Jesse,

Depending on how often you do your 100 board runs, you may want to
look into a small test fixture that has spring loaded connectors. The
connectors have a point on the end and are placed in the fixture such
that they press against the board from below.  Depending on the size
of your board, you may be able to maintain contact with simple mechanical
clamps, or if larger, some type of vacumm fixture (a rubber sheet over the
board that holds it in place).  Holding a standard connector in contact with
the board while programming is not a good alternative (although I've
done it for lab use) as any slight movement of the operator can cause
momentary glitches.  One advantage of this method is that you can pick
up the connections for the required signals at any via so there is no need
for a dedicated set of pads or connector holes.  Simply get the
correct x,y locations for the via and have the fixture drilled as needed.
You can make this as complicated as you wish, even adding testing
capabilities (but that's another issue).  As I said, it really depends on
how
many boards you will make (per year, not per run).

Ken


----- Original Message -----
From: "Jesse Lackey" <jesse@CELESTIALAUDIO.COM>
To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 11:30 PM
Subject: [EE:] ICSP in production runs - connectors?


> Hi all,
>
> A question.  I'm about to do a design for production (meaning runs of
> 100, for now anyway) and wonder how to provide for ICSP of the PIC.  It
> will probably be a 12F part, if it matters.  I don't want to have a row
> of header pins, nor any sort of cutout for connecting a card-edge type
> connector (rectangular pcb with nothing fancy is cheapest).  I'm
> thinking something along the lines of some pads at the pcb edge with two
> holes such that some kind of small 5-pin connector can be placed on the
> pcb (with the holes matching up to bosses on the connector), the
> operator hits program in MPLAB while holding the connector down, then on
> to the next board.
>
> The PIC will hopefully be an 8-pin SOIC device; 14 pin if the design
> requires it.
>
> Would some sort of spring-loaded clamp onto the PIC be preferred?
>
> How do people do this?
>
> All suggestions welcome!
> Thanks everyone
> Jesse

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList
mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu