EEVblog #448 - New PICkit 4 & AVR Dragon

[Fozzy]

How did you manage to keep composure, or did you do this in a few takes? Nice one Dave, keep up the top work!!

[EEVblog]

How did you manage to keep composure, or did you do this in a few takes? Nice one Dave, keep up the top work!!

It took a few takes, but not for composure, just the usual reason that I have no idea what I'm going to say until I hit record.

[fLuXx]

Hey, just registered now to comment on the clip. Good one, you actually got me. Mostly because it is actually partially true. There is a way to program AVR's via Pickit. I tried it with pickit2 and it worked. Just google it and try. Be careful though, as not all AVR's are supported/tested. I managed to brick an Atmega128, because the programmer wrote the wrong fuse configuration, disabling the serial programming. I had to unbrick it using the parallel programmer. Anyway, at least we know they are actually hardware compatible, it's just not supported by firmware.

[ivan747]

Atmel is working on a new firmware; hahaha, Atmel is working, lol, that's a good one

 

[FenderBender]

You bastard!

You got me good Dave. The whole video I was just like "Wow this is crazy. Weird but..hey whatever". I didn't think anything of it.

[BravoV]

Just rewatched and found out it has subtitle now, I assumed its done by Sen, thanks Sen ! 

Boo..hooo...    I guess few fan boys from both sides must be offended watching this video, nice job Dave. 

[c4757p]

There is a way to program AVR's via Pickit. I tried it with pickit2 and it worked. Just google it and try.

Thought so! The electrical interface is nearly identical, it's just protocol differences.

I managed to brick an Atmega128, because the programmer wrote the wrong fuse configuration, disabling the serial programming. I had to unbrick it using the parallel programmer.

There's just something about AVR fuses... I've done that to so many AVR chips - somehow I always manage to pick something completely retarded for the fuse settings. Either they have more ways to brick them, or I'm just an ignoramus.

[CBenghi]

Bingo! It works like a treat!

[Dennis]

Do you think Microchip will do a video response this time??

[notsob]

I can only imagine someone at microchip going what the f*^% are these pickit4 enquiries, oh no it's that bastard jones again.

[free_electron]

i heard that using PIckit5 and Atmel Dragon 7 you will be able to program 555 timers and 741 opamps ! 

[Jon Chandler]

i heard that using PIckit5 and Atmel Dragon 7 you will be able to program 555 timers and 741 opamps ! 

Great.  I was looking for a way to program the CSS555C Programmable Timer.

[bitwelder]

And luckily Wikipedia "Nazi admins" removed the joke, otherwise you'd see hordes of microchip fans going after their #1 firm with "what sir? no pickit4? You must be misinformed, it's on Wikipedia, it MUST be true!" 

[manu]

Hello,
I've been fooled as I just saw the video this morning, then I realized...
I wish this would be true that a pickit4 were released as I'm working with a pickit3 (in fact, several of them) and they sometime brick if I change the microcontroller device (I often switch between PIC18 and PIC32 micros). I cannot get a repeatable way of un-bricking it, I try different tricks and I finally get it work again...
So, it would have been great to see a new version of the low-cost debugger more reliable as the pickit2 was.

[nitro2k01]

And luckily Wikipedia "Nazi admins" removed the joke, otherwise you'd see hordes of microchip fans going after their #1 firm with "what sir? no pickit4? You must be misinformed, it's on Wikipedia, it MUST be true!" 

[delfinom]

This has been in the works for quite a while and there is more to it than what Dave has revealed.

The PIC firmware for the Dragon is just a temporary hack. The Dragon has been an unreliable POS and will be EOL soon. The new low cost programmer will the the PICKit4 - and it will program everything.

Microchip will soon announce (along with the PK4) a line of 8 and 16 bit PIC chips that are pin compatible with the AVR atTiny atMega and XMega chips. They will assist current Atmel customers with the transition to these new superior PIC chips. When the transition is complete, all AVR chips will go EOL and no longer be manufactured.

The AVR never met sales expectations, and this is Atmel's way out of a money losing microcontroller product segment.

I hope not, AVRs are wonderful for their modern assembly and architecture while the 8-bit PICs are seriously lagging behind in many aspects.

[grummund]

what about the green led on the avr dragon?

Could be custom firmware to fake a PicKit3 - mimics the protocol to the PC but then does nothing except operate the LED.

Nice trick however it was done. 

[BAM5]

Aw dang it!  D:<

I watched this video in May and have been putting off getting the PICKit because I thought the 4th one was going to come out!
Had me fooled for like a week or two.
Good job. 

[ilanko]

Where's the calc video ? 

[vysakhpillai]

And now when they have actually announced PICKIT4 with support for Atmel devices, this page shows up in the front page of Google search   

http://www.microchip.com/Developmenttools/ProductDetails.aspx?PartNO=PG164140

[MauriceS]

Dave was a great visionary in 2013...

[FrankBuss]

BTW, instead of the useless silkscreen, I glued a more useful paper on top:
https://twitter.com/frank_buss/status/1326153906871803904