source= http://www.piclist.com/postbot.asp?id=piclist\2002\08\05\132512a

Ok, I'm finally going to have to say something about this.... Sigh.

A. If you want to start newbies off with something that will help them
understand PICs, I really think that people would be better off building an
ICD. We have the entire thing available from the web site (as far as the
partslist, pcb layout, and construction notes) If someone wanted to make a
board, and import it, great, and I doubt Microchip would care. As long as it
gets people buying PICs and they don't have to support it (cause they didn't
sell it) it can only help them.
http://www.piclist.com/freeicd For about $40 and several hours work, they
can actually see what is happing INSIDE the chip and watch the source code
execute from MPLAB and all that good stuff.

B. MPLAB has been reverse engineered for programmer support by one outfit
that I know of:
http://www.cosmodog.com/pic/ (cached 20010402083839) picp - open source
(free) command line interface for the PICStart+ (read: It writes out the
MPLAB commands to cause the PICStart+ to work Its Open Source. Hint: If you
want to make a programmer MPLAB compatible you would.... BING!) This by the
way is the first item listed in the piclist.com FAQ for programmers. How is
it that all of you have missed it?

C. If you want to throw effort into YET ANOTHER PROGRAMMER... rather than
working on any one of the MANY, MANY existing open source designs, then you
are just doing it for ego and no other reason. The last thing any PIC person
needs is another choice on the list at
http://www.piclist.com/devprogs

D. Put your effort into helping produce or bundle one of the existing
designs with a good tutorial or parts kit. That has been done and much
recognition was received / good was accomplished at
http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist/biketut/index.htm
A real help (rather than all the bandwidth used to argue the point) would be
if someone would write a similar tutorial for the '877 or other newer chip.

E. If you want something to argue over, argue over what is written on the
beginners check list.
http://www.piclist.com/begin
In fact, since the current owner of that page is not actively updating it, I
will remove him as owner and put someone else in place if anyone wants to
edit it. Just ask me.

Otherwise, this is a perfect example of group IQ dropping as more people add
their opinion rather than actually doing something useful.

Best of luck.

---
James Newton: PICList.com webmaster, former Admin #3
mailto:jamesnewton@piclist.com  1-619-652-0593 phone
http://www.piclist.com/member/JMN-EFP-786
PIC/PICList FAQ: http://www.piclist.com

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