Need to upgrade my Atlas 5's EEPROM, which one and how?

[bcardellini]

I'm using the 1k extender on my Atlas 5 device, but I don't have enough room to fit all the upgrades I want. I've gotten a lot of great advice here on trimming down my files, but I havn't been able to fit the extender, my receiver upgrade, my XBox360 upgrade, and all my keymoves and macros.

So I'm looking to replace my chip, but I'm not sure of the part number I need. I've found chips here: http://www.futurlec.com/ICEEPROM.shtml, Is it 24C16 that I need?

Also, does anyone know how to open one of these remotes up? I don't see any screws and I don't want to put marks in the case.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[Capn Trips]

I don't know much about soldering EEPROMs and such, but while you're waiting, why don't you post your current IR file and see if someone can come up with any memory-saving hints?

[mr_d_p_gumby]

For some reason your link isn't working for me right now (maybe because I'm in China?), so I can't tell exactly which EEPROM you are considering. The 24Cxx series is the right type (using I2C interface), the 24C16 is the correct size (2K bytes, 16K bits). If you've got a choice, select one that is rated to work down to 3V. Also, make sure that you select the correct package (DIP or SOIC) to match the PC board layout in the Atlas. I can't check which type it uses right now, so maybe you should open it up and look before ordering. Most likely it is SOIC (surface-mount).

Like most other JP1 remotes, the two halves of the case are snapped together. Getting them pried apart is tricky, but I've done it in the past using Rob's credit card trick. It generally takes two credit cards, one to force the case apart, and one to keep it apart while you are working on another area. I don't think there are any screws in the case, but be sure to check in the battery compartment. You can usually tell if there are screws when you start to pry the case apart. As you use the credit card along the edge of the case, put a slight inward pressure on it to help release the snap catches.

Bear in mind that you would be the first Atlas DVR user to upgrade the EEPROM. We don't know for sure if it will work yet. In any event, after installing the new EEPROM you need to do a 981 reset, and you'll have to use a modified RDF file that reflects the EEPROM size change. And, there is no 2K extender available at this time.

[bcardellini]

Hmmm. I think I've got the wrong 2k eeprom. I opened up my Atlas 5-Device DVR and found this:

http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/1878 ... tedhk5.jpg

I was expecting to see something similar to the eeproms I bought, and hoping I could just swap in a new one. Does anyone recognize this 28-pin thing?

[binky123]

You have a JP1.2 10251025 Remote. You don't need to solder any EEPROMs and you need a JP1.2 cable.

[speaker.guy]

While we are on this subject, how does one equate the memory numbers at the bottom of the IR screen to memory size?
Says something like 450 or so for upgrade and 900 for key move, and 2000 for learning memory (all numbers approximate). Does this mean it is a 3k? remote?

[The Robman]

@bcardellini:
Even if you had the JP1 version of the Atlas, you did indeed buy the wrong sort of EEPROM chip. The chips in your picture are the "DIP" type with pins that are supposed to go through holes in the PCB and be soldered on the other side (kinda like how we do the 6-pin), whereas what you would have wanted is the "SOIC" type, which are designed to be surface mounted onto a PCB.

@speaker.guy:
The units for all those numbers is "bytes", so in order to know how useful that amount of memory is, you would need to know how it gets used. For example, a typical keymove uses somewhere between 5 and 7 bytes (depending on which remote it is), a typical upgrade will use 20-40 bytes, and a single learned signal might also use 40 bytes or so.

As for the total memory, there's no need to speculate, just open the RDF usng Notepad (or something similar), up in the [General] section you'll see an entry labelled "EepromSize", this tells you the size.

$400 = 1k
$800 = 2k
$1000 = 4k
$1400 = 5k

[Capn Trips]

I'm using the 1k extender on my Atlas 5 device, but I don't have enough room to fit all the upgrades I want.

How do you have that extender working on the remote shown in your picture?

The extender is for the JP1 version (remote signature SL_7SL_7, replaced by SL_71Kx1) whilst the picture is of the JP 1.2 version, (remote sig 102551025) for which there is, as of yet, no extender. You need different cables to communicate with each of these, as well.

Do you have two Atlas remotes that you believe to be identical? Look at the identification guide HERE to sort them out.

For the 10251025, you should REALLY have no memory problems, even if there is no extender for it. Any excessive upgrades will spill over into other memory regions and it will work just fine.

[bcardellini]

How do you have that extender working on the remote shown in your picture? Do you have two Atlas remotes that you believe to be identical?

For the 10251025, you should REALLY have no memory problems, even if there is no extender for it. Any excessive upgrades will spill over into other memory regions and it will work just fine.

Yes, I have two remotes which I believed were identical.

The one I successfully run the extender on is this one:
http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/8436 ... cedil4.jpg

So, my first Atlas is a JP1.2 remote, and should have plenty of memory but no extender (and thus no tricky macros)?

And my second Atlas, currently running an extender, is a JP1.1, but I have the wrong style eeprom to upgrade to 2k. ElizabethD did someting to make a 2k extender (ported the 6131 2k, or used the 6131 method to convert the Atlas 1k to 2k) and I wanted to test it. Where would I install the correct 2k eeprom in my JP1.1 remote?

Sorry, but as you can tell I'm not very JP1 savy. I somehow figured out how to build a sweet remote for my system a couple years ago, but now I have new components and I need more room for upgrades and I"m trying to get my head back into this stuff. I can tell from the small amout of poking around that this gets complicated when you start talking about the different JP1 versions. I'm going to try to get up to speed this weekend. Thanks everyone for the replies so far!

[speaker.guy]

So the 10251025 is a 5K remote.....

[mr_d_p_gumby]

And my second Atlas, currently running an extender, is a JP1.1, but I have the wrong style eeprom to upgrade to 2k. ElizabethD did someting to make a 2k extender (ported the 6131 2k, or used the 6131 method to convert the Atlas 1k to 2k) and I wanted to test it. Where would I install the correct 2k eeprom in my JP1.1 remote?

No, and yes.

No, the remote running the extender is a JP1 remote, not an JP1.1 type. (There is presently no extender for the JP1.1, JP1.2 or JP1.3 versions of the Atlas.)

Yes, you probably have the correct EEPROM in the wrong type of package. As Rob mentioned, it most likely needs to be an SOIC (surface mount) type rather than a DIP type. You'll have to provide a picture of the PCB so that someone can confirm this.

[The Robman]

A surface mount (SOIC) EEPROM looks like this...

[bcardellini]

Okay, here's some more pics of my board. I'm guessing I need to replace the part labeled A81S0-C430 with an SOIC 24C16 2kx8 EEPROM.

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/250/img2165pn9.jpg
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/3055/img2159dp4.jpg
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/6959/img2160gg7.jpg
http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/4633/img2161wc7.jpg
http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/6779/img2176wv9.jpg

[speaker.guy]

I will gladly save you a lot of trouble and sell you a 10251025 (virtual 5k memory) with learning for $15 shipped by Priority Mail. Then you can wait a little while for the extender without tearing up a remote just to get 2k!