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pic ident codes

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spuffock

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I have a problem with some PIC16LF84 chips, required for continued production of an ancient piece of equipment. None of my programmers will accept them. I understand that there is a hex ident on the chips, which seems for some reason not to be mentioned on the PIC datasheets. Does anyone have a clue what this ident is for this particular chip?
 
As far as I know it doesn't have them, it's only the more recent chips that do.

If your programmer will program a 16LF628 use that instead, any code changes are very minimal and easy to do - if you can't manage it, I can do it for you.
 
What programmers have you tried?.

Certainly WinPicProg doesn't do any ID checking - there didn't seem any point adding it, as too many PIC's don't have it.
 
There is one by Forest (Robin Abbott) , that must be three years old now, and the ICD2, which gets updated every new MPLAB.
As to the chips, there will be another lot wanted this time next year, so it's about time I caught up with developments. I haven't looked at the 16f628 yet, it's my guess you just have to write to a config register to tell it you don't want analogue. The ones that won't program will be difficult to get by then.
 
spuffock said:
There is one by Forest (Robin Abbott) , that must be three years old now, and the ICD2, which gets updated every new MPLAB.

Well the ICD2 should really program it, it's kept up to date and everything.

What are the exact errors you get?.

As to the chips, there will be another lot wanted this time next year, so it's about time I caught up with developments. I haven't looked at the 16f628 yet, it's my guess you just have to write to a config register to tell it you don't want analogue. The ones that won't program will be difficult to get by then.

Yes, it takes two extra lines to turn off the analogue comparators, a change of GPR start address, and a different config fuse setting - it's really VERY trivial to do (which was why I offered to do it :D ).
 
The ICD2 indicates no for 16f84, although it'll handle a 16f84a. The old one says there's no chip in the programmer, or it doesn't recognise the chip, or it can't erase the chip. It won't deal with the 16c84 either. Something has to be done in a hurry, the obvious thing is to get one of your programmers.
 
spuffock said:
The ICD2 indicates no for 16f84, although it'll handle a 16f84a. The old one says there's no chip in the programmer, or it doesn't recognise the chip, or it can't erase the chip. It won't deal with the 16c84 either. Something has to be done in a hurry, the obvious thing is to get one of your programmers.

If you want to PM me and send me a few of your PIC's and the HEX file?, I'll confirm I can program them here and send you them back.

I checked the readme for the ICD2, and it lists the 16F84A as supported, no mention (obviously) of the 16C84 the difference between the F84 and F84A is VERY tiny, it's just a later silicon revision of the same chip - I seem to remember they program identically?.

How come you've got 84's and not 84A's?, the 84 stopped a LONG, LONG time ago.
 
The ProPic2 handles the 16C84/A and LF84 no problem using the 16C84A as the target. I think it's more a timing issue you are having, run your forest programmer from an old slow machine <300Mhz as a lot of the simple programmers handled their timing based on the PC hardware, rather than a calculated value. The ICD2 I don't think handles the timing for the older chips now, though I may be wrong on that, although the ICD1 definately did. As with most EEprom based parts, the write pulse is much longer than their Flash based cousins, so if the PC is flying, and the timing of the software is proportional to the PC, it may be that the write pulse is just too narrow now to program the target.
 
tunedwolf said:
The ICD2 I don't think handles the timing for the older chips now, though I may be wrong on that, although the ICD1 definately did. As with most EEprom based parts, the write pulse is much longer than their Flash based cousins, so if the PC is flying, and the timing of the software is proportional to the PC, it may be that the write pulse is just too narrow now to program the target.

All the timing for the ICD2 is governed by the on-board processor, all the PC does is send the data to it over a serial link - the speed of the machine has no bearing at all. This is because the ICD2 is a real serial port programmer, as opposed to a crude one connected to the handshake lines (like a JDM).
 
Perhaps, I wasn't making myself clear. I was refering to the Forest programmer with regard to the timing issue. I still don't think the ICD2 supports the older chips though, but like I stated, I could be wrong. I know the ICD1 definately did however.
 
tunedwolf said:
Perhaps, I wasn't making myself clear. I was refering to the Forest programmer with regard to the timing issue. I still don't think the ICD2 supports the older chips though, but like I stated, I could be wrong. I know the ICD1 definately did however.

It supports the 16F84, but not the 16C84.
 
So I went to the new Maplin store in Oxford and bought a cheap programmer.
Problem solved.
Isn't it a bummer when the two bits of kit you have that agree are BOTH wrong?
Funny, they still both agree, this time about the change of address, from the kit cupboard to the rubbish bin!
 
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Oh...you didn't bin an ICD2...did ya ?
if ya did, send me yer address and I'll be round to dig it back out again ;)
 
hehe...I have no doubt that the PIC's are rubbish...but they are great at what they were designed for...I use em virtually every day :D

Just for a moment there I thought you binned the ICD2...thought my luck was in ;)
 
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