Dexter #26 Posted March 13, 2015 For which IC's is ICSP, I don't suppose for AVR's for which it's called ISP? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKRetrogamer #27 Posted March 13, 2015 The TL866CS does AVRs directly by dropping them into the ZIF socket. It certainly does the ATMega AVRs I've been using in the 632K carts and Arduinos. I already have a genuine Atmel AVR MkII ISP for ISP stuff but I guess $5 isn't too much for the additional feature. Ksarul's cart boards also (apparently) have the ability to be programmed via ISP. My carts are fitted with ZIF sockets though, so it's just easier for me to transfer an EPROM than it is to start wiring things up and making sure there's power to the board I'm programming. I don't think I could be bothered doing this, even if I'd had the forethought to buy the A model. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Lee Stewart #28 Posted March 13, 2015 For which IC's is ICSP, I don't suppose for AVR's for which it's called ISP? ICSP is a protocol for ISP (In System Programming). Certainly, AVRs can be programmed via ICSP. It all depends on the provisions of the circuit in which the AVR is installed, i.e., the on-board ISP interface. ...lee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dexter #29 Posted March 13, 2015 OK, so it's a small extra... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Lee Stewart #30 Posted March 13, 2015 OK, so it's a small extra... Yeah—the only board for us TI99ers that could possibly use it is @matthew180’s F18A, which has a JTAG header. I say “possibly use it” because I am not absolutely sure. At the very least, we might need to adapt the MiniPRO’s ICSP cable. I believe JTAG programming mode uses ICSP protocol. That is actually one of the reasons I got the ‘A’. The other reason was that Arduino boards have ICSP headers for ISP. Of course, by the time I actually got my MiniPRO, Matthew had developed a TI-99/4A ALC program to upgrade the F18A in situ without the need to dismantle the 4A to get to the PCB. But, I digress... ...lee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gazoo #31 Posted March 13, 2015 <snip> What it WON'T program, are the EPROMs required by Ksarul's new 2048K carts as the Mini Pro doesn't have a long enough ZIF socket to accept the longer IC of the 2048K EPROM Ksarul chose. I believe it is possible to program the 2meg eproms with an adapter. The adapter will have an ugly web of wires as the pins on the larger chips are of a different pattern, and it will include a toggle switch. Program 1/2 the chip, flip the switch, program the other 1/2. Gazoo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKRetrogamer #32 Posted March 13, 2015 I believe it is possible to program the 2meg eproms with an adapter. The adapter will have an ugly web of wires as the pins on the larger chips are of a different pattern, and it will include a toggle switch. Program 1/2 the chip, flip the switch, program the other 1/2. Ooh. Colour me interested. Any idea how I go about obtaining an adapter like this? How would the programmer see it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dexter #33 Posted March 14, 2015 Yeah—the only board for us TI99ers that could possibly use it is @matthew180’s F18A, which has a JTAG header. I say “possibly use it” because I am not absolutely sure. At the very least, we might need to adapt the MiniPRO’s ICSP cable. I believe JTAG programming mode uses ICSP protocol. That is actually one of the reasons I got the ‘A’. The other reason was that Arduino boards have ICSP headers for ISP Oh yeah, now it makes sense to me. However, for enything more than updating a firmware once in a while, I'd reccomend a Xilinx USB cable. They are compatible to the developer software ISE, and the china clones are relatively cheap. http://www.ebay.com/itm/390809652326 For programming AVR's, I started with a self made programmer, then I bought a cheap clone to be able to program more different AVR's, At the tim I wanted to use AT<EL Studio, I was forced to buy an Atmel programmer. Eventually I bought a Dragon. All those diferent programmers make the hobby pretty expensive. A great idea to built an adapter Gazoo. Back in the 80's that's how we were able to program 64k EPROM's instead of 32k. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKRetrogamer #34 Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Oh yeah, now it makes sense to me. However, for enything more than updating a firmware once in a while, I'd reccomend a Xilinx USB cable. They are compatible to the developer software ISE, and the china clones are relatively cheap. http://www.ebay.com/itm/390809652326 That looks like the one I bought to upgrade the firmware in a custom BBC Master 128 internal co-processor I once bought from RetroClinic. I've never used it though, as the firmware was updated but only available on request and I can't remember which Master 128 I hid the co-pro in! For programming AVR's, I started with a self made programmer, then I bought a cheap clone to be able to program more different AVR's, At the tim I wanted to use AT<EL Studio, I was forced to buy an Atmel programmer. Eventually I bought a Dragon. I bought a Chinese AVR ISP MKII and used that until I realised it would only work with Atmel's AVR Studio up to version 4. I bit the bullet and bought a genuine Atmel one just so I could gain access to the current version of Studio along with firmware upgrades to the ISP itself. Rather than use the ISP to program boot-loaders, I now use the TL866CS and write out a saved project to each ATMega328 in turn. Much quicker than previous/ISP methods. Programming the 328s is still done in an Arduino Uno as I've never strayed from the Arduino IDE. Maybe someday, I'll try programming in C and uploading with AVRdude directly just like the elite hardware hackers do. Then again?.. Edited March 14, 2015 by UKRetrogamer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dexter #35 Posted March 15, 2015 I bought a Chinese AVR ISP MKII and used that until I realised it would only work with Atmel's AVR Studio up to version 4. I bit the bullet and bought a genuine Atmel one just so I could gain access to the current version of Studio along with firmware upgrades to the ISP itself. Exactly, those Chinese AVR ISP MKII work fine except if you want to use it with ATMEL Studio. When trying to connect the programmer, it will either function for a while, until they do an update in the firmware or it won't be excepted at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dexter #36 Posted March 15, 2015 Oh well, fun has been short, yet another defective DRAM. This time it’s picture fb, corresponding with bit 5 (bit 0 = MSB) and U104, third chip from the joystick port. I had running the TI for about 20 hours straight. Perhaps he / she? Got too hot. I suspect there will follow more. From the info I got above, I put together a PDF file for all 8 bits for convenience. TI-99-4A defective DRAM.pdf GM71256 262144 X 1BIT DRAM.pdf 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
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