EPROMER5 - UST Research Inc.
DISCLAIMER

TESTING
The EPROMER5 hardware is tested 3 times before shipping:

1. PRODUCTION - Factory Boad Testing.
2. INVENTORY - When entering Inventory
3. OWBS - One Week Before Shipping.
   

The tests cover all the functions of the Epromer5, from voltage levels, pulses width, response time, VPP recovery, chips blank, read, compare and programming, along several other data loop back, and address to data loopback using special sockets and connectors.

The PRODUCTION test includes a 60°C temperature chamber data loopback tests.  The INVENTORY tests include a vibration test, added to the transportation vibration, locate any cold soldering issues. The OWBS tests make sure not a single failure will be delivered to the customer.

A new test was introduced recently, before stocking each Epromer board is tested during 15 minutes with a fast AVR microcontroller driving it in a full operation simulation with a dummy eprom. All this thousands of tests looped during the 15 minutes period are evaluated and not a single failure is acceptable.  The new multiple test bench is able to test 50 units concurently.  This ensures you a error free board.

Below there is a compilation of cases reported by customers, that we feel important to list here, since most of the cases are just our own lack of information or operation instructions, not a device problem itself.

If none of the information below help you to solve your situation, please contact our technical support to further help.  Also read the Epromer5N windows software help section, as well download and read the Epromer5 PDF file from the download webpage.

Make sure you are always using the latest Epromer5N software version.  Just donwload the latest updated version and replace the existent at your computer.

If you want to read and understand more about Eproms, EEproms and Flash units, please read our webpage about it; memories.htm.

AC POWER ADAPTER
The Power Adapter supplied with the Epromer is quite alright. It is a voltage regulated adapter, produced in Germany for Philips and imported by USTR for the Epromer series.  It uses switching technology, what makes it smaller, lighter and power saver.  The voltage output is from 6.9 to 7.0V.

EPROMER PROTECTIVE CASE
It is our intention to produce a protective case for the Epromer, but up to now cost is the main issue.  We want to keep the Epromer as a low cost for our customers. We still working with some suppliers to find out a cost justifiable molding production.

EPROMER WINDOWS SOFTWARE
The Windows software was a main change in the Epromer series. It was necessary due the new Windows platforms as XP and ME not having a real DOS partition.  In the past we dedicated a lot of money and effort to produce the DOS version of the software, but then we needed to move to Windows version. This took again effort and money. To avoid product price to climb up, we are not transfering the windows development to the product cost. This way, the updates in the Windows version takes longer than expected, anyway, for the customer it cost nothing.

Steve Banners
Technical Support Manager
USTR Technical Support Group
steve@ustr.net

The most common causes for Epromer5 not being working are:

Epromer windows software not recognizing correctly the installed Board
Click TEST PORT to refresh initialization.
It must find the board at your computer parallel port, and identifies
the correct board version, Epromer4, 5 or 6..
 
Power adapter not installed at the wall or to the board DC Jack.
 
Eprom installed backwards or shifted at the ZIF Socket
Check picture at very bottom of this page.
 
Your computer speed is higher than 1GHz and the SPEED SLIDER is set above number 10.
Slow program speed to a value below 10.

GREEN LED OFF

Make sure the Power DC Adapter is plugged at the wall power outlet.  Make sure the power outlet is energized (110VAC). Make sure the DC Power Adapter is plugged at the Epromer5 power connector input jack.

RED LED OFF

The RED LED usually stays OFF all the time.  It only blinks in special situations as for example, during programming.  THE RED LED can stays continuous ON right after connect power to the board, it only means the board did not receive any command from the Epromer5N software yet.   You should NEVER insert or remove any chip at the socket while the RED LED is ON.

BLANK EPROMS
SHOWS AS "NOT BLANK"

When you BLANK CHECK a "for sure blank eprom" and it returns as not blank, you may have installed the chip in the ZIF Socket in a wrong orientation or position.  

Check the DEVICE ORIENTATION at the picture below.
(Pin #1 is NOT close to the Lift Lever)

READ - VERIFY DOESN'T MATCH

If you READ and then VERIFY a chip, it SHOULD MATCH, since at the READ it copies the contents of the chip to the code-buffer, and then when VERIFYING, it will compare the recent read data with the actual chip contents.  If it DOES NOT match, it means the unit is reading bad data from the chip, so it will not compare match.

Check the DEVICE ORIENTATION at the picture below.
 
Make sure the chip pins of ZIF socket contacts are clean.
 
Repeat the READ and VERIFY with a lower value at the SPEED SLIDER.  Values set below 10 should be used for computers with speed above 1.2GHz

READ PROBLEMS.
A "for sure" programmed chip reads bad.

If you are READING a "for sure" programmed chip and its contents return bad, as full "FF's" or not coerent;

Wrong Epromer5N software setup - Remove chip from socket, Click TEST PORT button, restart again.
 
Wrong oriented or positioned chip at the socket - Check DEVICE ORIENTATION at the picture below.
 
Check the DC power adapter for proper installed at the wall and at the board.
 
Do the READ TEST procedure below.
 

PROGRAMMING ERROR

Several factors can generate this error.
The error means that after a preset number of attempts at the same address and data without programming success, the program decided to abort the retries and generate the error.  There is no assurance that the same eprom programmed today will not gives you this error tomorrow, also, that a brand new eprom will not fail during programming.

List of the most common cases:

Wrong Epromer model setup or LPT port selected.
Read about the TEST PORT button at the end of this page.
 
Chip wrongly installed at the Socket. 
Check the DEVICE ORIENTATION at the picture below.
 
Oxidized pins at the CHIP or bad contact with the ZIF socket. Clean contacts
 
Bent pins at the CHIP.  Use a small plier and fix it, be careful to not break them, they are fragile.
 
Faster computer, programming pulses get to fast.  
Adjust Programming SPEED slider to lower values.
 
Power Adapter not supplying enough voltage to the board.
If you have a voltmeter, check the voltage in the two exposed pins of the DC JACK CONNECTOR on boad, top side, you should measure at least 6.8VDC between those 2 points.
 
Check VPP voltage (using a multimeter) operation. Follow instruction at the end of this page.
 
Try and use the BETA version of the Epromer6 software, you just need to download the EXE file. The Epromer6 version deals better with stuborn eproms.  Flash chips routines are not ready yet at the Epromer6 software, will be during the next weeks, but eproms routines are working better.
 

CHECK VPP VOLTAGE

It requires a VOLTMETER, able to measure from up to 30Vdc and a piece of small gauge wire (small paper clip will do).

Remove any chip from the ZIF socket.
Power On the Board.
Make sure the parallel cable is intalled.
Click TEST PORT button.
Install the jumper wire (paper clip) according to the picture below. The jumper will short circuit pins 16 and 17 of the ZIF socket.
Select EPROM 27C040 from the Device Pull Down menu.
Click Read.  After the read operation, the display screen will be full of F7's bytes.
Click PROGRAM button.
Measure the voltage between pin #1 of the ZIF socket and ground (Heatsink of the 7805 regulator, right side of the power DC Jack).
During the programming sequence, while the progressive bar is increasing at the bottom of screen, you should measure from 12 to 12.7Vdc at the ZIF pin #1.    Remember, ZIF pin #1 is the across opposite pin from the ZIF lever lifter.   The VPP voltage will only be present at Pin#1 DURING the programming sequence, after that, pin#1 should present a voltage between zero and 5Vdc.

         
Jumper pins #16 to #17 Picture

READ TEST PROCEDURE

The READ TEST procedure DOES NOT USE any chip at the socket, instead uses the jumper between pins #16 and #17 (as in the above picture).

This test assures you the whole system, Epromer board and software are able to read the socket. Follows the procedure:

Remove any chip from the ZIF socket.
Power On the Board.
Make sure the parallel cable is intalled.
Click TEST PORT button.
Select 27C512 Eprom at the Device Pull Down Menu.
Click READ button - The entire display screen will be full of FF's.
Install the jumper wire (paper clip) according to the picture above. The jumper will short circuit pins 16 and 17 of the ZIF socket.
Click READ button again. - The entire display screen will be full of F7's (not FF's as above).
Remove the Jumper, leave the socket empty.
Click READ button again - screen should be full of FF's.

If the above test procedure runs ok, the whole system read operation is fully operational, and any read failure should be attributed to a failling chip.
 

TEST PORT BUTTON

The EPROMER Windows software can drive the EPROMER4, EPROMER5 or the new EPROMER6 model boards.  The boards are not the same and use different software routines.

The first time you run the EPROMER windows software, it looks for an "INI" file, that would contain all the setup information, such as EPROMER model number and LPT port where it is installed.  If this file is not located, the EPROMER software launches the TEST PORT function automatically.  This function broadcasts commands to all LPT ports, in attempt to recognize an EPROMER board answers.  When found, the answer also identifies the EPROMER board model, so the software creates the INI file and will use that setup from that moment on.

In case you have both EPROMER models, you always need to force this TEST PORT function to update the "INI" file, by pressing TEST PORT button.  If you try to use a wrong setup, you will experience several errors.

Whenever you downloada new version of EPROMER windows software, or something seems to be not quite right, it is extremely important to click the TEST PORT button, so a new "INI" file will be created.  It is always possible that the new software version generates and uses the "INI" file in different way.

Also, after a new version download, make sure your personal SETUPs still valid and correct.  The inclusion of new devices in the new software version, can mess up with your personal SETUPs.  This can happens because each DEVICE is represented by a sequential number into the software, also stored in your personal setups. When a new device is inserted in the list, all the above chips will have their ID's shifted and your personal setups will be wrong. Check them and correct if necessary.

CHIP ORIENTATION