I'd really like to see your WISP
http://www.xs4all.nl/~wf/wouter/pic/wisp/
 updated to support the '877 and other chips. It seems to be about the
lowest cost programmer with margining support. (chime in to let me know if
I'm wrong!) The only thing that makes it kinda rough is that it only
supports the '84 at this point. Have you thought about adding something like
Tony's the Engine
http://www.picnpoke.com/engine.html
 language to the firmware so that it can be extended to support may
different devices? BTY, has anyone thought about adding the definitions
necessary to allow the Engine to program (and possibly test) all the PIC
devices? Now, the Engine doesn't support margining, but as Dan noted, the
WISP could be extended with a feedback to a PIC with A2D and could generate
multiple different voltages. One pump for program enable, another for target
power. Adjust the second and you have any margining you like under PIC
control.

---
James Newton mailto:jamesnewton@geocities.com 1-619-652-0593
http://techref.massmind.org NEW! FINALLY A REAL NAME!
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-----Original Message-----
From: pic microcontroller discussion list
[mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of w. v. ooijen / f. hanneman
Sent: Sunday, March 19, 2000 13:36
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Old programmer to new flash??


> Your 0.5 guilder ($0.25) charge pump circuit is great. If you closed
> the loop by sensing the output with an A/D (eg, PIC71), it would be
> even better. [minor point - the RS-232 interface could be improved
> a little].

Thanks for the praise, but such a charge pump is rather standard. Using a
non-flash PIC is a bit against my principle: use something that enables a
quick code-and-try cycle. The RS232 interface is VERY crude - I was running
against the 100 pins limit of the free Ivex tools I used...

> I hope you come up with something equally great for the '87x.

I'm working on loader firmware that can cooperate with the dos WISP command
line tool. BTW I use a WISP programmer to program the 16F877 in-circuit,
works fine! I just modified the command-line tool a little because the code
protection bits in the fuses word of a 16f877 are different.

regards,
Wouter