Microchip PIC 16C745/765 / 18F6720/8720 RS232 ICSP

[TiagoSilva]

Hello ! I'm back, it was a long time since my last post here, i'm sorry for this, but i was very busy for i had some other things to do...

So here is my problem i've searched some sites trying to find a good ICSP interface to RS232 so that i may program the Pic's, the 16C7x5 came with USB interface, can i use the USB to program them too ?? this could be cool. I also need programmer for the others too, but and even major problem as come to me, the programmer software (i'm using WinXP) i allready have PonyProg but Lanco's hasn't updated the interface for some time and the Microchip Pic's support is very reduced when compared with Atmel, i think it just supports the old 16x series it doesn't even have the new 16C7x5 (USB) and sure not the 18Fx720 so here i am again bugging you with my problems i just hope you can help with your vast experience in this field.

Thanks all, see you soon i hope, bye.

 

[TiagoSilva]

Come on guys don't you have nothing on this matter ??? Come one gimme a help here i need a fresh hobby now that i have money !

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

The USB interface in the 745 isn't anything to do with programming it, also it's an OTP PIC, so you need to buy the very expensive JW UV eraseable version for prototyping, plus a UV eraser.

Your existing programmer will probably work OK, but you need software that supports the PICs you want, as it connects to the serial port I would suggest you try ICProg, which supports a number of serial port programmers.

WinPicProg supports the 16C745, but only works with parallel port programmers.

 

[TiagoSilva]

ICProg hmm i didn't knew that one, well thanks a lot , now it's just build the JDM interface right ? It should work with them all, yes ?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

ICProg hmm i didn't knew that one, well thanks a lot , now it's just build the JDM interface right ? It should work with them all, yes ?

Personally I wouldn't recommend the JDM programmer, it's crude design means it has reliability problems as it relies on the serial port handshake lines being above RS232 specification.

In general parallel port programmers are far more reliable, and give much less trouble - this is one reason that WinPicProg doesn't support serial port programmers!. You will notice that I give support, and even run a support forum, the author of ICProg doesn't even answer emails - presumably due to an influx of problems with JDM type programmers.

Probably the 'best' programmers are those which are true 'serial port' programmers, and have a processor on the programmer board - the PC simply transfers the data to the programmer, and the on-board processor does the actual programming. Unfortunately these programmers are by far the most expensive, and also require the on-board processor re-programming to add extra PIC's. The PICStart Plus is the classic example of this type of programmer.

 

[TiagoSilva]

You are right as most of the times i guess , there is an old portuguese saying that says that "We should only speak when we know what we are saying", this is your case .

The JDM Interface is clearlly the worst since it also drains the 12 programming volts from the data lines themselves so it's more likelly we have failures sometimes.
Unfortunatlly as you told me your programmer software hasn't support for the 18F series so i must use the ICProg wich i also sow that it also supports the Parallel interface as it has some programmers working on the LPT1 port, is your programmer hardware compactible with any of the interfaces there ???

More one question your software to program was developed in what lang ? Delphi, Visual Basic, Visual C++, ... ??? Is it open source for new changes (with your credits of course) because i am a Visual Basic and Visual C++ programmer i worked in the past with code such as the OpenGL and the DirectX but it was very boring so i turn to the electronics its ratter fisical than virtual .

Resumming : Your Parallel PIC Programmer works with what designs in the ICProg ? Is your software open source ?

Thanks Mr. Nigel for your great help and attention
Have a nice sunday.

 

[Exo]

Is your programmer hardware compactible with any of the interfaces there ???

Yes the P16PRO40 can be used with ic-prog. I believe it was the "ProPic 2" you should select in the hardware menu.

More one question your software to program was developed in what lang ? Delphi, Visual Basic, Visual C++, ... ???

It's written in Delphi.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Unfortunatlly as you told me your programmer software hasn't support for the 18F series so i must use the ICProg wich i also sow that it also supports the Parallel interface as it has some programmers working on the LPT1 port, is your programmer hardware compactible with any of the interfaces there ???

I support some of the 18F series in the latest beta, but ICProg supports more.

None of the programmers on my site are actually my designs, the P16PRO40 was derived from the original David Tait designs by Bojan Dobaj.

As Exo has already mentioned, ICProg supports the P16PRO40 as 'ProPic 2'. Also as Exo as mentioned, my Windows software is written in Delphi, actually Delphi 6.0 - the DOS versions were written in Turbo Pascal.

My code isn't open source, but I did release the old Delphi 1.0 16 bit code, there's a link on my website to download it from Dontronics. In fact the author of ICProg used my original 16 bit 16C84 assembler as part of ICProg.

 

[TiagoSilva]

Yeah :lol: i have the PicPro2 and the P16PRO40 Schematic's :lol: they have little changes still i have some fear before risking in loosing my money building the wrong interface :lol: , but the parallel interface with the buffer looks faar better and more reliable than the JDM. I will try to mix the best features of the ProPic2 and the P16PRO40 Interfaces and build my own compactible with the ProcPic2.

Thanks for your help, i will now work on what you told me.
Bye.