Okay. I'm new to PICs in general, so don't be shocked at how little I
know. :)

I've been trying to program an '84, preferably via RS232. I've tried
several schematics (some parallel instead), and have intermittant
results.

I have two schematics that I'm particularly fond of (because I'm trying to
integrate the programmer into the final "product", and these lend
themselves to it well). If anyone has used either of these and/or can give
me helpful hints as to what problems they've found, I would much
appreciate it. If anyone knows of a "better" circuit (i.e. one that's
simple, that has freely available software for programming it, and it
works), I'd love to know.

#1.
I first tried the RS232 circuit that runs under PIP. Its schematic is
available from ftp://rasi.lr.ttu.ee/pub/SIS/CAD/DIY/BITMAPS/com84.gif. It
looks like the serial info is getting to the pic; however, I don't know
enough about the programming timing to tell if it's working correctly or
not. PIP-02 (with pinapi driver installed) goes through the motions, and
reports "Error Programming Device!".

#2.
I've tried the blowpic program and its related circuit:

;                                                       PC Power Supply
;                                PIC16C84
;    Parallel Port Pin          .--------.     Switch /o----- GND
;                   (2)  D0  ---{13     4}----------o/ o----- +12V
;                   (3)  D1  ---{12    14}--------.
;                               |   5  16}-+-%%%%-`--- +5V
;                               `----+---' |   2.2K Resistor (*)
;                                    |    =*= 10uF Capacitor (*)
;                   (25) GND --------`-----`---------- GND
;

This is the only one that I've gotten to work at all. It won't work for
long periods of time, then suddenly, when I'm good and frustrated with
it (and have assumed that I've blown out the pic), I get it to program
correctly (i.e. run a different program than was in it last).

Help?

Jorj

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Jorj Bauer                                  |   gbauer@eniac.seas.upenn.edu
CETS Network Operations                     |         200 S. 33rd St.
School of Engineering and Applied Science   |   Moore Building, Room 166-A
University of Pennsylvania                  |     Philadelphia, PA 19104
http://binky.seas.upenn.edu/~gbauer         |         (215) 898-0575
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