Firestarter EPROM progammer, python application
Firestarter is an application for the Relatively-Universal-ROM-Programmer
Get one here Relatively-Universal-ROM-Programmer
Arduino PlatformIO project is found here Firestarter
Firestarter in action watch the video
Anders S Nielsen creator of the Relatively-Universal-ROM-Programmer talks about Firestarter watch the video
Support and discustions forum at Discord
Installation
To install the Firestarter Python program and the firmware on the Arduino, follow the steps below:
Installing the Firestarter Python Program
Use the package manager pip to install Firestarter.
pip install firestarter
This command installs the Firestarter application, which allows you to interact with EPROMs using the Relatively-Universal-ROM-Programmer.
Installing the Firmware on the Arduino
First, a few things to remember.
#1 Don't attach the Programmer shield while power is on.
#2 Don't turn on power if the controller (Arduino) isn't programmed with appropriate firmware.
#3 Don't insert a ROM in the socket until you're ready to write it. Don't leave a ROM in the socket during reset or programming.
To install the firmware on the Arduino, use the fw command with the --install
option. This command installs the latest firmware version on the Arduino.
Options
-p, --avrdude-path <path>
: Full path to avrdude (optional), set if avrdude is not found.--port <port>
: Serial port name (optional), set if the Arduino is not found.
Description
The fw --install
command installs the latest firmware on the Arduino. The process typically involves the following steps:
- Locate avrdude: The command locates the avrdude tool, which is used to upload the firmware to the Arduino. You can specify the path to
avrdude
using the --avrdude-path
option if it is not found automatically. - Identify Serial Port: The command identifies the serial port to which the Arduino is connected. You can specify the port using the
--port
option. - Upload Firmware: The command uploads the latest firmware to the Arduino using
avrdude
.
Example
To install the firmware on the Arduino, you can run:
firestarter fw --install
Usage
Firestarter provides several commands to interact with EPROMs using the Relatively-Universal-ROM-Programmer.
Available commands: read, write, blank, erase, list, search, info, vpp, vcc, fw, config
General Usage
firestarter [options] {command}
-h, --help
: Show help message-v, --verbose
: Enable verbose mode--version
: Show the Firestarter version and exit.
Commands
Read
Reads the content from an EPROM.
firestarter read <eprom> [output_file]
<eprom>
: The name of the EPROM.[output_file]
: (Optional) Output file name, defaults to <EPROM_NAME>.bin
.
Description
The read command reads the data from the specified EPROM and optionally saves it to a file. The process typically involves the following steps:
- Identify EPROM: The command identifies the specified EPROM.
- Read Data: The data from the EPROM is read.
- Save Data: If an output file is specified, the read data is saved to that file. If no output file is specified, the data is saved to a file named
<EPROM_NAME>.bin
.
Write
Writes a binary file to an EPROM.
firestarter write <eprom> <input_file> [options]
<eprom>
: The name of the EPROM.<input_file>
: Input file name.
Options
-b, --ignore-blank-check
: Ignore blank check before write (and skip erase).-f, --force
: Force write, even if the VPP or chip ID don't match.-a, --address <address>
: Write start address in decimal or hexadecimal.
Description
The write command writes the contents of a specified binary file to the EPROM. The process typically involves the following steps:
- Blank Check: By default, the command checks if the EPROM is blank before writing. This can be skipped using the
--ignore-blank-check
option. - Erase: If the EPROM is not blank, it may need to be erased before writing. This step is also skipped if
--ignore-blank-check
is used. - Write: The binary data from the input file is written to the EPROM starting at the specified address (if provided).
- Verification: The written data is verified to ensure it matches the input file.
Blank
Checks if an EPROM is blank.
firestarter blank <eprom>
<eprom>
: The name of the EPROM.
Erase
Erases an EPROM, if supported.
firestarter erase <eprom>
<eprom>
: The name of the EPROM.
List
Lists all EPROMs in the database.
firestarter list [options]
-v, --verified
: Only shows verified EPROMs.
Search
Searches for EPROMs in the database.
firestarter search <text>
<text>
: Text to search for.
Info
Displays information about an EPROM.
firestarter info <eprom>
Description
The info command retrieves and displays detailed information about the specified EPROM. This information typically includes:
- EPROM name
- Manufacturer
- Device ID
- Memory size
- Supported voltages
- Pin configuration
- Any other relevant technical specifications
VPP
Displays the VPP voltage.
firestarter vpp
VCC
Displays the VCC voltage.
firestarter vcc
Firmware
Checks or installs the firmware version.
firestarter fw [options]
-i, --install
: Try to install the latest firmware. (Do this without a chip in the socket or without the shield attached)-p, --avrdude-path <path>
: Full path to avrdude (optional), set if avrdude is not found.--port <port>
: Serial port name (optional).
Configuration
Handles configuration values.
firestarter config [options]
-v, --vcc <voltage>
: Set Arduino VCC voltage.-r1, --r16 <resistance>
: Set R16 resistance, resistor connected to VPE.-r2, --r14r15 <resistance>
: Set R14/R15 resistance, resistors connected to GND.
Example
To read an EPROM named W27C512 and save the output to output.bin:
firestarter read W27C512 output.bin
To write a binary file input.bin to an EPROM named W27C512:
firestarter write W27C512 input.bin
To get information about an EPROM named W27C512:
firestarter info W27C512
This command will output detailed information about the W27C512 EPROM, showing package layout and the jumper configuration for the RURP shield.
Eprom Info
Name: W27C512
Manufacturer: WINBOND
Number of pins: 28
Memory size: 0x10000
Type: EPROM
Can be erased: True
Chip ID: 0xda08
VPP: 12
Pulse delay: 100µS
28-DIP package
-----v-----
A15 -| 1 28 |- VCC
A12 -| 2 27 |- A14
A7 -| 3 26 |- A13
A6 -| 4 25 |- A8
A5 -| 5 24 |- A9
A4 -| 6 23 |- A11
A3 -| 7 22 |- OE/Vpp
A2 -| 8 21 |- A10
A1 -| 9 20 |- CE
A0 -| 10 19 |- D7
D0 -| 11 18 |- D6
D1 -| 12 17 |- D5
D2 -| 13 16 |- D4
GND -| 14 15 |- D3
-----------
Jumper config
JP1 5V [ ●(● ●)] A13 : A13
JP2 5V [(● ●)● ] A17 : VCC
JP3 28pin [ ● ● ● ] 32pin : NA
Contributing
Pull requests are welcome. For major changes, please open an issue first
to discuss what you would like to change.
Please make sure to update tests as appropriate.
License
MIT