Buffer verification with AT29C256 and AutoProm USB

jeepguy553 · Post by **jeepguy553** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 7:44 pm

Little bug here...following chip burning procedures to the letter.
Load file to buffer and program chip. Loading a 4K bin and programming to addresses $7000-$7FFF, no offset. Try to verify chip with buffer in TunerPro V3.06...first verification always fails...second usually works. The failure manifests in odd numbered patterns...i.e. the 3rd verify will fail and the 4th will work...and so on. After about 7 tries, the verification will continuously work fine. Reading the chip (AT29C256) is about the same.
If I load the BIN into the buffer and then verify the chip with the buffer, verification is about 50% success...maening it works 1 out of 2 times. Using AutoProm firmware V02.01.A.
Any suggestions?

Post by **Mangus** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 9:45 pm

I'm running the same firmware. I don't have a single issue with verification. just burned a C256 and verified 5 times in a row successfully, loaded a different bin to buffer and verified and it failed (as it hsould have).

one of two things is happening to you:

1) you're changing the buffer addressing between burn and verify (verify uses the chip and buffer addressing you enter such that you can verify a portion of the chip with a different portion of the buffer). Be sure you're verifying with the correct addressing.

2) you're getting port read/write errors either during the burn or the verification. try different settings in the drivers (device manager -> serial to usb driver, advanced settings).

Post by **Mangus** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 9:58 pm

oops... just went back and played some more... now i can repro it somewhat regularly (like you say, just about every other time).

i'll work on figuring out whats going on.

Post by **Mangus** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 5:12 pm

OK, looking more at this, if it verifies *once* then you're fine. The failures are due to a strange port timeout issue that we're investigating.

So again, in summary, if you can get it to verify just once, you know your burn is fine.

PS- you might also run into this bug when verifying the emulation buffer (and Emu RAM to file...)

jeepguy553 · Post by **jeepguy553** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 6:16 am

Thanks, Mark. I did run into it once while emulating, but not again since. I do have a little trouble with simultaneous logging and emulation, though. It gets mad at me and gives me a Port In Use error (probably related to Windows Me). I can't use WinALDL and TunerPro Rt to emulate. Craig and I have already discussed an issue with the USB stuff. No problem, though. I am just happy that I can get one or the other to work. Now I can actually tune my engine!!! WOOHOO!!!
Thanks again.

Post by **Mangus** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:28 am

craig and i are working on this issue.

in the next version of tunerpro and the next firmware release for AutoProm, this problem will no longer be there, as we are moving to higher speeds (and we can't repro the problem at higher speeds).

Rest assured, though, that if you get it to verify just once (even if it takes couple attempts), that the write did occur correctly (emulation or PROM).

jeepguy553 · Post by **jeepguy553** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 9:39 am

Very cool! Thanks, Mark! I have been playing with it for a while now and I have found that what you said is precisely the case.
Good job! Keep it up...I'll help where I can.