Microchip sells demo boards at a reasonable price which simply plug into the pickit2. I like them for testing code snippets, easy quick push button changes and viola it is running again, no wires to fuss with. different boards for the 628 and similar vs 690 series. As for who is to blame . . . blame it on the curve, the learning curve, we ALL have lost it on that curve, be careful not to oversteer, so as not to spin out