Chipdrive CopyCat
The Chipdrive CopyCat: (Category Copy Stations)
The Chipdrive CopyCat is not really a programmer, but a copy station for GW Pic cards. You cannot even connect this unit to a PC because there just isn't an interface for it.
But it does a good job at what it was designed and built to do for; copying GW Pic cards. And it doesn't come any easier too. Just 2 jumpers and a push button. That's all you need.
And it's fast too:
- 35 sec. to read an entire GW Pic card
- 42 sec. to write an entire GW Pic card
On the photo down here, you'll notice a tiny yellow button switch at the right side, marked START.
Just above the start button there is a jumper which is needed to select reading or writing:
- Jumper off = read on start
- Jumper on = write on start
Then there is one more jumper which is located just down left from the tiny green lamp. This jumper is used to program the PIC protected or unprotected.
The procedure:
Let's assume we want to read a card first and then program another with the same information.
First take off the read/write jumper, connect power to the Chipdrive CopyCat, insert a GW Pic card and push the start button.
The red lamp (top left) will light up and the green lamp (top right) will start flashing. As soon as the card is completely read and the procedure was successful, the red lamp will be switched off and the green lamp will light up permanently.
Now remove the card, put the read/write jumper back on and insert a new blank card and push the start button again.
The red lamp (top left) will light up and the green lamp (top right) will start flashing. As soon as the card is completely read and the procedure was successful, the red lamp will be switched off and the green lamp will light up permanently.
If something goes wrong during the copy process, you will be notified by the red light that will start flashing in a certain rhythm:
- 1 x Pic verify error
- 2 x Pic protected
- 3 x Pic & Eeprom verify error
- 4 x Eeprom error
Please make sure that you insert the cards with the contacts facing down because the programmers contacts are on the PCB.