Electronics > Open Source Hardware

OSHW Universal Programmer design proposal

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david77:
There are cheap universal programmers from china out there that work reasonably well. I have one of the TOP branded ones, it cost me about 100 EUR shipped from Hong Kong about 10 years ago. The main problem I have with it is the pretty much non existent manufacturer support (no new devices supported) and the really lousy software.
Wouldn't it make sense to reverse engineer one of those programmers and provide a better software solution as open source? I can't see how you could possibly beat their price even as a kit.
That said I have no idea how/if that is feasible, just throwing it out there.
I tried for some time to figure out their device description files but got nowhere.

tridentsx:
That's already been done look at the toprammer project. There has been other attempts for open source universal pin drivers such as http://www.edaboard.com/thread227388.html

If I had the time I would start a kickstarter project for a programmer that's USB powered, uses a arm with USB interface that fronts an fpga for the pin driver. The arm would controll all the voltages and it would also act a a jtag interface.

The project should also offer adapters for the most common surface mounted packages.

digsys:
After going through all the usual - design / make my own, bought expensive units, then cheap units .. yadda yadda, I finally settled with -
Galep-5 from  www.conitec.net/english/pricing.php
It's not uber-cheap, but the Germans can make good stuff, and it has a HUGE library. The *MAIN* reason I went with it, is that they
PROMISED to release a development kit for it, so "we" could create our own device algorithms !! They promised me for 2-3 years now,
and it's always soon, or on hold, then soon again. Software is quite nice as well. It would be the PERFECT base for user modifications.
IF there's anyone who lives near them, can you PLEASE go visit them and whack them upside-the-head and tell them to pull their finger out !
As others have said, with the amount of complex ICs around, and cheap units, you'd really be wasting your time starting from scratch.

tridentsx:

I have been close to pull the trigger many times for the conitech but its just a bit to rich for hobby use, my pain threshold is up to $300. that programmer is close to twice that.

digsys:

--- Quote from: tridentsx ---I have been close to pull the trigger many times for the conitech but its just a bit to rich for hobby use, my pain threshold is up to $300. that programmer is close to twice that.
--- End quote ---
I can well understand the cost / usage dilemma. It used to be a lot worse in the "old" days though, my ALL07s, ALL11s etc cost in the $1,000s.
They all still try to slug you for adapters, but it's very easy to source cheap (price) compatible ones on ebay.
I still have a complete ALL07, with the PLCC adapters. Haven't had the heart to ditch it :-)  I'd offer it to you for P+P, but it probably won't do
any of the new stuff. I think the device list is still around on www (or I can send it), IF remotely interested.

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