Author Topic: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review  (Read 1442003 times)

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Online Electro Fan

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #800 on: November 05, 2015, 12:40:49 am »
Not sure if you have tried this supplier:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-speed-USB-BIOS-Programmer-TL866A-ICSP-SPI-in-circuit-programming-lite-pack-/321495091754?hash=item4ada99ca2a:g:1GMAAOSwxH1T8aEf

sunwenjun offers other kits with various adapters for the 866A and also for the 866CS

ymmv but sunwenjun has consistently answered my messages

I think the product and the support (not much has been needed) have been good
 

Offline ryanmoore

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #801 on: November 05, 2015, 12:25:03 pm »
Does anyone have the link to the modified version of the software that someone made? The one that fixed a lot of the Chinglish.
 

Offline timofonic

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #802 on: November 05, 2015, 11:12:15 pm »
Not sure if you have tried this supplier:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-speed-USB-BIOS-Programmer-TL866A-ICSP-SPI-in-circuit-programming-lite-pack-/321495091754?hash=item4ada99ca2a:g:1GMAAOSwxH1T8aEf

sunwenjun offers other kits with various adapters for the 866A and also for the 866CS

ymmv but sunwenjun has consistently answered my messages

I think the product and the support (not much has been needed) have been good

Is this a distributor? I don't care, becasue the original company doesn't care about their potential customers.

Anyway, there's the schematics out there. It would be nice to do something based on TL866 and provide source code firmware too, this might be a very interesting collaborative OSHW project :D
 

Offline jukkis83

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #803 on: November 16, 2015, 08:51:06 am »
Hello

I use the TL866cs mainly to reprogram laptop bios chips. It seems to work well with older bios types, but the new ones with Intel Management Engine dont seem to work at all.

For example if I try to flash a new winbond 25Q64FVSIG chip with TL866 the laptop is completely dead and wont even turn on. This only occurs on never model laptops. Any idea why this is happening? Does the ME part of the bios somehow prevent the flashing prodecure from working? I use the default settings when flashing.

Using MiniPro v6.17 and V03.2.69 firmware.

Thanks in advance.
 

Offline Rasz

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #804 on: November 16, 2015, 05:22:00 pm »
Hello

I use the TL866cs mainly to reprogram laptop bios chips. It seems to work well with older bios types, but the new ones with Intel Management Engine dont seem to work at all.

For example if I try to flash a new winbond 25Q64FVSIG chip with TL866 the laptop is completely dead and wont even turn on. This only occurs on never model laptops. Any idea why this is happening? Does the ME part of the bios somehow prevent the flashing prodecure from working? I use the default settings when flashing.

do you copy dumped firmware from another bios chip or flash .bin from manufacturers bios upgrade zip? you cant just dump .bin par on empty chiop and expect it to work, intel cpus require their dose of NSA backdoor firmware first!
Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
My fireplace is on fire, but in all the wrong places.
 

Offline lunecat

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #805 on: November 20, 2015, 09:41:40 am »
Anyone found a fix to the GAL22V10D issue ?  I updated to 6.17 but that has made no difference.  Also, re-installing the first version of the software didn't work as it doesn't seem to like the later firmware in the programmer.  Any way to roll everything back ?

I think I have fixed the issue...

I am using a GAL16V8D and tried programming it & got the issue as described earlier in this thread. So what I did was :

1/ Erased the GAL, read it back into code memory & confirmed all bits="1"
2/ Loaded into code memory my .JED file (I took screen shots of each page of the program for later checking)
3/ In the Options section unchecked the "Erase before" and unchecked the "Verify after"
4/ In the IC Config section unchecked the "Encrypt"
5/ Programmed the chip, X5 times; one after the other

And that seems to have fixed it. This afternoon I'll put the GAL onto a bread board and wire it up and check the logic. But to check that my experiment has worked. I started the minipro s/w & programmer from fresh.

1/ Filled the code memory with zeros,
2/ Read in the GAL chip into code memory
3/ Compared every page of the code memory with the screen shots of the .JED file I took earlier. EVERYTHING MATCHED
4/ Also did the normal minipro Verify option & that passed too.

Maybe X5 programming was more than was required (possibly X3 would work). Could someone else try the above & confirm those steps works for them too?

Fingers crossed we have a fix!!!!

 

Offline lunecat

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #806 on: November 20, 2015, 01:44:35 pm »
^^^

As an update to my post above.

I put the GAL16V8 onto a bread board & tested all the functions I programmed into it & everything passed OK.

So the Minipro can program GAL devices, it just needs a few blasts of the program to make it stick!
 

Offline papabol_24

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #807 on: November 20, 2015, 02:07:25 pm »
Hello lunecat

ive tried and experimented on your procedure in programing GAL  :-+, ive used GAL20V8B, successfully programed the GAL in one attempt by unchecking "ENCRYPT CH"
 :)
 

Offline lunecat

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #808 on: November 20, 2015, 03:04:05 pm »
It certainly looks that way.

I sent some emails to guessed addresses (support@autoelectric.cn and sales@autoelectric.cn) the other day.  I thought that I was in luck but they both bounced today.

To add insult to injury, I had thought about buying a Genius 540 but I don't know that I could rely on that working with the GAL22V10D either.  It would also take a while for it to arrive.  So, I ordered the connector, etc. and built one of these -

http://www.bhabbott.net.nz/atfblast.html

You can imagine my annoyance to find that the GALBLAT.EXE software doesn't run on my 64-bit Windows 10 machine  |O  As far as I can tell, it runs ok on my 32-bit Windows 8 netbook but that doesn't have a parallel port  |O

So, really peeved at the moment  |O

Why not run that GALBLAT s/w from within DOSBOX running on your 64-bit Windows. But we think that your GAL should program on the miniPro now.
 

Offline biotin

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #809 on: November 20, 2015, 07:17:08 pm »
Hello guys ,

I just bought my TL866A , however when I try to read my 93c86 the overcurrent protection kicks in .

I've go through this pages and I've read to short the C22 . Can anyone please elaborate on how can I do that ?

Thank you
 

Offline TheSteve

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #810 on: November 21, 2015, 06:43:41 am »
Hello guys ,

I just bought my TL866A , however when I try to read my 93c86 the overcurrent protection kicks in .

I've go through this pages and I've read to short the C22 . Can anyone please elaborate on how can I do that ?

Thank you

Are you trying to read the IC in circuit?
VE7FM
 

Offline Macbeth

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #811 on: November 21, 2015, 08:10:10 am »
I've had the overcurrent errors when trying to read EEPROM's in circuit with target powered off. In some cases it works when target powered on, but do not connect the +V from the TL866 in that case. Also you may have to disable target CPU before power on e.g. Keithley 2001 you can keep the CPU reset enabled, though on the 2000 & 2015 I found that wasn't enough but instead found removing the PLCC firmware proms did the trick. Other devices I've had no easy option but to desolder the EEPROM.
 

Offline biotin

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #812 on: November 21, 2015, 10:18:00 pm »
Hello guys ,

I just bought my TL866A , however when I try to read my 93c86 the overcurrent protection kicks in .

I've go through this pages and I've read to short the C22 . Can anyone please elaborate on how can I do that ?

Thank you

Are you trying to read the IC in circuit?

Yes, using the test clip. Ive tried so many times in repositioning the test clip but always received this overcurrent error. ( i thought bac connection) I managed to read a few times, but its just luck.
 

Offline biotin

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #813 on: November 22, 2015, 02:41:03 pm »
Ok some update ...

I short the C22 to disable the overcurrent check. Verify by checking on the self device test and it shows fail for overcurrent protection.

Now it can read the 93c86 EEPROM but the hex value is different everytime i clicked on READ .

Hmmmm ... I suspected this due to overcurrent?
 

Offline Macbeth

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #814 on: November 22, 2015, 11:08:35 pm »
Ok some update ...

I short the C22 to disable the overcurrent check. Verify by checking on the self device test and it shows fail for overcurrent protection.

Now it can read the 93c86 EEPROM but the hex value is different everytime i clicked on READ .

Hmmmm ... I suspected this due to overcurrent?
Actually more likely undercurrent (assuming you are powering the EEPROM with the target powered off) - you will be trying to power up all the ancillary circuits to the EEPROM from your TL866 which just can't cut it.

Are you using one of those in-circuit 8 pin clips? What you want to do is disable the VCC (tiny piece of tape or paper on the VCC pin - or just cut the wire and solder some jumper pins to reconnect them if needed). Then either rely on the target being powered on or providing an external VCC from a PSU.

If using the target then you may run into problems with the I2C lines being in use by the CPU - so you need to hold reset or some other work around.
 

Offline biotin

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #815 on: November 23, 2015, 01:02:57 pm »
Ok some update ...

I short the C22 to disable the overcurrent check. Verify by checking on the self device test and it shows fail for overcurrent protection.

Now it can read the 93c86 EEPROM but the hex value is different everytime i clicked on READ .

Hmmmm ... I suspected this due to overcurrent?
Actually more likely undercurrent (assuming you are powering the EEPROM with the target powered off) - you will be trying to power up all the ancillary circuits to the EEPROM from your TL866 which just can't cut it.

Are you using one of those in-circuit 8 pin clips? What you want to do is disable the VCC (tiny piece of tape or paper on the VCC pin - or just cut the wire and solder some jumper pins to reconnect them if needed). Then either rely on the target being powered on or providing an external VCC from a PSU.

If using the target then you may run into problems with the I2C lines being in use by the CPU - so you need to hold reset or some other work around.


Thanks for your input .

I followed as what you've suggested .

1. Disable VCC pin (PIN 8 for 93C86)
2. Provide power to the target
3. Try Read but the hex value will fill with FF

I guessed as what you've mentioned , it can read when the target is powered on .

I'm thinking to :

To supply the power directly to VCC pin ( cut the wire from test clip and connect power in between)
 

Offline crx991

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #816 on: December 13, 2015, 07:01:44 pm »
Hi everyone!
First I want say a big thanks for all the users which have contribuited for the tool and stuff in this forum (and in particular to @radioman for the updater!)  :-+
Can someone tell me if the plcc adapter schematics are the same for the willem programmer?
In other words can i use the PCB from this site to build the adapetrs for my tl866?

 

Offline RetroSwim

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #817 on: December 24, 2015, 05:53:34 am »
Hi all,

I bought my TL866CS some years ago, and went to use it today. The utility said an update was available, and stupidly I followed the directions to update firmware.

Seconds later, and my programmer seems dead. The yellow LED no longer flashes when I connect it, and no device shows up in Device Manager.

Am I up the proverbial creek here? I tried (in vain) putting a 200ohm resistor between 3v3 and R26 and re-connecting, but this does nothing.

I don't own a PICkit, but I do have a lot of Atmel gear lying around. Is there anything I can do with that to revive it?
 

Offline TheSteve

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #818 on: December 24, 2015, 09:09:04 pm »
I suspect you'll need a pic programmer to recover it.
VE7FM
 

Offline Macbeth

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #819 on: December 24, 2015, 09:50:25 pm »
TL866A can do PIC programming... and you could have converted your... erm... oh, ok I'll get me coat...  :palm:
 

Offline papabol_24

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #820 on: December 25, 2015, 08:26:35 am »
Hello, Ver 6.50 is out and just updated/upgraded my TL866CS to A using radiomans SW  :-+
 

Offline papabol_24

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #821 on: December 25, 2015, 08:35:33 am »
Is there anything I can do with that to revive it?

Ahm you might try using radiomans sw updated/changer on this thread,
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-411-minipro-tl866-universal-programmer-review/375/

follow the instructions, click reflash, if theres no activity disconnect and reconnect the tl866.
 

Offline RetroSwim

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #822 on: December 25, 2015, 09:44:52 am »
Is there anything I can do with that to revive it?

Ahm you might try using radiomans sw updated/changer on this thread,
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-411-minipro-tl866-universal-programmer-review/375/

follow the instructions, click reflash, if theres no activity disconnect and reconnect the tl866.

Those instructions alone didn't appear to be enough.... however!!

In the included PDF it talks about a bodge parallel port based method to re-program the PIC. If there's one thing I do have, it's an abundance of PCs with parallel ports.

I will have a crack at that and report back!
 

Offline RetroSwim

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #823 on: December 25, 2015, 11:33:40 am »
Success!



Knocked this together, followed radioman's instructions to generate a new HEX file, used the PICPGM program as directed, and BAM. She works, upgraded to TL866A and everything.

Christmas is saved!!
 

Offline papabol_24

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Re: EEVblog #411 - MiniPro TL866 Universal Programmer Review
« Reply #824 on: December 25, 2015, 06:32:00 pm »
Success!


Christmas is saved!!
:-+ Haha nice one Retro, Merry Christmas :)
 


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