In Circuit Programming of PIC chips (flash models)

[Guest]

Is it possible to create an adapter which would allow a Dataman 48 to program flash PIC devices in-circuit (either high or low voltage programming method).

I am guessing that by simply extending the relevant Vdd, Vss, RA5/(not) MCLR/THV, RB6 and RB7 signals (referring to PIC16F628 datasheet) on my target board to an IC socket put into the Dataman ZIF socket and with short leads between them, it may be possible. This is the high voltage method, which seems to be what the Dataman 48 normally uses for the 16F628 (since low-voltage programming only works AFTER the configuration bits are set, which can't be done with a factory-fresh blank device)

Has anyone tried this before ? If so, please provide details.

I think it would be a VERY worthwhile way of programming flash PICs without having to remove them from the target board.

Regard

Jason Armistead

[Dataman (Neil Parker)]

Hi Jason,

This is a very common question.
First you need to ensure that the chip has the ISP mode programming algorithm, some chips have parallel and ISP programming mode. In our software we only pick one algorithm (not necessarily ISP). If the algorithm we implement is ISP mode then you have a chance to program the chip in your target board with ISP (these chips include serial, EEPROM, new PIC 16Fxx, 18C/Fxx, ATtiny family).

Trying to program the chip on the board with ISP will report a device insertion error in the software, to overcome this insertion error and continuity check error some customers use a real chip to insert into the 48 pin ZIF on the D48 and blend the ISP pins out of the ZIF socket and then connect the ISP pins from the ZIF socket and use the ISP signal to program the chip on the board.
Many customers tell us that this works fine.

Good luck,

Neil

[Guest]

How do you find out which programming algorithm is used?

tony haywood

[Dataman (Neil Parker)]

Tony

Sinse we have phased out ISP support it has become impossible to tell which are ISP and which are not. There are over 6000 chips in the software now.

Neil

[Guest]

What ?

Are you seriously expecting us to believe that the Dataman company does not know what algorithms are used for each chip in its library, even though Dataman writes those libraries ?

And why was ISP phased out ? More and more PIC chips support it.

[Guest]

We are using ST M27C1001 Eproms (PLCC 32) and would very much like to Program them while still on the board. However with the PLCC3232 adaptor this is impossible because the pins of the adaptor do not reach the pins of the chip.
On top of that the chip will not be in the right direction for the Dataman to recognise the chip.
According to the M27C1001 Specification (downloaded from your website) ICP should be possible.

So my question is if there is an adaptor available to overcome all this.
If not, how should we proceed? What are the other options?

Thank you very much in advance for helping us out!

Best regards,

Piet Achten

[Dataman (Neil Parker)]

Piet,

I am afraid that we do not support the ISP method of programming with any of our programmers. We have found there to be too many factors outside our control.

Neil