> >MPLAB supports  serialization via the SQTP feature.
> >Look under the PROMATE menu.
>
> but you cannot get at the data from your program! This always seems to be a major omission
> by Mchip.
>

Certainly you can.  What I do is have the SQTP file patch a two-byte
straight binary serial number as two RETLW instructions.  My startup
code uses the standard table lookup trick where you CALL each
location in succession.

Maybe you are thinking of the "ID" locations.  Those are not
accessible via your code.  I use them for model number or version
number (software rev) and use SQTP to build a table for serialization.

You don't have to use SQTP to do this, but it sure is nice.

I found it easier to administer the SQTP file by editing it directly
rather than trying to use the MPLAB tool which generated it at first.
Its just a .HEX file, and each burn MPLAB uses the first non-comment
line to patch the code space, then comments out that one line of the
file.  So you can build an arbitrary list of serial numbers of config
codes or whatever, and MPLAB will work through the list one line at a
time.

-Barry.
------------
Barry King, KA1NLH
NRG Systems "Measuring the Wind's Energy"
http://www.nrgsystems.com
Check out the accumulated (PIC) wisdom of the ages at:
PIC/PICList FAQ: http://www.piclist.org