Before PICkit there was PICstart - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 04, 2021, 04:57:02 pm
content: Not all that "vintage" but it may invoke a memory or twoOh, and with your purchase, you were enrolled in the free-new-ROM-club.Not sure what, if anything, from Microchip came before PICstart.

author: rfclown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 10:34:07 pm
content: Before the PICstart I wired up the cicruit on their app note for which you could use the printer port of a PC to bit bang. I think I had a program in BASIC which did the programming.With the PICstart you had to occationally upgrade the firmware when new parts came out. If you had an extra part like the one on the board, you could program new firmware with the PICstart itself, then swap parts.I finally sold my PICstart on eBay a couple years ago. I think I still have one of those round ICE programmers. I do AVR now. Never got a PICkit.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 11:08:34 pm
content: They really kept upgrading that thing for a long time. It became the Picstart Plus which also kept being upgraded until you had to put in an upgrade module to replace the uC completely. Then they got into in-circuit programming I guess and the whole external device programmer turned into a JTAG/ICD pod thingy.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 11:31:51 pm
content: I still have an updated PicStart Plus. It is the only cost effective way to program some legacy chips. It can also be used for ICSP, if you keep your leads short.As an aside, I gave my original updated one to a friend in Australia. Less than a year later, I needed one and had to buy it. Luckily, that friend had reimbursed me for shipping, and I was able to get the newest "black" version for that amount.

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 04:13:57 am
content: Quote from: rfclown on February 27, 2021, 10:34:07 pmI never knew that about basic programming, but it makes sense. Something along those line could have been on their BBS.They used to regularly send updated firmware chips and for free.I looked into ebaying that one in the pic, but they do not command much price-wise and it would be too much of a headache to ship...IOW, I tossed it. I am ok with doing that, but I did save the power supply and the 16C64 that came with it. Also, I know that I have another one around here somewhere and that is the one that I kept getting updates for. I think the one pictured was given to me, I can't remember for sure.You do AVR now....so, you are back with Microchip

author: rfclown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 28, 2021, 05:31:33 pm
content: Quote from: rfclown on February 27, 2021, 10:34:07 pmIt was a PICstart Plus that a Microchip Rep gave me (probably in the 90's). Turns out that the guy I sold it to lived in Poland, but the shipping address was Fort Lauderdale, FL (where I live). He had a friend of his in the US buy it and ship it to him. Also turns out that the friend was a guy I had worked with at my previous job. He called me up and asked if the eBay sale was mine. I met him for lunch and handed him the unit (to save shipping across town). Small world.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 03, 2021, 09:31:28 am
content: All I see now is PICS TART.

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2021, 05:58:23 pm
content: Quote from: Halcyon on March 03, 2021, 09:31:28 amYou mean the edible, or the eye candy (pictures not used for decency

author: Phil_G
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2021, 12:45:56 am
content: Me too, I used the serial-port 16B mainly for 16C54 OTP's (still have a few plus the essential UV-erase version).OTP was a real incentive to write bug-free code first time :-)The Pickit-1 was never used as MC sent a freeby Pickit-2 shortly afterwards, dont remember whyI've a Pickit-3 too, thats four plus a TL886 :-)Oh, and a 'Wireless World' SC84 programmer, anyone remember that?CheersPhil

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 12:12:13 pm
content: I had an early PIC START of some description many moons ago. Can't remember the exact model number, it was dumped long ago.But not before I removed the main processor, a PIC1665 because it looked so good. No EPROM or Flash, it used an external memory for code.Photo attached.