PICkit 3 still seems dodgy

[fonak]

Hi
My problem with pickit3 is similar to MartinP. In my case the problem was solved by the connection of the additional 10uF cap to the Vcc line of the PIC16F18855 and lower voltage to 4.5V. In my opinion pickit3 is the least stable and slowest programmer I have.

In the last time I built a programmer based on NSDSP (PIC16F1454 + GTL2003) and I'am very happy. The programming speed is at least several times faster than pickit3.

[Siwastaja]

What kind of engineer makes that kind of design anyway?

Under-voltage lockouts are normally used when there is something to be protected against voltage too low - and set to the level so that normal operation is possible.

But what idiot takes the USB 5V supply and designs extra logic that prevents everything from working when the voltage is both within the USB specifications and within the area where everything would just work fine without artificial errors.

The fact that it's adjustable doesn't cut it - in fact, it only highlights the stupidity. They provide a broken-by-design product by default, but let the user configure it to work, using a misleadingly named control. 

In a sane design, there either wouldn't be such a feature at all, or it would be named: "expected minimum voltage", and it would default to the lowest value which still guarantees succesful programming.

[jaromir]

"Powering from programmer" feature is really bad done in PK3 (the internal adjustable power supply is too weak, doesn't work well when USB cable is crappy, USB host provides too low voltage or both) and honestly I don't what is its purpose on programmer designed to serve as in-circuit programmer. I never use it and have no problems with PK3.

As well as I don't know what is the purpose of exhumation of three years old thread. Please, look at thread context before replying with as useful reply as "me too".

[KL27x]

You can put a DC boost circuit in there to get 5V. Just cut the power trace coming off the USB connector. Patch the Vusb to the input of your boost circuit. Then put the 5V output back to the PK3 Vsupply trace you cut. And put a low dropout shottky across the broken trace as a bypass/rectifier.

This is something I have done with PK2 since forever. I don't use a laptop much, anymore, but in those days it was necessary with mine. Some of the older chips need at least 4.5V to erase, at all. I have this on my PK3, too, before I even know it had this problem. (Integrated into PCB for charging and powering from Li Ion battery.)

 

 

[Free_WiFi]

https://reviahh.wordpress.com/2016/01/31/making-a-pickit-3-clone
Try to make this one by yourself,it's working fine to me

[Free_WiFi]

or this one
https://reviahh.wordpress.com/2017/10/