The thing is, you could eliminate all that using programmer plugins.  MChip
dictates ( or documents - I noticed the PS+ software is a DLL ) a DLL
interface and what is expected of the DLL.  All configuration, etc. can be
handled by the DLL (same concept as control panel applets). Really wouldn't
matter then.  All MPLAB has to do is load the DLL ( that you select) and
call various functions within the DLL to program a chip.

Sure would make life simple. Imagine being able to buy a programmer,
install the DLL in MPLAB, and your set.  Of course, right now, a person
using MPLAB has an added incentive to buy a PS+ <g>.

On Wednesday, August 04, 1999 10:43 PM, Mark Willis
[SMTP:mwillis@NWLINK.COM] wrote:
> Peter van Hoof wrote:
> >
> > [snip]
> > > > 2. support for 3rd party programmers, esp. the direct from
> > > > parallel port kind.
> > > This is a possibility.  Whoever makes these, contact me at
> > > darrel.johansen@microchip.com and we can discuss.  I know
> > > the PICSTART Plus interface has been hacked --with that data,
> > > just about anyone could hook into the interface.
> > [snip]
> >
> > most(all?) parallel port programmers are based on AN589 with some
> > variations:
> >
> > inverters instead of buffers (so you would need the option to be able
to set
> > normal or inverted outputs.
> >
> > different lines used for outputs and inputs, a nice example of what
> > parameters you would need and how to present this to the user is
written by
> > Nigel Goodwin "wpicprog" that you can download from
> > http://www.lpilsley.demon.co.uk/programs.htm
> >
> > Peter van Hoof
>
> Just as an aside, this is going to be pretty hard for some programmers
> (Example:  The Needham's EMP-20 here), I suspect it doesn't use anything
> like the example you mention <G>  Some others (The Parallax unit here)
> are pretty do-able (though easy enough to move to a serial port based
> unit.)
>
>   Mark