Has anyone heard of this device? It can be done as a DIY kit (you supply all components, they supply the PCB) or can be purchased completely assembled. I filled out the contact form (through a link within the link below) to find out how much for both and current availability. This is a device that will pay for itself (for me personally anyway) in a matter of days or weeks in time saved trouble shooting and just swapping chips *hoping* that the one you swapped in works, or if there is no difference is it because both chips are bad, or because they aren't the issue? I'm getting one of these anyway I can and from the lists of what it supports, it looks to include everything I've ever come across in a vintage console or computer, less the custom proprietary chips, of course. This thing tests ram, rom, eprom (can even program some), and a variety of other IC's including the very common 74LS IC's and much more. If I get the DIY version, and drop everything in favor of assembling this, I'll still get it all done in a fraction of the time without it. It is possible for me to just use my breadboard P.A.D. to test any IC, but I would have to create a simple test circuit for every IC there is and either rebuild it on the breadboard every time I need it, or make permanent perf board versions, but that's a lot of different testing boards and a lot of money in components. Either way, the RCT is a winning idea and I can't wait to get one. https://8bit-museum.de/sonstiges/hardware-projekte/hardware-projekte-chip-tester-english/ There is documentation in the link above, but I also found some at the link below, I don't know if they are the same, one is about 10MB the other about 13MB. I haven't looked myself, I just linked both. Plenty of links at the first site above to find out all you need to know, contact someone to order one, and Youtube videos reviews, etc. https://1library.net/document/zkwmg4xp-retro-chip-tester-professional.html?utm_source=search_v3
Yup, saw it a few weeks ago on Adrians Digital Basement YT channel, he raved about it, an absolute must-have for tinkerers like yourself. Being able to test 99% of your IC's in storage alone is a huge help, dodgy ram chips hidden in the pile, not now. Nice to see it's database covers custom stuff like C64 IC's so I hope that database keeps being expanded.
It is a nice piece of equipment, I saw it on Adrian's video too, and on Noel's Retro Lab YT video as well: like Paul said, it is a must-have for the serious retro-tinkerer enthusiast. I personally use a home made 4116/4132/4164/41128 RAM tester I bought from a nice guy in the UK on eBay (bottom left on the picture), and the usual Chinese TL866 EPROM programmer can be used for logic chips testing (bottom right). For the other types of components, the all-purpose LCR-TC2 component tester (top left). They are good enough for me.
I'm still waiting for my board to arrive, hopefully it arrives this week, but with the state of the world we shall see...
Well, it arrived today, safely, and they even through in a free PSU board, even though I didn't order one with it cuz I was going to use my Analog/Digital Trainer PSU that has all the needed voltage outputs. But since I have the power board with it too, I'll build and use it, it will make it more portable so I can use it on my desktop or on my workbench instead of being tied to the workbench or having to bring along the Trainer PSU box too, just a PSU brick instead. Now I just need o print out the BOM, find out what components I have on hand and what I'll have to order, obviously the screen and ZIF socket I will need to order, but I just may have all the rest of the components on hand. I'll also have to take some measurements and component position notes in preparation for designing and printing a case for it. I am hoping it's been out long enough that somebody already design a case and I can just download the .stl and print it. I'll have to go check Thingy Verse, the site for all things 3D printable. I'm excited! This will really help out getting some machines in order. Though I'm still pretty sure the 1200XL is a bad POKEY, but if I also get the SD card daughter board (I could have bought one with the RCT, but I can pick one up myself) they are constantly updating support for 8-bit custom chips and they may already have Pokey available. Then use the SD card board to load the variables data for it into the RCT. There is a chance it might already be in the Atmega's memory though, with my latest firmware revision, of the Atmega. I know from a video that data to test the VIC II and SID are pre-programmed, some custom Atari chips may be there by now. you can also program it yourself to test a custom chip, which I'm hoping someone else has already done and it's posted for download.
