You also might try pulling the pics themselves, sucjing their program out
and taking a look at the config word bits to make sure you are in HS mode.
I've had a flaky programmer problem where some of my PICS were getting bit
errors here and there on programming, especially in the config word area.


At 08:37 AM 6/14/00 -0400, Robert A. LaBudde wrote:
>At 07:40 PM 6/13/00 +0200, you wrote:
>>Hi,
>>
>>
>>I'm back from experimenting with the 2.5% failed PIC73B boards
>>that didn't run with the 18.432MHz xtals.
>>I tried several things to get the PIC clock running without changing
>>the xtal, but without any results sofar.
>
>After all this discussion, this may seem too obvious, but are the crystals
>you're using cut for the purpose intended?
>
>If not, adding a large series resistance (e.g., 100k-1M) with the PIC may
>solve the problem. Carbon composition versions are helpful because of the
>triggering noise they generate.
>
>You should also eliminate the possibility of too slow clock start-up: the
>PIC may not be bringing the oscillator up fast enough if it's poorly
>matched to the crystal. In this case larger capacitors may exacerbate the
>problem.
>
>Also, given the time you've already spend on this, I'd suggest you build a
>simple 1-transistor oscillator with a couple of variable capacitors and two
>socket pins to plug a crystal in. This is essentially done on a plug-in
>breadboard. Then you could experiment with a continuum of capacitances and
>series resistors and discover dead xtals without the complexity of the PIC
>in the loop.
>
>
>================================================================
>Robert A. LaBudde, PhD, PAS, Dpl. ACAFS  e-mail: ral@lcfltd.com
>Least Cost Formulations, Ltd.                   URL: http://lcfltd.com/
>824 Timberlake Drive                            Tel: 757-467-0954
>Virginia Beach, VA 23464-3239                   Fax: 757-467-2947
>
>"Vere scire est per causas scire"
>================================================================


Erik Reikes
Senior Software Engineer
Xsilogy, Inc.

ereikes@xsilogy.com
ph : (858) 535-5113
fax : (858) 535-5163
cell : (858) 663-1206