PIC programmers confuse me oh so very much O_O

[bustinthejustin]

Arg, so many terms...

Anyway, I just want a basic USB PIC programmer that will let me program to 12f683 chips.

I saw a pickit 2 clone here, but I'm not sure if that alone will let me program chips... I don't see anywhere for me to plug in chips >.<. Also what is a JDM programmer?

Basically, I just want someone to link me to a cheap programmer that suits my needs that I listed above, and also maybe someone to explain to me about the pickit2 and about JDM.

Edit: Oh yeah, and what the hell is a demo board and what's it used for?

Thanks
Bustin

[Tec_]

take a look at the picaxe. it is a micro controller that is crazy easy to use

[GhoSt]

get a real pic kit 2, debug express comes with a demo board that you can dev stuff on, great for learning to program. I will teach you how to make a socket to plug in the chips. Just a dip socket, ic headers and some vero board. Don't get a half assed chinese copy, get it from microchip themselves.

[bustinthejustin]

K thanks. So If I get the pickit 2 from microchip all I'll need to do is make a thing to plug in the chip?

[Alien_X]

Don't waste your time with picaxes, they were created for babies.
There is no point in you getting the debug express, or even a demo board, those are built for people that actually write their own programs.
I recently bought a pickit2 debug express, to program your PIC you will need to make an adapter for the ICSP connector. Don't worry you're not the only one who didn't understand the ICSP socket.. I remember Ghost death telling me that he didn't have a good programmer, and couldn't program chips - until I showed him how to make an adapter.

You simply need to get some perfboard, right angle headers, straight headers, solder them all in and then bridge the pads and plug it into your breadboard.

"I fabricated a quick-and-dirty adapter from perfboard, straight headers, and right angled headers to bring the ICSP connections into my breadboard. Note the large amount of [lead-free] solder used for it’s construction." - Quote from my review - www.ax-elec.com

[802Chives]

Don't waste your time with picaxes, they were created for babies.
There is no point in you getting the debug express, or even a demo board, those are built for people that actually write their own programs.

LMFAO.  seriously tho, I cant stress enough getting the Pickit2 with Low pin count DEMO board.  Pickit2 is $35 and if you get it with the Low Pin Count Demo board for $50, you will have a couple advantages over just the Pickit2.  First off you can program 8-28 pin and even larger DIP pics right out of the box by using the provided socket on the demo board. Second it comes with a 16F690 and 12 Tutorials to help you get started with .ASM.  Lastly it has a bunch of LEDs and a Potentiometer and ample prototyping space so if you actually wanted to learn to do more then flash a code to a chip it is an invaluable tool.

If all you want is to be able to flash code then you dont need the demo board, rather just 5 leads that come from the pickit2 that connect to the chip you are flashing.  Pins: 1, 4, 6, 7, and 8 are all you need for ICSP(In Circuit Serial Programming).  Refer to pickit2 data sheet for pickit2 pinout.

[bustinthejustin]

Eh, I'm tight on money and honestly, I doubt I will learn to program PICs - atleast not for a while, and I can't really justify spending 15 bucks more.

So about the adapter... Is there a good tut for building one? I looked at your site, Alien, and went to blogs, but I didn't see anything related to the adapter.

Thanks for the help guys!

[GhoSt]

alein you said you would teach me, you told me what I needed, ic headers, dip socket, veroboard. Then I had to work it out myself.

after hours of searching the internet through info that contradicts itself, I finaly found everything I needed.

Here is the info I used to make mine:


this is what I got, ages finding info 3mins to build (I wasn't going to waste my loved 8pin sockets was I)
I belive this is the best way, only 2 jumper wires to be soldered to the board. Scratch on left hand side of ic headers, lines up with the arrow on the pic kit

[bustinthejustin]

So really all I'm doing is getting an 8pin socket, sticking it in vero board, wiring the stuff up according to pinouts, and i'm good? Where would I get that socket?

[Tec_]

Don't waste your time with picaxes, they were created for babies.

i suggested the picaxe because it was EASY to use. i almost failed my programing class, but even i could figure out the picaxe

[Alien_X]

alein you said you would teach me, you told me what I needed, ic headers, dip socket, veroboard. Then I had to work it out myself.

after hours of searching the internet through info that contradicts itself, I finaly found everything I needed.

Here is the info I used to make mine:
 I belive this is the best way, only 2 jumper wires to be soldered to the board. Scratch on left hand side of ic headers, lines up with the arrow on the pic kit

Lol, that must be a world record! What info contradicts itself? It is just a 5 second search for "pickit2 pinout" and then a quick look at the respective PICs datasheet and that's it. Or if you were really struggling, there is one on instructables.

Just to clarify something about my adapter, I built it that way since I use the ICSP feature when developing code on my breadboard, since you guys don't do that then an adapter like I built probably isn't the best choice, however you can still standalone program them on a breadboard. Maybe you are better off getting a JDM or something.

[bustinthejustin]

Again, what's a JDM? O_o

I found like 1 on ebay that's a JDM usb programmer.