Problems w/ Sound Chip Programmer

Equipment Tutorials & Guides
1

Anyone else having issues with the Sound Chip Programmer sold by the site? Following the instructions to the letter, I can get it to the point where you download the BIN to the chip, but it immediately says “Download Failed”. Previously, when I had this issue, I was told to try another chip as the new one I was using may have been bad. Six chips later, the issue is still prevalent in all of them and I feel like I can safely say it isn’t the chip (or, it’s all of them, which would also suck as it’s $60 worth of chips).

Anyone know how to get this damned thing to work?

2

Simple question.

Are the chips installed correctly, and is the chip clamp engaged strongly on the chip’s pins?

3

Yes and yes.

4

To possibly clear things up, the following happens:

I run the programmer in compatibility mode for WinXP SP3 (it won’t compile normally on my Win7 Pro 64 computer)

Switch to English

Compile (success)

Verify Options (Key Mode, PWM, LOW, Pull High Resistor checked; I have tried every variation of the first setting to no avail)

Click DownLoad

Click Connect (success)

From here I can click either OnekeyDownLoad or Erase followed by Download, but the end result is always the same. The erase says it succeeded, but the download immediately fails. The moment the button is clicked to download, it fails, as though it’s either not trying or unable to do anything at all.

5

I initially had this problem… after several attempts, I found out I was using the chip clamp incorrectly… you can insert the chip in both the open and closed position, but it won’t be seated properly unless you do it correctly…

Last suggestion would be to try another cable… I’ve had that happen to me, where I had to unplug the cable, and then plug it back in…

6

Thanks for the ideas, pyhasanon. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be either of those. I’ve tried a cable I know to be good from other programming applications and no difference. The chip, as you said, doesn’t seat and won’t even initialize after connecting to the programmer if it’s not in right, so it’s not that, either.

7

To make sure it wasn’t my operating system’s compatibility mode interfering, I dug out an old computer with WinXP still installed on it and installed the client. Still no luck. Exact same problem.

Starting to think I got a bad programmer.

8

AJ was kind enough to swap a new programmer for my old one. Unfortunately, it has not changed anything. Win10 doesn’t even install the drivers properly and WinXP still gives the same problems as before. Screw it, I’ll just order from Replica Props or something. sigh

9

I had the exact same problem and never figured it out.

I assumed I must have zapped the programmer somehow. Static electricity or something.

10

Just to confirm you are installing the chip when the lever is up (facing away from the board), and then clamp the chip in place with the lever horizontal (toward the top side of the board)?

11

Yes, that is how I am installing the chip.

Here’s my steps:

1.) Attach wrist strap to ground me to my computer chassis.

2.) Pick up chip. Insert into programmer socket with lever up and notch in chip facing end with lever (so all text on chip and programmer is oriented the same)

3.) Press lever down until 90 degrees from previous position, parallel to ground.

4.) Plug into USB.

5.) The stuff I did above (load programmer, switch to English, load file, compile, attempt to load)

And yes, I am using a wrist strap to ground me. I’m not kidding around. I make sure my bases are covered.

12

This may sound weird, but you can hot swap these chips. Maybe start with the USB plugged in and then go from there.

EDIT: I just though of something.

What is your file size set to? If you compile at 128M for example, it might not all fit on the chip and won’t download.

I suppose if it is making it through the connect stage, then it is at least making a proper connection with the chip.

13

Size is set to 32M for everything (which is also the maximum the software lets me set). Pretty sure that’s what these chips are supposed to be.

I’ve tried hotswapping and that doesn’t seem to work.

14

Try setting the size to the smallest and then just loading one single small file (that fits in the smaller size).

Just trying to eliminate all possibilities here.

15

I hear ya, man. I’ve tried bringing it down to 16M but still no luck. I’ll go through each and see what happens.

16

Dug out my old laptop from around 2002 and reinstalled Windows XP onto it to see if it’s the 64 bit operating systems were the issue. Exact same problem. I’m officially out of ideas.