Is My Programmer Dead

I have been using a Olimex PIC-MCP-USB Programmer with MPLABs. This programmer emulates a PicStart Plus Now I get a serial timeout message or a message that PicStart Plus can't be found. The green light doesn't come on and the voltage regulator gets very hot..

If this sounds like a terminally ill programmer my question is what should I replace it with that is MPLABs compatible, Has ICSP , ZIF socket, and preferably USB. A kit would also be okay.

If anybody has any suggestions I'd be greatful

Mike

PICKIT2 is popular. From MicroChip.

Yup Pickit-2 or, you may have a look at Blueroom elecronics Junebug... which is a PICKIT 2 copy + few adds... nice kit for the price.
http://www.blueroomelectronics.com/Junebug.htm

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Originally Posted by mikendee

I have been using a Olimex PIC-MCP-USB Programmer with MPLABs. This programmer emulates a PicStart Plus Now I get a serial timeout message or a message that PicStart Plus can't be found. The green light doesn't come on and the voltage regulator gets very hot..

If this sounds like a terminally ill programmer my question is what should I replace it with that is MPLABs compatible, Has ICSP , ZIF socket, and preferably USB. A kit would also be okay.

If anybody has any suggestions I'd be greatful

Mike

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Hai Mike, I was immediately going thro' the following site.
http://www.olimex.com/dev/pic-mcp-usb.html
I find that they have a firmware upgrade and USB driver. why not coolly think arounfd them and try to implement them by help of another programmer or as per the user manual.

Is natural that things do go faulty, and it may be better to service it within your means. Purchasing a new version can always be done. I do have and use JUNEBUG and it is fine. I suggest that you try to exhaust all the possibilities of servicing the present programmer.
If not possible, check atleast whether the control PIC and the USB chip is OK. No wonder that you may land up in a minor fault some times. Thse firmware re-loading may be possible.

At the end try for a JUNEBUG

Hi Sarma,
Thanks for your reply. I found that the problem was not with the programmer but with the 16F88 I was trying to program.
Unfortunately I only worked this out after I had bought an ICD2.5USB programmer. Anyway I like the new programmer and the old one still works fine and your suggestion about servicing the old one is a very good suggestion if I hae trouble again or for anyone less hasty than me.
Regards, Mike