Yup it's another ICD2 clone. It's about as simple as I could design it. The power supply (not shown) is a 5V DC switching wall wart and cost me $2 from a surplus store in Toronto.

I used a 16F876 (not A) with microchips firmware and it passes all self tests. I've designed it with a weedy power stealing VPP from the MAX232 (with big 10uf caps) and a 1.5x multiplier (the diodes and such bring it down to approx 12.8V)

Looking at the scads of ICD2 clones on the net and the might work might not modded firmware for the 16F876A I stuck with the still available 16F876 (If you've got working 16F876A firmware let me know)

The Lothar Stolz ICD2 clone is very good http://www.stolz.de.be/ , it's the basis of this one (the Inchworm). Only real change is the power supply and LEDs. I haven't tried his LM358 op-amp version. I don't see how it generates all three states for VPP. (12.5V target VPP, 5V target run, 0V reset)

Comments & flames welcome

Attached Images

Inchworm ICD2.gif (45.1 KB, 241 views)

__________________
Bill
Home of the
Firefly PIC Tutor
Inchworm ICD2

http://www.blueroomelectronics.com

 

cute design for Vpp but wont the drop across Q2 take it below the level needed for some PICs?

I've done a simulation of the op amp part of lothar's circuit and it does, indeed, generate the proper 3 Vpp states. if you want I can send you the Switcher Cad file. You would need a Rail to Rail opamp if you fed it 12.8V. The 358 doesn't cut it in that case.

I got lothar's opamp design working with the 877A so I believe the 876A should work, too. You just need the ICD661.hex bootloader instead of the one that ships with MPLAB.

 

Any pictures of the completed project Bill?

I added a Target VDD high-side switch to allow ICD2 powered Target VDD (an option in the ICD2 menu).

I've used both the '876 and the '876A (with modified bootloader file below which should be renamed with ".hex" filename extension) and they work exactly the same.

Regards, Mike

Attached Images

	ICD2 Clone #2.JPG (40.1 KB, 154 views)
	Target VDD Switch Final.jpg (23.3 KB, 127 views)

Attached Files

ICD2_Bootloader_A.txt (3.0 KB, 101 views)

 

Full speed ICD2 clone using PIC4550 now available
Compare to the serial version you actually can do real time debug.

http://www.edaboard.com/ftopic161641.html

I build one and it works much faster than serial or USB to serial version using FT232

I used TQFP ICs so it fits in a small box.

 

Just read through all 16 pages yesterday and ordered 18F4550 samples today. A wonderful detective story (grin). Bravo to those few guys who figured out the mystery of the 18F4550 bootloader. I'd love to look at your schematic but the file's not mirrored yet and I don't want to use my points. The cabinet/case looks very nice though, just like your previous version I believe.

Please take care. Kind regards, Mike

 

Here is a "Mirror" of my version, same box, same PCB size.

Attached Files

ICD2-4550-TQFP.zip (611.8 KB, 244 views)

 

Thank you Sir. Never have quite figured out the motivation for that download point system on the EDABoard. Regards, Mike

 

I don't understand these points also, where they are coming from?
I guess I never had this issue

I will be ordering factory made boards for my design in a couple weeks and hoping to make TQFP "socket" this weekend so I can program ICs offline.
But board included ICSP headres as well.

 

It works very simple:
Uses 3 input combinations to get 3 modes:

Off = 0V
Repeater mode= 5V (5V from the input = 5V out)
Amp mode = Vpp (based on resistor ratio and PS voltage)

 

Where is Q1 on that schema' Andy?

 

Q1 is a resonator
I did not pay attention that transistors are Q also

 

the whole point of points is to reward helpfull people and/or generate revenue by people purchasing them. wierd but it has a ceartain appeal.

they do some other odd things like obfuscate URLs ( h**p instead of http). their excuse for doing it is for "user security" Seems kind of a lame answer.

sadly, the "student" content is about 10X of this board. You think we get some vague questions here...

 

ok, I've looked at the 4550 based versions. the 4550 is just being a USB port. I made a version of lothar's design using a Ft232RL. That seems a lot simpler to me.

 

The '4550 is used in Microchip's "new" ICD2 to replace the USB-to-Parallel Cypress chip and is much faster than the FT232 when running the ICD2 with a target in "debug" mode.

 

philba,
As I built and published 4 different versions of these clones, I have something to compare:

All FT version as well as serial version are working great and simple if you use them as a programmer.
For programmer it does not matter how long it takes to program the chip: 3 second or 20 seconds.

But the main goal of ICD is DEBUGGING.
To be honest, FT version makes debugging impossible. It takes 20-30 second between steps and this is un aceptable.
With 4550 version they are not depending on 57.6 communication speed of the port and pumping data via streaming parallel port on 4550
I tested debugging on 18f452 and it takes only 1-2 second per step. It probably will be less if you use a powerfull PC.

With cost of components almost the same, where is no reason anymore to build FT versions.