Copy & Write from/to Atmel AT27C256R70PU - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: bookaboo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2013, 10:32:54 am
content: Hi All,I've been handed a problem at work.Back in the day, one of the consultant engineers wrote a bunch of code for using Atmel, I don't know the full story but for some reason he didn't leave source code for some of his projects, but we have master chips for everything. Never been a problem until now since all that stuff is obsolete and it's just the occasional repair/replace chip we need.However our Atmel programmer has given up the ghost, off to Atmel for repair. In the meantime I've been tasked to make a couple of copies.I know next to nothing about Atmel chips, but I just need to read from our master AT27C256R and write 3 or 4 copies.Atmel quote ~$700.00 for a programmer, which I'm sure is just plain wrong.I was wondering if one of the cheapo generic programmers would do, like :http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Lowest-Price-Free-shipping-SP300U-USB-Programmer-For-51-AVR-ATMEL-MICROCHIP-SST-STC-93-25/738831892.htmlI dont see the AT27C256R listed in the devices though.I'd prefer something I can just put a dip chip into, there's no ISP headers on any of our gear.Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2013, 11:17:55 am
content: Not an exotic part. According to thedatasheetit uses the standard 100us pulse at 6.5V+13V programming algorithm.Microchip's 27C256 is programmed the same way.That particular programmer you link to mentions none of the 27C series devices, so I doubt it's suitable for this purpose.Someone else here asked for a 27C256 programmer before.

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2013, 12:01:18 pm
content: Refer tohttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-411-minipro-tl866-universal-programmer-review/the minipro TL866 has the Atmel AT27C256R in it's list of supported devices

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2013, 05:20:18 am
content: The chip is an EPROM, not a microcontroller, so none of the cheap and readily available AVR microcontroller programmers will support it. It's also relatively complex to program compared to most modern microcontrollers (parallel address and data bus, high voltages, critical timing.) $700 is pretty cheap for a "universal" programmer of the sort usually used to program these. You could tryhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/TOP853-USB-Universal-Programmer-EPROM-MCU-GAL-PIC-abw-/140922513564?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20cfa2e89cor similar.(Don't you have a device programmer for the chip, even if you don't have the source code?)(This is also an "odd" part to be associated with Atmel Microcontrollers, except perhaps for their legacy 8051 chips.)

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2013, 08:35:40 am
content: It's from the 27Cxx series, not uncommon to anyone who has worked in embedded systems for some time.

author: bookaboo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2013, 01:44:36 pm
content: Thanks all.I'm going to order the TL866 via ebayhttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/High-Performance-USB-TL866CS-Universal-Programmer-with-7-Adapters-for-12000-ICs-/170898487771?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27ca57f9dbI will report back on the success or failure, fingers crossed.

author: olsenn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2013, 01:48:38 pm
content: How about an AVR Dragon?The MiniPro is good if you just want to read/write a hex file to new chips, but if you want to do any kind of debugging or direct-programming from AVR Studio, then you'll want the Dragon.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2013, 12:04:31 pm
content: Quote from: olsenn on April 04, 2013, 01:48:38 pmHe's talking about Atmel EPROMs, not AVRs, and I'm pretty sure the Dragon doesn't double as an EPROM programmer.

author: bookaboo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 10, 2013, 09:43:48 am
content: As promised I'm reporting back with what looks like success.The unit I bought off ebay arrived yesterday, took about 8 days from China (delay in ordering was due to purchasing dept naturally).It read the EEPROM and flashed it into a blank one, will be tested next time an engineer is on site with that equipment.Havn't had too much time to play with the TL866 but at the price it sure looks value.Thanks all