Post by thread:p16pro programming failure

Hi all. I just got a p16pro programmer, but I keep getting the same programming failure using version 3.61a (Aug, 99) of the P16PRO software (from http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Peaks/9620). This software should work even though it is still unregistered, shouldn't it? I tried adding the extra 330pF capacitor that one article I dug up said might be necessary to program the PIC16F877, but that did not help. I hooked the programmer up to a logic analyzer, and I see good Vpp and DATA signals, but I see no CLOCK signal going into RB6. I traced this back to the SN7406 inverter which gets its input from D1 (pin 3) from the DB25 parallel port connector. The parallel cable tests fine. Pin 3 runs straight through, and it is not shorted with other wires. I changed the software configuration to use D7 which is not used on the programmer, and my probe did not see any signal there. I have tried three different machines with various combinations of W98, W95, booted to DOS mode, different parallel port BIOS settings, etc. I still get the same results. Has anyone seen similar problems using P16PRO software to program a PIC16F877? Does it need to be registered in order to actually program a PIC? bryan.

Bryan Freed wrote: > > Hi all. > > I just got a p16pro programmer, but I keep getting the same > programming failure using version 3.61a (Aug, 99) of the P16PRO > software (from http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Peaks/9620). > This software should work even though it is still unregistered, > shouldn't it? Yes. If you have the lite version and an F84 to try, this will prove your hardware and computer. There are no restrictions on the lite version, so you can play around with this until you get it going. > I hooked the programmer up to a logic analyzer, and I see good Vpp > and DATA signals, but I see no CLOCK signal going into RB6. I > traced this back to the SN7406 inverter which gets its input from > D1 (pin 3) from the DB25 parallel port connector. You have the hardware set up correctly? > Has anyone seen similar problems using P16PRO software to program > a PIC16F877? Does it need to be registered in order to actually > program a PIC? again no. you have a 256 byte burn limitation. what programmer are you using? You can try Nigel Goodwin's software: http://www.dontronics.com/download.html as he has a test mode that will toggle the lines for you. also I have perhaps 100 to 200 users already burning 877's with p16pro, so I know it works fine. see: http://www.dontronics.com/vicuni.html for the link to using p16pro, simmstick, and 877s. Don McKenzie spam_OUTdonTakeThisOuTdontronics.com http://www.dontronics.com Don's Download Dungeon: http://www.dontronics.com/download.html Australian Electronics Ring http://www.dontronics.com/aering.html Win $500USD Cash. Micro design contest: http://www.simmstick.com

Thanks for the response, Don. Don McKenzie wrote: {Quote hidden}> > Bryan Freed wrote: > > > > Hi all. > > > > I just got a p16pro programmer, but I keep getting the same > > programming failure using version 3.61a (Aug, 99) of the P16PRO > > software (from http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Peaks/9620). > > This software should work even though it is still unregistered, > > shouldn't it? > > Yes. > If you have the lite version and an F84 to try, this will prove your > hardware and computer. > There are no restrictions on the lite version, so you can play around > with this until you get it going. > > > I hooked the programmer up to a logic analyzer, and I see good Vpp > > and DATA signals, but I see no CLOCK signal going into RB6. I > > traced this back to the SN7406 inverter which gets its input from > > D1 (pin 3) from the DB25 parallel port connector. > > You have the hardware set up correctly? > > > Has anyone seen similar problems using P16PRO software to program > > a PIC16F877? Does it need to be registered in order to actually > > program a PIC? > > again no. you have a 256 byte burn limitation. > > what programmer are you using? There is not much hardware for me to get wrong. The programmer kit (p16pro kit 96) came fully assembled from Amazon Electronics. I have looked at the schematic quite a bit, and it looks right to me. It seems to match the schematic at www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Peaks/9620#P16PROHARD. I notice one extra red LED, but it never turns on anyway. I believe this is because the PIC16F877 VPP selection in DEVICE.INI for the P16PRO.EXE program picks one Vpp or the other, not both. I have tested the cable, and that looks good. I have tried three different PCs, with various BIOS settings for the parallel port. I do not think the hardware is bad. I just now tried a program of less than 256 bytes. It fails similarly, so that is not the problem. It seems like a software issue to me because I cannot see the clock signal coming off the DB25 wire. The cable itself tests fine, and the programmer connections are good. {Quote hidden}> You can try Nigel Goodwin's software: > http://www.dontronics.com/download.html > > as he has a test mode that will toggle the lines for you. > > also I have perhaps 100 to 200 users already burning 877's with p16pro, > so I know it works fine. > see: > http://www.dontronics.com/vicuni.html for the link to using p16pro, > simmstick, and 877s. I tried fiddling with the DEVICE.INI settings as I saw in http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~donmck/vicuni/16f877.html. I still get the programming failure. I opted not to try the Nigel Goodwin software since I am not familiar enough with it to configure it for a p16pro programmer. Any other hints, or shall I just try a different programmer? I now have a PICSTART Plus on order. bryan. > Don McKenzie .....donKILLspam@spam@dontronics.com http://www.dontronics.com > > Don's Download Dungeon: http://www.dontronics.com/download.html > Australian Electronics Ring http://www.dontronics.com/aering.html > Win $500USD Cash. Micro design contest: http://www.simmstick.com

Bryan Freed wrote: > Thanks for the response, Don. > Don McKenzie wrote: snip--- > It seems like a software issue to me because I cannot see the > clock signal coming off the DB25 wire. The cable itself tests > fine, and the programmer connections are good. > I tried fiddling with the DEVICE.INI settings as I saw in > http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~donmck/vicuni/16f877.html. I still > get the programming failure. I opted not to try the Nigel Goodwin > software since I am not familiar enough with it to configure it > for a p16pro programmer. Have a look at the bottom of: http://www.dontronics.com/p16pro.html You will see you have to set up vpp and vpp2 to program 877s. These settings are for a 7407, however I think you simply invert the whole table to get the correct result, but I know it won't work without the correct VPP settings. lots of users had trouble with that. Don McKenzie donKILLspamdontronics.com http://www.dontronics.com Don's Download Dungeon: http://www.dontronics.com/download.html Australian Electronics Ring http://www.dontronics.com/aering.html Win $500USD Cash. Micro design contest: http://www.simmstick.com