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BPROM (Bipolar PROM) / PAL Programming (service)
A project I’ve been looking at recently required a programmer capable of reading and programming some new BPROMs and PALs. Such a programmer is quite pricey. Despite being known for DIY programmers...
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New TMS2716 capable version of 2708/MCM6876x shield added
Since I first published this project four years ago I’ve received a load of feedback. Much of it has been incorporated into this new “V2” of the design. No outright defects have ever been found in the...
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Agilent ESG E4433B – Baseband Generator Repair (UND)
I recently starting having a problem with my ESG when trying to modulate a digital signal. Rather than a correctly modulated signal, all I can get from the output is gibberish. It passes all of the...
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Reviving an ST M48Z35 battery backed RAM chip
The information on this page also applies to M48Z18/M48Z08/M48Z35Y/M48T08 There’s nothing we love in our equipment more than a chip with a non-replaceable battery which eventually runs flat, and costs...
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OCuLink/U.2 to PCIe x4 adapter design files released
Some time ago I designed an “as small as possible” adapter to make use of spare OCuLink/U.2 ports that are often seen on PC motherboards these days. There are of course ready made products which...
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Dealing with Altera MAX7000/MAX7000E devices in legacy designs
I recently found myself up against a problem many have faced: Trying to build an old design using a MAX7000 series CPLD. In my case an EPM7128LC84; an old device discontinued long ago which is barely...
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A fully functioning copy of HI-TECH C for XA (finally) surfaces
In the 1990s Intel and Philips teamed up to create a true 16-bit derivative of the 8051 architecture. The best (and only true) C compiler was developed in Australia by HI-TECH Software however it was...
View ArticleNot much happening here lately…
Over the past couple of years I wrote a few pieces about vintage TV transmission / studio technology. There won’t be any more of that published here, however some months ago I launched a small YouTube...
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Blasted fake CA3080’s AGAIN
To many Intersil’s decision to discontinue the CA3080 in the mid 2000’s was frustrating, given the sheer quantity of vintage equipment which used it. Whenever this kind of thing happens, the...
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50Ω Carrier for TV IF SAW filters
Introduction Some time ago I set out to build a rig to allow the use of TV SAW filters in a 50 ohm environment. I found a few ham resources around the web centered around LC impedance matching...
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