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I am trying to use the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter with the Flash Center Software to program a 16-bit Microwire serial access EEPROM, M93C66. Looking at the SPI EEPROM XML files that are available for the Flash Center Software, is it possible to create a file for programming the M93C66?  Based on your Knowledge Base article Using the Aardvark adapter with a Microwire device that should be possible, but so far, I have not been able to make it work. Is there something more that I need to do, or is there another application or tool to use for this?

Thanks for your questions! The EEPROM you are working with needs to be set up correctly to have it operate with 16-bit words, instead of 8-bit bytes. Because you are using this chip with 16-bit words, we recommend using the Control Center Serial Software or the Aardvark Software API instead of the Flash Center Software.

About Dual Memory SPI EEPROM

The M93C66 includes Dual Memory organization. The memory array can be configured to store memory as 16-bit words or 8-bit bytes:

• If the Organization Select (ORG) pin is left unconnected or connected to VCC, the 16-bit organization is selected.
• If the Organization Select (ORG) pin is connected to Ground (VSS), the 8-bit organization is selected.

The Flash Center Software only supports Microwire in 8-bit mode, which would require configuring the EEPROM for 8-bit bytes by connecting the Organization Select (ORG) pin to Ground (VSS).

As previously mentioned, we have two other applications for storing 16-bit words in your EEPROM.

XML Batch Files

The Control Center Serial Software can be used for creating and using your own XML batch scripts. This tool is designed for implementing simple scripts. Functional scripts are provided with this software, which can be used as is or modified as needed. To compare Flash Center Software to Control Center Serial Software, please take a look at Control Center Serial Software Series: Control Center vs Flash Center for Programming. For information about automating batch scripts, please refer to  Control Center Serial Software Series: XML Batch Scripting for Automated Tasks.

Customized API Scripts

To fully develop your own application, especially if you plan to program the EEPROM in production, we recommend using the Aardvark Software API. API scripts can control the Aardvark adapter, such as programming a device, sending commands, and reading data.

The Aardvark API supports multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, and Mac) as well as programming languages (C, Python, Visual Basic, and C#). Functional scripts are provided, which can be used as is, or modified as needed for your specifications.

We hope this answers your questions. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter User Manual
• Flash Center Software User Manual
• Control Center Serial Software User Manual
• SPI Background

If you want more information, feel free to contact us with your questions or request a demo that applies to your application.