Quoted from oldschoolbob:Looks like the difference in EPROMS is the memory size. What is the most common size for pinball games?
Those old Bally/Stern boards use 2k byte and 4k byte ROMs.
2kB capacity are 9316 (PROM) and 2716 EPROM
4kB capacity are 9332 (PROM), 2532 and 2732 (these two EPROMs have minor differences in pinouts)
The 2532 is pin compatible to the 9332 PROM found on Bally -35 boards.
2716 is NOT pin compatible with 9316 and requires board jumper mods for the different pinouts.
2732 is NOT pin compatible with 9332 and requires board jumper mods for the different pinouts.
2732 are generally cheaper/easier to get than 2532.
The black plastic (non-window) PROMs found on those old Bally/Stern boards are either 9316 or 9332 PROMs.
You can use 2532/2732 in place of 2716 by simply doubling the data.
Boards with a ROM at U1 and U2 can be combined into a single 2532/2732 installed at U2 (with board jumper changes).
EEPROMs = Electrically Erasable PROMs
There are electronically erasable versions of 2716 which are 2816 and 28C16.
There are NO electronically erasable versions of 2532/2732. You will have to use EPROMs.
Quoted from oldschoolbob:I read the GQ-4X manual and it doesn’t say much about the power supply. The way I understand it a powered USB port should work but an external power supply would be like a backup in case the USB is not enough power. The manual doesn’t say what to use for external power. Would a wall-wart work? What voltage do I need? Those of you who have used the GQ-4x, what are you using?
The EPROMs you're programming for those old boards require 21 - 25 volts. USB ports are limited to how much current they can provide when being boosted to those voltages so makes programming some chips unreliable. I don't use a GQ-4X programmer but in demo mode it advises that if write failures occur when programming these old EPROMs to use an external power pack. Their help guide specifications for the power pack is:
9V DC, 200ma or above current
I'd recommend getting a power pack.
Quoted from oldschoolbob:I checked Marco and they seem expensive (3.00 each). But Jameco is 5.95 each. Where is everyone getting their chips?
China.. They're $1 a piece. You can probably find local sources on ebay.
Jameco are selling ST branded 2732. Guess what you're getting when buying from China.. Another pinball part supplier was selling counterfeit SCRs that had crossed over legs a year or two ago, and there's a thread today of another pinball part supplier potentially selling fake LM323 regulators. Didn't you also get a fake LM323 from a pinball part supplier a year ago?
Other than GPE, I think you see where I'm going here.
The EPROMs required for these old boards are long obsolete. You cannot buy brand new, you'll be getting used parts.
Quoted from oldschoolbob:Why are there different programming voltages and which voltage are you suppose to use?
The older EPROMs required a high voltage to program the cells and is partly based on the technology of the silicon die.
2716/2532/2732 require 25 volts for programming
2716A/2532A/2732A require 21 volts for programming
You can get some 27C16B and 27C32B that will program at 12.5 volts but they are quite hard to come by now.
Here are links showing pictures of many types of 2716 and 2732 EPROMs - some are marked with their programming voltage:
http://cpucollection.ca/2716.htm
http://cpucollection.ca/2732.htm
Quoted from oldschoolbob:I understand there are other programs written to check other things on a board. Are those programs available to download or do I have to write them myself? I have no idea how to write programs and I don’t think it’s something I want to try to learn.
I guy called Leon (RIP) wrote some diagnostic ROMs for a number of boards - they're available for download on PinWiki. There are others out there I believe, but I don't use any of them.