"Oppie" wrote in message
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"ian field" wrote in message
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"Oppie" wrote in message
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"Martin Riddle" wrote in message
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The ICD2 is RS232 and USB. It has its own micro inside, so Its not a
direct link to MPLAB.
The ICD2 also has its own driver to load to work with MPLAB.
I made the Tait programmer and used Davids software for 16F parts. For
the 18F parts I purchased the ICD2 and use the demo compiler.
Programs fast, but debugging is a little slow. (wish they had more
break points)

Cheers



We used the ICD2 for several projects with the same observations. Last
year Microchip released the Real ICE which has unlimited breakpoints and
runs fast. Cost is $500 - a drop in the bucket as far as professional
salaries go...
http://microchip.com/stellent/idcplg...ame =en028120

The tech support on the link above isn't worth wasting any time with,
they have no intention of supporting third party programmers and
suggested I buy a PICKit 2 but CBA mentioning the price or how/where to
order in the UK, also on downloading the PICKit 2 datasheet it appears to
be SMT only which is no use to me.

The link that I gave earlier of a schematic to a ICD2 was not for you to
build it, it was so you could rationalize the RS-232 connections for their
standard interface. Sorry if I did not make this clear - information
overload and all that...

All considered though, you can't go too terribly wrong with buying an ICD2
at $159(usd) and using it for either a programmer or debugger. (not
allowed as both functions in MPLAB in the last few years. Can only be
Debugger OR Programmer)

Cheers


It took a lot of trawling through loads of irrelevant information in the
data sheet to find any hint of whether the device serves the purpose I want,
and it looks as if the basic device only does half the job so the cost
rapidly spirals pout of control as you buy the add on modules. Microchip
make a big show of being nice guys - but they're not!

My reason for contacting tech support was to get a definitive answer to my
original question, the answer was that MPLAB does not support what appears
to be becoming an established standard, they suggested I buy the PICKit 2 -
but I have to phone a company in Ireland (from England) to discuss the
device capabilities and I have to get a ticket number to be put through!

If they're that determined not to sell me one - fine, I won't buy one!