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PICKIT ZIF sockets.

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Nigel Goodwin

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A while back I posted a simple 18 pin ZIF socket veroboard design here, and I've recently been using one for programming a fair PIC's as I've been building PCB's at home during lock down.

I've now exhausted the old design PCB's, and will be moving to a different PIC on the next generation boards, which will be 28 pin - so I thought I'd design a ZIF PCB for it this time, and order from JLCPCB - I also thought 'why not make it multifunctional while I'm doing' so it will accept various size PIC's, I've seen various such examples online over the years.

Anyway, rather than go through all the datasheets to check the ISCP pins on different devices I thought I'd google it, as there's bound to be numerous examples that people have already done, and it will save working it all out.

My personal favourite was this one:


As rather than numerous plug-in links to select different devices, you simply plug the PICKIT in one of three places (and I may still build one like that).

However, another link was this:


Which is ludicrously cheap (less than half the cost of the ZIF alone from RS Components), comes from the UK, and has free postage - so I ordered one.

If anyone is looking for a cheap ZIF adaptor for their PICKIT then it looks well worth a try.
 
I have one of those in the second link but only use it for 40 pin... I have a demo board that came with one of my pickit2's DM164130-3
and I use that for 8 pin and the newer 18 pin devices with the power at the end..

BUT I might make one of those prefab's so I can do eeproms... It's a pretty good idea
 
Nigel, I like the first one. I did a ZIF programming adapter something like that for some of the common ATTiny 8, 14, and 20 pin chips... And since all of the 8/14/20 pin PICs use the same programming pins, I added a connector and the wiring to program them with my PICKIT 3...

I can't wait to see what you come up with...

Take care & stay safe... Cheerful regards, Mike

attiny_pic.png
attiny_adapter.png
 
I purchased six of these over a year ago when shipping was still free... they're really not bad quality...

ZIF socket.png
 
Nigel, I like the first one. I did a ZIF programming adapter something like that for some of the common ATTiny 8, 14, and 20 pin chips... And since all of the 8/14/20 pin PICs use the same programming pins, I added a connector and the wiring to program them with my PICKIT 3...

I can't wait to see what you come up with...

Take care & stay safe... Cheerful regards, Mike

View attachment 124616View attachment 124617

That's really nice, beautiful dual purpose board - good idea :D

You must have had a 'eureka moment'!

Nice purchase on the cheap ZIF sockets as well.
 
Any board set up for ICSP (for a particular pin package) can be made into a programming board. Just solder in a ZIF socket and header connector for the ICSP

When the need came to to re-program a bunch of 28 pin 18F parts, I whipped up a ZIF programming board using a blank board from a not-so-successful project.
 
Any board set up for ICSP (for a particular pin package) can be made into a programming board. Just solder in a ZIF socket and header connector for the ICSP

When the need came to to re-program a bunch of 28 pin 18F parts, I whipped up a ZIF programming board using a blank board from a not-so-successful project.

That obviously limits you to that particular sized device though, by using a 40 pin ZIF socket (and a suitable board) you can program anything up to, and including, 40 pins. It all assumes that a ZIF socket would fit in the available space, which it should do - the only potential obstacle would be the header connector - so it depends how close it is to the PIC socket.
 
Yes, it obviously limits you to a particular size package as I stated.

It wasn't meant to take anything away from your post – only to offer an alternative option to somebody desiring a quick&dirty solution, using parts they might already have.
 
That obviously limits you to that particular sized device though, by using a 40 pin ZIF socket (and a suitable board) you can program anything up to, and including, 40 pins. It all assumes that a ZIF socket would fit in the available space, which it should do - the only potential obstacle would be the header connector - so it depends how close it is to the PIC socket.
Here's one I did some years ago:
 
Here's one I did some years ago:

Funnily enough that's the thread where I posted my veroboard 18 pin version :D
 
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