Microchip (Blog #39) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2009, 12:10:56 am
content: I just noticed Microchip's official YouTube channel have subscribed to my blog. So someone at Microchip either likes me, or they are keeping a close watchDave.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 23, 2009, 04:28:54 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on October 23, 2009, 12:10:56 amYou know the old saying Dave "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer"I think they should be scared, they have F-----up a seemingly good product for no reason, just cause they can

author: jimmc
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2009, 11:14:19 am
content: At least they have addressed one of your complaints. From the release notes of MPLAB IDE v8.40:'PICkit 3 Programmer-To-Go – This feature enables the PICkit 3 to be used as a portable, standalone programmer for all devices save the PIC32 family. This functionality enhances and extends the paradigm begun by the PICkit 2.'Jim

author: charliex
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2009, 07:03:39 pm
content: that right there tell's you Dave was spot on about why, 'paradigm'

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 24, 2009, 12:39:06 am
content: Quote from: charliex on October 23, 2009, 07:03:39 pmOMG - they did actually use the word paradigm!, that's hillarious!Dave.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 28, 2009, 10:07:53 am
content: I've received some news directly from Microchip, and I'm stunned my review was actually well received within the company, and even made it to the very top!Dave.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 28, 2009, 07:02:22 pm
content: If they ask to meet-- only in a crowded, very public place.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 28, 2009, 07:51:59 pm
content: And expect a C&D any time soon.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 29, 2009, 03:49:19 am
content: Well, you aren't going to believe this...Not only was the constructive criticism in my blog well received at Microchip, I got a call this morning from none other than the Microchip CEO Steve Sanghi, thanking me for the blog and raising the issues. He pointed out a few factual errors which was fair enough, but admitted they could have done the PICkit 3 better and most importantly are working to fix the issues and give customers what they expect.They will also be posting a video response to my blog, so I'll link this when it becomes available.Any other huge multi-billion dollar corporation probably would have got their lawyers to give me a dressing down, if they cared at all, but Microchip really do care about their products and will happily take constructive criticism. I am absolutely blown away by their honesty, and it starts from their CEO down. Two thumbs up to Steve Sanghi and Microchip!Yes, the standalone programmer software will be back, and the source code and PICkit3 firmware will be open source again.No doubt I'll do another blog on this.Dave.

author: Mastro Gippo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 29, 2009, 08:04:43 am
content: This is great news!! I always loved Microchip support, they always replied fast and accurate, this is another proof that they take their job with passion and love. Thank you microchip!! Keep up the great job!(and give back free samples to Europe customers!!)

author: charliex
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 29, 2009, 02:57:19 pm
content: That is cool, I wonder if they'll take to heart the notes you made about the process that came to the design of the pickit3 and not just the device itself, we can all dream right ?

author: Magicmushroom666
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 29, 2009, 05:45:29 pm
content: Great news! Stuff like this makes me glad i chose Microchip and PIC's when i first made the move into microcontrollers both in my free time, and now at work too!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 30, 2009, 06:29:28 am
content: Dave,Please don't forget about us 'little people' when you get hired by Microchip and start making gobs of money-- please send us a Microchip T-shirt or something.Arizona's more than a little hot in the summer, and the tap water is so hard that you stand a spoon up in it, but the greater Phoenix area is otherwise very pleasant.-t

author: Ferenczyg
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 01, 2009, 02:38:49 pm
content: Nice. Just warn us when the 'real' Pickit3 hit the streets, plz./F

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 02, 2009, 10:36:05 pm
content: Dave - you're videos are hitting home with Microchip, and whether it's true or not, it seems that they acknowledged that heads needed to roll by firing "Mr. Head".Video blogging can be a powerful, viral way of getting a message across, and you've succeeded.Here's another example of one (off topic) that I love to cite when a customer is wronged by a <huge company>:,. This guy decided to write a song about his bad experience. Good stuff.

author: Ferroto
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2009, 05:17:10 pm
content: Quote from: bmwm3edward on November 02, 2009, 10:36:05 pmI'll not be flying with them in the near future.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 06, 2009, 10:42:37 pm
content: Quote from: EEVblog on October 29, 2009, 03:49:19 amI think microchip owe you some cash for keeping customers (assuming they listen to you), to be honest I've not liked microchip much as a company, my purchase of a pickit2 started at £ 17 and escalated from postage to handling fees until i had spent £ 35 to get it shipped having gotten hooked, to me this is a we only care about corporations and not the hobbiest attitude. So now having made a decent pickit2 (I have no complaints does the simple things i need and I probably hardly use all of its functions) they decide to ditch it ? this is micro$oft talk, they are not going to make updates for pickit2 ? jesus christ after posesing this instrument for over a year I have finally started unsing it (I'm real slow on programming matters) and now I find that they are going to make me bin it for a programmer that only works from their (to me) overly compled MAPLAB thing ? no way.... so without the standalone programing utility how do I flash my programs written and compiled in mikroe basic ?OK the solution, I will have to jump ship, find another micrcontroller, you hear me microchip ? I can do some basic so I CAN use ANY uC I choose, if you make it hard for me to use your products unless done your way then I will cease to be your customer.ok I'm just a hobbiest but I've actually got a project or 2 that may become comercial, not big ones but hey cash is cash ! you tell em dave you bloody well tell em !!!

author: dmlandrum
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2009, 01:52:40 am
content: I'm actually quite interested to see what's happening here, since the dsPIC is on my short list of chips I want to play around with soon. Of course, that will make me one of the assembly language tossers, but that's the price of processing audio in real-time.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 30, 2009, 07:45:48 am
content: all I can say is I'm unimpressed, i won't be buying the pickit3, i don't need it as of yet and it is unreasonably priced ! I bought my pickit2 for £ 17 (before getting conned with charges) now they want £ 28 for the pickit3, well considering they won't upgrade the pickit2 that means we are forced to buy the pickit3 sometime ore who knows by then the pickit5 that will cost £ 100 !if your going to force a change because you won't make updates for a perfectly usable device then at least make the new one the sameish price, basically microchip have decided they want to make a packet of money, they are going to make 2 obsolete and overcharge for an inferioir 3 that will support new chips and not have any software.Well that not very ecological either is it ? well done microchip, I think I'll start looking elsewhere, !

author: azcraigrr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 16, 2010, 02:21:42 am
content: The best is yet to come, I'm sure of that. I'm betting they listen AND act on it!

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 16, 2010, 08:58:28 am
content: well I have the pickit2 and I'm happy with it, so unless the pickit3 really brings advantages well worth the extra price they can keep it.

author: ohararp
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 18, 2010, 03:13:59 am
content: Just thought I might revive this blog, but I wanted to say Dave's original post on the Pickit3 being a bad piece of hardware was spot on. Despite their funny response back, Microchip hasn't done much to make this programmer any better. The standalone MPLAB programming capability is such a hindrance. I am still waiting for their "Pickit2" like capablility in the Pickit3. Might be interesting to do another follow up video on all the promises they made but didn't deliver on. I bought 5 of these units thinking they would honor their word. What a waste!Ryan O'Harawww.oharap.com

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 18, 2010, 06:37:04 am
content: well thanks for the heads up on that, I'll stick to my PicKit2 which as it was, was a big investment for me, I don't need a PicKit3 that is less capable of has been purposely made less useful. It really anoys me when big companies do stupid things know they can get away with it and we have no choice. Well thats a big mistake on the part of microchip because many of us do not use assembler anymore but basic and C so changing chip maker is a doodle

author: azcraigrr
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 18, 2010, 03:28:24 pm
content: They do have a programmer application now that allows you to use the PICkit 3 outside of MPLAB.http://www.microchip.com/forums/m500342.aspx

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 19, 2010, 10:00:12 pm
content: so they are still taking the piss ? fine I'll stick with my pickit2, it works for me, why should I buy a lesser performing product made only to make more money, from what I can tell 3 can do no more than 2 they are just taking the micro$oft approach of forcing a current product to be obsolete by replacing it and stopping support

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 20, 2010, 06:25:23 am
content: well I'll be using nothing fancy and only pickit2 compatible chips so if they want me to get fancy chips they better support the pickit2 or bloodly well make the pickit3 worth my while !

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 20, 2010, 06:59:55 am
content: The head honcho himself told me that the PICkit 2 would no longer support any new devices, and that was 6 month or so back now. So you have to update to the PICkit3 or be left behind.Dave.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 20, 2010, 06:29:27 pm
content: so basically microchip are just like the rest. Well I won't be needing a pickit3 for a long time as I'm happy with the chips that 2 currently supports, I'll only buy the downgrade as and when i need it !

author: johncrow
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 14, 2010, 04:44:35 pm
content: I use Matrix Multimedia Flowcode and their programmer hardware, but for the price wanted to play with a pickitAfter watching Dave's review, i decided to go for the pickit2,while they are still available.( I can always get a pickit3 later when they are fully sorted) and I dont think the lack of new device support will be a problem for me.Was going to buy the programmer on its own direct from microchip, though it would be cheaper as i dont need the demo board, except with their carriage and handling it was as much as the full kit from rapid electonics (free carriage)Anyway great review Dave, & love Microchips reply too.(How about a blog on flowcode and MM hardware, they do high quailty boards and support)

author: .o:0|O|0:o.
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2010, 07:45:52 pm
content: I was looking into the PicKit3 myself recently as I have been thinking of replacing my old Picstart Plus (ah the memories!)A long time has passed since the release of the Pickit3 and so I wanted to see how much progress had been made with it. The following thread is very revealing:http://www.microchip.com/forums/m465877.aspxWell, Microchip did a lot of talking about how it was an improvement over the Pickit2 and they even made a blog in response to Dave's blog promising a world of fun with the Pickit3, but a year has passed and it isn't fun (bunch of d!ckheads for that).The PicKit2 will be around for a long time until they release a PicKit4 or equivalent. This is one instance where I think it is justified to buy a cloned PicKit2 over a rip-off PicKit3. Screw-em!Hopefully, someone will clone the PicKit3 aswell, merge the features of the two and call it a PicKit@!#* ..o:0|O|0:o.

author: EEwannabe
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 14, 2010, 11:56:01 pm
content: MPLAB X only lists the pickit3 (no pickit2) as being compatible. I'm still wondering where mplab 9 went?- Patrick