Just Another PIC Programmer (question)

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rob...@hotmail.com

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Aug 6, 2024, 1:07:13 PM8/6/24
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Hi all,

I posted this question on Jallist and Jallib. 

Some time ago Rob Hamerling mentioned that the new version of MPLABX will no longer support the PICKit3. You can use other software (PICKitPlus, PICKitMinus) but these are all Windows applications and not usable for Linux users. There are also other open source programmers like Openprog: http://openprog.altervista.org/OP_eng.html#Top

I like to keep things simple and so I started JAPP (Just Another PIC Programmer) to see if I could make a simple programmer only for PIC Microcontrollers. The idea is that it connects to a USB port and does not act like an HID but as a COM port. In order to control is you just send commands in text to this comport. Works for Linux, Mac and Windows. The only thing you need is Python as to send some info over (or you make your own application). I am just starting and it will take quite some time to complete this. I have some help from Rob Hamerling who created a Python script to extract the relevant programming info for all PICs from the MPLABX XML files, the same files that are used to generate the JAL device files.

Since it will take quite some time to finish this - it is a project I sometimes spend some time on -  I could develop it in an Agile way and upload the next version to a GitHub account I have, each time supporting more PICs. The only thing you would need is a second PIC that you program that replaces the PIC on the board. Currently I am using a PIC18F26J50 since I need more than 32k of ROM.  I also want to make a PCB layout to ease the build of it. 

I was wondering if there is any interest in this programmer.

Kind regards,

Rob



Patrick FROUCHT

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Aug 8, 2024, 1:48:27 PM8/8/24
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Hi Rob,
I'm sorry but I am a  PICKitMinususer and it works very well for all my app.
For me Python looks more like a snake than a programming language. I'm also a Freecad user and a lot is made with Python. I'm an end user not a developper.
Sorry but App and all that softwares are not my cup of tea, I'm an old Hardware Gentleman developer, JAL came to help me because for some apps it was really easier to use a PIC than a mountain of logical IC!
Patrick

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Rob CJ

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Aug 8, 2024, 2:51:54 PM8/8/24
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Hi Patrick,

Don't be sorry. I am also a PICKitminus (and PICkitplus) user and my roots are in hardware development too 🙂

It is a side project, not sure how far I will come with it. I just want to work with JAL. 

Of course I could also focus on solving certain compiler bugs but that sometimes seems an impossible task. Normally I do an attempt to fix a bug and if it fails I try again a few months later, hoping that my subconsious mind has been working on solving the issue. Unfortunately no succes so far for this year.

Kind regards,

Rob


Van: jal...@googlegroups.com <jal...@googlegroups.com> namens Patrick FROUCHT <patfr...@gmail.com>
Verzonden: donderdag 8 augustus 2024 19:48
Aan: jal...@googlegroups.com <jal...@googlegroups.com>
Onderwerp: Re: [jallist] Just Another PIC Programmer (question)
 
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