You’re only 1 out of 3 TH-camrs that I actually can’t wait until you release a new video. Your content inspires me to dig around in my old stuff and either repurpose it or bring it back to life. You’re very smart with this stuff, through trial and error of course, but your methodology is sound. And I love it when you make an error, like with the PC Jr power board, only because it shows just how much you’re just diving in and finding solutions to these errors. We all make mistakes, and the fact that you include it into your videos makes it that much more enjoyable. But your errors are few and far between, so keep the content flowing brother!
The other 2 channels are Alec Steele and Mr. Carlson’s Lab. All 3 of these channels personally inspire me to want to make/create. I can’t imagine 15-20 years ago when content like this was almost nonexistent. But even with TH-cam nowadays, you have to sift through a lot of bad content, but every once in a while, you find great channels like this in the far reaches of TH-cam. I personally recommend watching Mr Carlson’s Lab if you like this content. Great stuff, just like this.
How do I even research that? Why would I even care? How is that even relevant? He teaches electronics very well. Other than that, I don’t care. You can be on high alert all you want, but he’s on the damn internet man, not in person. I don’t like pedos either, but why should that stop you from learning? Stay in the Stone Age all you want. Ha. Research. Prove it to me.
EPROM readers have lots of uses in computer repair. I bought a Macintosh 128k board with a memory expansion board and custom ROM chips, that would display a 'Sad Mac' error with a code 01A707. 01 is a ROM error. I put one of the ROM chips in the reader, and it was blank. I put a couple original Apple chips in the board, and it booted right up. I could probably read the chips, save as a BIN file, and write them to a couple new blank EPROM's.
I have the exact same programmer, and it is really good. I had experience with other programmers and i should say they were terrible compared to the tl866. Btw, i don't mind related to the channel product review as long as you give a honest review. Edit: it is not the exact same, it is the old version.
You can dump any eprom, just get the pinout from the Chip you want to read. Most likely it will be jedec or „industry standard“. Then select the amd eprom with the appropriate size e.g. 27c 64..128..256..512 and tick off the „check Id“ option. Then you can dump the data. Also works with non standard pinouts but you need to find a chip in the dB which has the same pinout and size as the one you’re trying to dump :). Writing 21vpp eproms can also be done with the 2 plus. Some chips get written fine when selecting a 18vpp counterpart (try to write multiple times, even uv erasable eproms tend to refresh the data but you can’t flip Bits until you‘ve erased the chip).chips which need the 21 vpp can be supplied with 21 Volt from a lab bench supply (bent up the vpp pin and connect it to 21 volt) and force program that way(don’t forget to connect the bench supplies vss/ground to ground on the 2 plus. Somewhat nasty setup but works. Uv erasing can be done with germicidal uvc lamps made for fishtanks/aquariums. Never look in the light (retina sunburn). Let the chips cook for 5-10 minutes directly under the light then check if they are „empty“ with the 2 plus. BUT you’re better of dumping the data and using modern eeproms with compatible pinout which are way easier to handle, have a longer data retention period 15+ years and don’t suffer from bitrott from uv when the sticker is missing/unsuitable :)
That rom might have to be joined in a special way, in an interleaved fashion, because each one covers half of the address bit space the CPU is expecting. Ben Eater does a series on making a homemade 8 bit micro, and used two 8-bit EEPROMS interleaved to provide a 16-bit address width
Dude I would never complain about a video from one of my favorite TH-camrs!! Just being able to watch your content for free is a huge privilige I can't be thankfull enough for!!! You rock on dude!!
I love watching stuff like this and hearing your opinion. It's awesome that you can investigate all of these vintage, very specific chips. And it is also awesome that people are making parts/adapters to read/write to those chips decades later. Keep up the good work!
As someone not looking to buy one of these, I actually still found this video usefully educational. But that's partly because I know stuff all about EPROM reading and writing.
Hi William. I have two Eeprom's programmer. I've been in bed because of back spine problems. Wondering if I start my ebay business and own website selling pragrammed chip's would be a good idea? Or the market is too low?
Great video! I especially liked how you went out of your way to clearly state that the video was a sponsored review and that your review was thorough and seemed unbiased. Looking forward to more!
This kind of content fits into your channel very well! Really, if you wouldn't have said it was a review, I don't think I would have noticed. Your content is always very well structured and polished, and this video is no exception. I wouldn't mind if this kind of review popped up every now and again if it meant supporting your channel, and like I said, how you presented it is not really a departure to what you have done in the past.
I have one of the original TL866, so it was useful to see what the new version is like. Thanks for actually learning how the product works and demonstrating what it's good at, as well as not so good at. That makes for a useful review, rather than the typical, "Thanks to Banggood for this nifty device; I think it's great; don't forget to subscribe and become a patron" commercial disguised as a review. Those get old, fast. One suggestion: For the list of pros and cons, display them in columns on the video. It makes it easier to digest the review summary (and save a screenshot, if desired).
When I needed to program a AM2716 EPROM I just pumped 25V from my PSU into the chip & it programmed no problem, so if you use an external PSU these can program pretty much any EPROM =-)
If this example of a product review is your baseline and guide for future product reviews, I say have at it. I found this informative and entertaining.
Not only do I support the idea of sponsored reviews, this is actually something I need but had not quite started looking for. You just saved me the trouble. :-D
This was actually pretty interesting, it's good to hear an honest opinion from someone who knows what they're doing with something and has the need for/resources to properly test it. By all means stick with this if it's something you're comfortable with doing!
Well done. You should try a Batronix Germany programmer. You should see THAT software. I know they are expensive but I managed to buy a Bagero II - and use it for my vintage computers and measuring instruments ROM Backups. I also replace all my eproms with Atmel OTP eproms brand new from digikey. Eprom replacement is the second thing I do after recap. Also now that you have a programmer, you should backup all the roms in your Agilent 34401A (except the cal one....that’s a flash anyway). You can also upgrade the firmware in many or most of lab equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes, you name is.... just look for firmware dumps on eevblog). Also you can contribute with ANY rare firmware dump you might have to the community. We would apreciate it. Keep up the good work. I am subscribed from the begining and I watch every video. Thanks !
Replacing caps that haven't gone yet, I can understand, since they're likely to go eventually (old RIFAs especially). But If I may ask, why replace the ROMs? Backing them up, I understand, but why fix what ain't already broke? How commonly do they go bad?
This is a great type of content as supplemental feature in line with any project you may be doing or even as a tangent away from it if you need any kind of variety. Well constructed review and if it was my area of interest I'd certainly want to find out more about this product. I've always respected your strong degree of honesty in your content. Please consider redoing these as and when YOU feel it's appropriate.
So, I suspect two things here, One, the Cartridge is using a undocumented form of bank switch that is not included in the emulators cartridge rom definitions so that when the rom is attached to the emulator, the contents are put into memory at the wrong locations screwing up jumps to the 2ed 8k bank, this might be a 128k cart (64k X 2)which loads 1 section into the first 64k of memory and then 1 section into the other 64k. Or two, there is some form of copy protection implemented. If you look at E800 on r.bin, you can see some data is written here. This corresponds to the last 8k bank on that chip, but no other data is written to that block. With that said, I was able to open both 8k sections up in a 6502 disassembler to verify that there were at least readable 6502 instructions in the files, but I do not have the skills to make the necessary modifications.
This was vary useful for me I have been looking at a E PROM reader for a while thank you for this review and it greatly helped out on my decision making on to witch one I will end up getting for my self.
I've used mine ONCE. But it worked so easy and it was a chip I wouldn't have been able to get any other way. I love the programmer. Your review is great. I'm learning more about it. Thank you.
Fairly new subscriber here. Been going through the older stuff for a couple weeks and man, you do what you gotta do. No problem with reviews/paid promotions so long as it's stuff that's relevant. And actually content of this kind is useful - I didn't know these types of programmers even existed. I have a cludgy GPIO - SOC8 clip that I use with a RaspPi for fixing GPU BIOS's when the write protection gets tripped through software methods. This is a much better solution (Given this is for removable chips not soldered, but I now suspect there are adapters for that). So... TL;DR so long as it's relevant and cool - keep it up. Selfish idea, maybe a programmer for soldered chips?
there was no problem to make a video using this device in windows. but we all know it can't be a proper review without some messing around with linux. this is soooo special))))
The missing 21 V support shouldn't be a huge issue. You should still be able to read it by selecting a different device type with identical pinout and timing values. The 21 V is just needed for writing to the chip, I'm pretty sure. If you need to flash one of those chips, don't, instead use a compatible replacement chip that you can actually flash with the programmer and put that in the motherboard instead.
Sponsored reviews are fine! Most reputable brands can take a review that even isn’t entirely favorable since it tends to help sales anyway. Plus you picked a cool little device to look at to begin with, even if it’s got some niche appeal. I look forward to this channel being as big as LGR or LTT someday :)
I don't mind at all. Dumping, examining and eventually modifying ROMs for various purposes is something I've wanted to try for years, all the way back to when I first started computing with my VIC-20. So this is fine. As I'm sure your exploration of other tools will be. :)
Whoa. I remember the Vic- that's early 80s, almost 40 years ago! Where has the time gone, eh? Dungeon Delver sounds like a old AD&D reference from the time, too. Good memories.
ive had the original TL866CS unit for roughly a year and a half and its been perfectly fine for my needs. the only thing im not capable of doing with it (or the TL866II+ I believe) is natively reading from bipolar proms (particularly the 82S series of chips) without using my own adapter.
Good video. I like that you went places other vids about these programmers don't. Perhaps because you're not afraid of the Linux command shell. :) I've got one of these and use it for a variety of things. Retrocomputing stuff included. Ive used it to test 74xx logic when troubleshooting old 8bits like the c64 and arcade PCBs.. This is a useful feature! In regards to sponsored vids you did it right, I would say. Keep it honest and open. Good job.
No problem at all with 'sponsored' videos like this. I already trust you to be smart about it all and as you said, it helps you get some stuff for the channel. I am really interested in that TV thing, it sounds really interesting!
I find content like this interesting. Despite not watching this channel in quite some time. On the other hand, I managed to get the ROM dump mentioned in the description up and running in an emulator. I'm a big fan of old TV listings channels like the one you briefly mentioned, so I took an opportunity and built a ROM from the provided dumps. Interestingly enough, it's similar to the other copies that others have dumped online, although the cartridge code name/number is slightly different (HMJR6) than the other ones provided before it, however seems to be the same Revision number of 6 like most of the others.
Personally I think this type of video is great, a lot of us need to use these cheaper tools, and it's super helpful to know ahead of time what your in for.
I do really enjoy videos like this because sometimes you're better off purchasing the cheaper tools from China rather than something name brand, these videos offer a very helpful insight into what to buy and what not to. Years ago, I had considered getting a cheap programmer like this but they had very limited compatibility for what I wanted to use it for so I ended up spending a little extra money for a GQ4x with the 16bit adapter and even though I don't use it very often, it's well worth the money. Also I think for dumping Genesis roms you would need a 16bit chip adapter.
The 8088's ROM needs 21V to be programmed, but does it need 21V to be read ? I guess not, so you might be able to read from it ... that is, if there was a setting to tell the programmer how to read from it :/
High voltage is only needed to write the data. Reading requires only 5V. That's why programmers are somewhat expensive - they need to be able to generate a variety of voltages for different chips, and since pinouts vary wildly between chips a programmer has to be able to read/write data to any pin as well as supply a high voltage to any of them. Making a programmer that only deals with one type of chips is pretty easy.
@@Sheevlord hi, I had back spine surgery. I will not be the same. I have two eeprom's programmer. Wondering if I should start my own business eeprom's website selling them and program them at low cost would be a good idea?
I have an decades old programmer that can program 10 EPROMs at a time. I can use it if I have a part needing 21V. I used one of these devices to read the EPROM in the old EPROM programmer. I am using the programmer under Linux by using Wine to run the program. The web page I found on how to set it up for use under Linux had the link for the setupapi.dll file that is needed and it also mentioned adding a udev rule file to make Linux see the device when it is plugged in. I had to do the firmware update the first time I ran it in Linux. So far, it has been working just fine. I'm happy with it.
Relevant review is fine, as long as it's honest and not a shill. The TL866II+ is far and away the best programmer in its price range, and even better than some costing many times more. With the right adapters it can program practically any type of chip that can be programmed. It's the most popular programmer out there for a reason! Strongly recommended.
Whenever you use wine for anything, use it within PlayOnLinux. It's a python based application that lets you download and manage prebuilt wine versions, some even with special patches applied to them, manage separate wine prefixes and has built in support for winetricks, a script that lets you download and install program libraries automatically. With PlayOnLinux you can essentially bottle up your applications and isolate them, so that you keep a fixed wine version for them for all eternity and it won't mess with other applications that might need a different wine version or libraries installed or patched applied to wine.
But does it work with a GUI? I looked at working with the command line options but it looked quite complicated and limited, the windows GUI works like a breeze!
At 3:35, you're referring to an "ICPI programming feature". Did you mean ICSP, i.e. in-circuit serial programming?
6 ปีที่แล้ว
I think, it's absolutely fine to have things like this. First, you can get it (if you wouln't otherwise as you told as well), it's useful for you too, in other projects as well you can make a video on, then. Second, the device itself can be interesting to other people (ie, the device can be useful directly to have review on it, and then indirectly too, in some projects!), if it's on-topic. Honestly, I believe much more people like you, then banggood's adverts that how hugely good it is ... Also it helps you to have more content, we can watch, which is always nice :)
I thought you might like to know, the linux software now works with the II+ version. I don't know when that was added, but I got mine the other day and was able to read an EPROM chip on archlinux, no issues. It's listed as being supported in the readme on gitlab too.
21 volt is not a real problem, you can bend the pin so it's not in the socket when you insert the eeprom and then feed it 21 volt from an external source.
I got one of these too. For the price, it's not a bad entry-level unit, if you're working of flashing/reading newer PROMS. Say, if you're building NEW expansion boards for 8-bit computers, with new stock components, like XT-IDE and so on, it'll do you just fine. The main issue, as you said, is not having compatibility with older devices.
this may be a dumb question but will this read chips that are 21 volts to write to? i know you said it wont program them but can they be dumped. thanks
What about these usb ones, that is a board with a connector, in a usb stick, with som adapters ? Are they any good? Can i try to flash a bios for my 'old' (socket A) pcchips? I cant seem to find much information about these... These usb ones seem alot cheaper and i just want to flash or backup some 1996 and up laptop and desktop bioses.
I think it's pretty clear from context, from googling, and from open source software support that the programmer to get would still be the old MiniPro TL866A, not this incompatible new thing. Any hints on where one might get the old one?
Theres nothing wrong with this concept as long as its something relevant to or that might be useful on the channel for diagnostic/repair/etc purposes. Lots of channels take gear to use rather than money, and as long they're not promising an artificially glowing review its something most people will understand, especially for channels that don't have like 500K+ subs and can just buy everything they need.
I have the original version of the TL866 (it was the only one available at the time) and I'm glad I do. I looked at the II+ recently and it doesn't add anything that I'm missing. I have the "A" version that has the ICSP port also, not that I used that functionality but it's good to know that if I need it, it's there. As a side note, you can add the ICSP connector yourself on non-A versions with a bit of soldering. The 21V capability is useful to me as I often deal with older BIOS chips. And the adapter kit is useful, in particular the SOIC-8 adapter which I use to un-brick routers that have had bad OpenWRT flashes and such. One thing that it does NOT do, and I wish it did, is support MCS48 devices. In particular 8748 and 8741 chips that I would like to program and can't. For that I still have to use an old parallel port Willem clone with a special adapter. Oh well.
I have a Mitsubishi M5L2764K, the same you have on your video, do you think its readable? I really dont mind if i can't erase it or reprogram it.... ohh and another thing, the datasheet said that if you want to read the memory, Vpp and Vcc have to be same value... is it correct? For example reading that memory, or a 21 volts memory, and have 5 volts on Vcc, does it need 5 volts on Vpp to?
What if BIOS chip on motherboard is soldered? CAn it be used in this reader? I mean, if I desolder it, can I put it into this somehow? As an example, I have MSI KT6 Delta motherboard, so you can check what type of BIOS chip it is using. I think motherboard hang up after start because of corrupted BIOS. I need to reflash it, but BIOS chip is soldered , and not socketed.
We need more. To get more content you need more stuff. If this helps you to get more interesting stuff and we get more content that is fine. But don't be a unboxing channel tho, we don't do that here 😂
yaaaay thanks man. it works!!! now i feel dumb. i can write c code, sh and perl scripts, i can manage whole appliances from hw through os to db and middleware but this one eluded me completely. xDDD guess you learn something every day. : )
Supposedly there is a way to make these work with 42 pin ICs using something that's like "manual bank switching". I've got an adapter for that, I just haven't had the need to use it yet to see how it goes.
Yes, feel free to do relevant product reviews. As long as your opinions are honest and not "I'm being paid to say good things".
agreed.
TomPlusKissyKrissy disagree !
I kinda like this content. It doesn't bother me ^^
You’re only 1 out of 3 TH-camrs that I actually can’t wait until you release a new video. Your content inspires me to dig around in my old stuff and either repurpose it or bring it back to life. You’re very smart with this stuff, through trial and error of course, but your methodology is sound. And I love it when you make an error, like with the PC Jr power board, only because it shows just how much you’re just diving in and finding solutions to these errors. We all make mistakes, and the fact that you include it into your videos makes it that much more enjoyable. But your errors are few and far between, so keep the content flowing brother!
Also, this kind of content is awesome. It’s cool to see a EEPROM reader/writer in action. Good stuff.
The other 2 channels are Alec Steele and Mr. Carlson’s Lab. All 3 of these channels personally inspire me to want to make/create. I can’t imagine 15-20 years ago when content like this was almost nonexistent. But even with TH-cam nowadays, you have to sift through a lot of bad content, but every once in a while, you find great channels like this in the far reaches of TH-cam. I personally recommend watching Mr Carlson’s Lab if you like this content. Great stuff, just like this.
How do I even research that? Why would I even care? How is that even relevant? He teaches electronics very well. Other than that, I don’t care. You can be on high alert all you want, but he’s on the damn internet man, not in person. I don’t like pedos either, but why should that stop you from learning? Stay in the Stone Age all you want. Ha. Research. Prove it to me.
EPROM readers have lots of uses in computer repair. I bought a Macintosh 128k board with a memory expansion board and custom ROM chips, that would display a 'Sad Mac' error with a code 01A707. 01 is a ROM error. I put one of the ROM chips in the reader, and it was blank. I put a couple original Apple chips in the board, and it booted right up. I could probably read the chips, save as a BIN file, and write them to a couple new blank EPROM's.
I have the exact same programmer, and it is really good. I had experience with other programmers and i should say they were terrible compared to the tl866.
Btw, i don't mind related to the channel product review as long as you give a honest review.
Edit: it is not the exact same, it is the old version.
You can dump any eprom, just get the pinout from the Chip you want to read. Most likely it will be jedec or „industry standard“. Then select the amd eprom with the appropriate size e.g. 27c 64..128..256..512 and tick off the „check Id“ option. Then you can dump the data. Also works with non standard pinouts but you need to find a chip in the dB which has the same pinout and size as the one you’re trying to dump :). Writing 21vpp eproms can also be done with the 2 plus. Some chips get written fine when selecting a 18vpp counterpart (try to write multiple times, even uv erasable eproms tend to refresh the data but you can’t flip Bits until you‘ve erased the chip).chips which need the 21 vpp can be supplied with 21 Volt from a lab bench supply (bent up the vpp pin and connect it to 21 volt) and force program that way(don’t forget to connect the bench supplies vss/ground to ground on the 2 plus. Somewhat nasty setup but works. Uv erasing can be done with germicidal uvc lamps made for fishtanks/aquariums. Never look in the light (retina sunburn). Let the chips cook for 5-10 minutes directly under the light then check if they are „empty“ with the 2 plus. BUT you’re better of dumping the data and using modern eeproms with compatible pinout which are way easier to handle, have a longer data retention period 15+ years and don’t suffer from bitrott from uv when the sticker is missing/unsuitable :)
That rom might have to be joined in a special way, in an interleaved fashion, because each one covers half of the address bit space the CPU is expecting. Ben Eater does a series on making a homemade 8 bit micro, and used two 8-bit EEPROMS interleaved to provide a 16-bit address width
The Conditional Jump Instructions video in particular is the one I'm thinking of ( Zg1NdPKoosU )
Dude I would never complain about a video from one of my favorite TH-camrs!! Just being able to watch your content for free is a huge privilige I can't be thankfull enough for!!! You rock on dude!!
I love watching stuff like this and hearing your opinion. It's awesome that you can investigate all of these vintage, very specific chips. And it is also awesome that people are making parts/adapters to read/write to those chips decades later. Keep up the good work!
I've never messed with computer hardware at all but I find all your videos fresh and interesting, this one is no exception
As someone not looking to buy one of these, I actually still found this video usefully educational. But that's partly because I know stuff all about EPROM reading and writing.
Hi William. I have two Eeprom's programmer. I've been in bed because of back spine problems. Wondering if I start my ebay business and own website selling pragrammed chip's would be a good idea? Or the market is too low?
Great video! I especially liked how you went out of your way to clearly state that the video was a sponsored review and that your review was thorough and seemed unbiased. Looking forward to more!
This kind of content fits into your channel very well! Really, if you wouldn't have said it was a review, I don't think I would have noticed. Your content is always very well structured and polished, and this video is no exception. I wouldn't mind if this kind of review popped up every now and again if it meant supporting your channel, and like I said, how you presented it is not really a departure to what you have done in the past.
I have one of the original TL866, so it was useful to see what the new version is like. Thanks for actually learning how the product works and demonstrating what it's good at, as well as not so good at. That makes for a useful review, rather than the typical, "Thanks to Banggood for this nifty device; I think it's great; don't forget to subscribe and become a patron" commercial disguised as a review. Those get old, fast.
One suggestion: For the list of pros and cons, display them in columns on the video. It makes it easier to digest the review summary (and save a screenshot, if desired).
As long as all the reviews are honest, I don't see a issue.
I enjoyed the review. I liked the transparency of why you did it. And, I think it is relevant to your channel. Keep up the great work!
When I needed to program a AM2716 EPROM I just pumped 25V from my PSU into the chip & it programmed no problem, so if you use an external PSU these can program pretty much any EPROM =-)
Dont mind a bit man, all interesting stuff
If this example of a product review is your baseline and guide for future product reviews, I say have at it. I found this informative and entertaining.
Not only do I support the idea of sponsored reviews, this is actually something I need but had not quite started looking for. You just saved me the trouble. :-D
This was actually pretty interesting, it's good to hear an honest opinion from someone who knows what they're doing with something and has the need for/resources to properly test it.
By all means stick with this if it's something you're comfortable with doing!
Well done. You should try a Batronix Germany programmer. You should see THAT software. I know they are expensive but I managed to buy a Bagero II - and use it for my vintage computers and measuring instruments ROM Backups. I also replace all my eproms with Atmel OTP eproms brand new from digikey. Eprom replacement is the second thing I do after recap. Also now that you have a programmer, you should backup all the roms in your Agilent 34401A (except the cal one....that’s a flash anyway). You can also upgrade the firmware in many or most of lab equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes, you name is.... just look for firmware dumps on eevblog). Also you can contribute with ANY rare firmware dump you might have to the community. We would apreciate it. Keep up the good work. I am subscribed from the begining and I watch every video. Thanks !
Replacing caps that haven't gone yet, I can understand, since they're likely to go eventually (old RIFAs especially). But If I may ask, why replace the ROMs? Backing them up, I understand, but why fix what ain't already broke? How commonly do they go bad?
This is a great type of content as supplemental feature in line with any project you may be doing or even as a tangent away from it if you need any kind of variety. Well constructed review and if it was my area of interest I'd certainly want to find out more about this product. I've always respected your strong degree of honesty in your content. Please consider redoing these as and when YOU feel it's appropriate.
This was nice to see. I would like to see more reviews!
So, I suspect two things here, One, the Cartridge is using a undocumented form of bank switch that is not included in the emulators cartridge rom definitions so that when the rom is attached to the emulator, the contents are put into memory at the wrong locations screwing up jumps to the 2ed 8k bank, this might be a 128k cart (64k X 2)which loads 1 section into the first 64k of memory and then 1 section into the other 64k. Or two, there is some form of copy protection implemented. If you look at E800 on r.bin, you can see some data is written here. This corresponds to the last 8k bank on that chip, but no other data is written to that block. With that said, I was able to open both 8k sections up in a 6502 disassembler to verify that there were at least readable 6502 instructions in the files, but I do not have the skills to make the necessary modifications.
Feel free to to do these, it's a win win as we get content and you have free stuff
This was vary useful for me I have been looking at a E PROM reader for a while thank you for this review and it greatly helped out on my decision making on to witch one I will end up getting for my self.
I've used mine ONCE. But it worked so easy and it was a chip I wouldn't have been able to get any other way. I love the programmer. Your review is great. I'm learning more about it. Thank you.
Fairly new subscriber here. Been going through the older stuff for a couple weeks and man, you do what you gotta do. No problem with reviews/paid promotions so long as it's stuff that's relevant. And actually content of this kind is useful - I didn't know these types of programmers even existed. I have a cludgy GPIO - SOC8 clip that I use with a RaspPi for fixing GPU BIOS's when the write protection gets tripped through software methods. This is a much better solution (Given this is for removable chips not soldered, but I now suspect there are adapters for that). So... TL;DR so long as it's relevant and cool - keep it up.
Selfish idea, maybe a programmer for soldered chips?
tbh I'd love to see more videos like these
there was no problem to make a video using this device in windows. but we all know it can't be a proper review without some messing around with linux. this is soooo special))))
This is positive feedback and encouraging words to do more of this.
The Linux command line program for the TL866 now seems to support the TL866II+.
The missing 21 V support shouldn't be a huge issue. You should still be able to read it by selecting a different device type with identical pinout and timing values. The 21 V is just needed for writing to the chip, I'm pretty sure. If you need to flash one of those chips, don't, instead use a compatible replacement chip that you can actually flash with the programmer and put that in the motherboard instead.
That is in the manual for the programmer too, but no-one seems to read manuals these days (top of page 2)
Yes please do more reviews like this. I bought one like this and I believe you covered better pros/cons that I did using it. Thanks!
Sponsored reviews are fine! Most reputable brands can take a review that even isn’t entirely favorable since it tends to help sales anyway. Plus you picked a cool little device to look at to begin with, even if it’s got some niche appeal. I look forward to this channel being as big as LGR or LTT someday :)
I like this concept. Allows channel to grow easier and less stress on your pocket
I don't mind at all. Dumping, examining and eventually modifying ROMs for various purposes is something I've wanted to try for years, all the way back to when I first started computing with my VIC-20. So this is fine. As I'm sure your exploration of other tools will be. :)
Whoa. I remember the Vic- that's early 80s, almost 40 years ago! Where has the time gone, eh? Dungeon Delver sounds like a old AD&D reference from the time, too. Good memories.
I love the concept of seeing new things regardless of the source.
ive had the original TL866CS unit for roughly a year and a half and its been perfectly fine for my needs. the only thing im not capable of doing with it (or the TL866II+ I believe) is natively reading from bipolar proms (particularly the 82S series of chips) without using my own adapter.
Appreciate the review and good tech info. Yes, do feel good about keeping this kind of thing coming.
no problem with these as long as they allow you to give your honest opinion. if you get to keep the stuff and/or get paid, even better. : )
I ordered one after seeing your review and I'm very satisfied with it for the price
Good video. I like that you went places other vids about these programmers don't. Perhaps because you're not afraid of the Linux command shell. :)
I've got one of these and use it for a variety of things. Retrocomputing stuff included. Ive used it to test 74xx logic when troubleshooting old 8bits like the c64 and arcade PCBs.. This is a useful feature!
In regards to sponsored vids you did it right, I would say.
Keep it honest and open. Good job.
No problem at all with 'sponsored' videos like this. I already trust you to be smart about it all and as you said, it helps you get some stuff for the channel. I am really interested in that TV thing, it sounds really interesting!
I really like this! You get useful stuff, we get an interesting review, it's a win for everyone.
Nah dude, we trust you to be honest while reviewing free products. Keep it up!
I find content like this interesting. Despite not watching this channel in quite some time.
On the other hand, I managed to get the ROM dump mentioned in the description up and running in an emulator. I'm a big fan of old TV listings channels like the one you briefly mentioned, so I took an opportunity and built a ROM from the provided dumps. Interestingly enough, it's similar to the other copies that others have dumped online, although the cartridge code name/number is slightly different (HMJR6) than the other ones provided before it, however seems to be the same Revision number of 6 like most of the others.
Personally I think this type of video is great, a lot of us need to use these cheaper tools, and it's super helpful to know ahead of time what your in for.
I do really enjoy videos like this because sometimes you're better off purchasing the cheaper tools from China rather than something name brand, these videos offer a very helpful insight into what to buy and what not to. Years ago, I had considered getting a cheap programmer like this but they had very limited compatibility for what I wanted to use it for so I ended up spending a little extra money for a GQ4x with the 16bit adapter and even though I don't use it very often, it's well worth the money. Also I think for dumping Genesis roms you would need a 16bit chip adapter.
Was thinking how it works recently
Now i know
Thanks
Do more of these types of videos
Thanks for this review, I'm looking forward to similar videos in the future.
This is good. It's not 'Blue Apron' or some random crap. This is your thing
The 8088's ROM needs 21V to be programmed, but does it need 21V to be read ? I guess not, so you might be able to read from it ... that is, if there was a setting to tell the programmer how to read from it :/
You could probably just hoard through datasheets and find something that is "close enough" and try that.
High voltage is only needed to write the data. Reading requires only 5V.
That's why programmers are somewhat expensive - they need to be able to generate a variety of voltages for different chips, and since pinouts vary wildly between chips a programmer has to be able to read/write data to any pin as well as supply a high voltage to any of them. Making a programmer that only deals with one type of chips is pretty easy.
@@Sheevlord hi, I had back spine surgery. I will not be the same. I have two eeprom's programmer. Wondering if I should start my own business eeprom's website selling them and program them at low cost would be a good idea?
@@svsv9 Hmmm... You should do some market research first to determine how many people would buy them.
I have an decades old programmer that can program 10 EPROMs at a time. I can use it if I have a part needing 21V. I used one of these devices to read the EPROM in the old EPROM programmer. I am using the programmer under Linux by using Wine to run the program. The web page I found on how to set it up for use under Linux had the link for the setupapi.dll file that is needed and it also mentioned adding a udev rule file to make Linux see the device when it is plugged in. I had to do the firmware update the first time I ran it in Linux. So far, it has been working just fine. I'm happy with it.
Relevant review is fine, as long as it's honest and not a shill.
The TL866II+ is far and away the best programmer in its price range, and even better than some costing many times more. With the right adapters it can program practically any type of chip that can be programmed. It's the most popular programmer out there for a reason! Strongly recommended.
I'm all for reviews as long as they are related to your content.
Whenever you use wine for anything, use it within PlayOnLinux. It's a python based application that lets you download and manage prebuilt wine versions, some even with special patches applied to them, manage separate wine prefixes and has built in support for winetricks, a script that lets you download and install program libraries automatically. With PlayOnLinux you can essentially bottle up your applications and isolate them, so that you keep a fixed wine version for them for all eternity and it won't mess with other applications that might need a different wine version or libraries installed or patched applied to wine.
helped me , I find honest product reviews very useful. thx😀
I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, but since this video was published, the opensource minipro utility has added support for the TL866II+
But does it work with a GUI? I looked at working with the command line options but it looked quite complicated and limited, the windows GUI works like a breeze!
What if you dont know what chip you have , can it auto detect?
Not sure if mentioned in rhe comments, the unit can also be used as ic tester. I've tested a few 74SLxxx chips and it work great
If it helps you keep the lights on then what harm can a few reviews do? Honestly you did a fair, interesting and comprehensive review.
Theres a Vpp adapter on ebay, you can hook up 21 or 25 volts to the adapter to get around this problem
as long as YOU do the video and it's something that's interesting i don't mind, so that's my opinion
Looks like the open source minipro application now supports this programmer. (found at gitlab on David Grifith's account under the minipro repository)
At 3:35, you're referring to an "ICPI programming feature". Did you mean ICSP, i.e. in-circuit serial programming?
I think, it's absolutely fine to have things like this. First, you can get it (if you wouln't otherwise as you told as well), it's useful for you too, in other projects as well you can make a video on, then. Second, the device itself can be interesting to other people (ie, the device can be useful directly to have review on it, and then indirectly too, in some projects!), if it's on-topic. Honestly, I believe much more people like you, then banggood's adverts that how hugely good it is ... Also it helps you to have more content, we can watch, which is always nice :)
I thought you might like to know, the linux software now works with the II+ version. I don't know when that was added, but I got mine the other day and was able to read an EPROM chip on archlinux, no issues. It's listed as being supported in the readme on gitlab too.
21 volt is not a real problem, you can bend the pin so it's not in the socket when you insert the eeprom and then feed it 21 volt from an external source.
You can still get the "CS"and "A" version from ebay etc which does the 21v chips, the CS is the one Dave from EEVBlog reviewed years ago
I wonder if they ever fixed their GAL support ... anything above 16v8 doesn't work on the non-plus variants ... since at least 3 years.
So three years down the line, is it still a bargain or should one go for the t56 model instead?
I agree, relevant product reviews are nice and helpful!
Free stuff and extra content? Sounds like a great idea.
When I want to program I get an error index 0001 buffet value 0x02 ic value 0x3e, could you help me solve it?
I got one of these too. For the price, it's not a bad entry-level unit, if you're working of flashing/reading newer PROMS. Say, if you're building NEW expansion boards for 8-bit computers, with new stock components, like XT-IDE and so on, it'll do you just fine. The main issue, as you said, is not having compatibility with older devices.
I think as long as you do honest reviews its a great idea
I want one of these to program PC bios chips.
this may be a dumb question but will this read chips that are 21 volts to write to? i know you said it wont program them but can they be dumped. thanks
I don't know right now. Technically, it should be able to. But I was not able to test this.
Yeah, just find another chip with the same size and pinout and click read. Works fine...
What about these usb ones, that is a board with a connector, in a usb stick, with som adapters ?
Are they any good?
Can i try to flash a bios for my 'old' (socket A) pcchips? I cant seem to find much information about these...
These usb ones seem alot cheaper and i just want to flash or backup some 1996 and up laptop and desktop bioses.
I think it's pretty clear from context, from googling, and from open source software support that the programmer to get would still be the old MiniPro TL866A, not this incompatible new thing. Any hints on where one might get the old one?
Theres nothing wrong with this concept as long as its something relevant to or
that might be useful on the channel for diagnostic/repair/etc purposes. Lots of
channels take gear to use rather than money, and as long they're not promising
an artificially glowing review its something most people will understand, especially
for channels that don't have like 500K+ subs and can just buy everything they need.
Good thing I still have the original TL866 on hand... Did not know the newer ones dropped 21V support!
I have the original version of the TL866 (it was the only one available at the time) and I'm glad I do. I looked at the II+ recently and it doesn't add anything that I'm missing. I have the "A" version that has the ICSP port also, not that I used that functionality but it's good to know that if I need it, it's there. As a side note, you can add the ICSP connector yourself on non-A versions with a bit of soldering. The 21V capability is useful to me as I often deal with older BIOS chips. And the adapter kit is useful, in particular the SOIC-8 adapter which I use to un-brick routers that have had bad OpenWRT flashes and such.
One thing that it does NOT do, and I wish it did, is support MCS48 devices. In particular 8748 and 8741 chips that I would like to program and can't. For that I still have to use an old parallel port Willem clone with a special adapter. Oh well.
I like the review and think you should do more in the future
I have a Mitsubishi M5L2764K, the same you have on your video, do you think its readable? I really dont mind if i can't erase it or reprogram it.... ohh and another thing, the datasheet said that if you want to read the memory, Vpp and Vcc have to be same value... is it correct? For example reading that memory, or a 21 volts memory, and have 5 volts on Vcc, does it need 5 volts on Vpp to?
internet is the new tv. tv has had commercials, sponsors & free items being shown off for decades. no problem with this type of content 👍
Should do more of these. I like it.
What if BIOS chip on motherboard is soldered? CAn it be used in this reader? I mean, if I desolder it, can I put it into this somehow?
As an example, I have MSI KT6 Delta motherboard, so you can check what type of BIOS chip it is using. I think motherboard hang up after start because of corrupted BIOS. I need to reflash it, but BIOS chip is soldered , and not socketed.
We need more. To get more content you need more stuff. If this helps you to get more interesting stuff and we get more content that is fine.
But don't be a unboxing channel tho, we don't do that here 😂
Another Linux user :-) where did you get that modded usb driver from??
5:03 - what extension allows you to do that instead of just drag and dropping the image? i need that so bad.. : )
No extension needed, you just hold ctrl
yaaaay thanks man. it works!!! now i feel dumb. i can write c code, sh and perl scripts, i can manage whole appliances from hw through os to db and middleware but this one eluded me completely. xDDD guess you learn something every day. : )
Using affordable chip readers to preserve rare data? Relevant? Double yes! Good info on the clone-clones voltage/open source software limitations!
This is a very useful video.
Thank you
Would this work for putting data on chips for nes cartridges??
Hmm, the cartridge with tv listings. Interesting...
itogi I know right? that sounds super cool, I wonder if it's related to the old prevue guide
Well, maybe it's EPG, or some other local guide.
Supposedly there is a way to make these work with 42 pin ICs using something that's like "manual bank switching". I've got an adapter for that, I just haven't had the need to use it yet to see how it goes.
I like you reviewing things
I like your review, and I am interested in how to see the difference between rom’s you download and read with the programmer.