You mean auto-detect on start? That wasn't intuitive to me why they would be mutally exclusive. So I uncheck auto, shut down the program, restarted, and I could select Check communications. Then I rechecked auto, shut down the program, restarted the program, and now I have both. Yeah!
You said "we have lost you use case. Can you repost?". Not sure what you mean by that.
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|You mean auto-detect on start?
No the "Auto import Hex + Write Device" Button
Evan is correct, the sequence would be:
Click the Auto Import Hex ... Button to disable it
Select Tools-->Check Communications
Then if needed turn on Auto import again but select the new file.
Tested and works here but as it is after Midnight I may be seeing things ;>)
Last edit: Chris Roper 2019-11-11
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I think this may be what you are after but it is just an Artist Impression, It may not be possible to implement it for technical reasons as Auto Detect has known hardware issues dating back to the original Microchip PICKit hardware design.
Why? If the PICKit GUI applications uses 'check communications' the process of discovering the device can erase devices. This is NOT an issue of software but the search method use to attempt to determine the device - the process will search through the device families, this method will apply a VDD of 3.3V regardless of voltage box setting (since there is no VDD box when starting up). The search sequences go through each device family attempting to find a device applying other VDD and VPP voltages for each specific family. Until it finds a part, or, fails. Unfortunately, this search method can erase a device. This is not an Evan warning - this is from Microchip. When you install PICKItPlus we show this same warning.
So, using Check Communications is not the best way.
The method I would recommend is to program direct from the IDE. Using the command line utility option. So, you would change the PICkit programmer to the target chip, select the source and press <f5>. You have setup PICkitCommandline as your default programmer - of course. This is safe as this explicitly selects the correct chip.</f5>
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I have to agree with Evan - this is just too dangerous. I have experienced the problem of the device not being erased so much as only some bits being erased during the process which took a long time to track down.
Yes, there have long been warnings on the Microchip offciial forums about the issue, but I'd never encountered it with the original PICkit software. The first time it bit me was with the PICkitPlus software, probably because more device families are now included or maybe I'd just been lucky in the past.
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The method I would recommend is to program direct from the IDE. Using the command line utility option. So, you would change the PICkit programmer to the target chip, select the source and press <f5>. You have setup PICkitCommandline as your default programmer - of course. This is safe as this explicitly selects the correct chip.</f5>
The health warning was direct from Microchip. So, the issue was prior to us re-developing the code.
We have added a new switch - see Programmer/Auto Detect on Start - Uncheck to prevent the search when starting, you can also select Manually, and, use PICkitCommandLine or the new PICkitAutoWatch to state explicitly the chip you want to use.
We have options - lots of them. :-)
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The other question... which has disappeared was about time to program a K42. You need to uncheck the HEF/SAF option. Unless you are using the HEF/SAF memory. This will shorten the programming cycle.
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I've been working on a project with two chips talking to each other and I keep moving my pickit3 back and forth between the boards and different chips. It would be nice to have a button or menu item that would say "determine which chip is plugged in". Sometimes I can get it by switching menu item /programmer/auto-detect on and off, and sometimes not. It's not a huge problem to just close out PickitPlus and restart it, it would just be nice the have a menu item or button.
Speaking of buttons (or actually a checkbox in this case), is there someway to make a bigger button or a separate program with a big button to turn the voltage on and off for testing? Just would be nice some times.
This is just a question-
When I program most chips, it does it quickly in a second or two. When I program an 18F27K42, it takes up to 25 seconds to write to the chip. Is this normal?
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I've been looking into the PICKitCommandline.exe command line program to see if I could write some quick batch files to turn the power on and off.
The help says-
AprogramforinterfacingwiththePICkit2andPICkit3microcontrollerprogrammers-2, --pk2UsePK2deviceonly-3, --pk3UsePK3deviceonly-a, --voltageSetVDDvoltage-b, --devicefileSpecifythepathtoPK2DeviceFile.dat-c, --blankcheckDetermineifthetargetisblank(completelyerased)--devicelistListallsupporteddevices--devicelist-csvListallsupporteddevices, incsvformat-d, --delayDelaybeforeexit, inseconds; or K to wait on keypress-e, --eraseErasetarget-f, --filenameHex/binfileselection--firmwareFlashfirmwaretoPK-g, --readReaddatafromtarget-h, --helpShowthishelp-i, --queryidsDisplaythetarget's DeviceID and silicon revision--icsp-delayAddanarbitraryICSPclockdelay. Implies--slow.
-j, --list-devicesListallconnectedprogrammers-k, --killpowerStopprovidingpower-l, --slowProgrammoreslowly-m, --programProgramtarget-n, --by-nameConnectonlytoaspecificnamedprogrammer--no-verifyDonotverifyafterwriting-p, --partPartselection-q, --quietSuppressprogressmessages-r, --reservePreserveanumberofreservedbytesattheendofprogrammemory-s, --set-useridsSpecifyUserIDstobewrittentothetarget-u, --osccalSpecifynewOSCCALvaluetoprogramduringaneraseorprogramwrite-v, --verifyVerifytargetagainstafile-w, --applypowerPowertargetfromprogrammer, ifsafetodoso-z, --onexitSpecifystatesonexit(v=power, m=mclr)
I found the help pdf lacking. It doesn't have half the parameters available. I found just doing a pickitcommandline /help much more informative.
I was hoping for just a way to turn on 5 volts or 3.3 volts without regard to chip (which assumes I know what I'm doing :) ).
Thanks for your patience.
And sorry about reposting that other message, for some reason the forum software thought I was in the middle of modifying that one and wouldn't let me do anything else. When I canceled, it must have decided I wanted to post it. Oh well.
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Evan-
I have a couple of requests for PickitPlus, is this the right place, or should I just send a private message?
Here is good.
Try the menu option:
Tools-->Check Communications
It will rdetect your PICKit and the Attached Device.
Thanks, I'll give it a try.
Check Communications is disabled for me, can't select it.
Post a screen shot please. Most odd.
using high contrast windows 10 theme
You have automatic mode selected. So, you cannot select another chip.
we have lost you use case. Can you repost?
You mean auto-detect on start? That wasn't intuitive to me why they would be mutally exclusive. So I uncheck auto, shut down the program, restarted, and I could select Check communications. Then I rechecked auto, shut down the program, restarted the program, and now I have both. Yeah!
You said "we have lost you use case. Can you repost?". Not sure what you mean by that.
|You mean auto-detect on start?
No the "Auto import Hex + Write Device" Button
Evan is correct, the sequence would be:
Click the Auto Import Hex ... Button to disable it
Select Tools-->Check Communications
Then if needed turn on Auto import again but select the new file.
Tested and works here but as it is after Midnight I may be seeing things ;>)
Last edit: Chris Roper 2019-11-11
I think this may be what you are after but it is just an Artist Impression, It may not be possible to implement it for technical reasons as Auto Detect has known hardware issues dating back to the original Microchip PICKit hardware design.
Last edit: Chris Roper 2019-11-11
Yup. That would be nice :)
It may be nice but it would be dangerous.
Why? If the PICKit GUI applications uses 'check communications' the process of discovering the device can erase devices. This is NOT an issue of software but the search method use to attempt to determine the device - the process will search through the device families, this method will apply a VDD of 3.3V regardless of voltage box setting (since there is no VDD box when starting up). The search sequences go through each device family attempting to find a device applying other VDD and VPP voltages for each specific family. Until it finds a part, or, fails. Unfortunately, this search method can erase a device. This is not an Evan warning - this is from Microchip. When you install PICKItPlus we show this same warning.
So, using Check Communications is not the best way.
The method I would recommend is to program direct from the IDE. Using the command line utility option. So, you would change the PICkit programmer to the target chip, select the source and press <f5>. You have setup PICkitCommandline as your default programmer - of course. This is safe as this explicitly selects the correct chip.</f5>
I have to agree with Evan - this is just too dangerous. I have experienced the problem of the device not being erased so much as only some bits being erased during the process which took a long time to track down.
Yes, there have long been warnings on the Microchip offciial forums about the issue, but I'd never encountered it with the original PICkit software. The first time it bit me was with the PICkitPlus software, probably because more device families are now included or maybe I'd just been lucky in the past.
Here's my current f5, what does yours look like?
look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo7z1wfjIh8&t=253s
The action start 5:29s - faster than typing here....
Got it. Finally. Must have watched parts of that video 20 times.
I still prefer the visual confirmation of the gui though.
The health warning was direct from Microchip. So, the issue was prior to us re-developing the code.
We have added a new switch - see Programmer/Auto Detect on Start - Uncheck to prevent the search when starting, you can also select Manually, and, use PICkitCommandLine or the new PICkitAutoWatch to state explicitly the chip you want to use.
We have options - lots of them. :-)
@jim.
The other question... which has disappeared was about time to program a K42. You need to uncheck the HEF/SAF option. Unless you are using the HEF/SAF memory. This will shorten the programming cycle.
I've been working on a project with two chips talking to each other and I keep moving my pickit3 back and forth between the boards and different chips. It would be nice to have a button or menu item that would say "determine which chip is plugged in". Sometimes I can get it by switching menu item /programmer/auto-detect on and off, and sometimes not. It's not a huge problem to just close out PickitPlus and restart it, it would just be nice the have a menu item or button.
Speaking of buttons (or actually a checkbox in this case), is there someway to make a bigger button or a separate program with a big button to turn the voltage on and off for testing? Just would be nice some times.
This is just a question-
When I program most chips, it does it quickly in a second or two. When I program an 18F27K42, it takes up to 25 seconds to write to the chip. Is this normal?
In all these cases, I would recommend the PICkitCommandline.
You can program from a batch file to either chips, power them off and one etc.
and, I think I posted this... deselect HEFSAF in the GUI to not cache the HEDSAF memory (unless you are using it).
I've been looking into the PICKitCommandline.exe command line program to see if I could write some quick batch files to turn the power on and off.
The help says-
So I tried-
but it says
Any idea how to get this to work?
The Help PDF is a great place to start.
' to power you would need to state the chip. The power paramerters are very different across all the chips
pickitcommandline -w p18xxxxxxxx -zv -a5
'to kill power... as off is off you dont need a chip
pickitcommandline -k
I found the help pdf lacking. It doesn't have half the parameters available. I found just doing a pickitcommandline /help much more informative.
I was hoping for just a way to turn on 5 volts or 3.3 volts without regard to chip (which assumes I know what I'm doing :) ).
Thanks for your patience.
And sorry about reposting that other message, for some reason the forum software thought I was in the middle of modifying that one and wouldn't let me do anything else. When I canceled, it must have decided I wanted to post it. Oh well.
Let me know any explicit improvements we can add. Or, send your improvements through.