PIC series 18

[hazzer123]

I want to start using the 18 series of PIC microcontrollers.

I currently use the k8048 velleman programmer for my PIC16 chips. PIC18 aren't supported on this.
I also have a PIC Logicator programmer that i took from school. I haven't tried to get it to work. The software for it is flow chart based and very expensive.

I was wondering, are the limitations in compatability hardware or software related?

The PIC logicator programmer is more sophisticated that the velleman one. I contains a PIC16F84 in its actual circuit. Is this a sort of standard circuit? And if so, would i be able to update the software on the PIC to enable it to be able to flash 18 series PICs?

If none of these will ever program PIC 18s, then what programmer do you recommend? Im not very fussed about it having testing capabilities with LEDs and buttons.

Thanks

[nanob0t]

I use PIC 18 series     They're larger, but they're nice... And not to mention free   


The MPLAB IDE program is pretty nice.  It doesn't limit you very much.  If you get an inline debugger (MPLAB ICD 2), it allows you to run your robot and do any tests you want with your microcontroller.  You can input stuff and figure out what may be wrong with your robot.  I'm not sure if you already use MPLAB and such.

With MPLAB though, you can get C18 compiler, which is what I use.  So you can program in C peticualrly for the p18xxx set of chips.


I actually have a development board that I can burn my programs onto the chip.  I doubt you want to spend $150 though.  Let me get back, I have to go take a quick test.  Stupid ACT studying   o_o   Gotta get into CMU though 

[hazzer123]

I found this.. and it looks awesome!
http://home.arcor.de/bernhard.michelis/index.html

The programmer supports loads of different MCUs even from different vendors. PICs and AVRs.
And there is a feature called UPAL which allows the user to create algorithms to enable the programmer to be able to program the newest MCUs.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Any comments?

Thanks

[hazzer123]

I am having difficulties finding surface mount components from UK suppliers for this programmer circuit...

Has anyone any tips? Seems like everyone is only stocking axial resistors and big capacitors 

Cheers

EDIT: Found one haha. www.rapidonline.com

One thing is.. they are charging about £3 for a pack of 100 SMD capacitors. I only want a couple of each! Does anyone sell in smaller quantities?

EDIT EDIT: I was looking at the branded packs... The others were cheaper: about £1 a pack of 100.

[nanob0t]

Were you looking for a program or hardware? 

[hazzer123]

I was wondering if any of the two programmers i have would be good to program 18 series PICs. I think ill go ahead and build that circuit from the website i linked. Seems pretty cool.

My first time with SMDs though haha. I think ill buy a few spare components

[nanob0t]

Check this out:

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en023805

I own one of these.  It's a programmer for the C18 series.  You'll probably be using 28 or 44 pin microcontrollers and you need to pick one.  The programmers are specific on which number of pins they program, but when you know, they're very useful.  My board has a 40 and 28 that I showed you.  I have one of these that does C16s.  If you go to the larger ones, you can program C18's.

Then you get the MPLAB program, which picks up this programmer and everything is there for you.

I hope this helps.  It's fairly cheap.   

[hazzer123]

Bringing this topic back to life since i now have some PIC18F452s.

I have been trying to use the broccoli18 pic18f programmer. I have succesfully constructed the simple circuit on the webpage and the software on the site recognises that there is a pic18f452 attached.

When i try to flash it, there is an error. "pic_verify_cfg: Cfg byte 6 doesn't match"

Can anyone help me with this problem?

The website is - http://home.earthlink.net/~davesullins/software/pic18f.html

Thanks


[EDIT] - I have found this  - http://www.aausatii.aau.dk/wiki/images/7/7d/Report.pdf. Looks like they had the same problem. The solution to the problem isnt totally clear to me. Any tips?

[hazzer123]

Oh... and on that document where thay had the same problem. It is page 141.

Harry