afterburner/README.md

# afterburner
GAL chip programmer for Arduino
![Board image](https://github.com/ole00/afterburner/raw/master/img/afterburner_small.jpg "afterburner")

This is a GAL IC programmer software that allows to program GAL IC chips
from various manfucaturers. It is based on work of several other people:

 Bruce Abbott: 
     http://www.bhabbott.net.nz/atfblast.html

 Manfred Winterhoff: 
     http://www.armory.com/%7Erstevew/Public/Pgmrs/GAL/_ClikMe1st.htm

who did the most of the hard work of deciphering and publishing the programming
protocol of these chips. Their programs were Windows based and relied on
presence of parallel port (LPT). Afterburner was written for Linux OS 
(also works on Win32/64, Mac OSX64), and requires serial connection to
Arduio UNO, which does the programming of the chip.

Supported GAL chips:

* Atmel, ATF22V10B, ATF22V10CQZ 
* Lattice GAL16V8A, GAL16V8B, GAL16V8D
* Lattice GAL22V10B
* National GAL16V8

**Update 24/05/2020:** there is an issue programming the ATF16V8B with afterburner. Pick a different IC for your project until the issue is resolved, or use a different programmer. 

Setup:
* Upload the afterburner.ino sketch to your Arduino UNO.

* Connect the pins of the GAL chip to Arduino UNO according to
  the schematics images. Ideally use a PCB (ether etched or made
  in a fab) that's provided in 'pcb' and 'gerbers' directory.
  You can also hardwire on protoboard or breadboard.

* Compile the afteburner.c to get afterburner executable. Run
  ./compile.sh to do that.

* Set the programming voltage (VPP) on the voltage up-converter
  module (MT3608) depending on the GAL chip 
   - Atmel ATF16V8B: 10V
   - Lattice GAL16V8: 10V, also works with 12V
   - Others - between 10 - 14V - untested 

* Check the programming voltage (VPP) without the GAL chip being
  inserted / connected to Arduino UNO. Test the voltage on MT3608
  module VOUT- and VOUT+ pins while running the following command:
  <pre>
  ./afterburner s
  </pre>
  
* Check the chip identification by runnig the following command:
  <pre>
  ./afterburner i -t [GAL_type]
  </pre>

  If you get some meaningfull GAL chip identification like:
  <pre>
  PES info: Atmel ATF16V8B  VPP=10.0 Timing: prog=10 erase=25
  </pre>
  then all should be well and you can try to  erase the chip and then
  programm it to contain your .jed file.

  If you get an unknown chip identification like:
  <pre>
  PES info: 3.3V Unknown GAL,  try VPP=10..14 in 1V steps
  </pre>
  then look at the troubleshooting section

* Read the content fo your GAL chip. This only works if the contents
  of the chip is not protected. Use the following command:
  <pre>
  ./afterburner r -t [GAL_type]
  </pre>
  or to save the printed .jed fuse map  to a file use:
  <pre>
  ./afterburner r -t [GAL_type] > my_gal.jed
  </pre>
  
* Erase the GAL chip. Before writing / programming the chip it must
  be erased - even if it is a branch new chip that has not been used 
  before. Use the following command:
  <pre>
  ./afterburner e -t [GAL type]
  </pre>

* Program and verify the GAL chip via the following command:
  <pre>
  ./afterburner wv -t [GAL type] -f my_new_gal.jed
  </pre>

How aferburner works:
---------------------
* PC code reads and parses .jad files, then produces a binary which
  can be the uploaded to Arduino via serial port. By default
  /dev/ttyUSB0 is used, but that can be changed to any other device
  by passing the following option to afterburner:
  <pre>
  -d /my/serial/device
  </pre>

* PC code of afterburner communicates with Arduino UNO's afterburner
  sketch by a trivial text based protocol. You can also connect directly
  to Arduino UNO via serial terminal of your choice and issue some basic
  commands manually.

* Arduino UNO's afterburner sketch does 2 things: 
  1) parses commands and data sent from the PC afterburner code
  2) toggles the GPIO pins and drives programming of the GAL content

* more information about GAL chips and their programming can be found here:

  http://www.bhabbott.net.nz/atfblast.html
  
  http://www.armory.com/%7Erstevew/Public/Pgmrs/GAL/_ClikMe1st.htm 


PCB:
---------------
If you decide to use a PCB rather than making breadboard or protoboard
build, then you have several options. 
- Etch your own PCB. 
  * The etching design is stored in 'pcb' directory, use
  afterburner_etch_1200dpi_bot.png file to transfer the design to the
  copper board.
  * It's a single sided design, but you'll have to patch 3
  traces. See the the combined image where the patch traces are highlighted
  in blue color.  Two short patch wires are located near the top left corner,
  the last one, slightly longer, is located underneath the MT3608 module.
  * Resistors are not through hole but smt 1206 package to reduce drilling.
  * The copper is on the bottom side, to make it easy to solder the socket
  and capacitors. However, that makes it a bit complicated to solder the Arduino
  pins. What needs to be done is to push the pins from the top part of the board 
  (side without copper)  so that the metal bits are flush with the plastic which keeps
  the pins together (plastic on the top), then solder the pins on the bottom side. You
  may then take off the plastic from the top side and slide it in from the bottom side.
  * You may need to flip the image before the transfer to the copper board, because
  the copper is on the bottom side.
  
- Order it online on jlcpcb.com, pcbway.com, allpcb.com etc. Use one of the zip archive
  stored in the gerbers directory and upload it to the manufacturesr's site of your choice.
  Use fab_1_2.zip for smaller PCB design that allows to program 16V8 devices only. 
  Use fab_2_1.zip  for a bigger design that allows to program 16V8 and 22V10 devices.
  The price difference should be minimal as both designs fit within 100x100 mm area.
  
  * Dimensions of the fab_1_1 board is 55x53 mm
  * Dimensions of the fab_2_0 board is 57*72 mm
  * 2 layer board
  * PCB Thickness: 1.6, or 1.2
  * Copper Weight: 1
  * The rest of the options can stay default or choose whatever you fancy (colors, finish etc.)
  
  

Troubleshooting:
----------------
- it does not work!

  * double check the schematics and the connection between Arduino UNO and
  the GAL chip.
  
  * ensure the GAL chip is inserted to the IC socket the right way (check 
  the pin 1 location)
  
  * ensure the VPP is set correctly on the MT3608 module. If unsure which
  voltage to use then try individual voltages one by one:
  10V, 11V, 12V, 13V, 14V, 15V. Do not go beyond 15V as you may damage the 
  GAL chip.
  
  * measure the VPP only when the chip is physically DISCONNECTED. Some brands
  of the GAL chip (Atmel) - when connected - iternally lower the voltage
  on the Edit (VPP) pin (voltage divider?) and such voltage reading is misleading.
  
  * use an external power supply for your Arduino UNO, powering
  just via serial USB cable may not be sufficient for driving the GAL chip and the
  voltage up-converter

- I've set the VPP voltage to 14 V, put the chip into the Ziff socket, turned on
  the power switch then run Afterburner with the 'i' command. My Arduino made a tiny
  short buzzing noise and then reset itself. What went wrong ?
  
  * most likely the VPP is set too high and the IC does not like that, it pulls the VPP
   pin down several times causing the Arduino to reset on brown out. Solution: reduce the
   VPP voltage by turning the pot clockwise on the MT3608 module.
  
  * this happens for example on ATF devices when VPP is set to 12V. ATF should use VPP
    set to 10V when programmed by Afterburner.


- afterburner reports it can not connect to /dev/ttyUSB0, permission denied

  * ensure your user is member of the of the dialup group or alernatively run
  afterburner  as superuser (use: sudo ./afterburner ...)

- afterburner fails to connect to /dev/ttyUSB0

  * ensure your PC is actually connected to Arduino UNO, check a serial device
  exists:
  <pre>
  ls -alF /dev/ttyUSB*
  </pre>

- my MT3608 module does not have EN pin

  * that's unfortanetly a common problem. You have to mod the module as follows:

  * cut the PCB trace between pin 4 & 5 of the MT3608 chip. Verify the trace
  is cut by continuity probe (no beep is audible) between pins 4 & 5.

  <pre>
  |  Blue Potentiometer     |
  |_________________________|
  |   ______________
  |  |              |
  |  | SMT Capacit. |
  |  |______________|
  |
  |   3  2  1
  |   |  |  |
  |  +-------+
  |  |       |
  |  |4  5   |
  |  +-------+
  |   |X |  |
  |
  |<-- left long edge of the module
  </pre> 

  * X marks the spot - here make the vertical cut. Do not cut the pins
  itself! Just cut the trace between the pins, which is only barely visible
  without magnification.
  
  * solder a thin keynar wire to pin 4 which is your ENable pin.
  
  ![See the MT3608 image in img directory for more details.](https://github.com/ole00/afterburner/raw/master/img/mt3608_mod.jpg "EN pin mod")
    

  * Once that is done, toggling the EN pin will change the output voltage
  of the module between 5V (actually slightly less than that) and the
  voltage set by the potentiometer (10V and more).

- my MT3608 module does not seem to work - turning the pot does nothing

  * The pot needs to be turned at least 10 revolutions counter-clockwise
  to do anything useful. Keep trying.

- where to get the MT3608 module ?

  * usual places: ebay, aliexpress

- how to run afterburner on Win32, Win64 or MacOSX ?
  * the same way as on Linux: compile the source code
  * OR use pre-compiled afterburner binaries located in 'releases' directory
  * then run afterburner in terminal (use 'cmd' on WinXX) as described above

- what are the .jed files and how to produce them
  
  * Use WinCupl software from Atmel. Works under Wine as well.
  
  https://www.microchip.com/design-centers/programmable-logic/spld-cpld/tools/software/wincupl