Programming Multiple PICs Simultaneously

[Archangel]

Hi Everyone!,
I hope everyone had an uneventful and Happy New Year.
My questions here are as follows:

1. What is required to program several ( say 10 ) PICs simultaneously?
2. Can this be done cheaply?
3. Is there shareware, freeware, or cheapware available?
4. Anyone have schematics for roll your own programmer?

Thank You for your indulgence,
JS

[mister_e]

It's called a gang programmer. i never tried or look for it, i remind a thread so far
http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=3293&highlight=salt

notice the search tip => salt :D

[Archangel]

Hi Mister_e,
Thank you, still not quite what I 'm looking for, What do the "BIG BOYS" use, I mean . . . if I were to order PICs preprogrammed from Microchip, how would they have done it? I'm sort of thinking, a programmer with many sockets, using a multiplexed circuit programming the chips sequentialy, without continuious operator iinput, if that makes sense?
JS

"Gang programmer" I googled it . . . lots of links to explore . . thanks for the terminology!

Ouch, expensive!

[mister_e]

Yeah, expensive indeed. I know microchip do one as well, still expensive.

Sure it's doable to create your own with your interface. You just need to launch your regular PIC programmer application few times and switch the programming pins from one socket to another, that way, each PIC will be verified before... slower but shouldn't be so hard to build.

Food for thought!

[BobK]

Hi Joe S.

I was at the CodeAlarm factory back in 1996. They had a machine that programmed the PICs. They put a tube (25) of PICs in the machine and using air pneumatics they picked the chip up inserted it into a ZIF socket, blank checked it then programmed and verified it. The machine would then remove the chip and place it in a new tube and go on to another chip. They told me they created the machine and that Microchip wanted to buy the rights to the machine from them. These were SMT version PICs for their keyfobs. A person there would keep an eye on the stock in the tube and make sure the machine kept running.

No telling what they use today!

BobK

[Archangel]

Thanks!
JS

[skimask]

Yeah, expensive indeed. I know microchip do one as well, still expensive.

Sure it's doable to create your own with your interface. You just need to launch your regular PIC programmer application few times and switch the programming pins from one socket to another, that way, each PIC will be verified before... slower but shouldn't be so hard to build.

Food for thought!

Another perfect place for your USB code...
Build a circuit to switch Vpp and Vdd amongst multiple chips in the gang programmer, and hook up your USB cod/circuit to generate keystrokes to start the program/verify sequence again with whatever software you've got running...

yeeeeshhh....another sleepless night...

[mister_e]

Yup, possibilities are endless here. If i was going to build one for myself, i would hack/log/sniff the programmer port first to see what the PC send to initialize the programmer (if there's any) and then create a program around that.

Food for thought... once again!

[Acetronics2]

Hi,

One more possibility for quantities ...

Microchip can deliver chips already programmed ...

Yes, I know ... it's not so fun !!!

Alain

[Melanie]

I find 30 pesos a day for somebody from Mexico (or read Romania if you're in Europe) along with your standard 1-gang programmer is a cheap solution. As a bonus you can get them to clean your car in the yard which is outside the scope even for the most expensive multi-gang programmer.

[keithdoxey]

As a bonus you can get them to clean your car in the yard which is outside the scope even for the most expensive multi-gang programmer.

Thats why Mistress Melanie is the boss :)

[Archangel]

I find 30 pesos a day for somebody from Mexico (or read Romania if you're in Europe) along with your standard 1-gang programmer is a cheap solution. As a bonus you can get them to clean your car in the yard which is outside the scope even for the most expensive multi-gang programmer.
No thanks.

[skimask]

I find 30 pesos a day for somebody from Mexico (or read Romania if you're in Europe) along with your standard 1-gang programmer is a cheap solution. As a bonus you can get them to clean your car in the yard which is outside the scope even for the most expensive multi-gang programmer.

I'll get the neighbor's kid to do it for me....right after he shovels the snow out of my driveway! After all, it's only about 350ft long! Then I'll give him a cup of hot chocolate and call it a done deal... :)

[mugwamp]

I find 30 pesos a day for somebody from Mexico (or read Romania if you're in Europe) along with your standard 1-gang programmer is a cheap solution. As a bonus you can get them to clean your car in the yard which is outside the scope even for the most expensive multi-gang programmer.

Yeah, and then you get the INS chasing them through your yard and putting huge footprints in your garden. Currently it's a $10,000 fine in the US for knowingly hiring an illegal alien. Factoring that into the financial equation, you'd have to be programming a whole lot of chips to make it a profitable venture.