Tektronix 2465B - Help with RAM cloning - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: fichamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2023, 10:40:43 am
content: Hi everybody:I've just received a new Dallas DS1225Y +150 just to make a backup of the one inside my Tek 2465B. I have 2 programmers (I normally use the standard GX-4x4). I extracted the data from the original Dallas chip, created a .bin file, and copied into the new chip. In spite of this, when I install the new chip inside the scope, I have 4 errors. The scope starts up, but it does not show the text lines correctly. In the original Dallas chip It doesn't mark the speed (+150). Also, it has no "pin 1" marking. Was bought in Italy.Any ideas will be appreciated.TIA

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2023, 11:26:24 am
content: Unfamilira with any NVRAM prog except the notorious Chinese MiniPro XGecu.Beware of pulls, rebrand, old NVRAM. Mouse/DK are reliable sources.If the scope is in CAL, the image is useful.If not, or if the image is curropted/lost a recalivbbration may be needed.See many long theread in EEVBLOG, esp "2465B teardown" 79 pages.Suggest to mirro your screens, error messages, here and to groups.io: Tektronix and Tektronix2Bon chanceJon

author: EggertEnjoyer123
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2023, 10:14:04 pm
content: Try reading the chip again to see if the data is the same. You can use a diff utility to compare them.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2023, 04:45:19 am
content: What is the date code on your new chip?If you didn't buy it from an official supplier, you could have gotten anything....

author: fichamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2023, 05:23:19 pm
content: Today Spain is on holydays, but tomorrow I will go to the lab and look to make everything you had said: trying the data, and take a pic of the "new" Dallas IC (I suspect a lot about it).I also looked in Digikey, and find out one chip in stock which seems to be fully compatible with the original one (as I saw in one thread; one user was able to clone it):https://www.digikey.es/es/products/detail/analog-devices-inc-maxim-integrated/DS1225AD-200IND/1196785Of course, thanks to you all for sharing your knowledge and ideas. I will keep you informed.Jesus

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2023, 11:11:41 pm
content: The other option is to use an FRAM in place of the Dallas chip.Buy an FW16W08-SG and these PCB's linked below and you'll never have a battery problem again.https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Dallas_DS1225Y_FRAM_Adapter_3c961bed.htmlA user on the tekscopes groups.io group just recently sucessfully performed this upgrade.

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2023, 02:48:08 pm
content: DK and Mouser are reliable suppliers of the Dallas NV RAM, the -150 is not important (speed)Use a very good desldering equip, get a low profile machined pin 28 pin socket.Jon

author: fichamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2023, 03:03:13 pm
content: GREAT! I did not make the code comparison yet, but in the meantime here you have the pics. The 3rd one is the "real" chip which came with the scope. The 1st and 2nd pics are from the spare bought in Italy (I saw the back has the chip mostly centered, and the original one is almost at one side).Of course, the definitive solution will be the Cypress chip design from NFM (thanks, TERRA Operative!). Pity is just tomorrow morning I've ordered the chip from my previous message to DK. Any way, I think it's a good idea to have it, and in the meantime ordering to PCBWay (I don't know how much it will take for the PCBs to arrive here to Madrid...it will be my very first ordering to them).I'll do the data comparison just after writing this post. And here, the pics:

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2023, 03:59:11 pm
content: Hmm, the paint quality and lack of date code on your second one has me suspicious....It may be real, but it may have been sanded and reprinted to remove an old date code to hide how old it is...At least you will definitely get a good one from Digikey. I bought a few 1245AB-85+ Dallas chips recently and the date codes were only a few months old. (I gotta figure out an FRAM/something solution for those too).Also, NFM is meeeeee!

author: fichamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2023, 04:01:10 pm
content: Quote from: TERRA Operative on August 16, 2023, 03:59:11 pmI KNOOOWWWW!!!! HAHAHAHAAAA!!!! BTW: PCBs ordered!

author: fichamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2023, 04:53:12 pm
content: Quote from: EggertEnjoyer123 on August 14, 2023, 10:14:04 pmDone. Everytime I do a dump of the original Dallas chip, I obtain a different data. Small changes, but not identical.Done with 2 programmers: Barlino (from Batronix) and GQ-4x4 (from MCUmall Electronics). Readed with the embedded hex viewers, and also with HEX editor (compared 2 files and are different, no matter what, all of them extracted from the same original, working Dallas chip -).

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2023, 05:25:49 pm
content: The watchdog/timekeeper chips will have some differences when ripping them due to the real time clock updating a few locations in RAM with the latest time.For this reason a verification in the programmer software will fail due to this mismatch.The non-RTC chips should always read the same though AFAIK.

author: fichamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2023, 06:44:57 pm
content: Quote from: TERRA Operative on August 16, 2023, 05:25:49 pmI thought so. But with this crappy chip doesn’t work.I understand that will have a change in the time adjustment, but basically it will work.Is throwing me 4 errors instead (and big bad errors, not a watch out of time error…).

author: fichamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2023, 12:15:34 pm
content: Just received a new Dallas chip from DigiKey. Nothing to see with the EBay one: cost, equal; time to arrive: 2 days (DK), 14 days (EBay).So I'm going to check it out just know.In the attached pic, up is the original chip which came with the scope, and down the newly ordered one from DK. TERRA Operative, maybe you can see the date code there. Also, there is a mark for pin #1.EDIT: Chip copied and working perfectly!.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2023, 05:49:01 pm
content: Your new chip is 40th week of 2022, so 10 months old. About right for what I bought too.Your old one is first week of 1990, so coming up to 34 years old....... so yeah, a little older than the new one.....Good to hear you got it working, should be good for another 30 years.

author: fichamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2023, 04:07:35 pm
content: Quote from: TERRA Operative on August 18, 2023, 05:49:01 pmNice!. Anyway, next wednesday I will have the (your) PCBs from PCBWay to mount the non-powered memory. I have the chips already. They arrived from DK today.BTW, I am going to see your video, because I don't know hor to clone from the Dallas chip to the Cypress one...

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2023, 04:41:08 pm
content: IIRC all I did was copy the Dallas chip to a .bin file, then tell the software what the new chip was, then copy straight to it.I have some spare ones made ready for future projects, so I can run through it again if you get stuck.

author: fichamba
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2023, 01:10:03 pm
content: Quote from: TERRA Operative on August 21, 2023, 04:41:08 pmDone and working! Forget batteries!

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2023, 01:37:30 pm
content: Nice! Good work!

author: Veketti
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2025, 06:16:15 pm
content: Sorry to post a maybe stupid question. Does the Dallas chip include battery in it so it's safe to remove from the PCB and attach it to the reader without losing its content? Just ordered the adapter and FM16W08 IC's.Thanks.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2025, 10:34:24 pm
content: Yep, that's correct.Pull the chip, stick in a programmer, suck the contents out, then flash into the FRAM.

author: MarkL
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 04, 2025, 03:03:07 pm
content: I would suggest taking a video while scrolling through the 256 calibration values before removing the NVRAM chip. Mistakes *can* happen while unsoldering, and at least you will have a backup.Refer to the EXER 02 utility in the service manual to display the values.If you have the GPIB interface, you can also do a calibration backup over that.

author: TERRA Operative
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2025, 05:08:18 pm
content: ^^^ This is a good idea.