This is an excellent bit of info, thanks Howard.  It would be nice if it
could do debugging over the ICSP cable, but the extra features outweigh that
IMHO.  I have actualy slightly modified the Microchip unit to enable it to
use separate PSU which has helped keep my sanity.  The noise issue is the
biggest gripe I had, so it looks as if Transdada will be making a sale
shortly!

Regards

Mike

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Howard Cripe [SMTP:Howard@CRIPE.COM]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 3:56 PM
> To:   PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject:      Re: I got those ICD blues
>
> We have both the Microchip ICD unit (designed by Advanced Transdata) and a
> parallel unit from Advanced Transdata. The parallel ICD is almost twice
> faster at programming than the serial Microchip ICD. It also provides some
> external trigger input pins to set up externally triggered breakpoints. It
> is different, though, in that it connects to the target board more like an
> In Circuit Emulator. You put the PIC chip on the ICD board, then connect a
> 40 pin ribbon cable (with a DIP plug) into the socket for the PIC chip on
> the target board. It does have pins for an "In Circuit Programming" cable
> (like the Microchip ICD), but you have to provide your own cable and you
> can't debug with this connection like you can with the MPLAB-ICD. The 40
> pin ribbon cable that comes with the Advanced Transdata ICD is about 7-8
> inches long. You will still have problems if you disconnect the ICD unit
> from the PC, but since it is powered by its own power supply and has the
> PIC processor on-board, you tend to have less disconnect problems overall.
> There is no charge pump on this unit, so the noise should be less. I
> haven't done a lot with analog yet so I can't be sure.
>
> Howard Cripe
>
>
>
> At 08:01 AM 9/12/00 +0100, you wrote:
> >Been using an ICD for some development work on a project, and although I
> >have been able to make it work I've had a few problems:
> >1) Noise.  The ICD seems to generate a huge amount of noise, swamping
> some
> >small analoguge signals on our board whenever it's connected.  I suspect
> >this is due the the charge pump on board the ICD.
> >
> >2) MPLAB is flaky!  Yeah, I guess everyone knows that.  But, if I have to
> >disconnect the ICD cable during a debug session for whatever reason, then
> >after clicking on umpteen dialogue boxes telling me that ICD Comms has
> >failed, if I click on the re-connect button MPLAB either hangs or crashes
> >with an illegal operation.  If I use the ICD purely as a programmer, the
> >reconnect button works fine.  This is under Win 95.
> >
> >3) SLOW! We are using a 16F877 part which is over half full.  I have
> checked
> >the "Erase before programming" but it still gives me time to walk to the
> >coffee machine, and back before it's finished ( getting through way too
> much
> >coffee at the moment!). Is the Advanced Transdata parallel port device
> any
> >better in this respect?  (Having thoughts of buying one and "borrowing"
> the
> >Microchip one for home).
> >
> >Any advice on this would be appreciated as I find the debugger very handy
> to
> >use compared to the emulator with it's huge pod balanced on a delicate
> SMT
> >socket on our board.  Also any good SMT sockets(with a matching plug)
> that
> >anyone has used for ICD connection: requirements are 1) small as
> possible,
> >2) low profile, 3) 6 way (actually 5 way would be fine).
> >
> >Regards
> >
> >Mike
> >
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