Programmer (hardware)

Programmers are used to write data into programmable IC devices in electronics.

Principle of operation

If you have to finish developing a program for a programmable device, such as PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash, PAL, PLD, CPLD or FPGA, the code must still be incorporated into the block. For this purpose, first the block is inserted into the ZIF socket of the programmer. Then the matching ports of the block are brought to the desired potential and cyclic " burned" using a " write stream " the data in the block, that is permanently fixed.

Depending on the application there are various binary file formats that can be transferred directly to the blocks. The most common are Intel HEX, Motorola S ( S-Record/S19/SREC ), JEDEC, or simple binary code. The conversion of the source code ( compilation ) done previously by software.

Construction

Since each to be programmed block type requires a different wiring of the base, this must be possible to reconfigure flexibly by software. Therefore, a programmer is internally a controllable input / output module which is connected via the so-called pin driver to the base. Complex programming devices contain their own processor that controls the pin drivers. A pin driver is a circuit that provides a single connection point of the base depending on the requirements of logic levels, the programming voltages, power supply voltages, the pullup / pulldown resistors, ground and clock. The pin driver is therefore a crucial factor for the versatility and performance of a programming device.

Is realized by a pin driver with either an integrated circuit (for new programming devices) or from individual components such as transistors and resistor networks. The use of an integrated circuit as a pin driver reduces the output capacitance and thereby allows higher clock rates and better waveforms. In addition, high level of integration allows the design of smaller, lighter, mains-independent programming devices.

Programming device types

Programming devices existed in the past as a PC Einsteckplatinen; almost exclusively external devices are in use. The connection to the PC via the parallel printer interface, through the USB interface or via a LAN or Wi-Fi connection. We differentiate between course- programming devices for mass production, development programming devices for use in laboratory and small series production, portable, network-independent programming devices for laboratory and field service, in-system programming devices for programming a block in the deployment system as well as special programming equipment that only certain block types are designed.

A programming device is known colloquially as " Eprommer ", " Prommer " or " burner". The term " burner" is, however nowadays almost exclusively used for CD-/DVD-Schreibgeräte. In addition, the English term " programmer " is also frequently used in German-speaking countries.