I just switched up to 6.30 today with an ICD2 I got as part of a
PICDEM2+ kit. I bought it a few months ago for a very reasonable
$200.00, everything included.  At the risk of setting my underpants on
fire, I'll comment on my experience as a hobbiest / semi-pro with an
ICD2 setup, and why perhaps it's alright to turn the ICD1 out to
pasture.  There may be some opinion statements contained, proceed at
your own risk.


On Wed, 2003-10-22 at 13:13, Robert Rolf wrote:
> Olin Lathrop wrote:
> >

Yes, don't you just love 'designed obsolescence' for a product that has
> a "fully UPGRADABLE controller".
> 'Use our flash processors because you can easily upgrade them' but of
> course MChip couldn't be bothered to fully support their ICD1.

I don't know how the hardware changed between ICD1 and ICD2.  Perhaps
they are incompatable devices.  Has anyone here taken them apart to find
out?  Could I simply change the flash and upgrade without changing
hardware?

I really hope that nobody here is saying "we could all have a new ICD2
for $49.97 if Microchip would only do _(fill-in-blank)_."....  I'd be
dissapointed in MCHP if that were true, I'd also help in development of
one where I was able.  Somehow I don't think that's what's going on
here...although, a dark collusion with MS and the MPAA/RIAA is not
impossible.....

I'm thinking it's the simplist answer. That they just didn't want to
spend the money to redo all the drivers for an old circuitboard,
especially one that's marginal for what they were trying to accomplish.
They may have just decided on a minimum performance level for
communications or operation.  I'm sure that if somebody has a real big
interest in the ICD1, and the skills to help, they'd be ammenable to
assisting a new driver port.

That's what happens when you add features to an existing/aged product.
It's possible that not all the "old designs" are really worth
upgrading.  Don't get too attached to relativly cheap hardware and keep
moving.

I don't think getting an ICD2 is too much, especially if that's what's
required to get the the environment I've just been using today.  It's
much better and I'm not as frustrated as I used to be.

The drivers with the 6.30 update seem to be higher quality.  I think
they've done a lot from even the 6.10 MPLAB I was on this morning.  I
like the general speed-up of the USB / ICD2 drivers.  I used to get
bogged down while single stepping, finally terminating in a stream of
"ICD00XX: Error: something not connecting other something" errors....  I
didn't get a lot done.  If you ICD1 folks are having troubles like that,
you should consider upgrade.

I know that not everyone is able to afford high priced tools, I just
don't think $150 qualifies as an "expensive" tool.  I'll not feel sad
when I shelve the ICD2...I'll put it next to the PICSTART Plus that
caused me to give up on PICs for 2 years.  I'm guessing that the future
incompatable ICD3 will have more features and be priced at about the
same $159.00 when it's released too...I'll start by putting $0.50 away
each day until then.



"..Heatshield underpants in maximum position!.."

DD

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