When taking some projects from the prototype to production stage, the adage "time is money" certainly rings true. Especially if the projects needs some pre-programmed EEPROMs. One way to solve this is to make a gang programmer, and doing so has been documented by the people at Mikronauts.
A project of theirs requires a preprogrammed Microchip 24LC512 - a common I2C-bus EEPROM, and with their programmer up to eight can be programmed in one pass. The total amount you can use is limited to the available number of I2C bus address options for the EEPROM being programmed, in this case eight. The circuit is very simple, and just requres connections for power, SDA and SCL between the programmer and the Raspberry Pi.
The software is based on work by Amandeep Singh, whose useful Pi I2C programmer code is the base of the software. Overall this is a neat solution to the problem, and more details can be found on the project website. And for more, we're on facebook, Google+, and twitter - so follow us for news and product updates as well.
If you need to make your own EEPROM programmer for your Pi, one option is to use our PiBreak board. It provides labelled breakout pins for all GPIOs, a large prototyping area with solder pads, and power rails for easy power connection:
Furthermore the PiBreak also includes mounting hardware to firmly attach it to your Raspberry Pi using a nut, bolt, and spacer - and is compatible with all revisions of both model A and B Raspberry Pi computers. For more information about our PiBreak board, our Getting Started guide, and to order - visit the product page.
