Does anyone have any experience with this unit or its capabilities. I am looking to download programs to a dspic which I will have attained from simulink. I am to understand that it is a clone of microchips icd2 mplab unit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-ICD2-5-Debu...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4836b67daa

http://www.keeelectronics.com/catal...id=51&osCsid=6d9e61a9a2bc89fe101b2aa0c000c908

 

I have used this one:

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/i...E&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en010046&part=DV164005

It can program very fast.

 

I do realize that this is a clone off of that particular unit you posted. I'm just wondering if the thing is legit. So far, I can't find anything bad about it.

 

That is more expensive than a PICKit2. Are you sure that is the way you want to go?

Id go with the real deal. You will get a warranty and tech support from Microchip..

As well as support from many of us, users of the PICKit.

http://www.microchipdirect.com/productsearch.aspx?Keywords=PG164120
$35 for the PICkit2
or
$49 for the whole kit with samples, a chip, board, software, all that good stuff:
http://www.microchipdirect.com/productsearch.aspx?Keywords=DV164121

 

Maybe that would be the best idea. I kind of wanted the direct connection where you can change the program while it is running, but It would probably be better to start small.

The only thing I'm concerned about is that development board. The only reason I'm changing micro's to dspic is so that I can build the model in simulink and the final product can be on a dip style chip that is easy to interface with a custom long term circuit board.

Could I use something like this in combination with the pickit2 programmer? By looking at the board, It looks to me that it is simply a zif socket and you route the programming lines yourself according to the chip datasheet.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ICD2-ICSP-Unive...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c53c856dd

 

The PICKIT 2 or the ICD2 will not support new MCUs from Microchip. That will require a PICKIT 3 or ICD3. How important this is, I do not know. I have a PICKIT 2. My component pusher do not stock the newest PICs anyway. So I am happy so far. Will probably use the PICKIT 2 until it break down.

 

I don't understand why the pickit2 does not support newer chips. Right here there is a list of supporting chips for the pickit2. I'm interested in programming the dspic30 and dspic3F series.

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en027813

 

If you ebay around you can get a real ICD2 for about $50 - $80. I think a real Microchip brand programmer is worth the extra $20. Then you can send it in for a discount on an ICD3 when your ready.

About the pk2 thing supporting your chip, heres the answer. MC is trying to sell their new PK3 with the newer chip. Doing this makes the Pk2 obsolete. Heres where they screwed up, the Pk2 has been "in dev" for many many years and many people have worked in it for free. So naturally when the PK3 came out, it didn't have all hte nifty upgrades they put out over the past 3 years. So naturally the users got mad and say the PK3 sucks compared to the pk2 because it didn't have all the bells and whistles,,,,, "YET" ! So they stopped supporting new chips on the pk2 and they are supported on the pk3. Well the old school MC users threw an abosolute fit! So MC decided to support newer chips through sept. 2010 to quite them down till they get all the upgrades people are wanting. Now supporting newer chips on the pk2 is a weird thing. You can't use mplab on some of them, but you can write the code in mplab, compile it, then use the pk2's seperate application to flash the hex file to program it. Thats why you see two compatability charts for the pk2, one is for the application, the other is for mplab.

 

thanks all, i decided to go with the pickit2!

 

VERY GOOD choice.

 

VERY GOOD choice.

Agreed you will be happy. Its probably the best programmer ever made because of cost vs quality.