PicKit 2 WARNING
in [Design]
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From: Robert Baer on 15 Sep 2009 01:43 David L. Jones wrote: > Frank Buss wrote: >> David L. Jones wrote: >> >>> Robert Baer wrote: >>>> You can permanently destroy a PicKit 2 programming pod in an easy >>>> un-documented manner. >>>> 1) Tie one or more pins of a PIC MCU to ground; it does not help to >>>> have MCU program use the pin(s) as inputs. >>>> 2) Program then power up the MCU with the PicKit 2; you may need to >>>> do power down and power up a few times. >>>> ZZZZzzzzzaaaaaa:P:! No Poof, No Frap, No Zap; it just gets killed. >>>> As far as i can tell the USP port is not damaged; my 1Gbyte stick >>>> still reads OK. >> I have no such problems with this test setup: >> >> http://www.frank-buss.de/pic18f2550/index.html >> >> The PIC is always powered from external power in my test setup. But I >> noticed that the PicKit pulls VDD to low, if disabled, which was not >> much of a problem, because of my current limited power supply, but I >> think this could destroy the prorgammer. > > It can only pull VDD low with a 1K in series, so that isn't going to destroy > the programmer. > www.modtronix.com/products/prog/pickit2/pickit2%20datasheet.pdf > >>> Err, yes they are, at $35 it's one of the cheapest official >>> programmers on the market for any micro. >> There are some other programmers within the same price range: >> >> http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?keywords=428-2021-ND >> http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?keywords=336-1182-ND >> >> But you are right, there are more expensive ones, but then usually >> with in-circuit debugging support etc. > > The PICkit2 has in-circuit debugging capability, stand-alone field > programming support, and can power your circuit under test with any voltage > from 2.8V to 5V. And as a bonus can be used as a 4 logic analyser and serial > protocol analyser too. Pretty good value for money! > > Dave. > Worst case i had 2 MCU pins to ground, NO 1K "protection" resistors. Made a rev to the board to fix that.
From: Robert Baer on 15 Sep 2009 01:55 Jan Panteltje wrote: > On a sunny day (Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:07:10 -0700) it happened Robert Baer > <robertbaer(a)localnet.com> wrote in > <V7ednUh1WdnzXDDXnZ2dnUVZ_qSdnZ2d(a)posted.localnet>: > >> You can permanently destroy a PicKit 2 programming pod in an easy >> un-documented manner. >> 1) Tie one or more pins of a PIC MCU to ground; it does not help to have >> MCU program use the pin(s) as inputs. >> 2) Program then power up the MCU with the PicKit 2; you may need to do >> power down and power up a few times. >> ZZZZzzzzzaaaaaa:P:! No Poof, No Frap, No Zap; it just gets killed. >> As far as i can tell the USP port is not damaged; my 1Gbyte stick >> still reads OK. >> >> And the damn pods are not cheap. > > I am still using this one, wrote software for it to support every PIC I needed so far: > http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/noppp/ > Blow up as many as you want, less then 1$ part count. > Nice. But..using unsupported PIC parts and have a fast computer - so i will pass on the NOPPP. That site referred to Dontronics which has 4 programmers; all of them are MUCH more expensive.
From: Robert Baer on 15 Sep 2009 01:57 E wrote: > "Robert Baer" <robertbaer(a)localnet.com> kirjoitti > viestiss�:V7ednUh1WdnzXDDXnZ2dnUVZ_qSdnZ2d(a)posted.localnet... >> You can permanently destroy a PicKit 2 programming pod in an easy >> un-documented manner. >> 1) Tie one or more pins of a PIC MCU to ground; it does not help to have >> MCU program use the pin(s) as inputs. >> 2) Program then power up the MCU with the PicKit 2; you may need to do >> power down and power up a few times. >> ZZZZzzzzzaaaaaa:P:! No Poof, No Frap, No Zap; it just gets killed. >> As far as i can tell the USP port is not damaged; my 1Gbyte stick still >> reads OK. >> >> And the damn pods are not cheap. > > Have you tried updating it (tools ->Download Pickit2 Operating System) > I have noticed it tends to lose its operating system if mishandled. > > No, but i think that i cannot do that as i fully expect the file to be over a few megs in size (am on dial-up).
From: Robert Baer on 15 Sep 2009 01:58 Jamie wrote: > Robert Baer wrote: > >> You can permanently destroy a PicKit 2 programming pod in an easy >> un-documented manner. >> 1) Tie one or more pins of a PIC MCU to ground; it does not help to >> have MCU program use the pin(s) as inputs. >> 2) Program then power up the MCU with the PicKit 2; you may need to do >> power down and power up a few times. >> ZZZZzzzzzaaaaaa:P:! No Poof, No Frap, No Zap; it just gets killed. >> As far as i can tell the USP port is not damaged; my 1Gbyte stick >> still reads OK. >> >> And the damn pods are not cheap. > And are you talking about ? the USB-Serial adapter? > > > Sorry about the typo - yes; the USB port.
From: David L. Jones on 15 Sep 2009 02:35
Robert Baer wrote: > David L. Jones wrote: >> Frank Buss wrote: >>> David L. Jones wrote: >>> >>>> Robert Baer wrote: >>>>> You can permanently destroy a PicKit 2 programming pod in an >>>>> easy un-documented manner. >>>>> 1) Tie one or more pins of a PIC MCU to ground; it does not help >>>>> to have MCU program use the pin(s) as inputs. >>>>> 2) Program then power up the MCU with the PicKit 2; you may need >>>>> to do power down and power up a few times. >>>>> ZZZZzzzzzaaaaaa:P:! No Poof, No Frap, No Zap; it just gets >>>>> killed. As far as i can tell the USP port is not damaged; my >>>>> 1Gbyte stick still reads OK. >>> I have no such problems with this test setup: >>> >>> http://www.frank-buss.de/pic18f2550/index.html >>> >>> The PIC is always powered from external power in my test setup. But >>> I noticed that the PicKit pulls VDD to low, if disabled, which was >>> not much of a problem, because of my current limited power supply, >>> but I think this could destroy the prorgammer. >> >> It can only pull VDD low with a 1K in series, so that isn't going to >> destroy the programmer. >> www.modtronix.com/products/prog/pickit2/pickit2%20datasheet.pdf >> >>>> Err, yes they are, at $35 it's one of the cheapest official >>>> programmers on the market for any micro. >>> There are some other programmers within the same price range: >>> >>> http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?keywords=428-2021-ND >>> http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?keywords=336-1182-ND >>> >>> But you are right, there are more expensive ones, but then usually >>> with in-circuit debugging support etc. >> >> The PICkit2 has in-circuit debugging capability, stand-alone field >> programming support, and can power your circuit under test with any >> voltage from 2.8V to 5V. And as a bonus can be used as a 4 logic >> analyser and serial protocol analyser too. Pretty good value for >> money! Dave. >> > There was NO (1K) "protection" resistor (8 lines) from MCU to > ground; at worst 2 pins were shorted. Huh? I'm refering to Frank comment about the PICkit2 circuit and it's ability to pull the VDD pin LOW. According to the schematic for the PICkit2 it's got a 1K series resistor in there for that. Dave. -- ================================================ Check out my Electronics Engineering Video Blog & Podcast: http://www.eevblog.com |