What Microchip hides from Dave after his Pickit3 video, yes new Pickit4 :)

[cv007]

When you buy it, you endorse the whole complex of appearances, so what you buy is likely to continue and what you don't buy is likely to be eliminated. This process has nothing to do with engineering.

I think the only endorsement taking place is some prefer their chips. We are stuck buying their programmer/debugger, whatever appearance they come up with. If they really wanted the appearance factor, they should have used an anodized aluminum case of various colors, and dropped to a very capable mz cpu to make up the difference (if they used a mz cpu, I could then see them using that for all future curiosity boards, but I don't seem them slapping that sam on them- so many new users will still be stuck with the pk3 version of pkob).

I think the only thing they have going for them in the programmer/debugger department, is existing customers will always be willing to buy the next version with the hopes of something better. Maybe the pk4 is that better version, and will be more reliable than the pk3. We'll see.

Like always, I could be wrong.

[NorthGuy]

I think the only endorsement taking place is some prefer their chips. We are stuck buying their programmer/debugger, whatever appearance they come up with ... Maybe the pk4 is that better version, and will be more reliable than the pk3. We'll see.

Many people are still using PICkit2. They even go great distance to build support for new parts, because they prefer it.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I think the only thing they have going for them in the programmer/debugger department, is existing customers will always be willing to buy the next version with the hopes of something better. Maybe the pk4 is that better version, and will be more reliable than the pk3. We'll see.

I've never had any major issues with PK3, real or clones - only reason to look at PK4 was speed and SD functionality ( and curiosity..)

[Howardlong]

I think the only thing they have going for them in the programmer/debugger department, is existing customers will always be willing to buy the next version with the hopes of something better. Maybe the pk4 is that better version, and will be more reliable than the pk3. We'll see.

I've never had any major issues with PK3, real or clones - only reason to look at PK4 was speed and SD functionality ( and curiosity..)

“Connection failed” is common with PICkit3, in Windows 10 I had it just this week, again.

There’s a registry fix for Windows 10 that I use:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB\VID_04D8&PID_900A

EnhancedPowerManagementEnabled value to 0

http://www.microchip.com/forums/m883106.aspx

[Howardlong]

I did start to tell a long sorry tale about how I figured this one out, as far as sniffing the bus with a scope etc, but to save you from the anecdote, it turns out there is a design flaw relating to the PCB lands and the Micro B receptacle. For some cables, the D- line was getting shorted to ground, but only when a micro B cable was inserted, and only with some cables, including the one provided, which rather unhelpfully in this case you are warned to use and no other. When it was working, I happened to be using a different cable I had lying around that did work as it had slightly different physical characteristics..

To fix, lift the USB Micro B receptacle, pop in a carefully crafted piece of Kapton tape partially covering about a third of the five pin lands (see second pic below). Resolder the USB Micro B and check pin 2 and pin 5 (or the shield) are not shorting when an offending USB cable is inserted.

[stj]

interesting.
it's also the same type of connector as the kindle-fire uses.
they are known to fail relativly quickly if you insert and remove the cable a lot.

i have a bag of them for repair work, if anybody needs a link, there is a seller on AE doing them for about 15c each!!

[MT]

God knows why I bother with this shit, just like the ICD 4, it's an unfinished steaming pile of turd.

The eternal unanswered question to the supremebeeings (God) creation.

[brizzo]

Received marketing email from Microchip couple weeks ago, learned PICKIT 4 was being offered. Ordered a kit, received yesterday. Popped it open, surprised to see PIC32 and ARM branding on the same chip. Figured eevblog would be good place to see if anyone else had opened one up and posted pics. Seems there has been a change recently in the part markings...?!

Atmel SAM E70 is now Microchip PIC32CZ series ?!

[NorthGuy]

Atmel SAM E70 is now Microchip PIC32CZ series ?!

Already here. I believe other SAMs will be renamed to PIC32CM and PIC32CX. It's not hard to figure out what happens to PIC32MM, PIC32MX and PIC32MZ afterwards.

[stj]

already had problems myself with the renaming,
spent ages on RS website trying to find an AVR chip till i changed the filter to include "microchip"!!   
 

[Mr. Scram]

I finally bought that Atmel ICE I've been eyeing for ages, so of course Microchip releases a more capable device for half the price. 

[cv007]

It's not hard to figure out what happens to PIC32MM, PIC32MX and PIC32MZ afterwards.

They rename them to ATSAM-XX?

[Howardlong]

I finally bought that Atmel ICE I've been eyeing for ages, so of course Microchip releases a more capable device for half the price. 

If you’re referring to the PICkit4, frankly its support is so unfinished I’ve found it’s the exception rather than the rule when it works.

I’ve attempted to use it on a dozen or so different devices from PIC12 to PIC32 and everything in between, and most of the time I find I have an unsupported chip. The rest of the time certain scenarios don’t work, for example debugging the processor at full speed or using a debug header. The ICD4 is only very marginally better in terms of support than the PICkit4.

If the ICD4 or the PICkit4 were your only debuggers you’d be well and truly f###ed off. I would stick to the ICD3/RealICE/PICkit3 for now for PICs.

I don’t do much Atmel stuff but I did end up with a Dragon that I bought for a specific project, only to find out later it didn’t work with some other Atmel devices, so I also went with the Atmel ICE that I should’ve bought all along.

It’s a frustrating and recurring story, I must have at least a couple of dozen debuggers of one sort or another in various drawers.

[JanJansen]

Can i also change the EnhancedPowerManagementEnabled value to 0 somewhere in windows XP ?
Maybe then the newer MPLAB ( from v3 ) will work also on XP then ?
thanks

What do you need the newer MPLAB for anyways ?, all compilers work with v2 perfectly in XP.

[Howardlong]

What do you need the newer MPLAB for anyways ?, all compilers work with v2 perfectly in XP.

Pretty sure there will be some prerequisite somewhere, if it's not the chip or debugger support it'll be Harmony.

[JPortici]

newer PK/ICD firmware, which is bundled with MPLAB X?

i think support for PK4/ICD4 is only from 4.0 or something

[Howardlong]

newer PK/ICD firmware, which is bundled with MPLAB X?

i think support for PK4/ICD4 is only from 4.0 or something

4.15, but neither are properly supported by any stretch.