8.5 ROM for Blizzard SCSI KIT IV - Programming Service

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fiat1100d

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Hi!

I have available for sale a new lot of EPROMs suitable for the 8.5 ROM for the Blizzard SCSI KIT IV. The parts now are Atmel 27C256R EPROMs, 120 ns, which are the same kind of chip installed in my own SCSI KIT IV unit. These are particular because are not the usual plastic OTP EPROMs, instead they are "true" EPROMs with ceramic package and quartz "window" for chip erasure (which will be covered by a label).

Please note the 8.5 ROM code is available on the Internet, so you actually pay the EPROM chip and programming.

As with the other chips I sold, I am asking 12 € including Registered shipping to Europe (please ask for other countries), as gift or plus PayPal fees. SEPA bank transfer accepted too.
If you need more than one chip, shipment will probably be the same cost given the low weight.

Since I may use some of the chips I bought (25 units) for other projects or for other sales, I won't publish statistics about the parts left, just ask about availability (y)
Will ask moderators about marking as "Sold" when I have no parts left at all.

UPDATE 6 dec. 2014: price increase from 10 € to 10,50 € due to shipping cost modification :(
UPDATE 26 jan. 2016: new price increase from 10,50 € to 11 €, still due to shipping cost.
UPDATE 12 mar. 2016: only one left.
UPDATE 30 apr. 2016: no more chips left
UPDATE 31 May 2017: new batch of chips available.
Will update the post during the weekend for shipping costs etc, new chips are 90ns AMD OTP.
UPDATE 4 June 2017: new price is 12 € with Registered shipping to Europe.
UPDATE 19 jul 2018: price now is 12.50 € to Europe, same reason
 
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Are these easy to swap or require soldering?

I *think* that they are in sockets on Phase5 made boards and soldered on DCE-made boards.

But then (in the DCE case) the ROM is probably already the 8.5 version so no need to desolder and swap (unless the chip itself has gone bad).
 
Are these easy to swap or require soldering?

As already replied by BLTCON0, the EPROM chip usually is socketed (please check), if DCE board should already be latest version since it was already available when they started to re-build the SCSI KIT IV.
 
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Hold the phone...

@ fiat1100d

Can I please draw your attention to this part of the site rules?

https://www.amibay.com/misc.php?do=vsarules&cfrset=3

Has the author of the firmware explicitly stated that the code has been released into the public domain and can be freely distributed on programmed EPROMS? If so, can you please provide proof of this, as we need to be certain that no copyright is being broken by you selling these devices.

Can members please stop declaring interest in these until we clarify the point regarding copyright on the operating code? Thanks.
 
Hold the phone...

@ fiat1100d

Can I please draw your attention to this part of the site rules?

https://www.amibay.com/misc.php?do=vsarules&cfrset=3

Has the author of the firmware explicitly stated that the code has been released into the public domain and can be freely distributed on programmed EPROMS? If so, can you please provide proof of this, as we need to be certain that no copyright is being broken by you selling these devices.

Can members please stop declaring interest in these until we clarify the point regarding copyright on the operating code? Thanks.

From scsi.readme into the SoftSCSI.lha archive from Aminet:

"YOU CAN'T SOFTLOAD THESE ROMS. YOU MUST BURN THEM.


Phase5 takes no reliabilities for any problems that may
be caused through the use of these romfiles.
It's up to you to burn them and insert them carefully.
If you don't know how to do that better don't try it
at all.
If you have any feedback send it to the phase5 devsupport."

Now, I don't think there is a phase5 support anymore, and I don't think selling a media (the EPROM) filled with freely distributed code, from Phase5 itself, is an issue. Also please have alook at these threads:
https://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?55625
https://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?57467

where I first declared my interest in selling, and then I sold, some of these EPROMs without any issue with other moderators.
 
8.5 ROM is free for download at http://jpv.wmhost.com/A1234.ROM

Question: the old Original ROM chip on the Blizzard scsi kit, is that an Eprom also? I don't see a window on it, but maybe it can be erased by electric?

(I have a second Blizzard SCSI kit for my desktop A1200 now, that is why I ask. My tower A1200 is very happy with the 8.5 rom I got from the OP :))
 
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8.5 ROM is free for download at http://jpv.wmhost.com/A1234.ROM

Question: the old Original ROM chip on the Blizzard scsi kit, is that an Eprom also? I don't see a window on it, but maybe it can be erased by electric?

(I have a second Blizzard SCSI kit for my desktop A1200 now, that is why I ask. My tower A1200 is very happy with the 8.5 rom I got from the OP :))

Hi, if they have 27Cxxxx code they actually are "weird" EPROMs, called OTP EPROMs. Weird beucase it is the same silicon as the packages with the quartz lid, but they are OTP (One Time Programmable) because you can't erase them (no chip exposure to UV light is possible). If they have different codes e.g. start with 28, 29... then they could be EEPROMs or Flash EEPROMs which are electrically erasable.
 
8.5 ROM is free for download at http://jpv.wmhost.com/A1234.ROM

Question: the old Original ROM chip on the Blizzard scsi kit, is that an Eprom also? I don't see a window on it, but maybe it can be erased by electric?

(I have a second Blizzard SCSI kit for my desktop A1200 now, that is why I ask. My tower A1200 is very happy with the 8.5 rom I got from the OP :))


Hi, if they have 27Cxxxx code they actually are "weird" EPROMs, called OTP EPROMs. Weird beucase it is the same silicon as the packages with the quartz lid, but they are OTP (One Time Programmable) because you can't erase them (no chip exposure to UV light is possible). If they have different codes e.g. start with 28, 29... then they could be EEPROMs or Flash EEPROMs which are electrically erasable.

I noticed... I put the spare rom I have from the other SCSI kit in my programmer with a PLCC32 to DIP32 adapter, and the software says it can't be erased...

But with the chip in the programmer anyway, I decided to read the contents of the chip. Reading the info in the beginning of the HEX file, it says :

Nq1230scsi.device...Nq.$VER: 1230scsi.device 8.5 (20.2.97).(c) V1-V7 1994-96

Now this I don't understand... it says 8.5, but when I had it in my SCSI kit and asked version info, the output window told me it was 8.1? First I thought maybe the 1230scsi.device was read from disk (SYS: DEVS) in stead of the rom itself, but that can't be as I replaced the rom with the 8.5 one and after that the output from version info was also 8.5...

Weird... As soon as I connect my A1200's again I will check it out. For now my A3000 and A600 are on my workbench :)
 
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Nq1230scsi.device...Nq.$VER: 1230scsi.device 8.5 (20.2.97).(c) V1-V7 1994-96

Now this I don't understand... it says 8.5, but when I had it in my SCSI kit and asked version info, the output window told me it was 8.1? First I thought maybe the 1230scsi.device was read from disk (SYS: DEVS) in stead of the rom itself, but that can't be as I replaced the rom with the 8.5 one and after that the output from version info was also 8.5...

Please verify the checksum, should be CD55. If different, then maybe the chip is damaged and the ROM is read from DEVS as you suggest. However, this would not be possible if you booted from SCSI.
 
OK, let me try this again. I know that the code has to be burned onto an EPROM but my question remains; are any of these sites put up by the author of the software code and is there a document anywhere that states that the original author has given up their copyright to allow this to be released?

Just because a dump of the chip is out there, it doesn't necessarily follow that it's not subject to copyright by the original author. An example of what I mean would be the hex dump for Playstation mod chips. They are out there, but it's copyright code inside the HEX file.
 
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OK, let me try this again. I know that the code has to be burned onto an EPROM but my question remains; are any of these sites put up by the author of the software code and is there a document anywhere that states that the original author has given up their copyright to allow this to be released?

Just because a dump of the chip is out there, it doesn't necessarily follow that it's not subject to copyright by the original author. An example of what I mean would be the hex dump for Playstation mod chips. They are out there, but it's copyright code inside the HEX file.

I doubt you read the "readme" file I mentioned in my previous reply, since it is by phase5 and if they did release their own firmware on their own FTP at the time, I really don't understand where is the problem. The copyright is, of course, of the author, I am not saying I wrote the code of the 8.5 ROM, I would not be able to do this.

Let me explain. If anybody else downloaded the binary and burnt their own chips for personal use, it seems to me that for you there would be no problem. Then if I offer a service of selling a programmed device, using code distributed in a way where there is no statement as "do not distribute", then I can't do this. Maybe if I give them for free it would change?

Please tell me why you haven't verified, e.g. in these threads:
https://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?39608
https://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?56942
if the sellers have the rights for selling v7.0 ROMs for A590/A2091. How can you guarantee they are original EPROMs made by Commodore? It's exactly the same, freely available content. The difference is, phase5 distributed the 8.5 code through their FTP, while I don't think Commodore ever released their ROMs in such a way.
 
What you are doing might constitute 'fair use' as without the firmware, the hardware is useless, a but like the firmware on a phone or a PC motherboard, but just allow us a little latitude to check, so that we don't get mired in a copyright suit.
 
What you are doing might constitute 'fair use' as without the firmware, the hardware is useless, a but like the firmware on a phone or a PC motherboard, but just allow us a little latitude to check, so that we don't get mired in a copyright suit.

You are welcome.
I think it would have been different if the ROM upgrades had to be paid at that time, but I just think that with the hardware you had a sort of license for future upgrades. As for the copyright notice inside the binary, it only reports it for V1-V7 versions. I don't really think there can be any copyright issue, as far as I know there is no official seller of this kind of upgrades.
 
Phase 5 is no longer around as far as I recall, so there may not be an issue, but to protect the site and you, we're going to take a look into the matter. A little diligence can't hurt.

Edit:

We've looked into this and Phase 5 were taken over by DCE but as far as we are aware, they don't support the Blizzard devices, nor do they appear to be following up on any copyright, hence the 'Unofficial Phase 5 Support Site' put up by a1k.org.

I've edited your thread to offer a 'Programming Service' for these chips, as that is closer to what you are actually offering. On this basis, it's allowed under our rules.
 
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I've edited your thread to offer a 'Programming Service' for these chips, as that is closer to what you are actually offering. On this basis, it's allowed under our rules.

Ok, thank you for clarifying the situation!

- - - Updated - - -

Interested in two (2) pieces.

PM sent

Payment sent.

Chips sent, will send tracking code this evening by PM.
 
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