I'm shopping for a chip programmer, but I'm leery as I've been burned in the past. Can anyone recommend a good USB chip programmer that supports 28 and 29 series memories? Preferably one that you own and have used for a while.
Thanks!
I had bad luck with Willem, good luck with Wellon. All common programmers will handle 28 and 29 series chips, AFAIK.
Wellon (Tianjin Weilei) makes a very large number of programmers. Could we get some model numbers? I'd love to replace my ageing LPT-based programmer.
I should note the model I'm looking for should also support PIC programming (which is usually done via a module/adapter, which is totally fine/cool by me).
Mine is a VP-280, one of the simplest ones, and it even appears to have been discontinued already. But I was recommending the brand really, if the VP-280 is good I'm sure the other ones are as well, it's just a matter of picking the one that has support for the chips you need.
Navigating their website is like navigating a mobile phone through the gastrointestinal tract of a cat, which is why I was hoping for model numbers (to make things a bit easier). Then again, it's a Chinese site, which chances are means it renders better in Internet Explorer.
It looks like the current version in that line is the
Wellon VP-290. This looks like it would fit my needs, but at $155 + shipping on eBay it doesn't quite fit my budget
Still though I'd rather save up for a quality product that deal with the nightmare that was my last Willem programmer.
Thank you for your input!
I tried to go the cheap rout with a US$50 Willem, and I surely regret that. The programmer did work, but it was not very reliable. The hard part was getting the computer to recognize it, but when that happened it worked fine. There was also the annoyance of having to setup switches and jumpers depending on the part you're programming. The Wellon is great because it just works. Plug it in, select the chip in the software and you're ready to go. It also has more features than the Willem had, like being able to identify unknown chips, and test known chips (like logic gates and memories).
I also like that the VP-290 has a auto-write mode for writing the same image to a number of chips. It detects when the chip is seated correctly and starts writing. That could come in handy if I try to self-publish.
Is clicking 1 button really going to make that much of a diference? Even if it is with 50 chips or more, 1 click (or enter key?) isn't that bad at all.
I agree, it's not that great of a feature. It certainly won't be the deciding factor
I've had good luck with the genius programmers on ebay for $50.
I did have troubles when trying to use a 6ft usb cord vice the 4ft one that was supplied. But aside from that I've programmed well over 100 chips with it and no issues.
Thanks INL
I just re-read your PM where you recommended that and face-palmed for not remembering it. I'll definitely give it a shot. Thanks!