As described In the last log I tangentially (of a tangent) came to the conclusion that I need to program a parallel-interfaced EEPROM/FLASH... as a sort of tangential tangent to a tangent of this project.

And, ridiculously, I realized my EPROM programmer couldn't do-so. So came to another tangential-conclusion that I needed to build a FLASH/EEPROM programmer, with an AVR, maybe. So, mulled that over a bit, was getting into the mindset. Was kinda looking forward to some of the side-benefits of having those FLASH read/write libraries available for other projects... but again, a tangent of a tangent of a tangent.

So, while I was writing about this ridiculous conclusion, I realized I have an EEPROM-programmer, in my possession. In addition to my EPROM programmer.

The thing is, I gave up on my EEPROM programmer about a year ago when I lost its EEPROM "personality module" (A little card that tells it which pinout to use). I gave up on it so hard that I was quite literally staring at its diskettes (as another tangent of a tangent of this project) and it *still* didn't occur to me that I have an EEPROM-programmer, in my possession.

----------

Skip forward. I once tried to contact a few distributors of those "personality modules" regarding a replacement for my lost personality ... but didn't receive a response. This thing was EOL'd 16 years ago, after all. Whattya expect?

I dunno what changed this time 'round, because I did have this idea long ago, just never actually tried it out...

The thing is, the personality-modules are pretty much nothing more than a PCB with some traces shorting some edge-connect pins. Most don't even have *any* components on them. Could easily be reproduced, with the right knowledge.

So I set out to find other users of this EEPROM-programmer, to see if I could find one kind enough to send me photographs, or scans, of both sides of their personality-modules.

This seemed an uphill battle. Really, I didn't expect any response. The best contact I found was someone who posted a barely-tangentially-related message (which no one responded to!) in a forum 17 years ago.

But I contacted him... and... within two hours he sent me *exactly* the info I needed to reproduce my lost personality [module].

No shit.

He said he'd already had the scans on-hand, even.

It was like a miracle, or something.

And in a few hours' work, I should have my replacement-personality[module] up-and-going, rendering something I once thought a lost-cause now once-again completely functional!

-------

So, in light of the fact that this battle seemed *near-impossible*--so much so that even the optimistic side of me was extremely pessimistic--I've decided that there may in fact be others out there--only slightly-less optimistic than myself--who would give up on the idea as soon as they realized just how few folk even talk about *using* this thing. Let-alone there being any webpages related to it.

Maybe this'll save a few of these things from the trash, and save some frustrated folk from having to reinvest in something they already owned.

https://sites.google.com/site/geekattempts/misc-notes/megamax-programmer

It occurred to me that as a proof-of-concept for this project, I really only need to implement the *bare-minimum*... see how it functions...

And, realistically, *That* is my interest in doing this project, in the first place. Not to *complete* it, but to have a test-bed for comparison, and maybe further-implementation (plausibly to the point of completion) if it seems doable.

So, as far as fitting this in 1K... I think it's definitely plausible to fit this bare-minimum "test-bed" within 1K. And that, then, would be the "framework" for the rest of the implementation, should I feel motivated to "complete" it. And... having gone to the effort to fit that "framework" within 1K, the remainder of the implementation should *definitely* fit within today's lowish-end devices (probably 8K would be enough?).

.........

Interestingly(?) I think my having gone on this ridiculous path of tangents-of-tangents ("pro-crastination", maybe? and what the heck is "to crast[inate]" anyways? LOL check this out.) will help cement (or at least rubber-cement) the idea of bringing this thing to "completion"...