I just bought an ICD2 as well. I think the issue is that there is only one
thin ground connection between the ICD2 and the device being
programmed/debugged; that puts a lot of noise on that tenuous #24 AWG
connection. As a preventive measure (and normal engineering practice) I
soldered a seperate grounding wire (#20 finely stranded) at the USB
connector shield entrance to the ICD2, and ran it to the ground of my PCB,
using an alligator clip to make a good connection. So I've had no problems
whatever.

--Bob

At 01:58 PM 12/15/2003, you wrote:
>Rafael,
>
>How are you running your ICD2?  I'm using USB on all 3 computers.  What are
>you trying to program?  I'm programming a 16F877.  If we both got a
>defective ICD2 a month ago, perhaps there was a manufacturing problem.
>Mine's serial # JIT033328344.
>
>After listening to the problems I'm having, Tech Support decided to send me
>a new in exchange.  I should've called the second day - of course, I assumed
>my design was that bad (ouch), but after the one good day of debugging, I'm
>convinced the ICD2 is flaky.
>
>Ed
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: pic microcontroller discussion list
>[mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Rafael Vidal Aroca
>Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 10:25 AM
>To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject: Re: [PIC]:Help with ICD2
>
>
>         Well, if it helps i have problems similar to yours :(
>
>         A got mine a month ago and still did not manage to use it as an
>efficient tool. I constantly get the same error messages and can't use a
>breakpoint inside an interrupt service routine.
>
>         Just wanted to tell, that you're not the only one having problems
>with ICD2.
>
>[]s Rafael.
>
>
>
>
>On Mon, 15 Dec 2003, ed_b_pes wrote:
>
> > I've had a very frustrating time with the PIC ICD2 ever since I got it
>about
> > a month ago.  I'm debugging a hot project (that should have been finished
> > weeks ago) so I have limped along unwilling to let go of my ability to get
> > this code running.  Of course in hindsight I should have sent the ####
>thing
> > back.  I don't think Microchip can fix it fast enough to help me so I'll
> > probably have to buy another one.  He fore I do, has anyone else had ICD2
> > problems like this?
> >
> > Anyway, here are the symptoms:
> >
> > Sometimes it won't connect from one computer, however it might from
>another.
> > On one day it wouldn't pass self-test on any computer, then passed fine
>the
> > next day.  Most of the time I can't "Run" my code - I have to "Animate"
> > until I get past initializations into my main code area where it will run
> > for a little while, then crash.  I had one completely normal day when I
>was
> > able to operate correctly and I made relatively huge progress.  The very
> > next day it wouldn't talk to the computer. I have a message in to
>MicroChip.
> >
> > I do work in an electrically noisy environment.  I had to turn off an
> > electrostatic precipitator in the next room to get the USB to talk.  Could
> > this be my problem?  If it is, then it is almost useless as a debugger.
> >
> > Here are some recent error messages.  Not all occurred at the same time,
>but
> > all occurred during one session interspersed with operating more or less
> > correctly.  I'm running 6.40 so it cannot run in debugger mode and program
> > mode at the same time (ICD0154) and debug mode is evoked in the
> > configuration heading.  Power is on in the target, not supplied by the
>ICD2
> > (ICD0151) and it was fine for a dozen instructions before.  The ICSP
> > connections were copied from another (working) schematic and have been
> > checked a dozen times.
> >
> > ICD0154: Invalid target mode for requested operation (TM = Running)
> > ICD0151: Failed to sync memory (MT = Data) (Dir = 0x0)
> > ICD0082: Failed MPLAB ICD 2 operation
> > ICD0083: Target not in debug mode, unable to perform operation
> > ICD0069: Unable to run target
> > ICD0019: Failed to open communications: (Failcode = 0x2)
> > ICD0021: Unable to connect with MPLAB ICD 2
> >
> > --
> > http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
> > ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.
> >
>
>[]s Rafael.
>http://grad.icmc.sc.usp.br/~rva
>
>--
>http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
>ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.
>
>--
>http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
>ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

--------------
Bob Axtell
PIC Hardware & Firmware Dev
Tucson, AZ
1-520-219-2363
"I lose some on each sale but make it up in volume."

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