Stewart Smith wrote:

>...Having to set the fuses every time is
>annoying. In my opinion, a major improvement would be for it to simply
>remember the last settings when it starts up.

The various spec sheets define addresses for all fuses. ASPIC supports 
setting these in the source files, and I prefer to use programmers which 
also do.

>Another point to consider: the programming specs (eg. DS30153D) say that 
the
>devices should be verified at VDD min as well as VDD max, yet I see no 
>evidence that PICSTART does this. Does anyone know what goes on here?

Microchip has pointed out many times (at least on their BBS) that PICSTART 
is NOT considered a "production" programmer, however, we only use Baradine 
Microburners,
which I don't believe program VDD (I may be wrong).  Getting the fuses 
wrong and the
accumulated labour of manually going through all of those menus on 
Promaster are more
of a concern than the small chance that a product which passes all other 
tests will fail under low voltage (which will reset anyway)!

- Don