Microchip Pickit4 Clone - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: FxDev
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2024, 05:34:20 pm
content: I started working with Microchip dsPIC33AK series. This is a very new dsPIC series with 200MHz and 32bit FPU! It looks good but it needs minimum Pickit4 to program.I have 5-6 Pickit3 programmers but according to Microchip's statement MPLAB X will not support these programmers anymore after 6.20.So it seems like we will be stuck with Pickit4 or Pickit5.But the cheapest Pickit4 starts around 100$ and I don't want to spend that money on just one programmer.I think there will be a solution for this and I want to get your opinionI have a test kit of dsPIC33CK series, it has PKoB4 internal programmer and I programmed dsPIC33AK series easily with it. Its circuit diagram is also clear and it seems like we can have a programmer equivalent to Pickit4 for almost a third of the price. Also, I don't think Microchip will stop supporting it since it uses it in test kits.Has anyone tried this before?I see an EEPROM in the circuit diagram, but it can be copied. The Hex codes for the programmer are under Program Files/Microchip.I'm thinking of using the diagram I gave in the link below as a basis. What do you think?https://www.es.co.th/Schemetic/PDF/DM164136_QG.PDF

author: Postal2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2024, 06:04:38 pm
content: Quote from: FxDev on December 09, 2024, 05:34:20 pmI looked at d2-DSPIC33CK32MP202T-I-SS.pdf and I see no problem implementing it in my program that supports Microchip, if dsPIC33AK is no different from dsPIC33СK. But I am constantly reminded how bad I am, and everyone else is good. Probably, if this is so, then these good people will do everything faster and more accurately than me.

author: fchk
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2024, 07:11:12 am
content: Quote from: FxDev on December 09, 2024, 05:34:20 pmThis basically is a PICKIT4 without circuit protection, high voltage generation and Programmer to Go option. Microchip sells this as MPLAB SNAP.With all the assembly and manufacturing costs I doubt you will end up much cheaper than that, especially for low volumes. And you need the initial firmware for the ATSAM.

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2024, 08:38:44 am
content: Quote from: FxDev on December 09, 2024, 05:34:20 pmSNAP is currently heavily on sale (15 dollars)https://www.microchip.com/en-us/development-tool/pg164100- AFAIU they are dumping this hardware revision as it has some problem with certain AVR families, no issues with microchip's parts and ATSAMs -I agree that current prices for pickit4 are otrageous, also for PK5 which is a PK4 with BLE so you can change the programmer-to-go image via an app. Which i give ZERO crap for (but i see the value in, just not my use case) so get 'em while they're hot

author: FxDev
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2024, 12:34:14 pm
content: That's what I want15$ is ok for meSo no need to design it.Thanks for information!

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2024, 03:57:06 pm
content: Quote from: FxDev on December 10, 2024, 12:34:14 pmJust so you know, you would have needed to come up with the firmware as well. As far as i know, the firmware is not public.If you just need chips to program the thing in circuit, you can also consider NortGuy's NSDSP (but you can't debug through the IDE)