pickit 3 setup

[funkimunky]

I would like to buy a pickit 3 but I am unsure of what I need with it. I see that there are different bundles with different types of development boards each with a different price.
What would be a good beginners setup for using the pickit?

[Simon]

get just the pickit and work on a breadboard or make your own experimenting board on veroboard. What programming environment are you using ? the pickit3 pretty much requires MPLAB, courtesy of microchip making it locked into their software.

[funkimunky]

MPLAB will do me. I'm trying to make the learning part as easy as possible. Would you know of any links to good tutorials that show how to use a breadboard with the pickit 3?

[Simon]

err, you lug the mcu into the breadboard and use jumper wires ro connect the pickit to the breadboard. I have jumper wires from maplin that work good or you can use a zif socket plugged into the pickit and then transfer the chip to the breadboard

[funkimunky]

I didnt know it was that easy. I thought you had to do some clever circuit building to get it to work. Thanks for your advice I'm gonna go and get a pickit now. 

[notsob]

you can buy jumper wires for your breadboard (at an inflated price), or make your own, just strip the insulation from some solid conductor, cat 5 cable & use the wires inside  it.

[Simon]

yes but that will be too thin for the pickit, you'd best get a molex plug and solder wires to it

[mariush]

I've cut a floppy cable I didn't need anymore, separated the first 6 wires out of it and soldered a 6 pin male header (the standard 2.54mm one) to both ends. The first wire is colored differently so it makes it idiot proof to connect it to the board.