Programmer for 18F4550

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- 11th April 2007, 15:05
ngeronikolos

Programmer for 18F4550

Hello to everybody,

I would like your opinion about what programmer to choose for my 18f4550.
I do not have expirience to that pic.
I use until now 16f628.

Please let me know what is the better,to build one myself or to buy a new one?

Thanks for your time
Nikos Geronikolos
- 11th April 2007, 15:48
skimask

Quote:

Originally Posted by ngeronikolos

Hello to everybody,

I would like your opinion about what programmer to choose for my 18f4550.
I do not have expirience to that pic.
I use until now 16f628.

Please let me know what is the better,to build one myself or to buy a new one?

Thanks for your time
Nikos Geronikolos

PICKIT2 from Microchip. ~ $40 USD, well supported, works great, lasts long time.
- 13th April 2007, 09:39
NatureTech

build 1 if you ask me...

Hi Nikos Geronikolos,

It depends on your budget and need.I will build 1 if you ask me.

About PIC18F4550 from my point of view " BRAVO".Well made with Full Speed USB and HID but MC is not so good (10 MIPS) for 40MHZ +

Make things simple but not simpler.
- 13th April 2007, 14:33
bbarney

My first choice is ths same as skimask's you can't beat microchips deal
If you want to build one this one is pretty good here'a a link
http://www.sprut.de/electronic/pic/p...index.htm#next
- 14th April 2007, 05:05
NatureTech

Now thats a programmmer

Like bbarney mentioned thats a programmer everyone wanna get 1 to build.It's fanatastic in term of supports.
- 14th April 2007, 14:18
Josuetas

:( Gotta learn Dutch?

That programmer seems pretty nice, unfotunately i really really dont get anything.
- 14th April 2007, 15:30
bbarney

no german
use this website to translate the website to english or whatever
http://world.altavista.com/
- 14th April 2007, 19:23
ngeronikolos

Thanks to everybody for the help,

NatureTech
can you build the programmer http://www.sprut.de/electronic/pic/p...index.htm#next
for me?

If it is possible how much it will cost?

Thanks
Nikos Geronikolos
- 15th April 2007, 08:57
NatureTech

Rather than you asking me..

Hi Ngeronikolos,

Rather than you ask me to do it, i recommend you to download Brenner5 in that website if this would be your first PIC18 Programmer.This would be a good start for programming 18F.To built a board it's not always neccesary to have PCB.If you ask me,i would built and try something from Breadboard to donut board (point-to-point soldering).Depends on budget.Anyway,i never tried to build that board as i have no time.AND don't forgot to follow bbarney guide,translate the page,it really works ! ( From German To English)

Make things simple not simpler.
- 15th April 2007, 09:09
skimask

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatureTech

Hi Ngeronikolos,...................Depends on budget

Not to mention the PICKIT is only ~$40USD. After you buy the parts from various places, buy a breadboard, buy some equipment, paying the shipping on all of those parts, spend the time, electricity and consumables putting it all together....bam....you've just spent over 40 bucks and used up a lot of valuable time that might've been better spent making an LED blink...
- 15th April 2007, 09:34
NatureTech

Well paul...

Maybe you are right.But in here,that PICKIT cost me around few hundred ringgit in Malaysia.I bought components and build it locally and it cost me less than 20 ringgit (USD 5).And i was able to learn from scratch.

But if you belive in that way,it might be correct or it might not be.But for sure its hassle free.Just like the melabs usb programmer.One hack of a great programmer.
- 23rd April 2007, 12:50
ngeronikolos

JDM serial PIC programmer

Is a good idea to buy a cheap JDM serial PIC programmer 40pin ZIF.It cost only 23$US.

The PICKIT cost 40$US+35$US(shipping)=75$US.

What else the PICKIT can give me more than a JDM?

Please advice
- 23rd April 2007, 12:53
mister_e

An open source driver+code+schematic
A Microchip tech support... as they build PICs... they should know better how to handle them
a nifty debugger... few models...
DsPIC support
MPLAB integration

:eek: 35$ in shipping??? have you tried Microchip Direct?
- 23rd April 2007, 13:08
ngeronikolos

mister_e,

Shipping to Greece is 26Euro.
What is the the best choise for the 18f4550?
PICKIT2 PG164120.

Thanks
- 24th April 2007, 01:31
mister_e

As i type this message, the Microchips website seems to be crashed :( BTW, if PG164120 is PICKIT2 only, then it's still a good choice. I buyed the Debug Express kit DV164121 or something like that. It came with a little dev board with a PIC16F917. For the price difference, i thought it was a nice deal to try the debugger.

Anyways, anyone reading this post, i trust and recommend this programmer. It served (and still) serves me well on on-the-road job. Never ever fail... 'till now.
It's cheap, well supported, small and USB powered. The supprted device list is always growing up.

I hear more bad comment on those JDM... come on... poor software developer team.. they mostly provide their stuff for free. How could this be always up to date and reliable?

For higher budget and/or wider application, i'll recommend BK Precision BK844a (ELNEC SmartProgl... now SmartProg2). Another one that NEVER EVER fail... yes once but it was my fault ;)

I don't know about Greece, maybe Ioannis may know few nice supplier?
- 24th April 2007, 04:11
skimask

Quote:

Originally Posted by mister_e

Anyways, anyone reading this post, i trust and recommend this programmer. It served (and still) serves me well on on-the-road job. Never ever fail... 'till now.

Did you let all the smoke out of your programmer? :D
- 24th April 2007, 21:10
mister_e

:D yeah, the smoke on first week it's normal as it's brand new. :D