Hi,

I am having a problem programming chips with an Olimex USB programmer (pickstart plus clone).

I have set the programmer in MPLab to Pickstart Plus and the Olimex appears to opperate the same whether there is a chip in the ZIF socket or not. If I read when there is no chip in the socket it gives me the same HEX file as if the chip is in there. Also if I do a blank check without a chip in the ZIF then it says device is blank when I would have thought it would have given some kind of error.

Any suggestions for this problem?

Using MPLab version 8.33, PIC18F4520 and the Olimex board says 2005.

Where do you get the upgrade from and how is it done?

Ok did that but didn't change anything and still get the same result.

When I connect to the Olimex through MPLab it says I have PICSTART Plus Firmware Version 04.50.09 so I'm assuming this is the latest version (Upgrade 130).

Well can you firstly tell me whether a picstart plus should give the response "Read successfully" when there is no chip in the zif socket to read?

What could be causing it to think there is or what could it actually be reading? Could it be the 18F252 that's part of the programmer?

What do you mean by "you know you have to have the 18f252 installed"? Yes it is in installed in the programmer which has been used before no problems, I have just inherited it from somone.