Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!mcnc!uvaarpa!rucs!rucs2!jhumphre
From: jhumphre@rucs2.sunlab.cs.runet.edu (Jeff Humphrey (Jeffus))
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: EPROM emulator
Message-ID: <1991Apr5.033756.276@rucs2.sunlab.cs.runet.edu>
Date: 5 Apr 91 03:37:56 GMT
Organization: Radford University
Lines: 53


  *******************************************************************
  *                 Attention Poor Hardware Hackers                 *
  *******************************************************************

     The college kids' ROM emulator is here.  I've been watching those
  ads in Circuit Cellar for a couple of bi-months, the ones for the
  129 dollar ROM emulator.  I finally came up with the government
  college fund money (tax refund) to buy something moderately large
  so I decided to take the chance.  I received it the other day and
  have had plenty of time to run it through it's paces.  I am VERY
  impressed (as impressed as one can be over a ROM emulator).
     The emulator itself is extremely simple, a 3"x5" circuit board,
  a 28 pin jumper (for the ROM socket), phone cable, and a connector
  for your computer's printer port.  You connect the phone cable to
  your computer with the socket they provide, plug the other end into
  little circuit board (the emulator), then plug the 28 pin jumper
  into the socket for your ROM in the project you are building.  They
  also provide a little wire that you connect to the RESET pin on
  the target processor which will reset the system when the emulator
  is finished downloading code.  The emulator can handle 2764, 27128,
  and 27256 ROMs.
     The software provided with the emulator is pretty good.  The
  main program on the disk is called PRE.EXE which handles the
  downloading of Intel, Motorola, Standard Hex, and BIN files to
  the device.  It also has a built in editor for you files so that
  you can make changes or whatever directly to the hex data.  Also
  included with the software package is a bit of assembly code for
  downloading data from your homemade programs directly to the
  emulator without using PRE.EXE (why ... I have no idea).
     The basic emulator comes without RAM installed but you can get
  one with 32x8K static for 124 bucks, or 32Kx8 NV for 169 dollars.
  I just plugged in an 8K static and I can emulate most anything I
  have any buisness playing with.

  Problems:  I liked everything about the emulator except that you
    have to keep power to your project's circuit for the device to
    work.  You cannot download a program to the emulator if the
    power is off on the target system, the emulator is powered by
    the target.

     Why is he so excited you might ask ....  it's simple, the whole
  deal only put me out ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE DOLLARS, nearly
  the price of a gallon of milk these days AND the people were
  really nice on the phone.  A little added bonus for in '90s.

  *******************************************************************

-- 
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