PICKit2 and 3 with newer PICs

[Mike]

In case anyone didn't know, someone took the time to make the older PICKit's able to program newer PIC's.  And it's free.

http://kair.us/projects/pickitminus/

Regards,

Mike

[Rob CJ]

Hi Mike,

Good to know. There is also the possibility to update the database with newer PICs for the PICkit2 and PICkit3.

I added to the 'Getting Started' section of the updated Tutorial_Book on how to install this. The database comes from: https://github.com/Anobium/PICKitPlus

Anobium/PICKitPlus: This is the PICkitPlus device database repository. This is the device database used by PICkitPlus for the PICkit 2 and PICkit 3 programmers. The parts database is partially supported by the original Microchip PICkit GUIs software - rename the dat file. To obtain the PICKitPlus software, see our website. Here: - GitHub This is the PICkitPlus device database repository. This is the device database used by PICkitPlus for the PICkit 2 and PICkit 3 programmers. The parts database is partially supported by the original Microchip PICkit GUIs software - rename the dat file. To obtain the PICKitPlus software, see our website. Here: - GitHub - Anobium/PICKitPlus: This is the PICkitPlus device database repository. github.com

I normally used the PMLABX IPE with my PICKit3 but now I am back again using the standalone PICKit3 software using the updated database.

Good to know that there are more alternatives to stay up-to-date.

Thanks for sharing.

Kind regards,

Rob

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Van: 'Mike' via jallist <jal...@googlegroups.com>
Verzonden: vrijdag 8 april 2022 21:26
Aan: jallist <jal...@googlegroups.com>
Onderwerp: [jallist] PICKit2 and 3 with newer PICs

 

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[Mike]

Hi Rob,

I think PICKitPlus requires a software purchase.  I haven't used either one, but I did modify the PICKit2 firmware (available from Microchip) to support the newer chips that I use.

Regards,

Mike

[Rob CJ]

Hi Mike,

I know that you can purchase PICKitPlus but I just used the database from the earlier mentioned GitHub location and copied (and renamed) it to the directory of the standalone Microchip PICKit3 software and it all worked, that is it recognized newer PICs.

I do not know the relation with this database and the PICKitPlus software.

Kind regards,

Rob

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Van: 'Mike' via jallist <jal...@googlegroups.com>

Verzonden: zaterdag 9 april 2022 15:57
Aan: jallist <jal...@googlegroups.com>
Onderwerp: Re: [jallist] PICKit2 and 3 with newer PICs

 

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[Mike]

Hi Rob,

I'm not sure what changes you made, but the firmware in the PICKit2/3 can't handle the newer PIC's programming algorithm.  Anobium may have solved this by handling the algorithm differences in the standalone programmer app...although that wasn't the solution I went for.  By updating the firmware, additional PIC's can be simply added to the device file.  By changing the programmer app, additional PIC's may require additional updates to the app.  In the end, I'm glad developers have the PICKit2/3 solutions available.

Regards,

Mike

[Patrick FROUCHT]

Hello all,

I'm a bit confused with all the information you have supplied....

I'm a simple user using the PicKit2&3.and all what you suggested for updating the SW for the new pics seems to me  unattainable  if not very obscure.

I have installed years ago the SW for the PicKits but I'm afraid of losing everything by making what I believe to be the right modifications.

Could you give me the simple way to do it

I have the following SW installed

For Pickit2:

For Pickit3:

It would be very nice too if  the app could recognize which of Pickit is connected....perhaps too much ! ! ! !

Thanks again

Patrick

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[Rob CJ]

Hi Patrick,

I have a suggestion for you but you have to give it a try but first read this before doing so.

If you download MPLABX and install the Integrated Programing Environment (IPE) then your PICKit3 will support more PICs (not all). In order to be able to do that you have to put the PICKit3 in MPLABX mode from the PICKit3 standalone application. When you do this you cannot use it with the PICKit3 standalone software anymore. If you want to return to using it again with your PICKIt3 standalone software you have to reprogram the firmware of the PICkit3 but that firmare image is supplied with the PICKit3 standalone software. 

I have a PICKit3 and a SNAP programmer. If both are connected to my PC, the IPE will recognize both, see screenshot below. I do not know if it recognizes a PICKit2. There is a disadvantage and that is that the IPE is much slower when you start it then the PICKIt3 standalone software.

But currently I use 2 PICKIt3 since at some moment in time the firmware upgrade of the PICKit3 done by the IPE did go wrong and I could not use my PICKit3 anymore. So I purchased a second one to reprogram the firmware of the non-working PICKit3 which fixed it. So now I am using one of the PICKit3 with the standalone PICKit3 software and one using the IPE so that I do not have to switch between MLABX  mode and PICKit3 stand alone mode.

If you find this all too tricky, I suggest not to do this.

What I did not understand is what Mike said about updating the database of the PICkit3 standalone software and not upgrading the firmware to support newer PICs. I recently updated the PICKIt3 database and I saw that it recognized more PICs and could also program a newer PIC. So my guess is that the programming information is in the database and not in the firmware. If anybody knows how this works, let me know.

Hopefull I am not confusing you more with this e-mail.

Kind regards,

Rob

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Van: jal...@googlegroups.com <jal...@googlegroups.com> namens Patrick FROUCHT <patfr...@gmail.com>
Verzonden: zondag 10 april 2022 11:26
Aan: jal...@googlegroups.com <jal...@googlegroups.com>

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[Mike]

Hi Rob,

I hope this doesn't add confusion, I just want to answer your question without further confusing Patrick, or others...

Some of the programming information is indeed in the device file ("database"), such as which commands to send, how much memory to erase/program, etc.  But the PICKit firmware handles the communication.  And many (most?...now all?) of the newer PIC's use a MSB-first programming protocol, which the PICKit2/3 can't handle.  The solution is to modify the firmware to handle the MSB protocol, which is what I did.  Or to modify the standalone programmer software to send over commands as MSB-first only for those newer PIC's, which is the way Anobium did it.  (In both cases the device file is updated to include the additional devices.)

Only updating the device file/database will only allow programming of "newer" PIC's that still use the older LSB protocol.  This would likely be PIC's that were introduced shortly after PICKit2/3 support was stopped, so they never were put into the device file.  Newer PIC's that use the MSB protocol, such as the 18F26K40, won't program with a PICKit2/3 with *only* a change to the device file.

Hope this clears things up.

Regards,

Mike

[Rob CJ]

Hi Mike,

Good to know.

At least I have my SNAP progammer to program the newer PIC's. It can only program PICs that have Low Voltage Programming which the newer PICs have (but not all older PICs).

Thanks for the info.

Kind regards,

Rob

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Van: 'Mike' via jallist <jal...@googlegroups.com>

Verzonden: zondag 10 april 2022 15:57

Aan: jallist <jal...@googlegroups.com>
Onderwerp: Re: [jallist] PICKit2 and 3 with newer PICs

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[Mike]

I can now confirm that PICKitMinus does program newer PIC's with my PICKit2.  No changes need to be made, as long as the PK2 has the latest firmware from Microchip...which PKMinus includes in the zip file.  I just programmed a PIC18F26Q43 with it.  Wonderful chip!

Regards,

Mike

[Rob CJ]

Hi Mike,

That is very interesting. Thanks for sharing. 

Kind regards,

Rob

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Van: 'Mike' via jallist <jal...@googlegroups.com>

Verzonden: woensdag 20 juli 2022 14:55

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[Mike]

I'll point out that...Anyone interested in using their PICKit2 to program newer PIC's should grab a copy of PICKitMinus while it is still available for free.  PKMinus has been using the device files from the [fee-based] PICKitPlus software and PKPlus has stopped making the device files available on their github.  So PKMinus is going to have to do the work themselves now.  And having done this work myself I can tell you that it takes a long time to add a part to the device file.  Maybe PKMinus will start charging, maybe they will do the work for free, or maybe they will stop updating the device file.  By the way, I used the zip file of PKMinus that didn't require any installation, just unzipping.

Regards,

Mike