I'm a bit out of the loop as far as proms out there. Can't seem to locate the at29c256. Are there compatable chips from anyone that works?They normally last a long time from what I hear but the 2 I have has just went south

 

AT29C256 chips are no longer made and very hard to come by. You can generally use a 27SF512 in its place, provided you burn to the proper offset. 27SF512's are cheaper, too!

 

Atmel stopped making the DIP version, but other packages are still available.

The SF chip can be bought for $1 to $2 from an electronics store. Watch out where you buy them. A lot of middle vendors jack the price up to about $5 because the Atmel chips were more money.

 

$1-2? What's your source? I've never seen them that cheap without buying them in huge quantities. Nearly every place I've seen them has them hovering around $3 a chip, plus shipping. Even eBay. A few being slightly more but with cheaper shipping.

Let us know your source!

 

probably the likes of digi-key, or mouser, or jameco.....newark electronics, etc.

last I saw them, they were like $2.00, low qty.

 

Some folks (like me) are better off paying a premium for the older AT29C256 parts because of my older Pocket Programmer. My programmer doesn't support the 27SF512's...

 

thanks for the replies guys!! I did'nt look to see the 512 would be supported using the pp2 I've just ordered 2 of them.Well not at home does the 512 work with the p.p.2??

 

Yes.

 

How do you know that the 27SF512 isn't supported with your pocket programmer? Is it not listed in the software? The PP1 did program some chips that required +12v so I would think that it would do the 27SF512 and that it is more of a software shortfall. The Win software they have works with the PP1.

Mangus,
The supply stores that were listed have them. I took a look and they are $1.45 for 1 unit, $1.28 for 10,......$0.75 for 750. So who ever buys these in bulk and sells them for $5 is making a nice profit on them.

 

I guess it depends how much you value your time to take the order, package it, take it to shipping and the shipping fees all for $4.25 profit on a single flash prom.

If the cost of shipping supplies and fees were free, at my hourly rate (when I work), I would have to do all that in around 6 1/4 minutes. However, assuming the cost for packaging and shipping is $2.00 for a single order, then to make the remaining $2.25 I have to pay for fees for shipping and packaging, I would have to process and ship the order around 3 minutes.

Maybe it's the business man in me, but I don't see much profit there doing "single" orders...even if you assume nothing for the cost of packaging and shipping and consider the $4.25 pure profit (which it isn't).

 

x2

not real profit if it takes more time doing small orders for the same low rate of bulk hmm id go with getting 50 ppl to buy em and sell em use my corp name and just charge the a % hmm get rolling income and dont quit my day job.

ok hijack over back to you

 

The electronic supply houses can make a profit for on the part or they would not sell them. All places add shipping and handling charges.

"EFI tuning companies" sell them for $5+ and then add in shipping and handling charges on top of that. Since the typical EFI shop is a one person private on the side business then the (5-.75) is both the hourly wage and profit minus the cost to bring to a shipping store. The other large factor is that most "EFI tuners" seem to mis handle these devices so they are destroyed quickly and hear stories of others doing the same so they order a min. of 2 at the least. Just like I do a min. order of 10 from the electronic supply shops.

Take that memory, add in another $10 worth of chips, a $10 PCB, $10 soldering time and you can make a $40 to $120 profit. The design time would be about 1 week of nights making a schematic and layout. Another week of nights writing some PC code to do the programming.

I am like you though. I would rather spend my time doing other things like building cars.