EEVblog #1060 - DataIO Unisite Universal Programmer Teardown

[Wollvieh]

Saved from one of the Youtube comments on this video:
The Data I/O Corp. price list of 1988, provided by the computer museum of the department of computer science of the University of Stuttgart.

http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/test_equipment/dataIO/brochures/Data_IO_Price_List_1988.pdf

Looks like the empty case started around $18000. 

The real cost ist hidden in the details: "Programming packs" for certain chip series starting from $1500 and socket adapters from $300 each.

[helius]

The real cost ist hidden in the details: "Programming packs" for certain chip series starting from $1500 and socket adapters from $300 each.

Programming Paks were only used on the 19A & B, and 29A & B programmers. When the Unisite40 was released in 1986, its only accessories were the pin driver boards, the Site40 DIP module, the SetSite gang module, and the ChipSite module that supported a range of PLCCs using separate sockets. The PinSite module came later, with the updated UniSite that supported the internal hard disk. Using the PinSite, you could use a range of carriers including the PLCC, QFP, LCC bases with the conductive film, or the PPI base that took socket modules. None of those were in a 1988 price list.

[kc7gr-15]

Hawke, I may be able to help with that (I've archived a whole bunch of Data I/O stuff). Here's a link to some self-extracting (to floppies) files which should create the last/latest version of Chiplab software, 6.2.

https://ln.sync.com/dl/68135dc30/6begc6tx-qvfw63vj-viirb6e5-jhnwvvef

I hope this works out for you. The Chiplab's a nice unit.

[kc7gr-15]

I would add: The MSM will only work with late-production Unisite main boards. These boards are very obvious: They have a pair of 30-pin SIMM sockets in the lower left quadrant.

As for the decode PAL for the 8MB upgrade option (also found only on the later production mainboards), it was apparently cracked some time ago. Here's a link for the pertinent file.

https://ln.sync.com/dl/d5673af90/5p94f2r7-n33vqmk8-ijpa28gv-9xw9m8a8

Happy tweaking.

[SCSKITS]

I realize that this is a very old thread, but I now have an MSM board for the older version UNISITE with either 1MB RAM or 8MB RAM on board.
The board plugs in in place of the expansion RAM board that is located under the main board.

MSM boards are also available for the 2900 and 3900 series and also for the newer version UNISITE that has the RAM modules on the main board.

Boards are listed on EBAY

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