It would not be able to meet the timing requirements for bitbanged asynch serial at any normal baudrate. PICkit 2 allows itself to be use as logic analyzer and to monitor diagnostic messages when debugging complicated code, PICkit 3 too can do it but for what I know Microchip never implemented the PICkit 2 style UART mode in the PICkit 3 so it is not possible to use it in a something way like with Logic Tool and UART Tool in PICkit 2.īitbanging SPI via HID with the PICkit 3 loaded with the PICkit 2 emulation firmware may be possible but is likely to be very slow. However some of these may be programmed with PICkit 2 and its standalone programming application may be updated with modified device files to handle additional devices, but debugging is much more difficult to handle with devices not supported with debugging in MPLAB by Microchip. PIC32MX, PIC32MZ, PIC18FxxK22 and so on). The difference betwhen PICkit 2 and PICkit 3 is that PICkit 2 do not work with newer chip products (i.e. But assuming I can find the software, will the Pickit3 work the same? Some came with an additional board with a ZIF socket, but I believe that I only need the programmer? It seems a retrograde step to get the older hardware if a new version is available. My Linux distro does not have the p2cmd program so I will need to find and compile it, but I have a look on eBay saw lots of Pickit3 devices. I guess this is similar to using an AVR programmer on an Arduino and means I can get out of trouble if the bootloader messes up for some reason, by being able to flash a new one. While sorting this out I came across a tutorial on flashing the BP with a Pickit2.
It turned out that after this update I now needed to bridge PGC/PGND as well as go into terminal and type $. When I tried to downgrade, ds30 was complaining that it was not getting a response from the bootloader. Enabling the bootloader required only that I open a terminal and type $. The board came with v5.1 but flashrom complained that it needed at least v6.2, so I upgraded to v6.3_r2151 from the community site. They are working on speed optimisation for the other ones.Ĥ) Debugging is faster than the PK2 which I didn’t mention at all.Can BusPirate be programmed with a Pickit 3? I had a scare earlier today when trying to revert my firmware to a previous version and couldn't get a response from the bootloader.
(Yep, I didn’t see this, it is different to the PK2 and buried away)ģ) The PK3 is only slower for the chip type I selected (Murphy’s Law), for all others it’s actually faster than the PK2. (Fair call, but I still don’t like it)Ģ) The VDD range is not 3V-5.5V, it’s actually 2V-5.5V and range changes with the chip selected.
Issues in my blog pointed out by Microchip are:ġ) The auto VDD voltage was removed deliberately due to potential damage to chips if applied incorrectly. Two thumbs up to Steve Sanghi and Microchip! I am absolutely blown away by Microchip’s honesty, and it starts from their CEO down. Such a thing has to be unprecedented surely? He pointed out a few factual errors on my part which was fair enough, but admitted they could have done the PICkit 3 better and most importantly are working to fix the issues (and the bugs) and give customers what they expect of such an upgrade.Īny other huge multi-billion dollar corporation probably would have got their lawyers to give me a dressing down, if they cared at all, but Microchip really do care about their products and will happily take constructive criticism seriously at the top level. They took it as serious constructive criticism (as it was intended). In a totally unexpected and rare show of honesty from any corporate person, let alone the CEO, he thanked me for the blog and for raising the issues, and appologised for the poor implementation and release of the PICkit3.
Since this blog has gone to air and made it’s way all around the Microchip HQ, I have received a phone call from none other than the Microchip CEO Steve Sanghi. Dave compares the new PICkit 3 to the old PICkit 2, and, well, he starts to rant uncontrollably about how Microchip may have screwed this up…Īnd what do MBA managers and dickheads have in common?