***SPAM*** [Premium-Rx] Racal RA6778 firmware listing needed, and EPROM longevity...

[Craig Anderson Ext 1365]

As an engineer in the early days with Intel I remember that all EPROMS
did have some shortcomings in the early days not withstanding the high
prices they we were getting for them.  In 1978 we sold 2716 450NS
devices in gold lead frame, white ceramic DIP packages for $125 each to
Teletype and many others.  They were much more prone to accidental
eraser from stray UV light hence the protective amber colored Mylar or
silver foil stickers that were required after programming the device to
cover the window.  I have routinely reprogrammed the EPROMS in all of
the premium receivers I have worked on. Fortunately, 2708 and 2716
EPROMS are still available as used pulls.  Use either Intel, NEC or AMD
only.....don't use the TI devices or you will be sorry!

W9CLA

Craig L. Anderson, Ed.S.
Vice President - Administration
Saint Paul College
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System
651-846-1365 Voice
651-846-1675 Fax
 

-----Original Message-----
From: premium-rx-bounces at ml.skirrow.org
[mailto:premium-rx-bounces at ml.skirrow.org] On Behalf Of Dan Rae
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 9:58 AM
To: premium
Subject: ***SPAM*** [Premium-Rx] Racal RA6778 firmware listing
needed,and eprom longevity...

I recently bought one of these interesting receivers, which 
incidentally, must qualify as one of the earliest, if not the earliest 
Premium Rx, (Vintage late 1978) only to discover that it has lost one of

the firmware eprom contents, and is thus totally dead, in other words an

ex-radio.

I was aware that eproms could theoretically lose their contents with 
time, but this is the first time I've seen it at first hand.  I heard 
that the early manufacturers of eproms only guaranteed them to retain 
data for ten years.  In this case 25 plus years seems to have been 
enough to do it.  The first of the three 2708 eproms in the radio shows 
all Fs...

So, I'm going to embark on a project to back up the contents of all the 
eproms around here, in the older gear first, and there are a lot!  9 in 
the hp 8903A, more in the 3586 and who knows what else until I start 
looking? 

Meanwhile is there anyone who has a working one of these RA6778s , and 
it must be the A or B model, not the later C, who can help?  I have 
eproms and a programmer, I just need the file to stuff in there.

And beware! Yours may be the next to die...

73
Dan
ac6ao / g3ncr





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