Re: PIC-based PIC programmer?

Hi

Some time ago I got a couple of PIC16F88 chips. I had only ICD1 that I 
build myself but this is not working for 16F88.
So I built a programmer based on 16F877 to program one 16F88 with a 
bootloader. Then I rebuilt this programmer to be based on 16F88.
I wrote the firmware for this programmer, and currently supports only 16F88.
To program other chips this firmware can be changed or a new firmware 
can be created.

The bootloader of the 16F88 that is the programmer is a modified version 
of Sparkfun bootloader. I did some changes regarding code bumping.

For now my programmer creates 5V and 13V using 7805 and LM317 but I 
found a schematic to use the charge pump of MAX232 to generate the 
programming voltage. This way it will require only 5V as power for the 
programmer.

The PC application implements a serial protocol to talk to the 
programmer. This is done in Delphi but can be ported to any language.

If there is any interest in this I will try to upload some 
files/pictures in the file section.

Adrian


David McNab wrote:

>Hi,
>
>Does anyone know of a PIC programmer which itself is based on a PIC
>chip, and which only uses the bare minimum of parts?
>
>Conceivably, a PIC-based PIC programmer would only need:
> - a PIC
> - a crystal or resonator
> - a MAX232 or equivalent, plus charge pump capacitors
> - maybe a transistor or two, in case the programmer needs to
>   bludge some +12V from the MAX232 and switch it into the target PIC
> - a couple of buttons and LEDs.
>
>If a PIC chip had the programming code plus a bootloader, it would only
>need to duplicate its own code into the target PIC, and then could
>function independently of the host computer when it's just being used to
>burn other PICs.
>
>Such a thing, published with PIC code, host code and PCB artwork, would
>be a human-facilitated benevolent 'PIC virus'.
>
>"Give your friends a pre-programmed PIC, together with the PCB artwork
>and host software". Would be a brilliant geek birthday/xmas present! :)
>
>So, does such a thing exist?
>
>  
>