-5F in Chicago and this is how I spend a Sunday night. Legacy EPROM version of the Intel 8048/49 as used in the Korg Polyisx, Trident MkII and so on. I made that programmer from a kit in 1986 and outside something like a DataIO Unisite it was a real hobbyist workhorse. I had not used it in ten years, and the EPROM eraser buzzes like an old electric football game, but an hour of grousing with RealTerm and it is programming parts.
Extra info: this microcontroller is for the “KLM-367A” board in a Korg Polysix, which was notorious for suffering battery corrosion damage when the NiCad battery (eventually) outgassed. I first repaired one of these synthesizers in 1993, which was 12 years after it came on the market. 12 years is a long time for a NiCad battery. These days any Polysix that has not been overhauled is likely to have this problem.
One of the first boards I ever did in Eagle was my replacement board for the KLM-367A, which I still sell on occasion to folks who email asking about it:
Lastly, I did a detailed DIY repair page for the KLM-367A in 1999.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: The latest on Raspberry Pi RP2350-E9, Bluetooth 6, 4,000 Stars and more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
