COM84 Programmer question

I saw that WinPic has support for a programmer called COM84. And i found this scematic which is very simple:
**broken link removed**

Is there anyone who has any experience about that one.

My thought i that the 16F84 and the 16F88 has the same pinout, then it would be possible to program a 16F88 with this one to. Is that correct?

Then it would of course be possible to program any device if i just change sockets and check in the PIC's datasheets for PGD, PGC, VDD, VSS and MCLR and connect them to the right pins on the uC?


Would it even work as a ICSP, or do that require other hardware?

brodin said:

I saw that WinPic has support for a programmer called COM84. And i found this scematic which is very simple:
**broken link removed**

Is there anyone who has any experience about that one.

Click to expand...

It's a variation on the JDM style programmers, and as such depends on the serial port been over specification, on some computers it will work, on some it won't.

My thought i that the 16F84 and the 16F88 has the same pinout, then it would be possible to program a 16F88 with this one to. Is that correct?

Click to expand...

As long as the software supports it, it should be OK.

Then it would of course be possible to program any device if i just change sockets and check in the PIC's datasheets for PGD, PGC, VDD, VSS and MCLR and connect them to the right pins on the uC?

Click to expand...

Again, depending on the software.

Would it even work as a ICSP, or do that require other hardware?

Click to expand...

You need more hardware in the target circuit, rather than in the programmer - but as it's powered off the TXD line, you would need to isolate power to the PIC, and also to make sure the oscillator can't run.

Okay, thanks Nigel for the answer!
If there is anyone who has tried this one, please tell me!

As i dont have a programmer yet i'm gonna build one of these. I will let you know how it turns out!

davepusey said:

As i dont have a programmer yet i'm gonna build one of these. I will let you know how it turns out!

Click to expand...

Great!