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| The device I have is not supported in the software. What do I do? | You may be using an older version of our software that doesn't support the device. The device was probably released in a later version of software. Please download the latest software release from our website. If you are still unable to find the device in question, contact Customer Service to add the device to the software. |
| Can I create my own benchmark? | For BPDos, while the BP program is active, press and hold the <Alt> key on the keyboard and then press the <F10> key. Then enable the Elapsed Timer.
For BPWin, click on Tools and then click Options. Enable the Elapsed Timer. When an operation is performed on a chip, the time for that function is displayed on screen. This is how we obtain our benchmarks. Any options set to execute during the programming cycle such as erase, verify, or secure will be included in the benchmark.
The default setting for this option is OFF. Also, the Elapsed Timer's setting is not saved to disk so it must be enabled every time the program is booted when you need it. This is a quick and accurate process to determine programming times. It is there for your convenience. |
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| After pressing the hot-key, F2, for Chip Information, the socket module needed to program the device is not shown. So, which one do I need? | BPDos: Info/SocketModule will display the list of socket modules that can be used to program the device selected. If a socket module is not listed, it is likely that the socket you have is not qualified for programming your device. <Alt M> will display Info/Socket from anywhere in the software.
BPWin: When selecting the device to program, click on Info SocketModule to view the list.
If you are still unable to find socket module information, contact Customer Service for assistance. |
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| I downloaded the newest software and I see some devices in the Select menu with the phrase "(not enabled)" next to them. What does that mean? | Owners of our Concurrent systems may see this from time to time. What has happened is that the expiration date for the software support on that particular machine has been reached. Any newly supported device on that version of software and on future releases cannot be programmed on that particular unit until the Software Support is purchased again and the Software Support code is entered into the programmer. The code will be valid for one year and will enable the programmer to support all newly released devices for that period. Contact Customer Service for assistance. |
| My PC won't communicate with the programmer. What's wrong? | There are several possibilities. If your PC is running Win95/98, restart your PC in DOS mode and see if you can communicate with the programmer. If you can, you may have a Windows utility that is interrupting communication with the parallel port. Consult your IT department if you suspect this.
If your PC operating system is NT-based (Win2000, WinNT, WinXP) you must use BPWin. BPDos does not have NT drivers.
If you know that the parallel port is working correctly with a printer or other peripheral, try changing PC BIOS setting for LPT1. BP Microsystems recommends EPP mode, but if your PC does not communicate in EPP mode, try other options that you have available. Contact Customer Service for further assistance. |
| My programmer works well on a desktop but it won't communicate with the BP software on my laptop. Why? | Some laptops may have an external cache that can interfere with the proper operation of the BP software. Disable it if you encounter this. Another solution could lie in the laptop's CMOS setup. Check the parallel port setting. Follow the procedure above for PC communication. |
| When I try to enter an upgrade code, I get the error message "upgrade code invalid". Am I doing something wrong? | There are only three reasons why an upgrade code would be rejected:
1-The programmer is not communicating with the PC.
2-The serial number provided is not correct.
3-The upgrade code is not entered correctly.
When entering upgrade codes, the software must be communicating with the programmer. Run the programmer diagnostics to verify that the serial number you provided for the upgrade code, matches the serial number of the programming site. For concurrent systems, the upgrade code should be entered for site 1. Alpha characters must be in lower case. If you are still having problems, please contact Customer Service |
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| What are the software system requirements? | We recommend a PC with at least a Pentium 2 processor, Windows 98 or better, 64MB RAM, 100MB free space on the hard drive, and VGA monitor. |
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| Can the BP software automatically program and serialize devices? | Yes. This is a software upgrade option that must be purchased. After choosing a starting serial number, the BP software will program that number and increment it by one for the next part until the job is complete. A serial number log file will be generated on the hard drive. Also, you can write your own serialization program that the BP software will utilize if you require unique serial number sequences. |
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| What is the difference between the Novice mode and Experienced mode found in the Configure menu? | Novice mode shows extra warning messages and gives you a chance to abort potentially hazardous operations, like programming a chip. Selecting Experienced Mode eliminates these extra warnings. |
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| What is the difference between the three checksum types, Buffer, Device and Compatibility? | For the majority of devices in the BP software, all three checksum types will yield the same checksum. There are some EEPROMs and microcontrollers that have either a reset polarity setting or configuration register that the BP software does not normally include in the checksum calculation when reading a device. Other programmer manufacturers do include these in their checksum. The "Compatibility" checksum type will include these settings in the checksum so customers who also use non-BP equipment can cross-verify their programmed devices. "Buffer" sum will calculate only the data loaded from your file no matter what the address range of the part. "Device" sum calculates a checksum for the entire address range of the part selected, including any bytes not loaded from the file. |
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| There are times when a file needs to be programmed into a device at an address other than zero. Other times, it is necessary to program only a portion of a particular file into a device. How can these operations be accomplished? | There are two ways to program a file into a device beginning at an address other than zero. Be aware, however, that there are devices that cannot be programmed in this manner. One way to accomplish this is to go to the Buffer/Load menu, select the file to be programmed, and press the <F8> key for more buffer options. Type the first physical address of the chip to be programmed at the Load Address in Buffer line. There is no way to specify an ending address here so the entire chip will be programmed from the designated starting point. To specify an ending address, first load the file as usual and then go to the Device/Options menu. Input the first physical address of the chip to be programmed at the Starting Word of Range line and input the last physical address to be programmed at the Ending Word of Range line.
To program only a portion of a file into a device, select the file to be programmed in Buffer/Load and press the <F8> key for more Buffer options. Type the first address of the file to be programmed at the Lowest Address to Load line. Type the last address to be programmed at the Highest Address to Load line. |
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