Philcogrump
Experienced Member
Been away from this forum for quite a while.
I have a couple Tektronix 4052 systems and have one that works. I've received emails from other proud 4052 owners who are trying to fix their systems but theirs probably have bad ROMs. I don't think it's uncommon because both 4052s I have came to me in non-working condition. I got one up and running after I installed a whole set of NOS ROMs that a former Tek engineer gave me along with the 4052s.
Now I'm worried about these ROMs going bad because if they give up the ghost then that's it for me. So I'm putting in some effort to preserve the ROM contents. There are two main types of ROM chips on the memory board that the computer uses for the BASIC interpreter, I think, and the chips are: 82S107 and MK36000. The 82S107 is not exactly a ROM, it's an oddball FPLA (Field Programmable Logic Array) that has tristate outputs! Going to be interesting to figure out how to preserve the contents of the FPLA and coming up with a modern replacement.
The MK36000 seems like a fairly simple ROM chip. Does anyone have suggestions on EEPROM programmers or perhaps a design for a homebrew one that can read the contents off the MK36000? Or if someone has a spare EEPROM programmer...
I have a couple Tektronix 4052 systems and have one that works. I've received emails from other proud 4052 owners who are trying to fix their systems but theirs probably have bad ROMs. I don't think it's uncommon because both 4052s I have came to me in non-working condition. I got one up and running after I installed a whole set of NOS ROMs that a former Tek engineer gave me along with the 4052s.
Now I'm worried about these ROMs going bad because if they give up the ghost then that's it for me. So I'm putting in some effort to preserve the ROM contents. There are two main types of ROM chips on the memory board that the computer uses for the BASIC interpreter, I think, and the chips are: 82S107 and MK36000. The 82S107 is not exactly a ROM, it's an oddball FPLA (Field Programmable Logic Array) that has tristate outputs! Going to be interesting to figure out how to preserve the contents of the FPLA and coming up with a modern replacement.
The MK36000 seems like a fairly simple ROM chip. Does anyone have suggestions on EEPROM programmers or perhaps a design for a homebrew one that can read the contents off the MK36000? Or if someone has a spare EEPROM programmer...