PIC programmers

[carbonzit]

Got kind of a basic question; sorry if it's already been asked and answered here.

I'm not quite ready to go over to the PIC side; my µC of choice is still the (former Ubicom, now Parallax) SX-28. Problem is, I no longer have a programmer for this chip, and they're getting hard to find. So I may have to start using what everyone else in the world seems to be using.

My question is about programmers. Let's say someone wanted just the cheapest, most basic programmer to get started: what would they want to get? The SX-28 programmer I had ran off a serial port: are such ones available for PIC? or is everything USB? (I guess USB would work fine)

And what's the most basic software available for PIC? Since I prefer assembly language, all I need is an assembler and uploader. A debugger would be nice, too. Is there a package that just has these basic tools?

 

[futz]

Get a PICkit 2 or PICkit 3. Cheap and good.

Microchip's free IDE, MPLAB, comes with the assembler. MPLAB knows all about the PICkit 2 and 3 and handles flashing the chip.

If you add a C compiler or whatever later, they integrate into MPLAB too.

MPLAB works for all PICs, right from the little 10Fs right up to the PIC32.

 

[carbonzit]

Thanks, but dang, I totally forgot my DIY ethic: what about homemade programmers? I'm finding a lot of stuff on the web about them. Anyone have a good DIY design? Maybe USB?

 

[carbonzit]

Get a PICkit 2 or PICkit 3. Cheap and good.

I see DigiKey has the PICkit 2 Starter Kit for $49.95; is that about the cheapest thing available?

 

[be80be]

This works fine https://sites.google.com/site/be80be/be80be-pic-ing-howto-s/pickit2 It's a real easy to make clone I know I made it.

 

[DerStrom8]

I see DigiKey has the PICkit 2 Starter Kit for $49.95; is that about the cheapest thing available?

In my opinion, a starter kit is a waste of money. Just buy a PicKit2 from Mouser ($34.99 US) and chip (~$3.00 US) and get MPLAB IDE from the Microchip website for free. That's really all you need.
Der Strom

 

[carbonzit]

This works fine https://sites.google.com/site/be80be/be80be-pic-ing-howto-s/pickit2 It's a real easy to make clone I know I made it.

Hmm; I see you provide a programmed PIC with it, which I guess solves the chicken-and-egg problem: "Hey, I made this PIC programmer ... now how the hell do I program it?".

 

[carbonzit]

In my opinion, a starter kit is a waste of money. Just buy a PicKit2 from Mouser ($34.99 US) and chip (~$3.00 US) and get MPLAB IDE from the Microchip website for free. That's really all you need.
Der Strom

Ah, yes, read the catalog in haste: DigiKey has the programmer only ("PICkit 2 MCU programmer") for the same price.

 

[DerStrom8]

Ah, yes, read the catalog in haste: DigiKey has the programmer only ("PICkit 2 MCU programmer") for the same price.

If I remember right, DigiKey also has a price break of 5, so you would have to buy at least that many. With Mouser, it is possible to buy only one.

 

[carbonzit]

If I remember right, DigiKey also has a price break of 5, so you would have to buy at least that many. With Mouser, it is possible to buy only one.

No, in fact DigiKey doesn't even show anything except a "price each".

(They are "non-stock" items, though.)

 

[be80be]

For $12.00 you can make one like I showed you $15.00 max that if you live in the US

 

[DerStrom8]

No, in fact DigiKey doesn't even show anything except a "price each".

(They are "non-stock" items, though.)

This is the link I was talking about. I guess the price break is 4, not 5, but other than that, everything I said remains true. You could either make one like be80be's or buy one from Mouser--It's up to you.

 

[mad.scientist]

Sureelectronics, the ebay store has a fairly cheap clone of the PICkit 2.