Xiaofan Chen wrote:
> Emulator parts for the 16F648A? So you are using a ICE2000 or ICE4000
> to develop the EasyProg.

Up until now I was using the simulator.  The firmware is simple enough that
so far it's been easy to debug by looking at the symptoms and if necessary
using the simulator.  I also usually develop new code for the ProProg first,
then migrate it to the EasyProg after its been debugged.  This time however
the code was working on the ProProg and somewhere in converting the 950 line
30F module and modifications to two other modules I must have messed up
something.  The dsPIC algorithm is pretty complicated and relies on black
magic, so I want to use the ICE-2000 to debug this in circuit.  I was
surprised that I didn't have the device adapter for the 16F648A already, but
I guess it hadn't come up before.

> What do you mean by "the competition"? Philip Pemberton is
> not selling any Wisp628.

First, I meant that mostly as a joke.  You want me to add dsPIC support so
that you can go use it on someone else's programmer.  If I actually cared
about making money on the EasyProg I might be a little upset.  It does
however point out the down side to open source for commercial products.  In
this case I don't care, but it reinforces that the ProProg code should be
kept private.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great Phil Pemberton created code to make
another programmer compatible with my programmer protocol.  The more that
protocol gets used, the more software will be out there eventually to drive
these programmers on different platforms, etc.  Wasn't someone working on a
Linux port and I promised them a ProProg or something like that in return?

> However I agree with him that Wisp628
> is much easier to build than EasyProg.

The EasyProg does more and therefore costs more and takes more to assemble.
You get to make the tradeoff.  If you don't need variable Vdd, self-powered
Vdd, and programming in a ZIF socket, then the Wisp628 may be the choice for
you.

I'm not sure *much* easier is fair, although I've never assembled a Wisp628.
Putting a bunch of parts from the kit onto the board and soldering them
doesn't sound that hard.  It seems to me this should be doable in under an
hour.  Of course if you get just a bare board scrounging the parts may be a
serious job.


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