Inchworm ICD2 review - Page 2 - Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free

**Nigel Goodwin** · 7th November 2006, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jduncan459

I've studied the schematics for a bit and see how it's wired so I can make a pcb for the pic chip until the Firefly is available. Never study schematics until you've had at least two cups of coffee.

I can post a veroboard layout if that's any help to you?.

jduncan459 · 7th November 2006, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

I can post a veroboard layout if that's any help to you?.

That would be great. I'd appreciate it.

I've got a solderless breadboard here so I can work on it.

**Nigel Goodwin** · 8th November 2006, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jduncan459

That would be great. I'd appreciate it.

I've got a solderless breadboard here so I can work on it.

OK, here it is!.

William At MyBlueRoom · 8th November 2006, 06:00 PM

The Firefly PCB is done, looks great. Not happy with my choice of hole diameter for the ZIF socket 0.8mm (I should have used 1mm as some ZIFs are 0.8mm pin width) but you can SQUEEZE it in. Else the PCB went together perfectly and I've just began testing it.

viji2ks · 14th November 2006, 12:42 PM

have any body actually build & used because what i consturcted from web sitehttp://www.users.bigpond.com/webspac..._ozipicer.html has really failed to work in spite of all excersize i tried my max so that's
thank you

William At MyBlueRoom · 21st December 2006, 04:16 AM

Both the Firefly and Inchworm assembly manuals have been updated. You can download them on my site.

gregmcc · 4th January 2007, 07:46 AM

Thanks for the review. After months of fiddeling with various serial programs and trying to get wisp to work 100% you've just convinced me to order one

GraveYard_Killer · 28th March 2007, 01:40 PM

does this work on a PIC16F877 44pin-TQFP or pic16f877 40-pin pdip?

blueroomelectronics · 28th March 2007, 06:27 PM

It uses a preprogrammed 16F877-20 or A rev 40pin DIP. As for the target chip as long as you can connect the MCLR, PGC & PCD pins you can program it.
Heres the new Inchworm+

GraveYard_Killer · 16th September 2007, 02:48 AM

i built an inchworm (not the inchworm+) and it works great.

Excellent! Thank you.

43617373 · 16th October 2007, 05:11 AM

Does the Firefly kit come with a ZIF or do I need to buy one along with it? And if so where would I be able to buy one I didn't see any on the site that sells the inchworm/firefly boards.

blueroomelectronics · 16th October 2007, 06:20 AM

The ZIF socket is an option because of its high cost. If you can wait a couple of weeks I'll have a new kit called Junebug available. It's compatible with Firefly and all the other blueroomelectronics kits; but includes an 18F1320 version of Fireflys Tutor on the same board as a USB PICkit 2 SE (5V only) compatible programmer / debugger.
The Junebug has everything you'd need for the midrange 10F thru 18F PICs. Unless you're debugging 30F series PICs the Junebug functions very much like the Inchworm with the Unicorn USB upgrade.
It's both MPLAB 7.62 and PICkit 2 software compatible, the PICkit 2 software is programmer only (PIC autodetection is cool) and supports many Microchip EEPROMs too, there is also a TTL level UART terminal that's very handy.
This is also the first blueroomelectronics kit to officially support the LAB-EASY prototyping system. LAB-EASY is a new advanced modular breadboarding system developed by my friend Eric Chan, I'll post more info on Erics LAB-EASY product line in the following weeks.
Best of all we're hoping to get the complete kit price around $45.

43617373 · 17th October 2007, 03:59 AM

Sorry if this is a stupid question but when I buy a Junebug will I still need to build a board for the Pic I want programmed? Or is the socket for the chip just always drawn like it is being used?

blueroomelectronics · 17th October 2007, 04:53 AM

An ICP or ICD is designed for programming the PIC while in circuit, it's the modern method for many PICs. But if you want to program using a ZIF socket then you can build the Z version of the Firefly, only a few parts are needed.

If you're new to PICs then you can practice using the MPLAB simulator or Oshonsofts simulator.

August Treubig · 17th December 2007, 04:10 AM

I purchased and Inchworm+ and a Unicorn a couple of weeks ago. The only surprise was the USB A connector on the Unicorn. So I had to order an A to A cable to use with it.

The Inchworm+ was pretty good, but when I got the cable and the Unicorn programmed the combo really works well together.

My biggest learning curve was moving from the SourceBoost IDE to the MPLAB IDE, as I am using SourceBoost C.

But I am surviving it quite well.

It is so much more convenient to program the boards I am using which are some of Nigel's tutorial boards that I built. I added an ICSP connector to both the 16F628A and the 16F877A boards.

Before I was using a JDM programmer and there was a lot of back and forth stuff. Now I am able to sit in the MPLAB IDE and do everything there.

8th November 2006, 06:00 PM	#19 (permalink)
William At MyBlueRoom Experienced Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 721	The Firefly PCB is done, looks great. Not happy with my choice of hole diameter for the ZIF socket 0.8mm (I should have used 1mm as some ZIFs are 0.8mm pin width) but you can SQUEEZE it in. Else the PCB went together perfectly and I've just began testing it. __________________ Bill Home of the Firefly PIC Tutor Inchworm ICD2 http://www.blueroomelectronics.com

21st December 2006, 04:16 AM	#21 (permalink)
William At MyBlueRoom Experienced Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 721	Both the Firefly and Inchworm assembly manuals have been updated. You can download them on my site. __________________ Bill Home of the Firefly PIC Tutor Inchworm ICD2 http://www.blueroomelectronics.com Last edited by William At MyBlueRoom; 21st December 2006 at 04:22 AM.

28th March 2007, 01:40 PM	#23 (permalink)
GraveYard_Killer Experienced Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Philippines Posts: 110	does this work on a PIC16F877 44pin-TQFP or pic16f877 40-pin pdip? __________________ Learning is a life-long process...

28th March 2007, 06:27 PM	#24 (permalink)
blueroomelectronics Experienced Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,123 Blog Entries: 1	It uses a preprogrammed 16F877-20 or A rev 40pin DIP. As for the target chip as long as you can connect the MCLR, PGC & PCD pins you can program it. Heres the new Inchworm+ __________________ Bill Smart Kits build Smart People http://www.blueroomelectronics.com Last edited by blueroomelectronics; 30th March 2007 at 01:34 PM.

16th September 2007, 02:48 AM	#25 (permalink)
GraveYard_Killer Experienced Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Philippines Posts: 110	i built an inchworm (not the inchworm+) and it works great. Excellent! Thank you. __________________ Learning is a life-long process...

14th November 2006, 12:42 PM	#20 (permalink)
viji2ks New Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 19	have any body actually build & used because what i consturcted from web sitehttp://www.users.bigpond.com/webspac..._ozipicer.html has really failed to work in spite of all excersize i tried my max so that's thank you

4th January 2007, 07:46 AM	#22 (permalink)
gregmcc Experienced Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: South Africa Posts: 234	Thanks for the review. After months of fiddeling with various serial programs and trying to get wisp to work 100% you've just convinced me to order one

16th October 2007, 05:11 AM	#26 (permalink)
43617373 Experienced Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: BC Canada Posts: 45	Does the Firefly kit come with a ZIF or do I need to buy one along with it? And if so where would I be able to buy one I didn't see any on the site that sells the inchworm/firefly boards. __________________ Mechanical Engineers make weapons. Civil Engineers make targets. Last edited by 43617373; 16th October 2007 at 05:23 AM.

16th October 2007, 06:20 AM	#27 (permalink)
blueroomelectronics Experienced Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,123 Blog Entries: 1	The ZIF socket is an option because of its high cost. If you can wait a couple of weeks I'll have a new kit called Junebug available. It's compatible with Firefly and all the other blueroomelectronics kits; but includes an 18F1320 version of Fireflys Tutor on the same board as a USB PICkit 2 SE (5V only) compatible programmer / debugger. The Junebug has everything you'd need for the midrange 10F thru 18F PICs. Unless you're debugging 30F series PICs the Junebug functions very much like the Inchworm with the Unicorn USB upgrade. It's both MPLAB 7.62 and PICkit 2 software compatible, the PICkit 2 software is programmer only (PIC autodetection is cool) and supports many Microchip EEPROMs too, there is also a TTL level UART terminal that's very handy. This is also the first blueroomelectronics kit to officially support the LAB-EASY prototyping system. LAB-EASY is a new advanced modular breadboarding system developed by my friend Eric Chan, I'll post more info on Erics LAB-EASY product line in the following weeks. Best of all we're hoping to get the complete kit price around $45. __________________ Bill Smart Kits build Smart People http://www.blueroomelectronics.com Last edited by blueroomelectronics; 16th October 2007 at 06:36 AM.

17th October 2007, 03:59 AM	#28 (permalink)
43617373 Experienced Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: BC Canada Posts: 45	Sorry if this is a stupid question but when I buy a Junebug will I still need to build a board for the Pic I want programmed? Or is the socket for the chip just always drawn like it is being used? __________________ Mechanical Engineers make weapons. Civil Engineers make targets.

17th October 2007, 04:53 AM	#29 (permalink)
blueroomelectronics Experienced Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,123 Blog Entries: 1	An ICP or ICD is designed for programming the PIC while in circuit, it's the modern method for many PICs. But if you want to program using a ZIF socket then you can build the Z version of the Firefly, only a few parts are needed. If you're new to PICs then you can practice using the MPLAB simulator or Oshonsofts simulator. __________________ Bill Smart Kits build Smart People http://www.blueroomelectronics.com Last edited by blueroomelectronics; 17th October 2007 at 04:57 AM.

17th December 2007, 04:10 AM	#30 (permalink)
August Treubig Experienced Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Arkansas Posts: 92	Inchworm+ and Unicorn I purchased and Inchworm+ and a Unicorn a couple of weeks ago. The only surprise was the USB A connector on the Unicorn. So I had to order an A to A cable to use with it. The Inchworm+ was pretty good, but when I got the cable and the Unicorn programmed the combo really works well together. My biggest learning curve was moving from the SourceBoost IDE to the MPLAB IDE, as I am using SourceBoost C. But I am surviving it quite well. It is so much more convenient to program the boards I am using which are some of Nigel's tutorial boards that I built. I added an ICSP connector to both the 16F628A and the 16F877A boards. Before I was using a JDM programmer and there was a lot of back and forth stuff. Now I am able to sit in the MPLAB IDE and do everything there.

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