Evan Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Hi guys. This is Evan Venn - UK developer of Great Cow BASIC and PICKitPlus software. Question: What is the right etiquette for posting? I am asking before posting. 🙂 1. I can share release news, progress and updates on Great Cow BASIC. Great Cow BASIC is an open source compiler for Microchip 8-bit PICs & AVRs and Logic Green Technology PICs & AVRs. Is there interest in the news, progress and updates on Great Cow BASIC? 2. I can share release news, progress and updates on PICKitPlus. PICKitPlus is the software to support PICkit2 and PICkit3 programmers across Windows, PI, Mac and Linux. This is a low cost but commercial product - so, not free. Is there interest in the news, progress and updates on PICKitPlus? I would want to share as we are adding new capabilities almost every month and we have an ever grown user base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member N9WXU Posted March 4, 2021 Member Share Posted March 4, 2021 Evan, This sort of news sounds very pertinent to the members of this forum. Please show us your technology! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 PICKitPlus Many of you will have used or may be using Microchip’s PICkit2 and PICkit3 in-Circuit Debugger/Programmers. Our PICkitPlus software is a total replacement for the original PICkit 2 and PICkit 3 software. It has many new capabilities designed to facilitate programming of 8-bit PIC microcontrollers using a genuine or clone programmer.. Our software provides support for the newer 8-bit microcontrollers, and, we maintain support for old chips and new chips. The PICkit2 programmer was released back in 2005, and allowed the user to program and debug most of the 8 and 16 bit PIC microcontrollers and dsPIC controllers as well. Its successor, the PICkit3 programmer, was released some years later. In 2009 and 2012, Microchip stopped providing support for the PICkit 2 and PICkit3 software , respectively. They released the source code for the Windows GUI software, making it possible for users to update and maintain it themselves. This resulted in the launch of the PICkitPlus software in 2018 by the PICkitPlus team. We are now in 2021 a Microchip Development Partner - which is good recognition of our work. We provide PICkitPlus software for Windows, Linux and PIs. For all operating systems we have command line utility, and for Windows we have PICKitPlus GUI for the PICkit 2 and PICkit 3, PKEasy, PKAutowatch and PICkitPlus Gang Programmer. Supporting nearly 1000 PIC MCUs, includes PIC10F, PIC12F, PIC16F, PIC18F, PIC24, PIC32, dsPIC30 and dsPIC33 family Manages Microchip HEF and SAF memory Retains support for programming CAN I/O Expander & KEELOQ series: MCP2502X/5X & HCSxx Retains read and write operation for serial EEPROM 11LCxx, 24LCxx, 25LCxx and 93LCxx Supported operating systems (32bit/64bit): Windows XP ,Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Linux and Pi New programming protocols support for new classes of 8-bit Microchip PIC microcontrollers Updated and managed database for Microchip PIC microcontrollers Improved user interface, help, guidance and direct access to the 8-bit Microchip PIC microcontroller database. Supports TURBO mode to decrease time to program and verify ---- If you have the original Microchip software you can use our improved database - this will give you new legacy parts and you can get the corrections for the existing legacy parts. If you new support for the newer Microchip PICs - you will need PICKitPlus. We have new capabilities that just do not exist in the old Microchip software. ---- To see all our software and hardware. See www.pickitplus.co.uk. If you are interested - ping me a message I we can provide a microforum discount for a few months! Cheers, Evan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Orunmila Posted May 5, 2021 Member Share Posted May 5, 2021 We have been pondering doing something like this for ages. Bonus points if you can debug using Open OCD using that thing ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 2 hours ago, Orunmila said: We have been pondering doing something like this for ages. Bonus points if you can debug using Open OCD using that thing ! Interesting - does Open OCD support LGTs, PICs and AVRs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Orunmila Posted May 5, 2021 Member Share Posted May 5, 2021 OpenOCD is not really CPU specific. It supports debugging via GDB. It allows you to set breakpoints and single step the code. This is all the stuff you had to implement already. If you have GDB support via OpenOCD for the programmer you will be able to use it with IDE's such as VSCode, Eclipse etc. to debug the device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 Will look into this. Thank you, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member N9WXU Posted May 5, 2021 Member Share Posted May 5, 2021 Sadly, the debug protocols for PIC16, PIC18 and AVR have never been published. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted May 5, 2021 Author Share Posted May 5, 2021 We are a formal Microchip Development Partner. This gives us access to Development and other key sources to assist us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ric Posted May 13, 2021 Member Share Posted May 13, 2021 The PIC16F87X debug hardware is documented. http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/devicedoc/51242a.pdf Unfortunately the newer chips aren't, but they are probably just extending the same concept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted May 13, 2021 Author Share Posted May 13, 2021 @Ric. I just looked at that appnote. The key config bit is BKBUG. I have then search all the 10f/12f/16f/18f devices for BKBUG - nothing. So, I am thinking that is specific debugging for 16c. Your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member N9WXU Posted May 13, 2021 Member Share Posted May 13, 2021 That is one of the key registers but the details of using it and the memory map that includes it was never published. You will need to capture debug traces from a pickit or icd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ric Posted May 13, 2021 Member Share Posted May 13, 2021 7 hours ago, Evan said: @Ric. I just looked at that appnote. The key config bit is BKBUG. I have then search all the 10f/12f/16f/18f devices for BKBUG - nothing. So, I am thinking that is specific debugging for 16c. That document was specifically for PIC16F87x chips. The exact same bit in the PIC16F877/A datasheets is just named "DEBUG". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted May 15, 2021 Author Share Posted May 15, 2021 @Ric. I have reviewed the source for the PK2 and PK3 programmers and the original released source for the programmers. Seems that, in the long past between 2009 and 2013, someone prevented the development of the debug capability in Windows GUI software, therefore, only enabling Debugging in the MPLAB solution. However, the Pk2 programmer does have the capability to support debugger operations. So, I have added this the tasks for our dev program - to determine the ability for PICKitPlus to support the Debugger functionality. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member N9WXU Posted May 15, 2021 Member Share Posted May 15, 2021 Good luck. I remember many discussions around publishing the debug data but other than the 87x it was never done. Same with avr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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