Pre programmed chips via Rev-ed

[SAborn]

I have a need to have a reasonable amount of chips pre programmed (on going), and some time back i remember a comment that rev-ed will offer this as a service for quanity orders.

Do anyone know what the minimum quantity is and what charge for this service.

Also where do i find the information on how to access this service.

The story behind my question here is, i have a circuit design that is being manufactured in China for a 3rd party, they have all the schematics and data needed, but i still have the programs for the picaxe chips, and its my only control i have of the numbers produced.

China wants the programs so they can load the chips at a more cost effective rate, i would rather not give the programs out and have a way of getting Rev-ed to do the pre programming on my behalf.

The circuit uses 1 x 08m2 and 1 x 18m2 chips per board and i would expect the initial order to be 200 of each chip, its not a huge amount but everything starts somewhere and grows from there.

My second option is to transcribe the program to Pic and have Microchip preload the chips as they offer this service, but as a long time picaxe user i would rather Rev-ed get their margin in this project and not go else where.

I also realize a couple of hundred chips is chicken feed to Rev-ed, but a little help to move forward into bigger numbers would be a big assistance at this point, and the ability to help protect my vested interest.

If Technical would like to contact me off forum to discuss this that's also fine with me.

 

[hippy]

Also where do i find the information on how to access this service.

It's best to email Rev-Ed so there's a complete paper trail and you'll be dealing direct with those who can make case-by-case decisions.

 

[retepsnikrep]

If you use pics and send them the hex files then you will have no control over your product, and as a lot of people will attest they could just churn them out like pineapples without any further input/control from you.

If you want to use bare pics, you should program them yourself and protect the code and supply them with pre-programmed chips. With a zif socket it only takes seconds to program a pic and you could crank out several hundred for an hour of your time.

Using the pre-programmed picaxe or pre-programmed protected pics means they cannot produce hundreds without your permission or reverse engineer it without some difficulty.

 

[womai]

I would definitely NOT hand out the code to anyone in China. As you say, it is your only protection against illegal copies of your product. Once the code is out, it's impossible to stop distribution. I use the same approach with my DPscope. If you are not using the Picaxe but burn bare PICs, make sure you turn on code protection so the chip can't be read out - and test this a few times by trying to read out the chip yourself. Some PICs (e.g. many of thge dsPICs) offer different levels of protection - always use thge strongest one.

A few hundred chips just takes a couple hours to burn if you use a ZIF socket. I made some small converter PCBs so I can plug in an 28-pin ZIF socket (row spacing 600 mil) into any regular 28-pin DIP socket (row spacing 300 mil) - that way my development board becomes a volume programmer in a matter of seconds.

 

[SAborn]

It's best to email Rev-Ed so there's a complete paper trail

Cheers! done.

As for working with Pics and the couple of comments ........ thanks .....but i have worked with them before and do understand the code protect functions.

I realize its a fraction of the price to use a Pic to the axe, but its more of offering support to a platform we all enjoy, rather than taking the buck saving option, when in reality the end user is going to pay for it. (well as long as its within reason)

 

[Grogster]

I have a product that uses the 14M(now the 14M2) and 18X(now 18M2), and potentially produce hundreds of them too as do you. In my case, I get the PCB's made in China(including assembly sometimes - depends on number of units), which just leaves me to plop the IC in the finished board, once I get them back. While waiting for delivery of the boards, I program all the chips, and then grind off the chip ID laser engraving on the top, leaving a chip with no markings, which is about as secure as you can get - I think.

Sure, I have to program the chips manually myself one by one, but as others have mentioned...

Another option, if your PCB uses the SMD version of the chips, is to supply the factory with however many of each blank PICAXE you use, and they fit them at assembly time. That way, you get COMPLETE boards back, but still have to program each one before you can use it.

Probably not really what you are wanting, but I thought I would offer my 2c based on the fact that I too have PCB's made for my products that use the PICAXE...