There are always new chips that will work in the old sockets with
programmers to match. The rub is in finding the code to put in the ROM
that's custom to TenTec, if they won't admit having it. And for a
reasonably sized one time programming project its not entirely out of
the question to build a manual one byte or one bit at a time programmer.
I've done that. EPROMs will also replace ROMs and are more programmable,
though not usually in 16 pin packages so it might take some adaptation
to connect the 24 pin EPROM to the 16 pin PC board, but still the limit
is having the code to program and its quite possible having a good one
to copy won't work because the security bit has been set. That's a
likely limitation with the 80C32. So you have to redesign the controller
firmware like was once done for the Omni V.
There might be money in a replacement control board, but there might be
a year's worth of work in making it.
73, Jerry, K0CQ
On 11/29/2010 6:12 PM, Stuart Rohre wrote:
You can google for discontinued chip numbers. Some companies are in the
business of making obsolete types of semiconductor families, such as
Lansdale Semiconductors.
The real rub might be on ROM chips where the manufacturer no longer has
a programmer to support them. But, with some effort, you can work
around those issues as well.
A number of companies sell discontinued parts.
-Stuart Rohre
K5KVH
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