> Microchip has a GREAT site. Learn to use it!
Thanks, I didn't know the jargon terms, did try the search and had no luck.
Now I have some links, and some were what I was looking for. That's why 
I ask the experts... And now I know a bit more jargon to help my later 
searches.

Olin, thanks for the comprehensive answer! You and a few others always 
take the time to help - I'm sure a lot of newcomers here appreciate it.

I have my reasons for wanting to do this.
Last weeks problems are gone - I now have a variable voltage programmer 
working on a win95 box.
I will look at your command protocol - probably be really useful for the 
reasons given.

I need to learn highspeed serial comms from pic to pc to whatever...
On one level, this seems like basic serial comms - I look forward to 
finding out what is really complicated about it.

I would like to make/understand an intelligent programmer. I would also 
like to find out more about in-circuit debugging, how it works, and 
eventually how to make one.

I guess I'm just the type who wants to understand these simple computers 
on a technical level. I've been down the asm road on the 80286, written 
a mini os, dos device drivers etc, and found it really helped me learn 
to program/understand the pc better. Also making it real easy getting to 
grips with a lot of this subject matter. So I'm trying to learn about 
pics from the bottom up, like I did with the 8086. Like I said ... I 
have lots of time...

On the 16f84 and why I am using them - well I now own 4 of them and paid 
(yes I know about sample service now) a lot for them, so am going to use 
them til I need more (by then I should have a PO box and be on the 
sample program so I don't have to pay so much for the chips - in South 
Africa they seem expensive).
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