PicStart Plus Obsolete?

[jpanhalt]

The brown truck just delivered some new chips, including 12F1840 and 16F1829, plus a PicKit3 to program them. Should be a great weekend.

My PicStart Plus has been updated to the latest firmware, but as you probably know, it does not support those chips. Aside from potential problems with the pinouts for some newer chips, is there any electronic reason that programmer can't be made to work with revised firmware?

Is Microchip working on it? I could find nothing on its site.

John

 

[jpanhalt]

Just heard for Microchip on my ticket -- pretty fast response. There is no electronic reason, apparently. It is simply that Microchip doesn't intend to upgrade the PicStart+ firmware for newer chips. They still sell the programmer, though.

John

 

[Mike - K8LH]

The brown truck just delivered some new chips, including 12F1840 and 16F1829, plus a PicKit3 to program them. Should be a great weekend.

Shiny new stuff... Way cool! You're gonna' have so much fun (grin)...

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

They still sell the programmer, though.

I wasn't say I aware it was still for sale?, I thought it had been discontinued years ago - but I've never had reason to look.

Perhaps it's simply because the PICStart+ still covers a good number of old devices the later PICKit's don't?.

 

[jpanhalt]

It is really quite convenient, and so far, I have not needed to use external power to do ICSP.



Price is $199.99, 27 in stock, and more expected 2/2/12.

Various retailers on eBay sell the PK3 plus ZIF adapters for $76.95
**broken link removed**

And, that is for a real PK3, not a Chinese knock-off. I got the PK3 from my regular supplier but the sockets from that eBay vendor. His name is Ed, and he is really genuine guy if you need to contact him. I have not received the adapters yet due to a screw-up by PayPal, but in speaking with Ed yesterday, his adapters include jumpers so you can apply external power, if needed.

John

 

[Diver300]

Microchip make a lot of money selling obsolete stuff. They still sell the 16F84A at well over twice the price of a 16F628A. There are some customers for whom change would be too expensive, so Microchip continue to sell the old stuff as long as there is demand, while making no secret of the fact that newer products are cheaper and better. The PICSTART Plus is an example of that.

I think that Microchip serve their customers much better than many manufacturers like this. Far too many products become unavailable and leave customers having to spend lots of money redesigning products or processes.

However, I wouldn't recommend a PICSTART Plus any more. When I used one, I built an adapter so that I could do in-circuit programming.