Kaput
I woke up early this morning with the plan to program a few PICs for the Blade Runner Blaster. Just as soon as I connected the programmer to the Laptop and plugged the PSU in, the usual LED did not light up. And I discovered the PSU did not supply any voltage either. After quick drive down Pasar Road, the new PSU (it has a nice blue LED in there) and the programmer lit up briefly before they un-lit themselves. I quickly unplugged the PSU and after a few moments, it was still giving 9 volts.
I have tested the three Diodes, the two Caps and the single Fuse, which looked OK. Then again, I might be wrong since these components are connected in the PCB and might be giving false results. The only thing left to check whether the female Plug is shorting or not. But its already late into the night.
Consequences
I have been using this Programmer ever since I started with the Microchip PICs. There are others out there but I have yet to try them. I mean, this Programmer is now 30 years old and it is so convenient, especially with the ZIF Socket. Throughout the three decades, I have not only updated the firmware but also replaced the Caps and the Inductor.
Update:
It’s Monday and I’m busy with Work and making sure my Kids are back home safe. There is another possibility that the female plug connector could be shorting. I won’t know until I have the time to sit down and take another look.
