Data I/O 29B Universal Programmer

This page is just a collection of notes relating to the setup and use of the Data I/O 29B.

The 29B runs fine from my MSDOS 6.22 desktop machine. But to get this working:

When you run Promlink on the MSDOS machine, you then need to select the programmer type (“29B UniPak”) and the Device.

Once this setup was done, I was able to read and write 2708 EPROMs on the 29B from the MSDOS machine.

If you want to save the 29B memory to a file, go to Data -> Create File from RAM. In the “I/O Format” box, these two options work:

  • “(83) Intel INTELLEC”: This produces an Intel-Hex format file. It has about 50 extraneous NULLs at both the top and bottom of the file. I had to remove these with a text editor before I was able to load the hex file into Hex Editor Neo
  • “(16) Absolute Binary”: I was able to load this binary file into Hex Editor Neo without any problems

I was able to load the 29B’s RAM from a file, using Data -> Load RAM from File. Using this feature, I was able to (on my MSODS machine) directly load a HEX file generated by the ZMAC cross-assembler on my Windows 8 laptop.

File transfers between the Windows 8 Machine and the MSDOS machine were done using FTP. Filezilla is installed on the Windows 8 Machine, and M Brutman’s FtSrv is installed on the MSDOS machine.

LabSite Programmer

I have recently purchased a LabSite with a DIP48-1 base.

I’m keen to use this to erase (JTAG unlock) MAX7000 parts, particularly the EPM7128SLC84-15.

To do this, I need to find a “PPI BASE-1” and a “PPI-0258” PPI Matchbook Adapter. Footnotes 329 and 342 apply, and I need to have Product Version 6.1.

Altera LP6

I mention the LP6 here as it is another device capable of doing a JTAG unlock on MAX7000 devices.

The Altera parts required are:

  • ALTERA MPU Programmer – Main BASE
  • ALTERA LP6 logic programming card.
  • Adapter base Ribbon cable. (For connecting base to LP6 card.)
  • PLMJ7000-84 Programming adapter. (For programming the popular Altera MAX7000 CPLD devices like the: EPM7128, EPM7160)

The above list was taken from this eBay listing.

Links:

Matthieu Benoit’s webpage on the LabSite programmer

User Manual

Device List

Footnotes

Revision History

25-MAR-2017: Posted initial version

09-MAY-2018: Added LabSite section

31-JAN-2020: Added info about the Altera LP6