Does anyone have the QL200 Development board?

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
Yes, I have one.

I'll admit to not really ever using it, though, since I start with a breadboard and a PIC for most projects.

I guess I've used it a couple times, and it's been upgraded a lot since I got it for a gift about 10 years ago. No surface mount stuff on the one I have, and no SD card slot, no stepper motor driver, and a couple other things.

I wonder why it still has the same part number. My board is also red instead of blue. :confused:

Worth the price though, since it is essentially the clone of the MikroE "EasyPIC" series, except MikroE changes the number when a new board comes out.

Support was great when I got it. I only received the graphic LCD and not the 2x16, I emailed the seller and I received both another graphic LCD and a 2x16 w/backlight as an apology. I'm pretty sure it's the same seller too.

--ETA: It also comes with a TON of C and asm source code. One project for every peripheral on the board so you can copy/paste.
 
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ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
If I was to get one of these boards there are a few features I would look for.

I would require seamless integration into MPLAB. That would mean at best a PICkit clone on board so I can do both programming and debugging from MPLAB. In lieu of that I would need access to use a PICkit instead of their programmer.

These days I'm like thatoneguy and I build my own prototypes on vector boards for most things. I did get one Mikro development board for a PIC32 with a color display (SD card, RS232 and few other things) for $150 that has been very useful to me.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Yes, I have one.

I'll admit to not really ever using it, though, since I start with a breadboard and a PIC for most projects.

I guess I've used it a couple times, and it's been upgraded a lot since I got it for a gift about 10 years ago. No surface mount stuff on the one I have, and no SD card slot, no stepper motor driver, and a couple other things.

I wonder why it still has the same part number. My board is also red instead of blue. :confused:

Worth the price though, since it is essentially the clone of the MikroE "EasyPIC" series, except MikroE changes the number when a new board comes out.

Support was great when I got it. I only received the graphic LCD and not the 2x16, I emailed the seller and I received both another graphic LCD and a 2x16 w/backlight as an apology. I'm pretty sure it's the same seller too.

--ETA: It also comes with a TON of C and asm source code. One project for every peripheral on the board so you can copy/paste.

Overall quality pretty good then?

Can `you use your Pickit with it?


I think the new one has an SD slot (it is why I am interested). :)
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
PICKit works fine with it as long as you get the PICKit -> RJ45 6 position adapter kit for $9.95 from Microchip (Also needed if you ever get an ICD2 or ICD3)

I've let my kid play with it for quite a while and he hasn't broken it, so I'd give it two thumbs up.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
PICKit works fine with it as long as you get the PICKit -> RJ45 6 position adapter kit for $9.95 from Microchip (Also needed if you ever get an ICD2 or ICD3)

I've let my kid play with it for quite a while and he hasn't broken it, so I'd give it two thumbs up.

You need to order it from Microchip?

This comes with something called the ICSP download cable. Please look at the bottom of the page on the link I posted above.


Do you think it will actually work with more PICs than listed?
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
They have their own USB Connector on the board for downloading, so those are the chips supported by the QL-PROG program that comes with the board, and the on-board programming interface.

If you use the RJ-6 connector and a PICKit 2/3 anything can be programmed if you fit it in the correct socket. I verified this before letting my kid play with it. BE SURE TO MOVE THE JUMPERS FROM ONBOARD PROG to ICD2 (I haven't tired it with the 16F1827 and 16F690 (the two families that have enhanced midrange core, and slightly different pinout), but worse case, use M-F jumper wire into the PICKit 2 for proper ports)

Of course, only one PIC at a time can be used, but it can be 8 to 40 pin, and crystal clocking is also optional, it's provided, along with a 20Mhz crystal and caps, but it can be disabled to use INTOSC and free up some pins.

All ports are brought out nicely at the right edge of the board is handy, if you are sure to buy a bunch of F-M and M-M jumpers to go to/from a breadboard. The best deal by far I've found for those is Pololu Or you can order the tool from them for $40, but the ones they sell are excellent with stranded flexible wire, and nice heatshrink tubing on the ends.

All peripherals have dip-switches or jumpers to enable/disable, but they also give you a header pin for each pin on the IC, so the SD card will be permanently connected to portx via PCB, but when disabled, you can run 9 jumper wires to put the SD card on whatever ports you choose.

You may want to double check how many of the jumper wires you get (they call them DuPont wires), as I use several dozen when getting to advanced stuff on breadboards (the M-M are awesome for breadboards! stranded wire, not stiff). Also make sure you get the ICD2 to PICKit 2 cable shown at the bottom in case they are optional, I only got like 8 jumper wires and no ICD2 cable with mine, but it looks like a LOT has changed since then, color and all.
 
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ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
You need to order it from Microchip?

This comes with something called the ICSP download cable. Please look at the bottom of the page on the link I posted above.


Do you think it will actually work with more PICs than listed?

I think you mean this one:


That sure looks like an RJ-6 on one end and a 6 pin SIP on the other end, it may just need some double male pins to go right into a PICkit.

Is it turns out not to be that is shouldn't be very hard to cut one end off a RJ-6 cable and solder on some pins to use the PICkit. I probably have a dozen or two adapters in various project boxes here.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Yeah that is the one I am talking about. I have a bunch of header pins, not sure if that will work. Not sure if the pins will be long enough.

I do have a ribbon connector from a set of zif sockets I bought that uses on of those double ended pin things. I guess I could use that.

But I wonder if the cable would create issues with some Pics? I have a 18F25J53 that will not work with the ribbon cable I have. I have to plug the programmer into the zif socket board directly.
 

ErnieM

Joined Apr 24, 2011
8,377
I've done some pretty long cables and still had them work out OK. I think one fixture had a Pro-Mate using a 3 foot 15-line D-Sub cable between programmer and device.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
I've done some pretty long cables and still had them work out OK. I think one fixture had a Pro-Mate using a 3 foot 15-line D-Sub cable between programmer and device.
I think it is this one particular type of Pic. I even had to out a resistor between two of the lines to bring the voltage up high enough to get it to respond to the PicKit 3.

Microchip suggests modifying the programmer itself by replacing one of the surface mounted resistors but I did not want to risk that. Maybe if I did it would work with the cable.
 
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