DB9 Pic all pic programmer

[BGAmodz]

Am planning to make a DIY Pic programmer , the advantage of this one it that there is no need of a "pic18f2550" on board , but the problem is that it has a DB9 connection , can i turn it to usb using a DB9 to usb converter ??? am planning to use it with my laptop .

Please share your ideas


here is the pic programmer :
website link : http://cleanenergy.hubpages.com/hub/DIY-PIC-programmer#

 

[3v0]

Is there a reason you don't buy a PicKit3 or build a PicKit2 clone ?

, the advantage of this one it that there is no need of a "pic18f2550" on board ,

This is only an advantage if you can't get your hands on a programmed 18F2550 to make it. If that is the case breadboard a simple programmer and program the 18F2550 to build a better programmer!

 

[BGAmodz]

Thanks , i will search for a good tutorial

 

[tunedwolf]

I wouldn't waste my time on this programmer if I were you. I see nothing but frustration in store for you further up the line with it, for various reasons. Also the cost of building it would more than cover the cost of a good PICKit clone that works reliably, integrates into your IDE, provides other useful functions and is a software upgrade away from supporting new devices

 

[BGAmodz]

I have found this clone and the schematic for it " m-azrul.blogspot" , i will use eagle to create the layout but the problem is where can i find the 18F firmware ? i cant find it on microchip's website , and how should i connect the zif socket to the PDAT , PCLK ,, VDD, VSS outputs ??

 

[tunedwolf]

I appreciate that you're all about getting your hands dirty, and I applaud the "builder" in you, but sometimes it just does not make economical sense, let alone the effort required. When I mentioned a clone of the PICKit, I didn't mean go and build one, I was thinking along the lines of getting something like these:

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**

Save that "builder" energy for what you can do with your new programmer

 

[3v0]

I wouldn't waste my time on this programmer if I were you. I see nothing but frustration in store for you further up the line with it, for various reasons. Also the cost of building it would more than cover the cost of a good PICKit clone that works reliably, integrates into your IDE, provides other useful functions and is a software upgrade away from supporting new devices

BGAmodz isn't listening!

 

[BGAmodz]

I appreciate that you're all about getting your hands dirty, and I applaud the "builder" in you, but sometimes it just does not make economical sense, let alone the effort required. When I mentioned a clone of the PICKit, I didn't mean go and build one, I was thinking along the lines of getting something like these:

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed**

Save that "builder" energy for what you can do with your new programmer

Lol , THE BUILDER IN ME , yes but am just trying to make this because i have a lot of components that i collected over time , i just taught this is the right time to use them and also a fun thing to do this week end .
The things i don't have are only the 18F uC and the Zif socket , i have already made some electronic PCBs as a trial and i feel like the only challenge now is to make the layout for this new schematic .

Please 3vo , how the ZIF socket is connected with respect to the Programmer outputs ???

 

[3v0]

99.9% of micro controller programming is done in circuit. For PICs you need a header with 5 lines on your target board MCLR, VDD,VSS, SCLK, and SDA. Out of circuit programming is done so rarely that a zif is not needed. I made a PCB that I can plug the pickit into with various sockets for programming PICs out of circuit if I have to. Use is very infrequent. Maybe 3 times in 5 years.

Microchip updates the pickit3 software so it is always up to date for the latest processors. It also functions as an in circuit debugger. Lets you set break points etc and run the code on the real hardware using the debugger interface in mplab8 or mplab X.

Buy the pickit and you can spend time on things you want to develope.

 

[JonSea]

People who attempt to build these JDM-style programmers spend all of their time trying to make them work rather than actually doing any other projects. Modern serial ports just don't work for these programmers any more, and while some USB converters are supposed to work, most people spend more money trying to find THE converter that will work than a PICkit would have cost.

 

[BGAmodz]

99.9% of micro controller programming is done in circuit. For PICs you need a header with 5 lines on your target board MCLR, VDD,VSS, SCLK, and SDA. Out of circuit programming is done so rarely that a zif is not needed. I made a PCB that I can plug the pickit into with various sockets for programming PICs out of circuit if I have to. Use is very infrequent. Maybe 3 times in 5 years.

Microchip updates the pickit3 software so it is always up to date for the latest processors. It also functions as an in circuit debugger. Lets you set break points etc and run the code on the real hardware using the debugger interface in mplab8 or mplab X.

Buy the pickit and you can spend time on things you want to develope.

OK thanks for this , after thinking more about it i se that i don't need any zif , because i only will be using one pic version most of the time .

But i will any way try to make that pickit clone .

 

[tunedwolf]

3v0 already answered your question, MCLR, VDD,VSS, SCLK, and SDA. Just look at the datasheet for the device you are using to find the respective pin numbers

I rarely program a device out of circuit these days, so I wouldn't bother building a board. If I have no other option, I'll pull the device from the pcb, stick the device on some breadboard and program it that way, with a header right off the PICKit, but like I said, it's rare that I have to. I usually just build my application circuit, firstly on breadboard to work out any kinks, then I'll make a pcb for it. I get enough of the general "get me up and running" code done at the breadboard stage, then just finish and debug it directly on the application pcb. The good thing about the PIC families of devices is that quite often you can just use whatever device in DIP package you have to hand when bread boarding and getting up and running code done, with very little code modification required when you move to your application pcb and your real target device