!pr0
Burning and Erasing EPROMs.................Bob Sander-Cederlof

We get a lot of questions about EPROM burners and erasers.  Perhaps this list will help...

Burners_______

PROM Blaster System, $119, Apparat, 4401 South Tamarac Parkway, Denver, CO 80237.  Phone (303) 741-1778 or (800) 525-7674.  Will burn most 24-pin EPROMS.  Price includes personality modules for 2704, 2708, 2508, 2758, 2716(TI), 2516, 2716, 2532, 2732, 2732A, 68764, 2815, and 2816.  ZIF socket for EPROM.  No power switch, so you must power down the Apple whenever you insert or remove an EPROM.

Apple-PROM, $149.95, Computer Technology Associates, 1704 Moon N.E., Suite 14, Albuquerque, NM 87112.  Phone (505)298-0942.  Will burn most 24-pin EPROMS.  DIP switch selection for 2708, 2716, 2516, 2532, 2732, 2732A, 2764, 2564.  Low insertion force socket for EPROM.

Romwriter, $175, Mountain Computer....(I cannot find any recent ads, but they are still listed in distributor catalogs).  We have heard that they are no longer manufacturing this card, but there are still many available.  Only burns 2716 (single voltage version, not TI).  ZIF for EPROM.  Power switch on card allows you to safely insert and remove EPROMs without turning off your Apple.  I have been using this one for several years with no problems, although I did rewrite the software to suit my own tastes and needs.

Quick EPROM Writer, $149, available from Handwell Corp., 4962 El Camino Real, Suite 119, Los Altos, CA 94022.  Phone (415) 962-9265.  Made in Taiwan by "COPAM".  Burns both 24- and 28- pin EPROMs.  All software is in firmware on the card.  Nice menu select for 2716, 2516, 2532, 2732, 2732A, 2564, 2764, and 27128.  No personality modules or switch selection required, as all configuration is software controlled.  Power is applied to and removed from the ZIF socket under software control, so that EPROMs can be inserted and removed without turning off your Apple.  Manual includes schematic, pinout diagrams for EPROMs, and a (sparsely) commented listing of firmware.  The firmware apparently implements an intelligent burning algorithm, which burns twice as long as it takes to get the byte burned, rather than using a fixed delay for each byte.  The result is much faster burn times than most other burners listed here.

HM3264, $395, Hollister Microsystems, 5081 Fairview, Hollister, CA 95023.  Phone (408) 637-0753.  Programs 2716, 2732, 2732A, 2764, and 27128.  Henry Spragens uses this one, and says it is very well designed and built, though expensive.  Henry has modified the software Hollister provides to use the intelligent burn algorithm (it was pretty slow until he did this).  Hollister use the C800-CFFF address space, like Mountain Computer does, as a 2048-byte window into the EPROM.  Bank switching on the card lets you program larger EPROMS.  Power switch on card allows you to safely insert and remove chips. A program switch helps prevent inadvertent programming.

Model EP-2A-79, $169 plus $17 to $35 each for personality modules and $19 to $40 for software.  Optimal Technology, Earlysville, VA 22936.  Phone (804) 973-5482.  Programs full range from 2708 through 27128, plus 38E70 and 8751 MPUs, assuming you purchase the corresponding personality modules and software.  It is not clear to me whether this plugs directly into an Apple or requires a separate serial interface card.


Erasers_______

QUV-T8 EPROM Erasers, Logical Devices, 1321E N.W. 65 Place, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309.  Phone (305) 974-0967 or (800) EE1-PROM (that is 331-7766).  Four models, ranging from $49.95 to $124.95.  I use and recommend the $97.50 model, which includes a slide-out tray, anti-static foam pad, UV indicator lens, timer, and safety interlock switch.

Spectronics, marketed by JDR Microdevices, 1224 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128.  Phone (800) 662-6279 or (408) 995-5430.  Six models from $83 to $595.  The $83 unit has no timer, all the others do.  [ JDR's latest ad in Byte shows eight 250nsec 4116's for $7.95! ]

Jade Computer Products carries both brands of EPROM Erasers.  Their price on the least expensive Spectronics is only $69.95.

Jameco Electronics lists an eraser for $79.95.




More Clocks for Apple......................Bob Sander-Cederlof

Some more clock cards have been brought to my attention recently.

Prometheus Versacard includes a clock, and it is compatible with ProDOS due to its ability to emulate a Thunderclock.  List price is $199.

Naturally, there is a clock on the Mountain Computer CPS/Multifunction Card.  Naturally, because "CPS" stands for Clock Parallel Serial, the three functions the card supports.  I cannot find a current price for this card.

Practical Peripherals is advertising ProClock, no price mentioned.
