PIC Page
This page contains everything you need to build your own PIC development system.
A typical development system contains;
1) a programmer
2) an EPROM eraser
3) development environment (compiler, debugger etc.)
1) The Programmer
The best programmer I have found so far is Bojan Dobaj's P16PRO. This page contains everything required to build a programmer. For those of you who just need the raw information just save the following files. In order to program PIC12C508 you will need version 3.61a or later.
I have made some minor modifications to the circuit, namely adding pull down resistors, changing the LEDs to a single Bi-colour type and adding extra decoupling capacitors (the original circuit was prone to noise occasionally corrupting programming).
When constructing the circuit try to keep leads to the ZIF socket as short as possible. Fit the programmiug voltage decoupling capacitors as close as possible to the ZIF socket to minimise noise problems.
2) EPROM Eraser
This is always the most expensive device and generally has to be an off-the-shelf item. However, since it is effectively just a small fluorescent tube in a box with an exposure timer - it can't be too difficult to build. The EPROM eraser circuit shall appear here shortly.....
3) The Development Environment
There's not much to beat Microchip's own IDE, it's free and reasonably easy to use. I have had trouble downloading the files from their site so I have made them available here. The files are split so that they fit onto 7 x 1.44MB floppy disks.
Version 4.12.00 is available here, or from Microchip's own Web Site.