T&L Publications

Yes, I know the title is an oxy-moron.<p>I have been trying the various no-parts programmers available on the internet, and none of them have worked very well at all. Meaning: they will ocassionaly program the PIC but mostly not.
As you know by now, I have limited resources, and can't buy a full-featured programmer at this time.<p>Do any of you have any recommendations for a programmer I can build out of a few transistors and a couple power supplies. I have power supplies of all voltages so that's not an issues.<p>1) I need to program only the FLASH PICs, not the C-series EPROMs.
2) It can be serial or parallel, doesn't matter.<p>Thanks a ton!!
~Kyle<p>[ January 16, 2003: Message edited by: chessman ]</p>

If I recall you have a spare 84a lurking.<p>You might like to look at www.voti.nl and the project you want is the Wisp628 - I don't think the program Wouter uses uses the inbuilt hardware of the 628 so you might be able to 84a it.<p>Alternatively if you can lay your hands on a parallel cable the PPP.exe program would work. Though you'd need to disconnect any printer you have attached. You'd also need to be able to provide a 12v programming voltage .<p>PPP should still be downloadable from EPE mags FTP site under PICS.<p>www.epemag.wimbourne.co.uk<p>If not I can email it to you - it's not that big a progam, but it is really basic.<p>Colin

The Wisp628 uses the UART of the x628 chip, so it can't be ported to the '84, unless I add a bit-banging serial interface. I can port it to an '877 though, cause I have some of those sitting around.<p>I do have the PPP program from EPE, although I have not tried it yet. The 13.7V programming voltage is not a problem, I can just use a spare 7812 regulator with two diodes on the ground pin, raising the reference to 1.7V giving the 13.7V. Disconnecting printers is not a problem, and neither is the parallel cable. I do all the programming on my laptop anyway.<p>Also, has anyone tried the El-Cheapo by Myke Predko? I've tried the circuit multiple times and the software always says the RC Delay Line is stuck high.... Any tips?<p>Thanks again,
~Kyle

I made the "El Cheapo" by Myke Predko. It works fine for me.
http://www.myke.com/ and got to the El Cheapo page.
Scott

I made the "El Cheapo" by Myke Predko. It works fine for me.
http://www.myke.com/ and got to the El Cheapo page.
Scott

Just a note, the updated version of PPP is at www.matrixmultimedia.co.uk .<p>Myke Predko solved some problems that some people were reporting on a discussion that will be in the Piclist archives.<p>
www.piclist.com<p>colin<p>[ January 17, 2003: Message edited by: bodgy ]</p>

Yeah...or at least a mimimal parts programmer get away from these PIC's and get to a "REAL" processor<p>Try a Motorola HC08 part.<p>
The software is free too ( pemicro.com ) and you even have a a built in emulator.<p>
Serial ports are the utility here

The reason I use PICs is largly beccause they offer free samples, so I don't have to really buy the PICs. Another thing is they are RISC, and I'm not sure if the motorolla parts are.<p>I'm really not ready to switch processors at this point, unless I find an extreme bargain on an eval kit.

Agreed that motorola processors have some benefits, but I work with both and prefer the PIC, primarily due to the RISC architecture (a blessing and a curse) and a breadth of product ranges and I/O. A "real" processor like the 08 is useful for my larger integrated designs (like data logging, display and serial I/O combined) but for the embedded limited function requirements, it's hard to beat a PIC. I suggest that if you can turn a few dollars, the WARP 13 programmer from MELABS and others is a reasonable investment to program PICS. Otherwise, I don't have experience with any of the low cost, low parts count programmers.

When the OP has a 16x84 idling and he needs to program just 16x84, 16F87x and 16f62x he could take a look at my older programmer, WISP at http://www.voti.nl/wisp. The LM317 part can be left out when only prototype programming is needed, and the second DB9 connector can also be left out.<p>As the OP stated: almost no parts *and* reliably don't (always) match. It is as simple as that. So spend some cash and make/buy a decent programmer. I consider my Wisp628 to be one, somewhat up in the cost curve there is the Warp13.<p>read "start with PICs" at http://www.voti.nl/swp for an overview of programming options and much more usefull info.

Wouter van Ooijen, I actually just recently built your Wisp628. It worked fine after I had a PCB made for it, but then I decided I need a programmer with full capabilities to write to the whole line of PICs, 18XXXX series and all.<p>So, I settled on a PICAll by Bojan and bought one the other day.<p>Your programmer is quite nice though, and it's great of you to release the firmware to the public. Most people are too greedy for that...