PIC Programmer: description, purpose of the device

PIC microcontrollers are manufactured by the American company Microchip Technology Inc. The abbreviation PIC stands for Peripheral Interface Controller. PIC microcontrollers are electrically programmable users of PROM. They are characterized by minimal energy consumption, high performance, well-developed RISC-architecture, functional completeness, minimum sizes and low prices. Firmware microcontrollers are produced using a device such as a PIC programmer.

Description

For practical use of such chips, the user needs an affordable and inexpensive toolkit. There are many technical solutions for such devices (both amateur and industrial designs). In this article we will consider a fairly simple PIC programmer developed by Microchip Technology Inc. It should be noted that, unlike self-made amateur devices, this device is a full-fledged debugger, it also has a number of additional analyzer functions.

The programmer of PIC-controllers is based on the PIC18F2550 chip with USB 2.0 support function. The circuit receives an electric current from the USB connector and, accordingly, does not need an additional power source. Through this port, you can update the firmware of the chip. The PIC programmer features small overall dimensions and is designed in the form of a key fob. On the case there are three LEDs that show the mode of operation of the device, and two connectors: one for connection to a personal computer, and the second - directly for the microcontroller.

This PIC programmer is designed for in-circuit programming and debugging of most Microchip microchips. This device is running either its own software shell, or MPLAB IDE programs. In the first case (using PICkit 2 Programmer) the device can erase, check memory, install code protection, flash, edit the contents of microcontrollers. And also write information into the memory chips, install drivers and keys Keeloq. In addition to the listed main functions, the PIC programmer can generate a voltage value for devices in the range from 2.5 to 5 Volts, in steps of 0.1 V.

Capabilities

Thanks to this function, it becomes possible to debug the developed devices without disconnecting from the programmer. The device allows the USB port to give a nominal current value of up to 100 mA, in the event that this figure is exceeded, the circuit will automatically turn off. Also, the programmer is able to calibrate the voltage of the USB-port bus, as a result, it is possible to give the device a more accurate voltage value. This ultimately positively affects his work. For devices that have an external reset, the programmer's shell allows controlling the reset pulse of the microcontroller. In the Tools menu of the software shell, you can run the Use VPPFirst Program Entry option, which is necessary for the microcontrollers whose configuration does not allow entering the programming mode.

Conclusion

The PIC programmer considered is a powerful, versatile tool for debugging Microchip microcontrollers. It has an affordable price, and if desired can be easily repeated, thanks to the documentation provided on the company's website.