Of course. Simply use the Microchip application notes on driving the
24LCxx devices and create a PIC which programs them - and have it accept
commands via RS232 so then you have an ultra-low-cost EEPROM programmer.

I don't understand why you need so much memory for a state machine.
Normally you need only a byte or two to store the state number (a state
machine with over 256 finite states would have so much code I don't see
how you'd implement it in a 16F84). Plus a byte or two to store
state-associated flags. You start at state 0 and then as events occur
you move to state x, state y etc. You certainly don't need an n-input X
m-state array under normal circumstances.

In two bytes I have implemented state and status for quite a complex
dual-triac zero-crossing temperature controller which also had a control
keypad, dual LED displays and a Dallas DS1820 temperature sensor. If
your project is much more complex, are you sure your code will fit into
1K?.

> ----------
> From:         Humberto Bonasso[SMTP:hbonasso@FLASHNET.IT]
> Reply To:     pic microcontroller discussion list
> Sent:         Saturday, November 29, 1997 1:30 PM
> To:   PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject:      State machine and  EEPROM 24LC...
> 
> Hi all,
> Ê
> I'm developing a project in wich a PIC 16F84 acquires pressure and
> flow parameters of a water pipe and then has to control, through a
> TRIAC, the power delivered to a water pump based on some calculations
> on the parameters acquired. The data acquired and the pump power level
> need to be transmitted via RF link and showed to a LCD display module
> based on another PIC that manages also a keyboard to allow some manual
> control over the whole stuff.
> Ê
> Well, here is the problem: I'm thinking to implement the logic with a
> "state machine" technique instead of making tons of SW logic; this
> solution allows to implement a sort of multitasking in which the
> several tasks like "data acquisition from sensors", "driving of the
> TRIAC", "trasmitting data to the display" and "receiving comands from
> the keyboard" could be managed all in parallel execution (not truly
> but enough close). The disadvantage of this approach is the EPROM
> memory area needed to store the state matrix: the total size is
> "number of inputs" x "number of states". So i decided to go with
> external 24LC... EEPROM to store the matrix but the problem is HOW TO
> PROGRAM IT ?
> Ê
> I know 24LC... is a I2C device, thus my PIC programmer nothing can do
> with it. Is there any brilliant solution for filling the data into the
> memory different from spending money for an expensive EEPROM
> programmer ?
> Ê
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>