Logic Chip Testing - TL866II+

[rubber_jonnie]

Just a very quick post that I thought might be useful to share.

I'm sure some of you will already know this, but for those that don't, I found out the other day that it is possible to test logic chips using a TL866II+ programmer and the XGPro software that drives it.

There are other tests, for example for RAM chips, but I haven't tried those, but I have tested 74LS chips.

To use it is simple enough. Connect your TL866II+ (The old TL866 may also work too) to a PC and start the XGPro software. Choose "Select IC(S)" then "Search and Select IC(S)" from the menu, and when the selection screen pops up, select "Logic IC".

select.jpg

From the list, select the IC of choice. If you put 74LS in the search box it will only return those types.

Click the "Select" button when you've picked your IC and the following box will pop up:

test.jpg

Drop your IC into the ZIF socket of the programmer, then hit the "Test" button, and you get a pass or fail message.

Should be handy for testing logic chips recovered from donor boards.

[JezC]

:goodpost:
Interesting...if I get chance early next week I will try it on the older model & let you know.

I've not had much opportunity for the retro stuff in the last month or so :sigh: :cry: but want to make time ready for the arrival of my H4 boards at some point.

I still have to diagnose/fix some faults on my potential donor boards too.

[PhilC]

Thanks for the reminder @rubber_jonnie , I'd forgotten that it did that. I could have tested that dodgy 74ls244 before soldering it to the H4.

[stephen_usher]

Oh, wow, that's really useful and a hidden gem.

I do hope it does RAM as well as that would make retro-computing life far easier.

[PhilC]

Oh, wow, that's really useful and a hidden gem.

I do hope it does RAM as well as that would make retro-computing life far easier.

If I remember correctly it does do ram but the selection is a bit limited, mostly 8 bit ram like 4164s etc.

[cmorley]

I have an 866A (not the new II+) and found at least one test vector that was wrong for a more obscure 74 series part. You can edit the test vectors. So if you test a bunch of parts and they all fail - manually check the test vectors.

[rubber_jonnie]

I have an 866A (not the new II+) and found at least one test vector that was wrong for a more obscure 74 series part. You can edit the test vectors. So if you test a bunch of parts and they all fail - manually check the test vectors.

Cool, sounds like good advice :)

[rubber_jonnie]

Thanks for the reminder @rubber_jonnie , I'd forgotten that it did that. I could have tested that dodgy 74ls244 before soldering it to the H4.

I'm guessing you now wished you had :)

[rubber_jonnie]

:goodpost:
Interesting...if I get chance early next week I will try it on the older model & let you know.

I've not had much opportunity for the retro stuff in the last month or so :sigh: :cry: but want to make time ready for the arrival of my H4 boards at some point.

I still have to diagnose/fix some faults on my potential donor boards too.

Sounds like the old version works too, but be good if you can try it too.

[PhilC]

Thanks for the reminder @rubber_jonnie , I'd forgotten that it did that. I could have tested that dodgy 74ls244 before soldering it to the H4.

I'm guessing you now wished you had :)

In reality it would have saved me about an hour but theres always the risk of damage when you remove and replace components as you know.