PIC Programming using BASIC Stamp

tanuagg13

Hi,

Does anyone know/point me to resources to program a PIC using a BASIC stamp 2 on the BOE? I have a few PIC's lying around but I can't buy a programmer right now so my only option is to program it using the BASIC stamp.

Along the same lines, if anyone knows how to program MSP430's using the stamp, that'd be great.

Hal Albach

Personally, I would just go to the Microchip website and purchase either a PicKit2 or PicKit3 programmer and debugger. Better still, for just a few bucks more (under $60) get the PicKit2 Debug Express kit. The Pickit2 will program many older Pics whereas the PicKit3 claims to do nearly all, but costs more.
Many of the older Pics require a programmer that can supply the proper higher voltage to the Vpp pin, somewhere around 14 Volts, I believe. At any rate, go to the Microchip website, look around the Forum and other document areas, get the info you need from the chip maker.

tanuagg13

"but I can't buy a programmer right now" (as I said in my original post) because my parents will not buy such an expensive programmer.

Rephrasing my question: is it even possible to program a PIC (specifically, I have a PIC16F84A) using a BASIC stamp on the BOE?

Beau Schwabe

You can program a PIC16F84 with a direct Serial connection to your PC and a handful of other components...

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/matthew.rowe/micros/prog.htm

erco

Radio Shack was blowing out Velleman kits a while back, including a PIC programmer kit for five bucks. Check your local Shacks or Ebay.

IMPORTANT: You need a real serial port on your computer (not a USB/serial adapter) with this kit. Older XP computer a plus.

Edit: $13 shipped: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Velleman-MicroController-Programmer-Experiment-Board-K8048RS-FREE-N-FAST-SHIP-/251467202664?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a8c9d0068

Old school parallel port programmer $9 shipped: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Parallel-Port-PIC-Programmer-Board-Kit-KIT-96-/380938162315?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58b1af108b

erco

USB PIC programmer is $12.13 shipped: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PIC-MCU-USB-Automatic-Programming-Develop-Microcontroller-Programmer-K150-ICSP-/200844363180?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec341c5ac

MSP430 USB programmer is $7.48 shipped: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Advanced-MSP430-BSL-USB-programmer-download-Adapter-USB-Port-/200931707417?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec8768a19

What else do you need? AVR programmer for $4.58 shipped? http://www.ebay.com/itm/USBASP-USBISP-AVR-Programmer-Adapter-10-Pin-Cable-USB-ATMEGA8-ATMEGA128-Arduino-/310506909410?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item484ba76ee2

AVR development board for $7.52 shipped? http://www.ebay.com/itm/C51-AVR-MCU-development-board-DIY-learning-board-kit-Parts-and-components-/310574419959?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item484fad8ff7

tanuagg13

The problem with all of these solutions provided above for PIC programming is that they use a serial DB9 connection, which many modern computers do not have. Unfortunately, many of the Serial - to - USB connectors do not work for this purpose because of the 12 V required for MCLR, which is not supplied by the USB port and thus the USB to serial cable. What I was hoping for was a way to use the BASIC stamp to flash the PIC HEX file into the PIC microcontroller, since I can program the BASIC stamp through the Board of Education and then program the PIC.

erco

I edited my post above to show a $12 usb programmer.

Ariba

You can download the Flash programming specification for the PI16F84 here. Now all you need to do is to read it carefully and write a PBASC programm.
You also need to make a circuit that can switch 12V from a BS2 pin.

It's all possible and I have done it 20 years ago (not for the BS1/2 but for another PIC Board), but today I never would do it again with all those cheap PICKIT clones and the thousands of different PICs....

Andy

CuriousOne

I have this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PIC-MCU-USB-Automatic-Programming-Develop-Microcontroller-Programmer-K150-ICSP-/200844363180?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec341c5ac

It has two VERY IMPORTANT problems:

1. It does not support modern, LVP chips (say 12F1840 or similar)
2. Chip definitions for a lot chips are improper - i.e. it detects 16F690 as DIP-14 device, so you can't program actual chip.