Best Microchip Programmer These Days

Thread Starter

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
11,389
Hi there,

Have any idea what the best MC programmer is these days, that actually works without a hitch? I would like to upgrade my very old one.

Cost isnt necessarily a problem, but i dont want to pay for any subscriptions for ANYTHING, that's out now, and will always be out.

I want to target chips like the 12F1822 and 16F1823 and similar. They have lower voltage Vpp too my programmer cant do (as well as other things it cant do).
Oh also some microcontrollers with built in 2bit ADC chips by MC if possible.

I see out there a programmer "3" and another "4" is that a big difference between them?

I probably want to go directly to Microchip for the hardware but will consider other sources if you believe that are good. I dont have time for silly problems though.


Thanks much for any info.
 

JohnInTX

Joined Jun 26, 2012
4,787
Cost aside, I was going to suggest the PM3. I like that you can put the code image on an SD card along with all config info etc. so it's pretty goof proof for line workers and to have a ready archive of current versions for all projects. I have the adapters for ISCP, generic DIP as well as the adapter for old Promate II modules for really old stuff. What more could you want?

Unfortunately:
PM3.png

So.. good luck! I guess 'Universal' is not so much.
*so glad I'm retired*
 
Last edited:

nsaspook

Joined Aug 27, 2009
13,079
Last edited:

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
The only thing that deterred me from the Pickit4 was the mention in the ad is that it may not work with some older I.C's. Also isn't it non-compatible with the older MPLAB IDE ?
 

trebla

Joined Jun 29, 2019
542
The only thing that deterred me from the Pickit4 was the mention in the ad is that it may not work with some older I.C's. Also isn't it non-compatible with the older MPLAB IDE
PICkit4 is partially supported starting from MPLAB X 4.15. As far as i know the PICkit 4 supports most of the flash devices, except some special ones (rfPIC for example). See in the MPLAB X installation directory under docs file DeviceSupport.htm (something like that)

With MPLAB i use mostly PICkit3 or ICD3.
 

Thread Starter

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
11,389
You mean apart from the Pickit 2,3,4 range?

Well not really i actually wanted to know about those three, and also anything else that might be out there.
Yeah i thought i heard 3 was buggy but wasnt sure if that was a knock off or a genuine Microchip product being used.
 

Thread Starter

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
11,389
If you use MPLAB IDE 8.92, you may want to go with the Pickit 2 I found the 3 a little buggy, but it is OK on MPLABX .
What is the difference between IDE 8.92 and MPLAB X?
Do you mean MPLAB X doesn't work with older programmers?

I could go with PK4 i guess, but does it work well with MPLAB X?
 

Thread Starter

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
11,389
Cost aside, I was going to suggest the PM3. I like that you can put the code image on an SD card along with all config info etc. so it's pretty goof proof for line workers and to have a ready archive of current versions for all projects. I have the adapters for ISCP, generic DIP as well as the adapter for old Promate II modules for really old stuff. What more could you want?

Unfortunately:
View attachment 291181

So.. good luck! I guess 'Universal' is not so much.
*so glad I'm retired*

Hi,

Good to hear about but i probably dont need anything too advanced. A regular programmer should be fine.
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
What is the difference between IDE 8.92 and MPLAB X?
Do you mean MPLAB X doesn't work with older programmers?
I could go with PK4 i guess, but does it work well with MPLAB X?
I prefer to use MPLAB V8.92, and Pickit 2 works best with this, but when forced to use MPLABX. I use the Pickit 3.
I primary program in assembly, so that limits it to MPLABX V 5.35. :(
I recently had to use a pic that had reconfigurable pins, 1618313, so had to go to the X ver. Otherwise, the older IDE programs quite a selection of the older Pic's
 

BobTPH

Joined Jun 5, 2013
8,806
That's good to hear. What kind of chips are you working with? Any that it wont do?
I work with newer chips, enhanced midrange and 24EP. It works with everything I have used recently, have not tried it with obsolete chips.
 

Thread Starter

MrAl

Joined Jun 17, 2014
11,389
I prefer to use MPLAB V8.92, and Pickit 2 works best with this, but when forced to use MPLABX. I use the Pickit 3.
I primary program in assembly, so that limits it to MPLABX V 5.35. :(
I recently had to use a pic that had reconfigurable pins, 1618313, so had to go to the X ver. Otherwise, the older IDE programs quite a selection of the older Pic's
Hi,

I use assembler too. Does this mean that the limit is v5.35, and is that version still available?
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
Hi,
I use assembler too. Does this mean that the limit is v5.35, and is that version still available?
You can download many of the older MBLABX versions, V5.35 is the last one that supported assembly programming.
Fortunately, most of the Pic's I use are supported in MPLAB 8.92 which I use with Pickit-2 successfully.
 
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