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Looking for DigElec / Wavetek Software for model 824 Eprom Programmer - SoftLink

twolazy

twolazy

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May 22, 2011
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Location
Chicago, IL
Figure I try here, I scoured the web for over 2 years and have yet to find the software for my Digelec programmer. (aka wavetek and AMD Labpro)

824.jpg

Its a model 824, which shares software with an 804/805 as well as other serial models. I happen to have the manual, if anyone needs it. Only other place i've seen it is for $100 on ebay, which is a total ripoff. But I guess without it, it is kinda worthless. I can offer a PHYSICAL COPY of the manual upon request.
Digital copy (jpegs) - http://www.2shared.com/file/5bpL1YoT/Digelec_manual.html

So if anyone knows where to find the software for Digelec or Wavetek devices, named Softlink, or Amd Labpro please please please let me know! Your my last hope VCF!
 
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I have the 834, and have been looking for the manual for some time as well. Maybe we could go in on the $100 one and you could make me a copy or provide a PDF of it?
Kipp
 
I actually meant that I have it physically, and only other time I seen it was for sale on ebay ( for $100, total ripoff). I will upload the manual sometime tonite @ work. :) (somehow got lucky and it was included when i purchased the programmer!)

Already have it converted to PDF. =)

Edit: Here's the manual before I head to work! - http://www.2shared.com/file/5bpL1YoT/Digelec_manual.html (must have shared this at least 20x already surprisingly! So the machines are out there! I tried Logical Devices, since they bought out Digelec, but the model is too old, and got 0 support. :( )

I can do everything on this machine, but upload working .bin/.hex for writing. It uses some weird CRC that im unfamiliar with at the End of File. I might try again this week sometime, last time I became so frustrated I gave up (and just purchased a willem). Maybe its intel hex crc? *scratches head. I know its possible to upload without the crc, and have the machine recreate it, but the manual isnt very clear on how... I would really love to have her 100% functional though (need the software, or to figure out how to upload hex properly without the EOF error). This programmer supports alot of IC's my willem does not. And its useful for older 21V eproms. Just flash to a modern 27c512 or whatever you have handy, pop it in, and it'll clone the contents for you, even fill the remaining space with 0's. At least its a great stand alone copier and uv eraser. ;)

Anyways, make sure your serial is set to 7,N,1 9600 and you use a null modem adapter. Try to use intel hex if possible. :thumbsup:

If you figure out my enigma , please let me know! :D The machines if I recall use the same software , and the 834 you own is the 4 socket model , correct? This range of models doesnt show yours...
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/520/digelecrangeofmodels.jpg

Love the artwork on that scan, especially the IBM XT amd 5.25 floppies shown with it! :D Hate to think im the only person in this world with this material! Perhaps maybe I am. Been collecting anything I find related to the programmers... :)
 
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Wow, Thanks!
I have been able to burn eproms with mine using directions I found here:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/140787-burning-roms-to-eeproms/

I burned some 2732s for my S100Computers.com project. They worked just fine.

I think the 834 has 3 different sockets. Somewhere I did find a listing for it, maybe bitsavers or BAMA?
The file you pointed to is a jpg of each page, not a pdf. It's still much better than what I had, nothing!!

Kipp
 
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Hahahahaha! Thats me in that old thread btw, Twolazy ;) Sorry about the jpeg collection, I can't seem to find the PDF I made 2 years ago of all the pages... But at least now you have the manual :)

Getting info outta awace was tough >.< And yes, I've been looking that long for the software! :eek:

Guess it was the usb to serial adapter I was using then, perhaps it wasnt fully compatible, or maybe it was realterm, not sure. I never did try on a older machine... So you just uploaded the hex in remote mode and it worked correctly? Did you do it from dos? Like "Copy bin.hex :com1" while in remote mode waiting for upload?


Hrmmm.... Guess tomarrow I will pull it out and try again! :D
 
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You must use the xmodem protocol to transfer the binary to the programmer. Does the manual actually say there was software other than a terminal emulator? What I was hoping to do was get the remote mode working so that I could write a small program to set it up and download an image. The instructions in that post made my eyes bleed, so automation is in order. I hope the remote commands and protocol is listed in the manual.
Kipp
 
Oh, I used hyperterm under windows vista. Once you have the machine setup per those directions it is waiting for an intel hex file and it must be sent using xmodem. I think it's under transfer in the menu.
 
kyeakel said:
You must use the xmodem protocol to transfer the binary to the programmer. Does the manual actually say there was software other than a terminal emulator? What I was hoping to do was get the remote mode working so that I could write a small program to set it up and download an image. The instructions in that post made my eyes bleed, so automation is in order. I hope the remote commands and protocol is listed in the manual.
Kipp
Click to expand...

Yes the software is mentioned in the manual but not by name, as well as the brochure image I posted as well. The PC software was named Softlink. AMD Labpro was the same software as well. Anyways the manual has all the remote terminal commands, but i dont think says which format to send the file in. So now its definitely x-modem! You should be good to go with software! The only thing stopping me was some weird error. The calculated CRC I get with the programmer wasn't the same as the PC side. This is how I knew...

I copy an eprom, and the Calculated CRC would remain unchanged
But... If I upload that same exact bin that I downloaded from the programmers ram, the same exact code that was copied, it calculates a different CRC! This is where I was left stumped... Maybe it puts the CRC and the end of file, and I have to remove that before uploading ? Never did try that... or maybe it was XP, or the usb to serial cable, or realterm, I just don't know. I've gotten soooo close. I will try x-modem tomorrow. Now I must know!!!!
 
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Ok so I managed to finally get something uploaded with the same crc! X-modem does not work btw. After sharing Lync with someone, I decided to give it a try with the digelec. After setting everything up, ( 9600,N,7,1 , DSR off, Xon/Xoff off, trailer off, header off ) I managed to be able to upload and download in ascii hex format. Press pgup or pgdwn to upload or download. I also found the chip I was trying to copy before was indeed had a copy protected signature, which explains why I had all the problems with CRC's not matching... And somehow the slower machine I used worked wonders (386sx 16).

I ended up pulling eproms from my dead PS/2 8560, since the board was on my workspace undergoing repairs, I figured I borrow an eprom. Weird thing is, I tried to copy all 4 and all 4 were near blank!!!!!! WTH?!?!?! Anyways found a video card close, and used its 27c512 for my testing. I never had eproms go blank on me for no reason :O. Real shame, no wonder the board didnt boot...

So the 834 is indeed a totally different beast from my 824. Must be related to the JEDEC line they carried, not the lower end like I have. :(
 
Interesting, since I followed those instructions and got it to work. Did you try reading the roms from the PS/2 with your Willem? Strange that they would be nearly blank. I'm hoping to try the remote commands this weekend. Also, I don't remember having the speedy mode, I'll have to check.
 
You may want to consider doing what I do with my old serial- and parallel-port equipment--get yourself an old thin client, load it up with Win9x and use the real serial and parallel ports to talk to your gear. A USB-to-serial or parallel adapter is not a useful substitute for the real thing when you're dealing with old gear. XP is no substitute for DOS.

My Xeltec Superpro/L is hooked to a Neoware CA-19 thin client and it works fine (I have a 2GB CF card inside for a disk drive).
 
Just tested it again with my toshiba 2130cs (dx4-75 486). Worked a treat with Lync! So guess I will be devoting this machine as the host for my vintage gear. And it has CF (well sort of) as well, a 4gb MagicStor microdrive. Dual boot Dos 6.22+win 3.11wfwg / Win95. :D

And checked the roms on my willem, same result. Dont get me wrong, I've seen empty portions pleanty of times but I never EVER seen hex like this... Every single line...

:020000020000FC
:10000000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF00
:10001000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF0
:10002000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFE0
:10003000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFD0
:10004000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFC0
:10005000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFB0
:10006000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFA0
:10007000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF90
:10008000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF80
:10009000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF70
:1000A000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF60
:1000B000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF50
:1000C000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF40
:1000D000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF30
:1000E000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF20
:1000F000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF10
:10010000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
:10011000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFEF
:10012000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFDF
:10013000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFCF
:10014000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFBF
:10015000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFAF
:10016000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF9F
:10017000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF8F
:10018000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF7F and so on...
Click to expand...

Its almost like the machine flip flops 4 eproms just to fake a faster single rom/eprom. Why use 4 256kb eproms if 95% of it is empty... *scratches head. Or the eproms somehow lost their programming... So confused by the results. At least my vga bios worked correctly, and was a good test rom. :D

I shall next try burning XT-IDE, and compare it with one I make on my willem. Maybe tomarrow or friday when I have more time...
 
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I'll def take a copy! :p

Anyways after experimenting with hex2bin, I managed to get xt-ide burned with the digelec, with the same CRC as the Willem! Woot Woot!

Key is when you use bin2hex, you use 8 bit intel hex. I also managed to uploaded much faster, bypassing a terminal. MS-Dos does indeed work for file transfers, provided the mode command and programmer is set correctly...

Mode 9600:N,7,1 (on programmer, xon/xoff off, dsr off, trailer off, header off, format can be left in Ascii or Intel Hex, doesnt seem to matter weirdly)
Put programmer to receive mode, wait a few seconds then type

Copy xxxxxxx.hex Com1:

Have yet to try using the dos copy command to receive a file, but should work. I will perhaps try tomorrow when I have access to the programmer, im at work atm! >.<
 
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