johne

Does anyone know what kind of stickers/tape should I use for covering the hole in EEPROMS? I am tuning some chips for my car and am curious if I should use a special UV reflective tape or will regular masking tape work fine?

thanks,
John

WesM951

Regular masking tape or just a standard label with something printed on it will work fine. As long as its not conductive

AZS2

Do you know how much UV it takes to erase an EEPROM? Well, I don't either but it is more than you will get just having it out in the ambient light. I work with EPROMs everyday. I leave them sitting around for months even years without problems. If you are concerned, anything that covers the crystal is fine. Masking, electrical, duct, etc.

Zero10

Stupid point, but wouldn't that be an EPROM, not an EEPROM?

Yep, it takes levels of UV radiation very rarely seen in everyday life to erase them.

Tony K

How about a "Type R" or "GReddy" sticker, so your car goes faster?

Mark944na86

Actually, this is not a stupid point, but rather a pedantic point. Just like this one.

Well, perhaps levels of UV radiation rarely seen in Calgary, but remember, this is all based on the photo-electric effect, and it's wavelength, not intensity of light, that's critical for erasure. So low levels of ordinary sunlight for short periods may contain enough UV to corrupt an EPROM, if not erase it completely.

OTOH, exposure to normal interior lighting will generally be harmless indefinitely regardless of how bright the level illumination because there is no light above the critical frequency present. Don't take them into a tanning booth with you without a sticker on, however. (On the EPROM that is, not you.)

-Mark

Rob

FWIW, I always just use a piece of electrical tape for temporary covers and a section of a 3.5" disk label for a more permanent cover.

johne

Well phrased, both of you.

Thanks for the help everyone, you all pretty much answers my question.
Oh and I know that they are EPROMS, I just had a brain fart. If they were Electrically Erasable (EE) I shouldn't be asking this question, huh?

-John