Data I/O - Legacy Products

Legacy Products

Data I/O has a rich history of programmer models, representing an evolution of the technology from which programmable devices were created. One of their first attempts at a 'Universal' programmer was the System 19, introduced in the early 1970s. It utilized a variety of interchangeable device sockets and configuration plug-in printed-circuit cards, consisting mainly of resistors, diodes and jumpers, to allow reading and programming of a wider variety of memory devices than had previously been achieved.

The late 1970s saw the introduction of the System 29 series. The first model in this family, the 29A, added more user RAM, and eliminated the need for configuration cards by offering keypad-programmable 'Family' and 'Pinout' codes to configure the programmer for a still-wider range of devices. Introduced along with the 29A was the 'Unipak,' a large plug-in adapter which featured several different sizes of ZIF sockets to reduce the need for changing socket modules. Since the Unipak was limited to dealing with memory devices, an additional accessory series, called the 'LogicPak,' was introduced to handle programmable logic devices (PALs, GALs, etc.)

The System 29 proved to be very popular. It was quickly updated, in the early 1980s, to the model 29B and newer Unipaks, including the Unipak 2 and 2B. The 2B model was the first to feature both a series of fixed sockets and an interchangeable socket module in one housing. Memory devices up to 40 pins in size could be read or programmed with the simple installation of the appropriate socket module. The 29B chassis could accommodate up to 1MB of user RAM.

Around 1987, Data I/O made a major leap forward by introducing the first of the 'Unifamily' programmers in the form of the 'Unisite.' This was their first engineering programmer to feature software-programmable pin drivers, a technology which allows any pin of the device socket to be configured, through software, for power, ground, or nearly any type of programming waveform. The first model in this line, the Unisite-40, featured a removable module with a single 40-pin DIP ZIF socket, called the SITE-40, and space to install optional programming adapters to the right of this DIP module. Such modules included the 'SetSite,' a module containing eight 40-pin ZIF sockets to allow gang programming of up to eight identical memory devices, and the 'ChipSite,' an early multi-socket module accommodating several sizes of PLCC and SOIC DIP packages with 'clamshell' ZIF sockets.

The final successor to the ChipSite unit was the PinSite. This featured a universal programming base which could accept a variety of socket adapters, including those for chips packaged in PGA, QFP, TSOP, and many others. There was even a special connection module made available which could, through the Pinsite's base, allow the Unisite to serve as the programming source in automated device handlers in factory floor environments.

The Unifamily was also the first series of Data I/O's programmers to feature a built-in user menu in their operating software. All the programmer required for basic operation was a dumb terminal, hooked up via an RS232 serial port. Facilities were also provided for computer-based remote control via a second serial port.

As for operating software, the early Unifamily all booted and ran from software stored on 720k floppy diskettes (in the case of the Unisite) or on 1.44MB floppies (in the case of other Unifamily members). This software consists of the operator's menu system, self-test routines, and device algorithms. Later in production, an option for installation of a miniature hard drive was provided (See MSM, or Mass Storage Module, below). The Unisite is the only programmer which still requires true 720k floppies for non-MSM operation, or updating the MSM's software without the aid of external PC-based software.

The Unisite was truly the flagship model of the Unifamily line, selling for over $35,000 new in a typical configuration and staying in active production for at least 20 years. Data I/O, in an effort to make the Unifamily line more attractive to companies with tighter budgets, introduced several other programmers utilizing the same programmable pin-driver technology as the Unisite, all selling for (typically) under $10,000 new. These included the model 2900, 3900, 3980, and 3980XPi. These units varied in capabilities, primarily in terms of the number of pin drivers they came with. The basic 2900 featured 44 drivers, while the 39xx series all had 88. Data I/O developed a proprietary multiplexing scheme which allowed Unifamily programmers, equipped with their maximum number of hardware pin drivers, to handle devices with up to 240 pins.

Other differences in the series are minor. They all share a common base design, in terms of their pin-driver technology, and they all feature the ability to boot and run from floppy diskettes and provide an internal menu.

The differences are primarily in features. The Unisite, within less than a year of entering production, was revised in the form of a new DIP module, referred to as the 'Site48.' As its name implies, this adapter had 48 pins in its DIP socket, and remained the standard for many years. Its successor, the Site48-HS, is functionally identical to the Site48, but utilizes solid-state switching for the socket pins instead of the electromechanical relays present in earlier adapters. The 2900 and 39xx series used electromechanical relays throughout their production life.

The Unisites also featured 512K of user RAM, standard. Field-installable upgrade kits, consisting of a separate memory board, an appropriate number of 30-pin SIMMs, a mounting bracket and interconnecting cable, were made available to upgrade these early units to 1MB or 8MB, depending on the user's budget. As an example, the price for the 8MB upgrade kit was around $495 in the mid-1990s. These early kits required considerable labor to install, including extensive disassembly of the programmer, as the memory board was designed to mount under the main circuit board.

In response to these difficulties, as well as improvements in available technology, the Unisite's main circuit board soon received some major revisions. These included the removal of most of the DIP-based DRAM chips, and the addition of two 30-pin memory module sockets on the main board itself. With these changes, upgrading the programmer's available RAM became much easier, requiring only the removal of the top cover, installation of two SIMMs, and replacing one PAL chip.