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From: whit@milton.u.washington.edu (John Whitmore)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: EPROM erasers
Keywords: EPROM, eraser, strobe, flash
Message-ID: <16131@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 9 Feb 91 06:21:05 GMT
References: <5001@acorn.co.uk>
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 17

In article <5001@acorn.co.uk> agodwin@acorn.co.uk (Adrian Godwin) writes:
>I've seen advertised 'flash eprom erasers' which appear to operate by
>exposing the EPROM to a flash from a strobe tube, rather than the usual
>long exposure to a lamp.

>Do these erasers use anything special, like a flash tube that has lots
>of UV content ? Or are all Xenon tubes high in UV output ?

	I think Xenon flash tubes ARE high in UV (and I once had a
flash that, when 'popped' into a plaster wall, left a very interesting
glowing patch on the wall: the plaster had some phosphorescence).
I also think that most photographic flashes will use UV-absorbing
glass (and some even use a yellowish filter) to keep the UV from
getting out.  You may have mixed results erasing an EPROM with
a photographic strobe.
	Still, give it a try; it can't hurt.

	John Whitmore