EasyPIC 4 Question

so I've always programmed my PIC's with the EasyPIC 4 and then placed them in the project I was building using sockets but I'm building a board that I can use to learn with trying to build a robot and I figured I'd try in circuit programming. So now I've got it all wired up and built the cord for icp and all, reboot to windows and get my programmer out only to realize that it doesn't have a spot to plug in for icp, it just came with the picflash manual.... So I was wondering do you think that since the easypic4 has pins for hooking up external devices to all the pins do you think I could just plug the chip up to those pins (only the 5 that correspond with programming of course) and it program? I don't know if that made sense but I'll try to explain it better if anyone needs me to. Thanks

I haven't try it but I would bet you could do it if you keep your wire short. Like no more then a foot long it not going to hurt to try it. just hook to the 1 you would use. mclr vdd vss rb7 rb6 and it should work.

It will not be that easy to convert EasyPic4 to ICD

The "extension" on the right side of the board covers only "standard io pins" so you miss the MCLR pin that you will have to connect from the board... (depends on the socket type really, for smaller pic's mclr is multiplexed with the io pin so then you have it on the extension port).

It can be done... but if I can offer another solution, get **broken link removed** or pickit2 or build pickit2 clone (schematic is free) that is real HVP programmer, it works much faster the pk2, uses 1 pin less (you do not need PGM with HVP) ... and it is defacto standard

I may look into that, and I didn't even think about mclr and all of that hmmm... I am going to be using it on a PIC18F2450 so it does have porte sharing the mclr pin so that one shouldn't be a problem. I think I'll try fiddling with it a little tonight because I would really avoid having to build/buy anything new as I'm a college (read: poor) student haha.
Thanks for the advise though if I can't get that to work tonight I'll probably just build a programmer for it.

with 18f2450 it should work, you need mclr, vpp, gnd, pgc, pgd and pgm pins .. all should be available on the ports as mclr is shared with e3 iirc

be sure to turn off leds, 7segs... take off the jumper from push-up/pull-down for all ports and it should work ... and, as be80be already told ya, make the cable short .. as short as possible.

you can do it with this use the socket

dang I hadn't thought about that, thanks. I tried that this morning but I've got a couple of questions before I screw something up. So in the book the programmers connections that it gives is

.........VCC OO MCU-VCC
.........RB6 OO PGC (RB6)
.........RB7 OO PGD (RB7)
.......MCLR OO MCLR (MCLR)
.MCU-GND OO GND

So the three in the middle on the right side I think would just be bridged with the three on the left (because they're for a user interface). The gnd on the bottom right I don't think I would need either. And the top left vcc I shouldn't have to connect. Am I right in thinking this? Or how would you recommend hooking it up?

https://www.electro-tech-online.com/custompdfs/2009/02/picflash_manual.pdf
the way I've got it wired on my board is like the second picture on page five (with the leds and push button)

That will work you could make you a adapter for it and use it like a pickit 2 you just need the 5 pins on left

Cool, so I was looking in the manual and couldn't I just bridge the two rows and have the leds work and stuff or not? The reason I ask is that later in the manual it says to bridge them once your done programming but wouldn't it still program if I went ahead and bridged them since I'm only using 5 pins? I appreciate all this help.

I cannot say if picflash icd is same as the one onboard ... if you check the set of jumpers you need to "change" when using different sockets .. the JP5 is used to select PGM pin (Low-voltage ICSP Programming enable pin) ...

IIRC EP4 is LVP and it needs PGM to program PIC. The HV ICSP do not need LVP pin set and then do not need PGM pin ... from the picflash manual, I'd say it is HVP device...

The LVP bit of the Configuration Word enables low-voltage ICSP programming. This mode allows the microcontroller to be programmed via ICSP using a VDD source in the operating voltage range. This only means that VPP does not have to be brought to VIHH but can instead be left at the normal operating voltage. In this mode, the RB3/PGM pin is dedicated to the programming function and ceases to be a general purpose I/O pin. During programming, VDD is applied to the MCLR pin. To enter Programming mode, VDD must be applied to the RB3/PGM provided the LVP bit is set. The LVP bit defaults to on (‘1’) from the factory.

Click to expand...

I do not have picflash2 (that seams to be HVP device) but I do have EasyPic4 and I always assumed it is LVP as it has those PGM jumpers ... will measure it now durin programming, maybe it is actually a HVP programmer too

..................

darn, I was wrong all along ... the EasyPic4 is HVP !!!

I just measured 13V on MCLR ?!?!?

Now, this is strange!
- why PGM switches .. they are not needed
- why EP4 sometimes cannot read/write PIC and you have to reprogram in "other" device before it works in EP4 again ?!?!?!

this is strange (not to mention all the people I lied telling them EP4 is LVP )

psecody said:

Cool, so I was looking in the manual and couldn't I just bridge the two rows and have the leds work and stuff or not? The reason I ask is that later in the manual it says to bridge them once your done programming but wouldn't it still program if I went ahead and bridged them since I'm only using 5 pins? I appreciate all this help.

Click to expand...

the led's are "rest of the circuit" the deal with jumpers is, remove jupmers and programmer is connected to pic but rest of the circuit connected to those pins is disconnected, when you remove the programmer, put the jumpers on and rest of the circuit is connected....

so basically it would still work if I just bridged those connections? I just want to get my stuff 100% straight before I go to soldering because I'm doing it on a tiny board and it will basically have to be scrapped and started completely over if I screw something up.

depends on tjhe circuit ... led can overload the line enough that you can get errors while programming.... I always put jumpers on pgc/pgd pins so I can disconnect rest of the circuit while programming...

You don't need but the 5 on the left to program Like arhi said If you over load rb6 and rb7 it will not program I make my boards so I can jumper the program pins and have no problems. And I use a diode on mclr with a pullup to block it from put 13volts where I don't want it.

well i tried just using the mcuvcc and then the bottom 4 on the left but it didn't look like it worked. I wrote a program to flash an led on portc 0 but all it did was leave the led on it didn't flash and I'm pretty sure its not the code so I'll make a schematic in eagle and post that and then the code I'm using when I get off work but I'm fixing to have to leave and don't have time to mess with it now. Also I wanted to use the internal osc but I'm not sure I'm setting it to the right one because all the osc choices that use the internal osc also selects an external clock for usb and I'm confused on that. I just put it on internal osc for mcu and hs for usb but I don't know if that works or not. Anyway I really appreciate you guys puttin' up with all my questions, thanks.

If you hook it up like this it should work use a diode not the 470 ohm