Q: What's the difference between the ALL-11P, ALL-11P2, and the ALL-11P3 ?
A: The ALL-11P3 is our latest model Universal Programmer. It supports high speed transfer at up to 15Mbits per second via USB port. The ALL-11P2 supports transfer speeds at up to 1Mbit per second using the parallel port. The ALL-11P only supports the serial port at speeds up to 115Kbps.

Q: What's the difference between the ALL-11P3 and the ALL-GANG-08P3?
A: The ALL-11P3 comes in two parts: the ALL-LAB3 and the ALL-11U. The ALL-GANG2-08P3 consists of: the ALL-LAB3 and the GANG-08. The ALL-11P3 is a Universal Programmer supporting over 4000 chips. The ALL-GANG-08P3 supports a subset of the chips supported by the ALL-11P3, but can program up to 8 chips simultaneously. Typically the ALL-11P3 is purchased for development, while the ALL-GANG-08P3 is for mass production.

Q: What's the difference between the PRO-208 and the ALL-GANG-08P3?
A: The PRO-208 is a stand-alone gang programmer. Most of its functionality can be accessed without being connected to a PC. The ALL-GANG-08P3 needs to be connected to a PC at all times. The ALL-GANG-08P3 supports the USB port, the PRO-208 only supports the parallel port.

Q: How do I request the schematics/repair manual for your products?
A: Tribal Microsystems does not manufacturer or design the products we carry. Unfortunately, our suppliers do not provide schematics/repair manuals.

Q: I don't see a chip I'm interested in listed in your device list. Does this mean it's not supported?
A: In most cases we are interested in adding support for additional chips to our programmer's software. This usually takes 2-3 weeks, depending on the complexity of the chip. This process can be expedited if the customer can provide 8-10 sample chips for testing. In most cases an existing adapter/converter can be made to support a new chip from an existing family. Occasionally a new adapter type is required. Although we try to cover a broad range of chips, some chips may never be supported due to complexity or low demand.

Q: The chip I want to program is listed in the device list. Is this chip supported in all packages types that the IC manufacturer produces?
A: No. Support for a chip in one package does not necessarily imply support in all packages available. Please check with us.

Q: I have very old chips (over ten years old). Can the ALL-11 support my chips?
A: In general the ALL-11 does not support every revision of a chip. Our priority is usually to make sure new versions of a chip work, rather than very old versions.

Q: How updated is the IC-Tester built-in to the ALL-11?
A: The IC-Tester is not the main function of the ALL-11 series. It is provided only as a diagnostic convenience. No support is available for the IC-Tester.

Q: Is there a DOS version of the software for the ALL-11 Family / ALL-GANG Family?
A: Due to the widespread availability of Windows based PCs we no longer develop DOS based control software. Please check the software download page for the Windows OS versions that are supported.

Q: On your older DOS based programmers: TUP400, Flex700 etc., there was a batch script option. Is there an equivalent option for the ALL-11 / ALL-GANG?
A: The ALL-11 and ALL-GANG have a built in configuration file option. This allows you to save the current state of the programmer software to a file. Later you can reload a configuration file and it will restore your settings and reload the last file you loaded prior to saving the configuration file. 

Q: Can .CFG (configuration) files saved in one version of the ALL-11 / ALL-GANG software be used with later versions?
A: Unfortunately, compatibility is not always maintained. You may need to regenerate .CFG files after upgrading your programmer software.

Q: The base unit of the ALL-11 has a 40-pin DIP socket. How can I program chips that won't fit?
A: There are over 600 adapters/converters that can be placed on top of the ALL-11 in order to support a vast range of chips in a variety of packages.

Q: Is the ALL-11U module on my old ALL-11P or ALL-11P2 compatible with the ALL-LAB3?
A: Yes. The ALL-LAB3 is designed to be compatible with all ALL-11U units. However, please be aware that a very old ALL-11U may have aged components that exhibit borderline behavior. These units may not be able to function at the speed required by the ALL-LAB3 or the ALL-11P3 software. Unfortunately, it is not trivial to repair an ALL-11U that is not overtly damaged. You may need a new ALL-11U in this case.

Q: I have an ALL-11P/ALL-11C/ALL-11P2. Should I upgrade to the ALL-11P3 software?
A: Absolutely. The ALL-11P3 software is designed to be backward compatible with all ALL-11 models. The design group updates the ALL-11P3 software in order to reflect changes in IC specifications and to support new devices. If you do not run the most current ALL-11 software, the design group and technical support staff may not be able to assist you.

Q: I want to do in-circuit programming. Can I use the ALL-11?
A: No. Generally we do not recommended in-circuit programming. Wires leading from the programmer to a circuit board can affect the electrical properties of the circuit connecting the programmer. Additionally we do not recommend in-circuit programming because the presence of additional components in the circuit may cause damage to the ALL-11.

Q: My ALL-11 doesn't seem to be working. How can I check?
A: There is a built in diagnostic tester. Remove all adapters/converters and chips from the unit. Select the "Diagnostic Tester" under "Options". If this test fails your programmer may be damaged. If not it the problem is probably with a software option, not the hardware.

Q: My programmer seems broken. Can I send it to you for repair?
A: For repair/calibration/examination, please contact our tech support staff in order to obtain an RMA number. Repair may not be available for some models. Repair time also varies.

Q: What does "Error Identification on Hardware" mean?
A: It means that the PC does not detect the programmer. In 95% of cases, this is due to a software mis-configuration. Please double check the settings under Option->I/O Base address. Please also consider if you have recently installed any software/hardware onto this PC, which may conflict with your programmer. If after checking your software configuration, you still cannot find a port setting where the PC can detect your programmer, your programmer may be damaged, please contact us.

Q: What does "ID Code Error" mean?
A: It means that the programmer doesn't think that the chip in the socket matches the type of chip you have selected in the software. Double check the exact part number.

Q: I have chips with their protection bit enabled. Can the ALL-11 read them?
A: Our programmers honor software protection bits.

Q: The ALL-11 has 1Mbit of built-in memory. Can I program chips larger than 1Mbit?
A: Yes. The only issue is speed. The memory on the base unit is used only as a cache. If you are using the serial port there will be a noticeable performance drop when programming chips larger than 1Mbit. This is because the entire chip contents cannot be stored on the unit and must be repeatedly transferred for each copy made. This can be corrected for the ALL-11P with an SRAM card. On the ALL-11P2/ALL-11C2/ALL-11P3 the parallel port/USB port transfer rate is sufficient that it can keep up with the programming rate.

Q: Is Tribal Microsystems Inc. a division of HI-LO Systems?
A: No. Tribal is an independent distributor of HI-LO products. We are the largest distributor of HI-LO products in the United States. HI-LO has named us their primary U.S. distributor (HI-LO USA).

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