In my opinion, unusual exceptions should be highlighted in the 
documentation for a chip (or anything else).  In my opinion, requiring a 
different minimum voltage for doing a particular kind of erase vs. 
programming or "row" erase qualifies as an unusual exception, especially 
since it can't be worked around in software or with the ICD2.

My primary concern was resolving what was going on with my current 
design and understanding why it didn't occur in similar previous ones.

I will now stop "whining" about Microchip.  End of thread.


Olin Lathrop wrote:
> Jesse Lackey wrote:
> 
>> The only way to successfully erase a code-protected chip is to run at
>> 5V.
> 
> 
> Just like the documentation clearly states.
> 
>> If code protect is on, the 18F parts are effectively
>> one-time-programmable in a 3.3V system.
> 
> 
> Again, you seem to be "discovering" things that are clearly spelled out in
> the documentation.
> 
>> If code protect is off, it seems that it can be erased at 3.3V, with
>> occasional flakyness.
> 
> 
> Some PICs allow various partial erase procudures at lower voltages than the
> total bulk erase.  The ICD2 apparently implements some of these.
> 
>> This is *EXACTLY* the problem.  Microchip didn't spell out this weird
>> exception to their whole low-voltage in-circuit everything system, and
>> experienced engineers, on the clock (or working for zero, if freelance)
>> have gotten burned and customer money wasted and schedules missed.  Its
>> not like nobody at Microchip knows about this, they just want to keep it
>> under the rug.
> 
> 
> No, the real problem is that you didn't RTFM before designing the circuit.
> Everything you mentioned is well documented.  It's nobody's fault but your
> own if you didn't bother reading it.  Stop whining about it being
> Microchip's fault.
> 
> 
> ******************************************************************
> Embed Inc, Littleton Massachusetts, (978) 742-9014.  #1 PIC
> consultant in 2004 program year.  http://www.embedinc.com/products
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