Re: Dumping my first EPROM

[Eric Smith via cctalk]

On Tue, Jan 2, 2018 at 12:13 PM, Brad H via cctalk 
wrote:

> Thanks Paul.  I found an srec2bin converter and ran that.. it created a 1K
> bin file.  I then opened that with a hex editor (slick edit).. but alas, no
> readable strings.
>

Not too surprising, since AFAIK the basic Dynamicro doesn't have any ASCII
I/O. Next step would be to run the binary file through an 8080 (or Z80)
disassembler. I use z80dasm, which is provided as C source code:

https://www.tablix.org/~avian/blog/articles/z80dasm/

but there are many others to choose from.

Without the disassembler, just looking at the object code in hex, you might
see whether there's a pattern in the first 64 bytes of each 8 byte group
containing a few bytes of code then zeros. That's common (but not
universal) in 8080/Z80 code because the reset vector is at address 00, and
the RST instruction vectors are at 00, 08, 10, 18, 20, 28, 30, and 38
hexadecimal.

RE: Dumping my first EPROM

[Brad H via cctalk]

Thanks Paul.  I found an srec2bin converter and ran that.. it created a 1K bin 
file.  I then opened that with a hex editor (slick edit).. but alas, no 
readable strings.  

-Original Message-
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Paul Berger 
via cctalk
Sent: Tuesday, January 2, 2018 11:05 AM
To: Brad H via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Dumping my first EPROM

I would convert it to a binary image if you could and then look at it with a 
binary editor.  Most binary editors I have seen show the data in hex and also 
have an eye catcher on the right with the ASCII equivalent to the code points.  
 Trying to find strings in S-records would be a bit painful.

Paul.


On 2018-01-02 2:56 PM, Brad H via cctalk wrote:
> Just posting this here in case it reaches eyes not in other forums I'm on.
>
>   
>
> I decided to embark on a project that involves burning a 2708 EPROM.  
> I've never messed with EPROMs before, so I decided to practice.  What 
> I have is a Microworks 2708 'burner' that came with a SWTPC 6800 
> machine I have.  I figured I'd start by learning how to read 2708s.
>
>   
>
> I only had one 2708 lying around to use.  It was installed on a 
> homebrew 'Dynamicro' board (also known as Jon Titus' MMD-1).  It's 
> strange because the MMD-1 doesn't use 2708s.  This board also had a 
> bunch of ICs on it that are not what the MMD-1 design calls for.  So I 
> thought this'd be an interesting EPROM to read anyway, since it might 
> yield a hint as to what the builder was doing with this board, or if 
> they were just using it to store random ICs.
>
>   
>
> Anyway, I fired up the 6800 with the chip in the ZIF socket of the 
> Microworks board and read the contents into memory.  I then punched it 
> back out to my PC terminal as S records.  That's as far as I got.  I'm 
> wondering now how to actually dig into the contents a bit for clues as to 
> what it is.
> I've seen posts in the past from people who were able to find strings, 
> etc that sort of help as clues.  Does anyone know how I'd go further here?
> Really curious what was on this one.
>
>   
>
> Thanks!
>
>   
>
> Brad
>


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Re: Dumping my first EPROM

[Paul Berger via cctalk]

I would convert it to a binary image if you could and then look at it 
with a binary editor.  Most binary editors I have seen show the data in 
hex and also have an eye catcher on the right with the ASCII equivalent 
to the code points.   Trying to find strings in S-records would be a bit 
painful.


Paul.


On 2018-01-02 2:56 PM, Brad H via cctalk wrote:

Just posting this here in case it reaches eyes not in other forums I'm on.

  


I decided to embark on a project that involves burning a 2708 EPROM.  I've
never messed with EPROMs before, so I decided to practice.  What I have is a
Microworks 2708 'burner' that came with a SWTPC 6800 machine I have.  I
figured I'd start by learning how to read 2708s.

  


I only had one 2708 lying around to use.  It was installed on a homebrew
'Dynamicro' board (also known as Jon Titus' MMD-1).  It's strange because
the MMD-1 doesn't use 2708s.  This board also had a bunch of ICs on it that
are not what the MMD-1 design calls for.  So I thought this'd be an
interesting EPROM to read anyway, since it might yield a hint as to what the
builder was doing with this board, or if they were just using it to store
random ICs.

  


Anyway, I fired up the 6800 with the chip in the ZIF socket of the
Microworks board and read the contents into memory.  I then punched it back
out to my PC terminal as S records.  That's as far as I got.  I'm wondering
now how to actually dig into the contents a bit for clues as to what it is.
I've seen posts in the past from people who were able to find strings, etc
that sort of help as clues.  Does anyone know how I'd go further here?
Really curious what was on this one.

  


Thanks!

  


Brad

Dumping my first EPROM

[Brad H via cctalk]

Just posting this here in case it reaches eyes not in other forums I'm on.

 

I decided to embark on a project that involves burning a 2708 EPROM.  I've
never messed with EPROMs before, so I decided to practice.  What I have is a
Microworks 2708 'burner' that came with a SWTPC 6800 machine I have.  I
figured I'd start by learning how to read 2708s.

 

I only had one 2708 lying around to use.  It was installed on a homebrew
'Dynamicro' board (also known as Jon Titus' MMD-1).  It's strange because
the MMD-1 doesn't use 2708s.  This board also had a bunch of ICs on it that
are not what the MMD-1 design calls for.  So I thought this'd be an
interesting EPROM to read anyway, since it might yield a hint as to what the
builder was doing with this board, or if they were just using it to store
random ICs.

 

Anyway, I fired up the 6800 with the chip in the ZIF socket of the
Microworks board and read the contents into memory.  I then punched it back
out to my PC terminal as S records.  That's as far as I got.  I'm wondering
now how to actually dig into the contents a bit for clues as to what it is.
I've seen posts in the past from people who were able to find strings, etc
that sort of help as clues.  Does anyone know how I'd go further here?
Really curious what was on this one.

 

Thanks!

 

Brad