Toss your Willem eprommers :) - Page 2

Toni Wilen · 31 July 2008, 18:54

There are more proper threads for that..

Calgor · 01 August 2008, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zetr0

any recomendations on a cheap PAL / GAL programmer?! JTAG would be nice too

Willem has a new v1.5 USB programmer (not the "True USB"), though I cannot find supported chips yet, but apparently users can edit and add new chip types themselves, and it has a 48pin ZIF socket, so theoretically it should be able to support the 27C400 etc without an adapter. It says on their website that JTAG support is in development. It is 79euro from their website. I could not find it elsewhere for a cheaper price.

http://www.willem.org/

@Toni

Yes I usually do a search but forgot in my excitement over all the new-found possibilities!

Good find - I couldn't find anything better for the price than the Wellon VP-280. Its software looks really easy to use, it can autodetect the chip (no DIPs etc), and I think it may be able to do the byte-swap (or whatever it is) as there is a Swap menu in the software. Also the PCB is protected by a case so you don't have to worry about all the board components. It appears to have more features than even some more expensive programmers.

Zetr0 · 01 August 2008, 16:21

Thanks Calgor!!!!!

Calgor · 01 August 2008, 18:18

@Zetr0

It looks to be a very very new model, so do your full research before you buy it. You know with so called "intended" support, these things sometimes never happen (we are all very familiar with this with Amiga products). There is a forum there on the new programmer (http://www.willem.org/cgi-bin/yabb22...?board=W-USB-1) , so maybe you can ask them what their new programmer can do if you are interested. They had a small excel file with some chips tested but I only saw 20 or so listed there. There is also mention of schematics available, and a question of whether it will be open source or not.

Photon · 01 August 2008, 21:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgor

Toni,

That is the Wellon VP-380. Would not the Wellon VP-280 also do? That is the lower model but from my very limited understanding it still does much the same things, including the 27C400 without adapter. I have seen it on ebay for $US100 + postage.

From your linked website:
http://www.mcumall.com/comersus/stor...idProduct=4255

Their website homepage which you probably already know is:
http://www.weilei.com.cn/indere.htm

Is there anything the Willem can do that these can't?

Also, what do you guys use to erase the EEPROMs with UV?

I have an american decent programmer and a cheap £20 eraser. It can do 7 eproms in 10 mins or so. If you're not in a hurry you can put them on the window sill. There are also hand erasers used by professionals in the field that erase an eprom in place in 2 seconds. Just remember never to point it at your groin.

Zetr0 · 02 August 2008, 01:10

I was wondering if this would be any good for PAL/GAL programming.

rkauer · 02 August 2008, 01:42

Looks good. Shame it don't program UVEPROM's too.

Jope · 02 August 2008, 17:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkauer

Looks good. Shame it don't program UVEPROM's too.

There's a huge amount of EPROMs listed on the page?

EPROM = uv erasable/windowless, depending on what you buy (the chip die inside is the same, but the windowless ones can't be erased ;-)..

EEPROM = electronically erasable, as in FLASH..

coze · 02 August 2008, 17:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zetr0

I was wondering if this would be any good for PAL/GAL programming.

it won't program the 16v8's and 20v8's needed for gb1000 project.

However, this one supports 16v8 and 20v8 (according to device list) and it's not too expensive.

this still leaves us to find a programmer for the LSI1024.

Zetr0 · 02 August 2008, 17:37

Thanks Coze

hmmmm ICSP or JTAG.... on the hunt

Toni Wilen · 02 August 2008, 17:40

VP-480 supports LSI1024 (with adapter) but it is quite expensive..

coze · 02 August 2008, 22:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

VP-480 supports LSI1024 (with adapter) but it is quite expensive..

OUCH ! (280 USD) yes, expensive but not a hopeless case. I think we can do something like a group buy to buy this for one person to get the LSI programmed.

jurgen36 · 04 August 2008, 18:14

I really do not know all the prices you people pay. My Willem programmer including adapter for the 27C400 chips and an UV eraser cost me the grand total of 42 AU$. From Hongkong of course it is also of very high quality. On thing is do not use the USB2 supply, I use an external 12 volt supply. Works all the time, never had problems and is just as fast as the chips can take it. So I believe it pay,s to look around a bit.

imigger · 15 March 2013, 17:43

th cheap g540 supports gal chips.

roy bates · 15 March 2013, 19:32

ive got a couple of willems and hardly never had any problems with them.
and that was because i had actually found i had bad eproms.

at the end of the day who cares how fast you can program a eprom when it can take upto an hour to erase.(2 minutes isent a long time for a large rom)its not like i'll be knocking them out on a production line is it?
i dont think the adaptors are expensive either.

even the better programmers have to have adaptors.

so,i wont be tossing mine out for one thats more expensive and does the same job because its faster.

Arnie · 16 March 2013, 10:51

I have a Willem and have never got it to program an Eprom, reads them fine, just wont write. Anyway I took Toni's advice and bought a Wellon VP390. Man, what a difference. Reads, writes, makes the tea, absolutely no hassle.

IMHO, if you have a Willem and it works then, keep with it. If on the other hand you are thinking of getting one then, don't, get yourself a Wellon.

@Roy An hour to erase an Eprom? Really? Is that a typo?

roy bates · 16 March 2013, 11:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arnie

I have a Willem and have never got it to program an Eprom, reads them fine, just wont write. Anyway I took Toni's advice and bought a Wellon VP390. Man, what a difference. Reads, writes, makes the tea, absolutely no hassle.

IMHO, if you have a Willem and it works then, keep with it. If on the other hand you are thinking of getting one then, don't, get yourself a Wellon.

@Roy An hour to erase an Eprom? Really? Is that a typo?

no mate, some large eproms take upto an hour to erase.

did you have the jumpers set correctly for vpp? it wont write if that jumper is set wrong and its a good idea to use an external power supply.(there are also jumpers to set vpp voltage.)

i admit they are a bit fiddly sometimes and the documentation is a bit lacking but i havent had any real problems with them.

Toni Wilen · 16 March 2013, 11:41

4.5 years old thread resurrected? I think this was done about 4 years ago

Willem: Very cheap, can be extremely cheap. Works just fine if you don't need to program multiple eproms, can have reliability problems.

"Real" programmers: expensive, jumperless, fast, reliable, lots of extra functions, usually supports huge number of chips compared to Willems.

roy bates · 16 March 2013, 12:26

just out of curiosity,what are these reliability problems? and working fine if you dont need to program multiple eproms?

i like one of the features of the programmer in the first post,the ability to test some drams.
although if your going to remove them anyway for the sake of the test it would easier to replace them one at a time from a repair point of veiw.

kipper2k · 16 March 2013, 13:05

i like my wellon, it has a 48pin DIP which makes it less reliant on adapters. My willem 3.0 served me well but with all the jumper configs etc, it became confusing

16 March 2013, 11:41	#38
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,507	4.5 years old thread resurrected? I think this was done about 4 years ago Willem: Very cheap, can be extremely cheap. Works just fine if you don't need to program multiple eproms, can have reliability problems. "Real" programmers: expensive, jumperless, fast, reliable, lots of extra functions, usually supports huge number of chips compared to Willems. Last edited by Toni Wilen; 16 March 2013 at 11:45. Reason: Less annoying reply..

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31 July 2008, 18:54	#21
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,507	There are more proper threads for that..

01 August 2008, 16:21	#23
Zetr0 Ya' like it Retr0? Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: United Kingdom Age: 49 Posts: 9,768	Thanks Calgor!!!!!

01 August 2008, 18:18	#24
Calgor (Amigas && Amigos)++ Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Anrea Posts: 999	@Zetr0 It looks to be a very very new model, so do your full research before you buy it. You know with so called "intended" support, these things sometimes never happen (we are all very familiar with this with Amiga products). There is a forum there on the new programmer (http://www.willem.org/cgi-bin/yabb22...?board=W-USB-1) , so maybe you can ask them what their new programmer can do if you are interested. They had a small excel file with some chips tested but I only saw 20 or so listed there. There is also mention of schematics available, and a question of whether it will be open source or not.

02 August 2008, 01:10	#26
Zetr0 Ya' like it Retr0? Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: United Kingdom Age: 49 Posts: 9,768	I was wondering if this would be any good for PAL/GAL programming.

02 August 2008, 01:42	#27
rkauer I hate potatos and shirts Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sao Leopoldo / Brazil Age: 58 Posts: 3,482	Looks good. Shame it don't program UVEPROM's too.

02 August 2008, 17:37	#30
Zetr0 Ya' like it Retr0? Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: United Kingdom Age: 49 Posts: 9,768	Thanks Coze hmmmm ICSP or JTAG.... on the hunt

02 August 2008, 17:40	#31
Toni Wilen WinUAE developer Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Hämeenlinna/Finland Age: 49 Posts: 26,507	VP-480 supports LSI1024 (with adapter) but it is quite expensive..

04 August 2008, 18:14	#33
jurgen36 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Perth Australia Posts: 41	I really do not know all the prices you people pay. My Willem programmer including adapter for the 27C400 chips and an UV eraser cost me the grand total of 42 AU$. From Hongkong of course it is also of very high quality. On thing is do not use the USB2 supply, I use an external 12 volt supply. Works all the time, never had problems and is just as fast as the chips can take it. So I believe it pay,s to look around a bit.

15 March 2013, 17:43	#34
imigger Banned Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: england Posts: 135	th cheap g540 supports gal chips.

15 March 2013, 19:32	#35
roy bates Registered User Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: birmingham Age: 55 Posts: 2,827	ive got a couple of willems and hardly never had any problems with them. and that was because i had actually found i had bad eproms. at the end of the day who cares how fast you can program a eprom when it can take upto an hour to erase.(2 minutes isent a long time for a large rom)its not like i'll be knocking them out on a production line is it? i dont think the adaptors are expensive either. even the better programmers have to have adaptors. so,i wont be tossing mine out for one thats more expensive and does the same job because its faster.

16 March 2013, 10:51	#36
Arnie R.I.P Smudge 18-08-16 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Leicester/UK Age: 66 Posts: 3,968	I have a Willem and have never got it to program an Eprom, reads them fine, just wont write. Anyway I took Toni's advice and bought a Wellon VP390. Man, what a difference. Reads, writes, makes the tea, absolutely no hassle. IMHO, if you have a Willem and it works then, keep with it. If on the other hand you are thinking of getting one then, don't, get yourself a Wellon. @Roy An hour to erase an Eprom? Really? Is that a typo?

16 March 2013, 12:26	#39
roy bates Registered User Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: birmingham Age: 55 Posts: 2,827	just out of curiosity,what are these reliability problems? and working fine if you dont need to program multiple eproms? i like one of the features of the programmer in the first post,the ability to test some drams. although if your going to remove them anyway for the sake of the test it would easier to replace them one at a time from a repair point of veiw.

16 March 2013, 13:05	#40
kipper2k Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Thunder Bay, Canada Posts: 4,323	i like my wellon, it has a 48pin DIP which makes it less reliant on adapters. My willem 3.0 served me well but with all the jumper configs etc, it became confusing

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