Wouter van Ooijen wrote:
>> Now PICkit 2 is doing a similar thing --> it will hurt third-party
>> vendors once the chip supports build up. Microchip can afford not to
>> earn much money from PICkit 2 since they earn money
>> from chips sale but small vendors may not be able to do that.
>
> But once PICkit2 supports all PICs small vendors like me can concentrate
> on other things like high-end programmers and gang programmers.
> Personally I would probably concentrate on target boards. As a vendor
> you can't be lazy.

The PICKit2 is also not a very robust circuit.  I don't remember the
details, but I looked at it a while ago and wasn't that impressed.  It's
also really a development board which can be used as a programmer.  Of
course this doesn't make it less of a programmer, but it does make it
klunky.  I think there is room for a good and solid USB programmer.
Unfortunately with Microchip selling a quick and dirty version for a low
price it makes it difficult to compete with a better programmer.

But I'm experimenting with that concept now anyway.  I'll get the first
boards back next week and am working on the BOM and ordering parts for the
first 3 prototypes right now.  This programmer (tentatively called the
EasyUSB) will have full variable Vpp and Vdd plus decent PGC and PGD drive
that can be shorted to ground or Vdd indefinitely without damage.  It will
be completely powered from the USB, although I'm adding pads for external 5V
and serial connection which will be useful at least for debugging.  It
should be easy to get the serial working first, then dig into the USB part
on both the PIC and the host.  That may take a few months.

I'm also making the hardware capable of being a debugger.  Unfortunately
that's the easy part.  Making it work in MPLAB as a debugger won't be
trivial, and I'm not sure I'll do it.  For now I'm just making sure the
hardware and firmware are capable and allow dealing with the host side MPLAB
issues later.  If this ever gets done, it should be a very nice alternative
to the ICD2 for probably around 1/4 to 1/3 the cost.


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