Anyone Experienced Using GQ-4x4 Programmer?

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IHeartEproms
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:45 pm

Anyone Experienced Using GQ-4x4 Programmer?

Post by IHeartEproms »

I have had this programmer for almost a month now and I love having the ability to write to PIC12F629 and M27C801 IC's, but I can't seem to get this 16 bit adapter to work for writing to M27C160, M27C800, or any AMD 27C series IC's. I've tried so many different things, but have had no luck. I can gladly post up additional information about my hardware/software setup if anyone is interested in giving me some advice or assistance in using this programmer. On the couple of occasions I have gotten a file to write and verify on a M27C160, I put it into a DIP42 socket board I made for testing and I get a black screen, once with a flicker of green garbage graphics. I checked continuity on my PCB to ensure my solders were good and used a known working PIC12F629 I programmed and use on my DIP32 LoRom socket board so I know my PIC is programmed correctly, as I can get 1MB LoRom stuff to write and work no problem.

Anyone out there care to help out a newbie with getting this sucker to work right? I would gladly send the person who is able to help me solve this issue a gift as a token of my appreciation. :D
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koitsu
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Re: Anyone Experienced Using GQ-4x4 Programmer?

Post by koitsu »

I own and use a GQ-4x (not a GQ-4x4) and have not experienced incorrect writing issues. I have not tried using a PIC adapter. But IIRC, I did run into a couple nuances with two different SOP16 adapters, but all issues on both adapters were alleviated by setting "Speed" to -2 in the dumper/writer software -- not first time I've seen this type of problem with programmers.

Have you tried using the Verify option? If so, what happens?
IHeartEproms
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:45 pm

Re: Anyone Experienced Using GQ-4x4 Programmer?

Post by IHeartEproms »

I am using a GQ-4x4 Programmer on a Dell OptiPlex Desktop PC with Windows 10 64-bit OS. I have installed the GQ USB Driver 3.0 and GQUSBPrg 7.15 from mcumall.com Downloads, although I noticed just last night when I start the USBPrg upon startup, it says "USB Driver Re.1.0 (is this normal even though I installed the USB 3.0 driver?) I am using the USB Cable included with the programmer as well as an external power supply (9v-12v toggle switch, 1300mah, 2.1mm ID plug Center Positive) I have tried in both 9v and 12v positions.

I checked my Device Manager and in my Universal Serial Bus Controllers I see "Cypress FX2LP No EEPROM Device" I checked to make sure my driver was correct and went to update the driver as per the guide on mcumall forums: http://www.mcumall.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6954
I have an extra tab on my Device Manager page for the Cypress FX2LP after the Events tab that says "Power Management". I took the check mark out of the box that says "Allow computer to turn off this device to save power" to make sure my PC wasn't cutting off the USB power to the programmer.

Windows tells me this is the best and most up to date driver for this device, but I have removed the driver and reassigned it twice to see if it fixes the issue, but no change. My folder name is different than what is shown in these instructions and is not in the root directory. Would this possibly cause an issue?

I have had much success converting rom files to .bin and writing them to M27C801 32-DIP EPROM IC's, and I have also been able to successfully program quite a few PIC12F629s. My trouble comes when using the ADP-054 adapter. I have yet to be able to successfully write to multiple 40 and 42 pin EPROMs. I have tried multiple M27C160's, M27C800's, and 27C400's (AMD and ST Brand). In my troubleshooting, I have tried the following things:

Checked the ADP-054 adapter:
Made sure the adapter is seated properly (pins on bottom of adapter are aligned with the bottom pin slots of the ZIF socket as shown on the diagram in the Device Location window) and pins are secure as demonstrated in the YouTube videos by mcumall.

Made sure my EPROM is inserted correctly into the 48 pin ZIF socket on the ADP-054 adapter (upper ZIF pin slots are empty for 42 pin DIP EPROM as written on adapter) with IC inserted with proper orientation of notched side pointing towards the top of the ZIF socket)

J1 (pin 1-2 are shorted)
J2 unused, as per instructions on GQ-4x4 (should I try taking the enclosure off of the programmer and using the address jumpers anyways?)

I have tried moving the J5 and burning in both V3 and V4 positions with no change in results.

I have tried to alter my devices.txt file (backed up my original just in case). I have tried to change the WVCC= value on the M27C160 as suggested by other forum users. Default it is a 5.5V, I tried to change it to 6.3V and I get an error message when starting up the USBPrg that says "WVCC=6.3V not supported" and will not load up the configuration for M27C160. I also tried to change it to 6.5V as another user suggested and the USBPrg will load the configuration correctly, but I get the same results as if I was to have it set at 5.5V

I have tried every write speed option available, no change in results.

I have tried 4 different USB ports on my computer, both back and front USB ports, and made sure no other USB device is pulling power from the same USB Hub.


I have got some write errors in both V3 and V4 positions. My most recent one I did a blank check which came back as "Chip is blank", so I attempted to write. After 7.55 seconds, I get an error message "Write Failed, Address=0x004000, Buffer=0x10, Device=0x00"
I have gotten several other similar write errors with different addresses, buffer, and device.

But I have also gotten chips to write and verify successfully in both V3 and V4 positions, but when I install it into my socket board for testing, it will not load. I did a continuity check with my multimeter on my socket test board to make sure my solder connections were solid to my capacitors on my PCB and to all 42 pins of my socket and everything came back good. I have tried to burn both with and without external power hooked up, no change in results.

Some 27C160's write, verify, and read without error messages but will not work, others kick out write errors. I get the same results from M27C800 ICs, M27C400, and any AMD brand 27C series ICs.

The only thing I have not tried is doing a continuity test on the ADP-054 adapter. It was not shipped in a shielded package, just a bubble wrap envelope in a box. Is it possible that something got shorted and/or damaged in shipping?
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koitsu
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Re: Anyone Experienced Using GQ-4x4 Programmer?

Post by koitsu »

There was a recent thread on this site about the unreliability of some EPROMs or EEPROMs, all which boiled down to the chips either being pre-used (and sold as new) or just badly manufactured / unreliable. IIRC, the thread discussed how the percentage of failures was abnormally high (something like 40%?). Dig around on the forums and see if you can find it it. Maybe someone will link it. Maybe that's what you're going through, i.e. maybe what you're experiencing has nothing to do with the programmer but rather crappy chips, re: "some 27C160's write, verify, and read without error messages but will not work, others kick out write errors."

At least for the GQ-4X (don't know about the GQ-4X4), the device can be powered off of AC, which demands 9V 200mA, centre pin positive. The GQ-4X4 might be different however. You might try investing in an AC adapter and try using that alongside USB and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then it likely has to do with excess power draw exceeding that of what USB can provide.

Alternately, have you tried reaching out to the device manufacturer (GQ Electronics LLC) and telling them about the problem?

And even more alternately, GameTechUS here on the forum has talked about problems with Willem programmers/adapter boards, but this is for a different model of programmer.

Unrelated and extremely off-topic, so please do not let the thread turn into a discussion about this:
I have an extra tab on my Device Manager page for the Cypress FX2LP after the Events tab that says "Power Management". I took the check mark out of the box that says "Allow computer to turn off this device to save power" to make sure my PC wasn't cutting off the USB power to the programmer.
This setting has nothing to do with the "amount of power" a USB port gets, but rather defines whether or not Windows can set the device into a sleep/standby state to conserve electricity if/when the OS deems it necessary. More often than not, this is for laptops; if the battery is almost drained, Windows will want to do things like disable as many USB devices as possible to try and maximise the available battery life. For desktops this is less of a concern. The setting will not "cut off power" or "limit power" during operation, especially on a desktop.

As a rule of thumb, if you don't know what the power draw is from a USB device, then you should always attach it to a port physically on the backplane/mainboard (i.e. rear of the computer), or on a USB hub that is AC-powered (not USB bus powered!), to ensure that "high power" mode can be achieved. Low power USB 1.0/1.1/2.0 = 5V 100mA, high power USB 1.0/1.1/2.0 = 5V 500mA. USB 3.0 offers more power, but it doesn't matter if the device in question doesn't support USB 3.0 (most programmers don't). Front panel USB ports are usually "low power" (low current). A USB device which requires more current than offered will usually show a weird message in the systray on Windows, or will simply misbehave (often dropping off the bus/disconnecting randomly during heavy I/O operation). Reference for voltage and current ratings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Power
IHeartEproms
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:45 pm

Re: Anyone Experienced Using GQ-4x4 Programmer?

Post by IHeartEproms »

I am using an AC adapter. I can toggle between 9v and 12v, it is 1300mah. I have tried with and without it and no change. Specs on the AC adapter match 2.1mm ID center positive. I am using the rear USB ports on the motherboard and I made sure it is the only device plugged into that set of ports. It may be possible that I got some bad Eproms. I ordered some more M27C160's from a different source a couple weeks ago and I am waiting on them to come in and just got some more AMD27C400's in the mail today I am going to try out and see what happens. I have posted on the mcumall.com forums for help, but have not heard back with anything useful. Just them asking me where I got my adapter and if it has all it's pins intact.

I have seen some of GameTechUS videos on YouTube, so I will check out some of his past posts and see what he has to say. Looking at the schematic for the ADP-054 and comparing it to the pin layout of a M27C160 shown on a datasheet, I have no clue how this programmer can properly handle the addressing of this IC without the use of the J2 jumpers when the adapter hasn't changed, so I don't know what changed between the GQ-4x and the GQ-4x4 that make it where it doesn't need the jumpers... I bought some just in case someone recommends I take off the housing and try to use the address pins on the PCB of the programmer anyways despite mcumall saying it's not necessary with this particular model.
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