CHANGES

NOTICE: Anyone modifying the design should provide brief information about the modifications, including the date they were made. Information about the design should be added but never removed from this file. According to section 3.3.b of the licence, licensees should provide a brief entry with a date and the nature of the modification for each design change. Please use markdown syntax! Example: ‘* 2020/04/26: AC/DC power converter circuit removed as AC input no longer necessary.’

• 2025/06/25: Provide PCB amendment information for “Chipflasher v2”.

• 2025/06/23: Extensive list of device targets added ...

  ... in order to provide in detail documentation and production files per device variant.

  Files are generated from original sources in authentic environments, which are set up by traveling back in project’s history.

  These device are supported:

  • “Chipflasher Devkit” -- current development kit
  • “Chipflasher NG” -- next device generation with new PCB, yet untested
  • “Chipflasher v2” -- active device, in production since 2022
  • “Chipflasher ‘board-edition-1’” -- RYF certified device from 2018
  • “Testboard v2.0.2” -- former development board for kick2’s flashrom interface

  Device “Chipflasher NG” ships a preview for a new PCB, which is yet untested and still work in progress.

  For devices “Chipflasher ‘board-edition-1’” and “Testboard v2.0.2”, a modified environment is used with package propeller-load stripped off. This works around race conditions that occur on GNU Guix System, when the package is build from given channels. This package is not required for hardware design.

• 2025/06/14: Refine change log, wrap words containing an underscore into asteriks.

• 2025/06/11: Refine change log, add relative prefix to file names.

• 2025/06/11: Change recipes in ../hardware/guix/Makefile, use guix time-machine ...

  ... and remove abandoned goals.

  Add sections, update code snippets in ../hardware/README.md.

• 2025/06/08: Synchronize U8 footprint, fix text label below U1.

• 2025/06/05: Rename GNU Guix manifest file.

• 2025/06/05: Makefile: Wrap HTML files into proper skeleton with head, title and styles.

• 2025/06/04: Fix change log: Use code font for symbol filenames.

• 2025/06/04: Improve Gerber targets, add board version token on PCB top side ...

  • PCB: Add board version token on top side.
  • Makefile: Improve Gerber related targets, reports, and help messages.
  • Makefile: Add fab layer to Aisler archive.

• 2025/06/02: Get prepared for PCB board-v2.1.0 release, create Gerber X archive for Aisler ...

  • PCB: Improve power input circuit.
  • Delete unused PCB footprints.
  • Create SW6DIP12 footprint for U8.
  • Create MOV200S footprint for V1.
  • Schematic: Add value attribute for U2 and U8.
  • PCB: Refine power switch shadow rotation.
  • PCB: Refine edge to copper and edge to silk clearances.
  • Makefile: In addition to standard RS-274X archive, create one for Aisler PCB manufacturer.
  • Makefile: Add generated BoM file and XY file to RS-274X (‘Gerber X’) archive.

• 2025/05/26: Improve chip flasher documentation and BoM files ...

  • Fix Makefile recipes for BoM generation.
  • Collect more symbolic links within chip flasher device folder.
  • Update chip flasher BoM source file.
  • Drop alternative chip flasher panel and powerswitch file, use files for Chipflasher v2 instead.
  • Collect original Chipflasher v2 files of production in dedicated device folder.

• 2025/05/13: Edit Makefile, schematic titleblocks and panel CAD layer colors ...

  • Generate page values for schematic titleblocks.
  • Reduce color intensity in panel CAD layers.

• 2025/05/11: Edit Makefile and panel files ...

  ... and add a panel CAD file for Chipflasher Devkit.

• 2025/05/10: Edit Chipflasher PCB towards board-v2.1.0, cut #4 ...

  • Rename local schematic symbol to avoid ‘duplicate’ messages:

    7432-2.sym -> 7432-4.sym

  • Devkit: Merge branch go-for-board-v2.1.0, apply some fixes.

  • Set label to: Let’s Regain Dignity!
  • Refine via copper sizes and drills.
  • Add power switch shadow footprint.

• 2025/04/26: Edit Chipflasher PCB towards board-v2.1.0, cut #3 ...

  • Add file ../hardware/chipflasher-bom.md to collect vendor specific information under hardware license.

• 2025/04/25: Edit Chipflasher PCB towards board-v2.1.0, second cut ...

  • Add alternative footprint for U4: U10 (SO8)
  • Change PCB title to: Zerocat Chipflasher PCB
  • Add some more vendor attributes.
  • Remove parallel routes of RS232 lines to avoid signal cross-over.
  • Add missing thermal reliefs.

• 2025/04/21: Edit Chipflasher PCB towards board-v2.1.0, first cut ...

  • PCB: Review thermal fingers of CONN1.
  • PCB: Refine ground paths.
  • PCB: Remove strayed polygon that creates message: “cleared out of existence”
  • Schematic: Collect LEDs on one page.
  • Panel: Refine mounting hole.
  • DRC: Disable pintype check in order to support U9 alternative.
  • DRC: Set minimal copper gap to 5.00mil in order to support U6 SO16.
  • Makefile: Turn license and README files into html versions with “docu” target.
  • Makefile: Generate improved documentation of PCB fabrication drawing.
  • PCB: Set U1 drill sizes to 30.00mil.
  • PCB: Fix several resistor pin sizes and clearances.
  • Schematic: Make C1, C3 low ESR type.
  • Schematic/PCB: Rename C17 to C14.
  • PCB: Place U9 (741G32) below U2 (7432) to provide an alternative form factor.
  • Schematic: Introduce local symbols for 7432 and 741G32.
  • Makefile: Generate complete BoM files.
  • Change U6 (MAX3232) footprint to SO16.
  • Schematic/PCB: Specify vendor information for all parts.
  • Change C11 value to 10uF tantalium, thus increasing inrush capacitance to 20uF.
  • Makefile: Fix screen output of target ‘settings’.
  • Panel: Export chip flasher panel drawing with measures, increase drill diameters.
  • Makefile: Produce comprehensive chip flasher design documentation with name space reviewed.
  • Rename ../hardware/pcb/board.pcb to ../hardware/pcb/chipflasher-pcb.pcb.
  • PCB: Remove redundant project commit description in top silk.
  • PCB: Add descriptive text and dedications in top silk layer.
  • Rename circuit schematic files.
  • PCB: Move U1 to give room on SPI side.
  • PCB: Review power-in network, refine thermal connection of CONN1.
  • Schematic: Improve capacitor qualities to NP0 and X7R.
  • Schematic: Drop C14 100nF blocking capacitor, which is not required.
  • Schematic/PCB: Add RC network to encode PCB version ‘board-v2.1’.
  • Schematic/PCB: Improve variable pull-up resistor network for SPI CEn line, make it digitally readable via RC network.
  • Schematic: Improve readability of power circuit, put inputs onto left side.
  • Schematic/PCB: Rename some SPI pins.
  • PCB: Place all LEDs along SPI edge to provide one optical human interface.
  • PCB: Enlarge U5 and U7 cooling areas.
  • PCB: Refine mounting holes to be isolated, but reinforced with copper.
  • PCB: Refine outline to stay within 100x80mm maximal area.
  • Schematic: Update symbol versions.
  • Update PCB release info to: “pcb 4.3.0”

• 2025/03/28: Change ‘devkit’ net names for SPI voltages

  Vcc_SPI -> Vspi, Vcc_SPI' -> Vspi'

• 2025/03/12: Amendment for Kit User Guide

  Add notice: Resistors R10 and R23 change values in 2025 to adjust R_pull, and sockets should be used.

• 2025/03/06: Fix ‘devkit’ pin label and net

  • PIN_CLK1 -> SPI_CLK1

• 2025/02/27: Improve accuracy of ‘devkit’ with X7R capacitors

  • C_pull changes to X7R type in order to improve R_pull measurements across changes of ambient temperature.

  • Likewise, C20 and C21 change to X7R type to improve accuracy of the ADC circuit. Values increase to 2.2nF each -- other values were not available at local dealer.

• 2025/01/22: Rename ‘testboard’ to ‘devkit’, heading for board-v2.1

  Please notice that the name ‘testboard’ has changed into ‘devkit’ – as the latter matches development achievements that go beyond testing.

  Basically, the devkit comes with clarified configuration options, i.e. DIP switches, to allow simulation of different PCBs:

  • board-v1 aka board-edition-1
  • board-v2.0 aka board-v2.0.0
  • board-v2.1 (PCB design is not yet done)

  The firmware, kick2, is still able to detect the PCB it is running on. In order to use DIP switches A and B for board-v2.1, the high pulse on switch A is delayed by a capacitor. That is, the hardwired encoding for board-v3 and board-v4 would be still available for future versions.

  On the devkit board, LED D6 is now used to monitor the voltage level of Vcc_SPI rather than Vcc. Flash jobs on ThinkPad T60 motherboards, which draw a substantial amount of current, would make this LED to loose brightness. Thus, the pulsing algorhythm of the firmware, which tries to keep the voltage above 2500mV, can be watched.

  In respect to the pull-up resistor issue on the SPI chip enable line, as reported in december 2024, a resistor monitor circuit has been added, and the resistor network has been reverted to use a combination of resistors in parallel and a trimmer potentiomenter.

  The firmware, kick2-connect, displays the current value of R_pull in the configuration section of its menu. Upon change of the trimmer, the user is kindly asked to update screen output by pressing a key.

  This resistor monitor has been calibrated in software at an ambient temperature of about 18 degrees Celsius. Lower temperatures will result in smaller numbers for the reported resistor value, unfortunately. You can check the calibration by turning the trimmer counter-clock-wise to set the minimal pull-up value of 83 Ohm, and compare it to the reported value on screen.

  The free-wheeling diode D5 has been changed to 1N4148 – this is a very common diode that allows a smaller footprint than 1N400x.

  The circuit schematics of the devkit have been refined. Symbols are updated and fixed.

  And last but not least, the firmware has been adapted. It runs fine on all three board versions with improved reset-power-cycle.

• 2024/05/05: Update GNU Guix Channel

  • Add goals go and clean-go to ../hardware/guix/Makefile.
  • Generate multipage PDFs from circuit schematics.
  • Improve generation of PNGs from circuit schematics.
  • Move chip documentation download to main project documentation.
  • Update guix channel to: 6e9529eef9

• 2023/03/14: Improve GNU Guix Environment Setup

  Improve ../hardware/guix/Makefile and the related manifest file to ease piped invocation. Update code snippets within file ../hardware/README.md, accordingly.

  In file ../hardware/Makefile, adjust scale factor of gaf export to be supported reliably: Turn floating point value into integer.

• 2023/02/02: Refine readability and reliability of make files, enrich guix manifest and README file in order to support utf8 terminal output, add missing license file.

• 2022/10/31: File ../hardware/pcb/board.pcb:

  Add important vendor information for CONN1, which is a noname component of unknown manufacturer!

• 2022/10/26: File ../hardware/gschem/chipflasher-page06.sch:

  Update attributes description and comment for MAX3232CPE.

• 2022/10/26: File ../hardware/gschem/chipflasher-page11.sch:

  Fix alternate reset line description by changing cts to rts.
  Update cable length.

• 2022/10/15: Chipflasher board-v2.0.0 design sources released!

• 2022/10/12: Add template file ../hardware/CHANGES.md, providing introductory notice.