ROMZap MKIII BootLoader

ROMZap is a Windows 95/98 utillity that allows you to reprogram the new Flash based PICmicro®MCU chips without using a programmer once the boot code is programmed into the target chip.

ROMzap MKIII supports 28 and 40 pin devices all on the one PCB.

The chips that are compatable with ROMzap are:

PIC16F870 /1 /2 /3 /4 /6 /7

Once the boot code is programmed into the chip you can design your code and upload code or fix mistakes in just seconds, even without taking the chip out of it’s circuit.

ROMzap supports simple break points within your code, and once a break point is reached, program control is handed over to the PC and you can then read or modify the RAM and EEPROM values.

ROMzap can also overwrite and update it's own boot code should you need to change it.

Don't have a programmer??

No Problems, because ROMzap has inbuilt software to program the boot code into a blank chip.

A LED on the PCB connected via a link to pin RC4 allows easy code testing. A new "Turbo Mode" has been added which can speed up reprogramming, and ROMzap now automatically knows what type of chip it is talking to.

Here are some ROMzap ideas...

Garden sprinkler timer
PC driven equipment controller
Rocket experiments
Radio communications
Engine advance controller or tacho
Data logger
Light displays
Robotics
Device programmer
Weather monitor
Car trip computer
Electronic test equipment
Stepper and Servo motors
Remote control
Christmas present
Voice recorder

ROMzap is portable and can be used to develop and control all of these projects and more.

New!! ROMzap MKIII has space for an optional 24LC256 I2C serial EEPROM. This will give you an extra 32K of non voltatile memory. I2C code can be difficult to create so ROMzap can automatically insert code to help you read and write from the device.

New!! Also included with the ROMzap package is a new program called eepmon.exe. This allows you to upload a data file to the EEPROM and also to read the data stored in it which can be saved in INHX32 format.

New!! ROMzap MKIII now allows you to do a hardware MCLR reset by clicking on a button on the PC screen.

New!! ROMzap MKIII has a "fly on the wall" window to help speed up re-programming even more.

New!! ROMzap now has a "Verify" button to test the chip code against a HEX file.

Download ROMZap.zip - (1.5 Meg) V230801

The Engine software is now compatable with ROMzap.

Use the Terminator to test RS232 comms with your own code.

Zaplab, shown below, can also be used with ROMzap.

Hardware kit now available.

A hardware kit is now available and contains all the parts needed to build your own rapid development system. It comes complete with a preprogrammed PIC16F873-04P running at 4MHz, plus the software, and schematic details. The PCB measures approx 1.5 X 3.5 inches and has RS232 support, power supply connections, including a 5V output and access to all of the PIC IO pins.

All software upgrades will be available free from this web page.

Extra bonus...

ROMzap MKIII is compatable with all the mICro's software. That means you can load those drivers into ROMzap and use it as a PIC programmer, Real World Interface, or the external interface for MicroBasic. You need to build external circuitry to use the programmer function and the schematics and PCB design are supplied with the kit.


ZapLab is a program that allows you to aquire data from one of the PIC16F873 A2D inputs. The aquisition can be externally triggerred, time lapsed or read in burst mode and then stored in the PC where it can be stored as a text file with time stamping. It can now create Sine, Triangle, Rectified, Sawtooth, Capacitor, Arbitrary and PWM wave forms.

 

Download ZapLab.zip - (237K) Updated 26 06 00