gta324

Hi...

Some of my Atmel proms cannot be erased. Device ID 3F3F comes up..... Any ideas or should I just throw them and buy new ones...

Use EPROMER5N....

/N.

Craig Moates

LOTS of people are having problems with the 29C256 in the EPROMER5. NO ONE has had problems with 29C256 in a PP2 or other programmers. Seems to me the Epromer5 is a POS on this basis alone. Maybe it's a great device, I don't know. The coincidence is likely not just that though.

Grumpy

The only problems I've had with them is trying to program them as 2732s, or plugging them in backwards.

If your going to trash them, I'll pay postage and try em.....

funstick

craig im still using the same 2 29c256s you sent me back in december with an epromer5. the problem is most likely static electricty. put the epromer5 somewhere near the PC using it. also make sure to touch a ground before picking up a Chip. make sure to touch ground before inserting a chip. the 29c256 is very static sensitive. ive already killed one( i had a few spares) but its not the programmer.

The only other cuase that could be the thing to look out for is that the Epromer5 isnt being underpowered.but ive had mine since i dunno october of last year its burnt a few thousand chips stayyed plugged in 24/7 and no problems to note. However i will SAY that if you are using a PC with a BAD LPT port that will absolutely screw up the chips every time. ive noticed the only thing the epromer5 doenst like is laptops. !! it will make a mess of a chip on a laptop for some reason.

gta324

Grumpy- PM me your adress and I'll send you a "bad" chip...

/N.

jpfirebird

I would agree that the 29c256 chips are very susceptible to static electricity.

My epromer5 toasted 3 of the 29c256 chips I got from Craig almost immediately. Chip # 4(last one...I'm out till Tuesday), worked fine for about 20 burns after I started being extremely cautious about how I handled it (static). It finally started to display the same message as the others -"device not supported", and it would not erase.

The sequence I started to use to make the last chip last longer than the rest was:

1. Start program
2. Select 29C256 from the drop down menu
3. Make sure red light was off
4. Place chip in ZIF
5. Burn
6. Exit program
7. Remove chip.

If anyone has any different tips, I would appreciate it. I just ordered 5 more 29c256 chips from digi-key and it was $39 including S&H. I really don't want to burn up $40 every week tuning.

ZZ28ZZ

I'm using 2 of the 29c256 chips with my PP2.
In the beginning , ever once in a while, I'd get the SES light on after start. Started burning the chips twice every time and the issue disappeared. My chips have 60+ burns and no problems yet.

One thing I do is, place the chip onto the black anti-static foam stuff immediately after removing the chip and grab the chip in a way that I don't ever touch the pins.

Another thing. Don't touch the mouse while the chip is being programmed. I'll watch the mouse pointer while programming. If I see the mouse pointer flutter even a little bit. I'll re-burn the chip again.