Chip Programmers

Chip programmers can also be known as a device programmer or IC programmer. They are items of electronic equipment that arrange written software to configure programmable devices. They support a broad range of chips such as EPROMs, EEPROMs and flash, ROMs, GALs and microcontrollers.

How do chip programmers work?

Chip programmers work by either configuring the device with a socket on the programmer or by configuring the device on a printed circuit board.

Signals are sent through connecting pins to transfer data from the chip programmer into the target device. Some devices require the data on serial pins while others receive the data via a serial interface.

Chip programmers are usually connected to a computer through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, parallel port or Local Area Network (LAN) interface. A software program on the computer transfers data to the chip programmer, selects the device and interface type then starts the programming process.

What are chip programmers used for?

Chip programmers eliminate the need for mechanical switches when programming. They have many electronic and industrial applications such as controlling a vehicles engine output and fuel delivery.