pic16pro woes

[Mark Lazarides]

I've just connected my pic16pro to my computer, and tried to blow my first PIC. I'm getting an error message "Program Verify failed at 0x000, Programming aborted". I've tried a few hex files that I know have worked on other programmers (un -available to me now) but with the same message resulting. Any ideas anyone?

 

[Barry]

Hello Mark,
What software were you using to program with and what operating system are you using? I know picall is problematic with WinXP. Try using another software package like winpicprog.
Barry.

 

[Mark Lazarides]

Hi Barry, it was WinPicProg i was using.

I'm running Win 2000 Professional, on a 750MHz intel celeron III (mobile) processor . The kit was ready built on supply, so don't think it can be that.

 

[2camjohn]

I am no expert but I had the same problem using a pic16pro.



Have you done the hardware setup properly because using winpicprog solved my problem?

 

[Mark Lazarides]

errr... good point. What exactly do i need to do for the hardware setup? I thought I'd re-read everything three times, but must have missed something???

 

[Barry]

Hi,
What do you use to power your programmer. Need a good supply of at least 13V to get the programmer into programming mode. The cable is a straight through parallel cable. If you have done all this and it still does not work then you may have to get advice from the Guru's like Nigel. ( I am a complete novice and also still learning! ) I program using a home built power supply +15V and it worked fine from the word go.
Barry.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Hi,
What do you use to power your programmer. Need a good supply of at least 13V to get the programmer into programming mode. The cable is a straight through parallel cable. If you have done all this and it still does not work then you may have to get advice from the Guru's like Nigel. ( I am a complete novice and also still learning! ) I program using a home built power supply +15V and it worked fine from the word go.
Barry.

Yes, quite right!. The most common cause of this error is too little voltage on the MCLR pin - often caused by using an unregulated 'wall-wart' type power supply. I ran mine for years off two PP3 9V batteries in series, which provides plenty of headroom for the onboard regulators.

WinPicProg provides manual 'toggle' buttons which allow you to turn the various output lines on or off, by doing this you can measure the voltages on the actual PIC pins.

 

[Mark Lazarides]

This is so frustrating! I've got a 12V ac-ac adapter supplied from the same people as the kit. I've been assured it should work. WinPicProg is installed as it's supposed to be. The company that supplied kit and power supply assure me that they've sold hundreds with never a complaint. I'm still getting the same error, and can't see anything wrong! Could someone please supply the hardware setup up required for 18-pin programming using the PIC16PRO and WinPicProg, so i can count that out as the problem?

Thanks

Mark

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

This is so frustrating! I've got a 12V ac-ac adapter supplied from the same people as the kit. I've been assured it should work. WinPicProg is installed as it's supposed to be. The company that supplied kit and power supply assure me that they've sold hundreds with never a complaint. I'm still getting the same error, and can't see anything wrong! Could someone please supply the hardware setup up required for 18-pin programming using the PIC16PRO and WinPicProg, so i can count that out as the problem?

WinPicProg has two default settings for the P16PRO40, depending which buffer IC your one uses, the 7406 or the 7407 - you select this from the 'Options/Hardware' page with the 'Programmer Type' menu.

 

[Mark Lazarides]

I've tried that and I'm still getting the verify error. Should I bite the bullet and get another power supply? any suggestions from the Maplins catalogue?

 

[TKS]

the ic.??

how do you know if the uc is right

maybe the problem is still the pic r just a build fault..???

TKS

 

[Mark Lazarides]

I've g

 

[Mark Lazarides]

I've got three of them - two new and one which was successfully being programmed a week ago (using a different, now unavailable, programmer)

EDIT:
The chip that already carries a program has verify errors at adresses 0x1BX (it seems to vary across the 0x1B0 - 0x1BE range randomly). The two which haven't been programmed yet have the errors at 0x000 still. Is this consistent with a voltage problem?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I've tried that and I'm still getting the verify error. Should I bite the bullet and get another power supply? any suggestions from the Maplins catalogue?

I should try a couple of 9V batteries for a start, you could simply connect them with crocodile clip leads.

You should be aware that some PC's just don't seem to work (particularly laptops), there never seems any explanation for it, I've never had one which didn't, so I've not been able to investigate it.

If you have access to another PC you could try that.

Also, as presumably you've built it from a kit?, you should double check it's assembled correctly, and you don't have any dry joints or inadvertant shorts.

Using the toggle buttons on the hardware page, check the voltages as you switch them directly on the PIC pins.