I see a Lomotil posting I feel like I just saw a Yeti.
 
No answer for you. Just posting because when I see a Lomotil posting I feel like I just saw a Yeti.

Smiley_lol.gif


I've been trying to shy away from the boards ever since my car maintenance/tinkering took precedence over the refrigerator-sized games I've still got here taking the place of normal furniture... LOL...

I log in today and find a "Texas" sub-forum... Someone posted a Hell of a deal in the SA area, and I kicked myself around (no room) until the CL ad disappeared... :D


Those seem to be in the $140+ range, whereas eBay searches seem to list more modern burners around $30... Just wondering if there's anything this old burner is capable of that a more modern burner won't..?
 
I would not waste my time with that ancient thing. Those programmers for $30 (Willem) are absolute shit, spend a bit more and get something of decent quality.
 
Unless it will do special chips like PROMs, or you can snag it for a good deal, I'd pass. You can get a GQ-4X new for $100 that will work just as well.
 
Besides needing an old pc to run it, those older programmers are not easy to use. The new willem GQ-4X is very user friendly. It will do most of the chips you will encounter on arcade pcbs other than proms. If you need a prom I would recommend ordering it from hobbyroms and save yourself the headache.
Run away from that old programmer, get yourself a GQ-4X and you will be burning chips in no time.
 
Unless it will do special chips like PROMs, or you can snag it for a good deal, I'd pass. You can get a GQ-4X new for $100 that will work just as well.

He did list it as a PROM burner, and I'm honestly not familiar with burning any kind of chips. I just thought it'd be neat to be able to burn my own Ms. Pac mazes or design different characters for the heck of it.

In layman's terms, what makes a PROM a "special" chip? Is it something they don't make or use any more?

I'm leaning against it, honestly - just seems like "Too much sugar for a dime..."
 
I bought myself a GQ-4X and have been very happy with it. They seem to do a good job keeping the drivers and software up dated and it works with Windows 7.

Unless you've got an old PC sitting around that's ready to go for this burner I'd say pass on it.... and then even if you did, I'd say offer $5 shipped just for something to play around with.


My understanding of a PROM is that it can only be programmed once... so if you mess up, you're SOL.

The difference between them is:
-ROM is normally 'mask programmed' during manufacture. The data is part of the photographic image used to make the IC.

-PROM is an empty memory which can be electrically programmed once only, it has no erase function. They allow latest software version to be programmed permanently.

-EPROM can be erased and reprogrammed - for example when upgrading a BIOS.

-EEPROM is quite different, it is a memory which is designed to be reprogrammed more frequenty, for example the BIOS configuration settings. It can be treated almost like RAM except it retains its contents when power is removed.
 
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Thanks for the info, everyone... If I end up not picking it up, I'd be happy to put someone on here in touch with the guy if someone's interested in it.
 
Just a few points..

The make or break deal is whether the programmer comes with "usable" software.
Without SW, the thing is useless.

Finding an old PC running Win98 is dirt cheap. ( likely Free ! )

I use one for my old programmers ( P2, 466Mhz, Win98), and have two more as "spares".

Another thing most people forget is an eprom eraser.
This is basically nothing more than a UV light which erases the eproms.
...but you'll need one to erase your eproms, and they cost anywhere from $30-100

---

As for the chips, as others have mentioned, there are PROMs and EPROMs.

PROMs are one-time programmable (OTP) and can not be erased/re-used.
They are physically smaller in size, store less data, but have quick read-access time.
They are usually used for color palettes and sound tables.

PROMs require a high current to program because they actually "burn" a fuse
(...which is why they are not re-usable ).
This requires a programmer with a better/stronger power supply,
which is why many programmer don't do proms
(...especially the newer USB powered ones).

If you've ever seen a Data I/O 29B programmer,
the thing is one big power supply (15 lbs !)
... but it will program any old proms you can throw at it.

--

EPROMs are bigger in size and memory capacity,
but are 2x to 8x SLOWER than PROMs.
...but they are also easier to program.

Eprom memory capacity grew quickly,
and you can pretty much tell the age/era of a game, by the eprom it uses.

1978-1981 ( Space Invaders, PacMan, Defender, etc...) use 2K or 4K eprom (2716/2732)
1982-1985 uses 2764 (8Kb) - 27512 (32Kb) eproms [ 28-pins]
1986-1988+ uses 1Mb - 8Mb (27c010 - 27c080) [32-pins]

All games also use PROMs.

So depending on which type of games you want to burn eproms for,
you'll need a variety of different chips, and make sure your programmer's software
supports them.

From my own experience, I'd say getting into programming chips
is a bit more of a commitment than some people think.

The setup ( PC, UV eraser, eprom supply ) can be a tad much
for someone who only wants to program the occasional chip.

(... and I'm not saying this to drum-up more business for myself ;-)

Eprom burning is alot of fun (especially when you can fix or mod
your own games ), but there is a bit of a learning curve...

Good Luck

Steph
www.Hobbyroms.com
 
Great info, Steph! Thanks for going into so much detail...

I have a tendency to jump into things that I never get around to finishing, I think I just might set this one aside until I have the time/space to start working on my games again.

Thanks again!
 
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