Gold wafer card programmer.

This circuit is a combination of a ludipipo programmer (for pic) + phoenix programmer (for the eeprom 24LC16). You can't program pic and eeprom with ludipipo programmer. The big advantage of this circuit is that use just one port from your computer (RS232) in reverse with other programmers that use both RS232 and parallel. The disadvantage is that you must select the component to be programmed with a switch and not electrically and that you can only program 16F84 and 24LC16 (gold wafer cards). Nothing else :-(

I suggest you use ICprog software to program your cards. It is a windows based program. It can program both pic and eeprom. You can download latest version of ICprog here or download oldest but reliable version here (378KB). Set ICprog as a JDM programmer and enable smart card (phoenix) under the settings menu. For further configuration instruction click here. This circuit is tested with ICprog and found to be very reliable. Also there are other software to play with (pic, com84, winphoenix etc).

gwcprog pcb

Components :

Find Below a List of Components that are needed for the programmer.

Quantity | Placement | Description | Notes
1 | SLOT | ISO Card Slot 8 Pins | Trim off Plastic Tabs + sw connectors
1 | SW1 | 4 Pole Slide Changeover Sw | Fit pins either way
1 | XT1 | 3.579MHZ Crystal | Fit pins either way
1 | CON3 | DC Socket 2.1mm | Socket Pin facing outwards
1 | REG1 | L7805CV 5Volt Regulator | Fit with heat sink towards end of pcb
1 | LED1 | Red LED 5mm | Flat side of led facing LED2
1 | LED2 | Green LED 5mm | Flat side of led facing LED1
1 | D1 | 1N4001 Diode | Lines to face as per diagram
5 | C1 | 1uf 63Volts Caps Electrolytic | Fit pins as shown above
2 | C2 | 27pf Caps Ceramic | Fit pins either way
1 | C3 | 100pf Cap Ceramic | Fit pins either way
2 | R1 | 220ohm 0.6W Resistor | Fit pins either way
2 | R2 | 4.7K 0.6W Resistor | Fit pins either way
1 | R3 | 10k 0.6W Resistor | Fit pins either way
1 | R4 | 1M 0.6W Resistor | Fit pins either way
1 | R5 | 2.2k 0.6W Resistor | Fit pins either way
1 | R6 | 20K 0.6W Resistor | Fit pins either way
1 | IC1 | SN7407N IC's Hex Buffer | Notch to face as per diagram
1 | IC2 | MAX232cpe IC RS232 T/R | Notch to face as per diagram
1 | IC3 | 74HC04 IC Hex Inverter | Notch to face as per diagram

As you can see there is ordinary components. You can find them in every electronic components store easily. The cost for all these can't be above 20 USD or 23 Euro.

Here you can see how to place the components on the pcb. I suggest you to use Dil sockets for IC1, IC2 and IC3.

Download all these in hi-res version and start working. Just spent your Sunday :-)

The file gwcprog.zip (118 KB) includes.

1. This web page in html format with pictures.

2. Hi-res pcb in .bmp format ready for printing from Microsoft Paint (come with windows).

3. Hi-res component placement photo in .bmp format.

4. Schematic in acrobat .pdf format.

5. Gwcprog configuration file in .txt format.

Updates and solutions.

Download gwcprog schematic (many thanks to Stephen Leary).

Download gwcprog schematic in protel format (many thanks to Fikret San). I didn't check it! (Use on your own risk)

Download gwcprog pcb (many thanks to Robert Novak).I didn't check it! (Use on your own risk)

If you can't find 0,6W resistors you may use 0,5W.

If you experience problems when programming pic on the card try to take off the MAX232 chip on the pcb. The problem is the high current demand of the newly realized gold wafer cards from Microchip. Don't forget to put it back on when you want to program eeprom. Also try to change R3=10K with a 6K8 resistor.

If you can't program pic there is no way to program eeprom because eeprom is programming through pic. You have to program pic with a loader in order to program eeprom on the card. Download a general purpose loader here.

Download ICprog 1.01 and instructions on how to configure ICprog with my gold wafer card programmer. Attention!!! Newer Icprog sofware (like Icprog 1.04) is not compatible with settings/instructions above. If you still want to use newer versions of Icprog select options --> smartcard and check 3.58MHz clock frequency.

Use a wall socket power supply of 7-10 output voltage and at least 100mA output current. You may use a 9V battery (due to low current need of my programmer, a simple battery last for at least 100 card programmings !!! ).

My programmer does not use a serial connector on the pcb due to cost limitation. You have to make a serial cable on your own and connect the pins to RTS, DTR, etc on the pcb.

You can use two different switches (two double pole double through switches) instead of mine but you must notice to change their direction simultaneously when you program pic or eeprom. The switch direction is very important. Watch below the two different directions of the switch.

If you get "card reset failed" message when you try to program eeprom first make sure that you program pic with the appropriate loader, check if the switch direction is OK and then try to check with an oscilloscope if there is a 3,5 MHz clear waveform on the oscillator (crystal). If you still get "card reset failed" then try to program eeprom with winphoenix instead of Icprog.

Finally if these suggestions doesn't work try the same programmer to another computer (P166 and higher). Maybe your serial port is the problem.

Please don't ask me where you can find decrypt files. I really don't know. Try searching the web.

Have a nice programming :-)

last update 5 / 2004