Unpacking a PICkit 2 Programmer/Debugger

[mvs_sarma]

Well I have just come to the end of day having finally unpacked a pickit2 debug express DV164121 which has a 16F887 on a small dev board.

Although I researched MPLAB IDE a few years ago I have had little further to do with it preferring the easier option of MCSP 3.0.0.5 together with Melabs serial programmers and of course PBP2.50a...............
First I loaded the PICkit 2v2 software which was straightforward except for the fact that it took at least an hour and half for the “necessary” Net framework to be installed, I hoped this was not going to be an omen for badly written code, ..................

Off to have a glass of wine…. Oh yeah Happy Easter to you All

I had downloaded the PICKIT2 with .net elements from microchip site. It did not take that sort of time for me. If I remember, it took hardly less than 10 mnts

[duncan303]

Hi Dave

……One of the things I like about MPLAB is it can tell me how the fuses are set after a program is compiled.……

I noticed the child window available in Mplab, but I have to say that initially I much prefer the Melabs Serial programmer Interface. I assume that multiple options are probably equally available using PICkit2, I just haven’t found them yet. Like reading the eeprom of a device and having it displayed full screen height rather than a piddly little 5 line scroll combo box. I like to use eeprom as an alarm event log recorder so the more I can see in one hit the better.

Redeading my post, I appear to have presented it as a better/ worse thread, this wasn’t my intention, I just thought I would share an experience. Having to succumb to Microchips policy of protectionism.


Hi Sarma,

Yeah I guessed something was wrong, to be honest most of the time taken was with installing windows updates to Net framework, my point was really that MPLabs is a monster and in my humble experience, vulnerable to failure. For example Windows update continues to attempt a forced install of a critical update service pack to Net framework V.1, but it also has installed through to version 3. PICkit initially installed version 2. Do I want to go searching the windows Knowledge base on an Easter weekend, yeah I think Not.

I hate to sound jaded but it is many years now since I was “in love” with PC’s. I am reminded of a quote by Damon Hill an F1 racing driver who found himself looking across at a competitor as he was entering the first bend and thinking “what’s the rush?”. I am sure Damon continues to thoroughly enjoy driving but there is only so much of your life you can spend fiddling about with the OS on any computer. How many guys do we all know who come into work on a monday having spent the weekend Fdisking their Hdrives and getting the optimum setup “for the very last time”….. until the next month!

Minimum code = Maximum enjoyment! Just look at the response on here when you get a code condensing thread.

“If it ain’t bust don’t try to fix it” ………… just hang on as I put my bright yellow cardigan on and settle down into my rocking chair

Duncan

[Acetronics2]

Hi, Duncan

I've always used PbP with MPLAB, Picstart plus and ICD2 ...

I do agree MPLAB is somewhat Huge ... but, I also do think we are really far from using it's real and full power ...
Not really useful for Hobbyist, but really nice for pro's ...


I also use some others IDEs ... and find MPLAB is one of the ... lightest !!!

you should have a try with PSoC Express ( Cypress ) or Processor Expert ( Moto ... euhhhh, Freescale ) ...

Just to have something to "trim your scale" ... ( LOL )

And a yeah Happy Easter to you and everybody here

Alain

[mvs_sarma]

Hi Dave

I noticed the child window available in Mplab, ...............
Hi Sarma,

Yeah I guessed something was wrong, to be honest most of the time taken was with installing windows updates to Net framework, my point was really that MPLabs is a monster and in my humble experience, vulnerable to failure. For example Windows update continues to attempt a forced install of a critical update service pack to Net framework V.1, but it also has installed through to version 3. PICkit initially installed version 2. Do I want to go searching the windows Knowledge base on an Easter weekend, yeah I think Not.

I hate to sound jaded but it is many years now since I was “in love” with PC’s. I am reminded of a quote by Damon Hill an F1 racing driver who found himself looking across at a competitor as he was entering the first bend and thinking “what’s the rush?”. I am sure Damon continues to thoroughly enjoy driving but there is only so much of your life you can spend fiddling about with the OS on any computer. How many guys do we all know who come into work on a monday having spent the weekend Fdisking their Hdrives and getting the optimum setup “for the very last time”….. until the next month!

Minimum code = Maximum enjoyment! Just look at the response on here when you get a code condensing thread.

“If it ain’t bust don’t try to fix it” ………… just hang on as I put my bright yellow cardigan on and settle down into my rocking chair

Duncan

I do understand that you and many of us might be tuned for PBP and associated stuff.
But I expect more than 30% of our members become professional experts as days pass by and will not remains in hobby alone. So we may not look at the magnitude of the MPLAB. In fact I am a beginner in software learning and at an advanced age of 62. Once i have a HDD of 80 or 160GB , this MPLAB is nothing perhaps, and I bite only as much a can chew. Perhaps you may be right from your perspective.