allwriter universal programmer owner ’s guideallwriter universal programmer owner ’s guide...

ALLWriter Owner’s Guide

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ALLWriter Universal Programmer Owner’s Guide

Release NotesVersion 1.01 July 22nd, 1999

Content

Technical Support 2

Introduction 3About this manualProduct descriptionPackage content

Hardware Overview 4The base unitThe adapterThe MatchCardThe converter

Installing the Software 7Checking your computer systemInstalling the software

Setting Up the Hardware 8

Tutorial 9

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 13


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Technical SupportIt is often the case that users experience problems when installing or using a product for the first time.ALLWriter comes with a user-friendly Windows software interface to make it an easy and comfortablelearning task.

If you have questions or run into any problems, please consult the following list for help. As with all otherSystem General programmers, software download for new device supports are free.

1. This Manual

2. On-Line Help

Press <F1> for help any time after activating the software.

3. Internet Web Site

You can access eitherhttp://www.sg.com.tw (server in Taiwan)orhttp://www.systemgeneral.com (server in U.S.)to download the latest version of software, supported chip list, and many other useful information.ALLWriter software contains demo mode which can run all by itself for practice or evaluation purpose.

4. Your local distributor

Check out our web site to find the distributor nearest to you.

5. System General E-mail and FAX

If all the above cannot resolve your problems, you can contact System General offices at

System General Corp. (Taiwan)3F, No. 1, Alley 8, Lane 45Bao-Shing Road, Shin-DianTaipei, TaiwanTel: +886-2-2917-3005Fax: +886-2-2911-1283E-mail: [email protected]

System General Corp. (U.S.A)1623 South Main StreetMilpitas, CA 95035U.S.A.Tel: 408-263-6667Fax: 408-262-9220E-mail: [email protected]

We welcome feedback or comments from you to improve our products and service quality.


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IntroductionThank you for choosing System General ALLWriter universal programmer. If you run into any difficultiesusing this machine, you can consult the followings for help (1) this manual (2) on-line help (3) your localdistributor. We are making every effort possible to make it a comfortable and rewarding experience usingALLWriter.

About this manual

This manual is written to serve as a handy guide for you to get started quickly and acquainted with ALLWriter.The software that comes with ALLWriter contains comprehensive on-line help topics to lead you step by steptoward operational details you may want to know. We suggest that you read through this manual before usingthe programmer but resort to the abundant help resources embedded in the software in case of difficulties.

Product Description

AllWriter universal programmer is designed mainly for engineering applications. It supports virtually almostall the programmable devices in the market, including EPROM, EEPROM, Flash EPROM, Micro-controllers,PLD, CPLD, FPGA etc. It can be connected to PC through either RS-232C serial port or the IEEE1284 parallelport. The friendly Windows software interface allows you to operate the system in the most intuitive manners,while the unique MatchCard design delicately configures the system to support devices with versatile pin-outsand helps generate the best waveform quality. Like other System General programmers, the software upgradesfor AllWriter are free.

Package Content

When you unpack ALLWriter box, you should find the followings:

(1) ALLWriter Base Unit 1

(2) DIP (Dual In-line Package) 48 pin adapter 1

(3) System Diskettes (Programming Drivers) 3

(4) Power Cable 1

(5) RS-232C Serial Port Cable (9 pin) 1

(6) Parallel Port Cable (25 pin) 1

(7) MatchCards (varied, package-type dependent)

(8) This Owner’s Guide 1


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Hardware Overview

The Base Unit

ALLWriter base unit contains the full input range, low-noise power supplies and advanced pin driver circuitryto generate the cleanest environment and best waveform quality for reliable programming.

Converter

Adapter

Base Unit

MatchCard

Adapter Connector

Parallel Port

RS-232 Port

ESD Jack

Power Switch

AC Power Inlet(100V ~ 240V)

ZIF Socket


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The Adapter

ALLWriter comes with Dual In-Line Package (DIP) 48 pin adapter. Currently this is the only adapter availableon ALLWriter. To handle device package types other than DIP, various converters are available for packageconversion.

LED Status Description

ON LINE Green Power-On OKOrange Power-On Fail

Self Test Fail

PASS/FAIL Green Operation PassedIncluding: Self Test OK, DRAM Test OK, Program Passed

Orange Operation in Process

Red Operation FailedIncluding: Self Test Fail, DRAM Test Fail Program Fail

ACTIVE Red Socket operation in progress

Flashing Red Socket waiting for IC insertion. Indicate an enabled socket.

Off Socket not in operation.

ON LINE

PASS/FAIL

ACTIVE

DIP-48Adapter

DIP 48 PinSocket

MatchCard Slot


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The MatchCard

A MatchCard is special adapter card or configuration card that is inserted in the front edge of the Adapter.Each MatchCard includes special circuitry required to program a specific device family of specific packagetype. In practically all cases, ALLWriter must have a MatchCard inserted in the MatchCard slot of the DIP48adapter in order to program a device. Changing the MatchCard inserted in the slot changes the configuration ofthe programming system and the devices supported. Therefore, be sure to insert the correct MatchCard beforeyou program a specific device.

If you do not know which MatchCard you need to program a particular device, simply run the ALLWritersoftware AW.EXE and click Chip List Viewer button under communication dialog (see example on page 9).A Device Select dialog box will appear and allow you to enter the device part number and show you thecorrect MatchCard to use.

The Converter

Converters are needed to convert non-DIP device packages type into DIP one through which devices in variouspackages can be programmed on the default DIP48 adapter of ALLWriter. Converter sits between the actualdevice and the DIP-48 adapter of ALLWriter to serve as a package conversion, and has to be used with itsassociated MatchCard properly inserted in the MatchCard slot of the DIP48 adapter. In most of the cases, thenames of MatchCard contain the prefix representing the package type of the converter that a specificMatchCard is supposed to work with. For instance, MatchCard PLCC-32-XXX-00 should be in place whenPLCC32 converter (CVT-PLCC32-UNI-S00) is used.

Converters for ALLWriter are, for most of the devices, universal ones so that one and only converter will beneeded for each specific type of device package. Incidentally; if users already have converters from otherprogrammer vendors, there is a good chance that these converters are, although not recommended, reusable onALLWriter. A test can be easily conducted by treating the target device inserted on that converter as onedevice in DIP package and choosing one of the DIP48 MatchCards (DIP48-XXX) to see if it can beprogrammed.

MatchCard

Converter


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Installing the Software

Checking Your Computer System

You need to connect AllWriter to a PC with minimal hardware and software requirements as below:

� PC 486-33 SX or better.� Microsoft Windows 95 or 98� 8 MB RAM� 4 MB free disk space.

Installing the Software

Follow the procedures below for the software installation:

Step 1: Insert AllWriter Setup diskette #1 in the floppy driver (Drive A: or Drive B: )

Step 2: Under Windows, click the Start button at the lower-left corner and select Run.

Step 3: Enter the name of the floppy driver, where you inserted the Setup diskette, followed by ':\setup' (forexample, A:\setup). Click Ok to start.

TIPS: To start the software installation, you may also display the content of ALLWriterSetup diskette #1 and look for the file setup.exe. Simply point your mouse on this file anddouble-click to initiate the software installation process.

Step 4: Follow the step-by-step instructions on the PC display until the installation is finished.

Note: If you have had ALLWriter properly connected to your PC, you can turn the poweron ALLWriter now and wait until the system goes through self-test. The ‘On Line’ LEDwill turn green to indicate that the system has passed all tests and ready.

Step 5: Click on the Start button at the lower-left corner of your screen again, point your mouse to Programs |AllWriter | AW in that sequence to display respective side menus and finally click on AW to launchAW.EXE


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Setting Up the HardwareStep 1: Make sure that the power is OFF on ALLWriter base unit.

Step 2: Insert the Adapter on the base unit.To connect the adapter in the base unit, align flush the front end of the adapter toward the front end ofthe base unit. The guiding slots of the 2 female connectors on the base unit will slide the 2 maleconnectors on adapters onto the correct connecting position. Make sure to use both hands to pushdown the adapter from the front and rear ends evenly for connection.

Warning! Connecting/Removing the adapter with power on the base unit might damage thesystem.

The adapter might have been connected to the base unit when you received your AllWriter. However,the vibration from transportation might adversely affect the connection between the adapter and baseunit, If so, simply follow the instruction above to reposition the adapter.

Step 3: Connect the PC Communication port.Choose to connect either the serial port or parallel port from your AllWriter to the PC. The softwareallows you to choose either the serial or parallel communication. The required cables are included inthe package. To protect your PC and AllWriter, make sure the power is off on both systems.

Note: The serial port cable shipped by default with ALLWriter is a 9-pin D-type connector. You mayneed a converter to convert 9-pin into 25 pin, depending on the serial port connector type on your PC.

Step 4: Connect the power cord.AllWriter uses a three-pronged power plug, which only fits the grounded electric outlet. This design isa safety precaution for the programmer operators, and a protective measure against possible ESDdamages on the programmer and devices. Please do not defeat the design.

Step 5: Turn the power on to your PC and then ALLWriter.In some cases, the sequence of power-on can be important. Always turn your PC on beforeALLWriter. Always ensure that there are no devices in the programmer at this moment.

Warning! Users are strongly urged to wear an ESD wrist strap when handling or inserting ICdevices into the socket. This is to prevent ElectroStatics Discharge which may damage or imposeadverse effects on the pin-driver circuitry in the adapter or IC devices through the insertionslots on the socket.


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Tutorial

Before You Start:

Make sure that you have gone through the steps described in the sections of Installing the Software andSetting Up the Hardware. Check the communication cable between ALLWriter and PC to see that they areproperly connected at both ends. Make sure that there is no device on the sockets then turn on the power onyour PC before ALLWriter.

Programming a Device with the Data on your PC using Serial Port

Step 1: Executing ALLWriter softwareClick on the Start button at the lower-left corner of your screen again, point your mouse to Programs |ALLWriter | AW in that sequence to display respective side menus and finally click on AW to launchAW.EXE. You will see the picture as shown below on your PC display:

TIPS: Demo and Chip List Viewer buttons can be activated as stand-alone utilities on your PCwithout ALLWriter physically connected. They are the perfect tools for you to practice thesoftware and get a feeling of how the software works.

Step 2: Setting up Communication with PCCheck the radio boxes to tell ALLWriter the serial port you choose (COM1 or COM2) to connect onyour PC, and specify the baud rate your PC supports. The default baud rate is set at 57600 bits persecond (bps). ALLWriter supports up to 230400 bps. All done, go ahead click on Connect button. Thebaud rate is irrelevant in parallel port communication.

TIPS: If you encounter communication problem, it may worth a try to choose a lower baud rate

Note: After the connection is mad,. you will see a dialog box “Use default task” popped up on yourscreen. Simply click on OK button to accept it. ALLWriter software is equipped with task managerwhich makes your programming task management easy. To understand more about task manager,refer to “Selecting the device to program” section in the on-line help.


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After Connect button is pressed, ALLWriter starts to set up communications with PC. It then gothrough a series of self testing and DRAM testing which can be aborted by hitting the Stop button onthe same dialog box. After all these are done, you will see the system console window and ALLWriterautomatically load the driver of the device you selected last time, if any, and device help window maypop up for your easy reference.

Step 3: Select the device you want to program

Click on the Device item on the main bar. On the pull-down menu, choose Select Device. The deviceselection display appears as follows. Suppose you want to program AMD 27C512 in PLCC32 package.Type in the Search text entry area ‘amd’ and select from Package drop-down list the ‘PLCC32’ to see:


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You can further narrow your search and selection scope by giving specific choices in Package andMatchCard drop-down lists. Since DIP48 adapter is the only adapter available for now, you may wantto leave this entry as it is (Adapter drop-down list is grayed-out anyway) Assigning different values toPackage and MatchCard drop-down lists will activate additional filtering functions on whatever searchresults currently displayed on the screen.

Before you hit the OK button, make sure that you have the right MatchCard and/or converter specifiedon the device selection display for a specific device with specific package. Pull the lever on the DIP48socket in upright position, insert the PLCC32 converter in bottom-justified position with the DIP48socket, and press down the lever. Then insert the target device on the converter.

In this tutorial, you see red x-marks on every device in the screen. This is a warning sign saying thatyou can not select the device under current hardware configuration. Most of the time, you are dealingwith an incorrect MatchCard inserted or haven’t inserted any MatchCard at all. Simply find the rightone you need and insert it to make the red x-mark disappear.

Note: To instruct ALLWriter to re-detect the MatchCard you newly inserts, click on thesmall icon button (with a tool tip: Use current Adapter/MatchCard) to the left ofMatchCard drop-down list.

You can double-click the device row on the list or hit OK to confirm your selection. ALLWriter willstart loading the device driver for that particular device and display some messages on the consolewindow.

Step 4: Download the Data File.

Click on the Data File menu item on the menu bar of the console window and select Download, thefollowing screen will appear.

Key in the name of your intended file or use Browse button to select it from the disk. ALLWriter willautomatically detect the file format for you or you can activate File Format drop-down list to see theformats supported. After hitting OK, ALLWriter will start file downloading and relevant messages willbe shown on the console window.

Note: It may be a good idea to check on the Pre-fill RAM buffer box to pre-fillALLWriter memory with the virgin state data (the data you should read in a blank ICdevice), mostly FF or 00.


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Step 5: Program your Device.

Now, you are ready to get down to the real business. Move your mouse pointer to the Device menu itemon the console window menu bar to see various kinds of operations you can run on your device. Inparticular; you can select EPROM Identify to let ALLWriter identify the device part number for you,which can save you from the device selection labor we demonstrated earlier. Knowing exactly what youwant to do, you may insert the target device into the socket on the adapter or converter.

Warning! Users are strongly urged to wear an ESD wrist strap when handling or inserting ICdevices into the socket. This is to prevent ElectroStatics Discharge which may damage or imposeadverse effects on the pin-driver circuitry in the adapter or IC devices through the insertion slotson the socket.

Since we downloaded the data file from PC, ALLWriter had stored the content in its memory and wecan simply select Program to start the device programming. Program is actually a re-configurable,combined operation which normally consists of: (a) blank check (b) program and (c) verify. You canconfigure the combination by activating Options menu item and select Device Options to display all there-configurable option items (see below). For more information, refer to the “Configuring YourOperations” section in the on-line help menu.

Step 6: Done.

To end the program session, close the ALLWriter software and switch off the ALLWriter programmer


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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)1. Why choose ALLWriter from System General?

ALLWriter is the first laboratory type programmer from System General for R&D use. It carries all themerits and features of System General’s other models which enjoys the greatest reliability and fastestprogramming speed. ALLWriter has the friendliest Windows user interface software with rich functionsto thoughtfully serve every engineer. More importantly, ALLWriter adopts the proprietary MatchCardtechnology to achieve the lowest (TOC) Total Ownership Cost.

2. What versions of Windows are supported?

A: Microsoft Windows 95, 98. Windows NT will be supported in the next major release.

3. What is a MatchCard?

A MatchCard is a special adapter card or configuration card that is inserted in the front edge of theAdapter. Each MatchCard includes special circuitry required to program a specific device family ofspecific package type. In practically all cases, ALLWriter must have a MatchCard inserted in theMatchCard slot of the DIP48 adapter in order to program a device. Changing the inserted MatchCard inthe slot changes the configuration of the programming system and the devices supported. Therefore, besure to insert the correct MatchCard before you program a specific device. ALLWriter software makes iteasy for you, simply run the software and the device selection tool will provide you with all theinformation you need.

4. How do I deal with device in other packages?

Use converters! A converter is a small device to convert whatever type of package your device is in to theDual-In-Line (DIP) package. It can be inserted into the socket on top of the DIP-48 adapter that comeswith your ALLWriter. Converters under 48 pins are universal, meaning that you can simply use just oneconverter to cover all devices in the same package. In addition, in most of the cases, ALLWriter allowsyou to use other generic converters to best protect your previous investments.

5. How do I know if a particular device I need to program is supported or not?

Go to your local distributor’s or System General’s web site at www.systemgeneral.com orwww.sg.com.tw and follow the hyperlink of software release section, choose ALLWriter and you candownload the latest version of software or a Portable Data Format (PDF) chip list file for your review.ALLWriter software is equipped with demo mode which allows it to run in standalone mode. You can tryit out and also learn what MatchCard or converter you need to program a specific device.

6. Should I connect the ALLWriter to the PC serial or parallel?

Apart from any performance reasons (e.g. speed), it does not matter whether you choose the serial port orparallel port to connect the programmer to your computer.

7. Where can I get the lists of the chips supported, MatchCard, converters and new driver softwareupdates?

Visit your local distributor’s or System General’s web sites at either www.systemgeneral.com orwww.sg.com.tw. Follow the hyperlink of Products and look for ALLWriter. It contains all theinformation you need and more.

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