PICDude,

You might want to consider the BASICMICRO ISPPro.  It'd a good programmer,
good support, low cost, and small size.   An excellent buy.

                                            Regards,

                                            Jim
----- Original Message -----
From: "PicDude" <picdude2@narwani.org>
To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." <piclist@mit.edu>
Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2005 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: [PIC] Running into programming walls


> On Sunday 11 September 2005 04:30 am, Chen Xiao Fan scribbled:
> > I think I heard those thing among people using JDMs.
> > JDMs are cheap though. Wisp628 is slightly more expensive
> > but will still take one day to build. JDM or similar
> > can be used to bootstrap the Wisp628. Wisp628 is much more
> > reliable. I do not want to get into wars of programmer
> > though. So please ignore this if you still prefer to
> > use JDMs. I have played with PonyProg in year 2002 to
> > program some EEPROMs and found out it could also program
> > AVRs and PICs. However I since found it not as good as
> > those intelligent programmers with MCU inside.
>
> No, I don't prefer to use the JDM -- it was a quick hack-together for
testing.
> I prefer to purchase a decent supported programmer, but did not want to
spend
> $160 on it (for the original ICD2).  And when I find one that works
properly,
> I intend to pick up a second one, as I always like to have a backup
device.
> I had thought of getting Olin's easyprog ($59 each if I build it myself),
but
> it did not list the 16F818/819 as supported devices, and I prefer Linux.
I
> tried the ICD2 clone because it was very low cost, and I am planning to
> experiment with LPLAB under Linux to use it.
>
> I did find Rob's webpage with the updated Linux Wisp software, but
Wouter's
> page still does not list the F818/F819 as supported devices.  It's not
that
> new, but there must be a reason that these programmers have avoided these
> devices. ???
>
>
> > My guess is that Vpp are not really controlled in
> > most JDM units and it will "soft-destroy" the internal IC
> > but the chip will recover after sometime. But this
> > is only a guess. If this is correct, I will guess
> > Neil's ICD2 clone does not properly regulate Vpp.
> > The original ICD2 is using a boost converter with
> > a digital poti to control the output voltage (Vpp)
> > and the digital poti is not cheap. So most of the
> > cheaper clones will try to avoid it. Most of
> > the cheaper clones will probably avoid the boost
> > converter as well.
>
> Correct -- this ICD2 uses an offset 78L12 to generate the Vpp.
>
>
> > ...
> > ICd2 should be able to control the sequence of
> > Vdd and Vpp. That is why I think it is rather a software
> > bug. Still I could be wrong.
> > ...
>
> To clarify then, your original ICD2 does have the ability to control Vdd,
> right?
>
>
> Cheers,
> -Neil.
>
>
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