Xiaofan, Why do you worry about connection problem just call microchip they will replace it for you. Do not forget whey are one of the best in the world. I use promat 3 usb and all my devices are programmed in ICSP I never had any problem with ICSP or usb. Did you talk to them? Andre Xiaofan Chen wrote: >On 12/15/05, Olin Lathrop wrote: > > >>I'm curious what the problems were. I know the Promates are rather >>expensive but always thought they were robust, although I've never used one. >>I've heard people complain that they are awfully klunky, require various >>adapters, and until recently weren't scriptable, but I hadn't heard of them >>being unreliable before. Of course everyone should be using a ProProg >>anyway http://www.embedinc.com/proprog ;-) >> >> >> > >We are still using Promate II for some old design (16C621A/622A and >16F819). It needs an ICSP module. The major problem with Promate II >is that the socket module often got contact problem. We just got the >base unit replaced early this year due to some failure but it is 5 years >old (I bought it in 2000). The test department bought the Promate III >but it is not compatible with DOS which the old test gig is using. So >I got this Promate III as my development programmer. It seems to >be good (better than ICD2 anyway) but I have encounter USB driver >stability problem and switched to RS232. However people in Microchip >Forum has reported reliability problem with Promate III ICSP and I >recommend your ProProg to him. Please refer to the following thread. >http://forum.microchip.com/tm.asp?m=125019 > >In our case, I was told that the production like off-line programming better >because it raises the throughput even though we need to buy programming >adapter which itself costs more than ProProg. However it makes sense >to utilize the capability of the gang programmer in-house. > > > >>I've got customers using it for high volumes (100K - 3M) too. In this case >>a small RF transmitter needs to be calibrated, and an IR LED and a few other >>things checked. Also a serial number needs to be written to the 10F202 >>controller. That essentially requires a programmer anyway. Writing the >>program is a trivial addition given all that. >> >> > >I wish that our product got that higher quantity so that our >purchasing department >and we will have a good time negotiating the price. ;-) I think in that case, >Microchip will be very happy to provide SQTP (serial quick turn programming) >service and you get customized printing on the chip as well. I only have one >design which reaches 100k quantity per year. And I guess it is the only MCU >based design in the whole company which reach 100k quantity. > > > >>We're also using ICSP on many other products. One of the benefits is that >>the lag time from new code to new units produced with that code is much >>lower. It also allows for easily upgrading the code in existing units, at >>least at the factory or in the lab. >> >> >> > >Yes I agree with you that ICSP does have its merit and I like it at >the development >stage as well. To upgrade the code, we use bootloader in some other MCU >design. > >Regards, >Xiaofan > > > -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist