Writing bootloader with PICKit 3. Writing bootloader with PICkit 3. (Windows).exe” which can be found in “/USB/Device - Bootloaders/HID/”. The EXE file should be found in this file. Not X window system like QT and KDE. Connect the IOboard using a micro usb cable to your ubuntu system. Execute the command $ cd Odroid-USBIO / usbio.
![]()
The range of PIC32 microcontrollers supported by the PICkit 3 standalone app is not so great. One might use MPLABX IPE (Integrated programming Environment) which supports the whole range of PIC microcontrollers. But if you do this, when you will start the PICkit 3 standalone app again you will have a nasty surprise: “Unhandled exception has occurred in your application. If you click Continue, the application will ignore this error and attempt to continue. If you click Quit. the application will close immediately. Data parameter cannot be longer than 136 bytes. Parameter name: Data.“
This article is more than two years old and might contain obsolete information; it is still kept here for informational purposes.
PICkit3 error in the standalone app, after using it with MPLABX IPE
To me, it looks that MPLABX IPE updates the PICkit 3 firmware to version 01.36.10, while the standalone app uses firmware version 01.26.33. My workaround is to use MPLABX to manually downgrade the PICkit3 to the firmware version required by the standalone application. Here’s how to do it:
Advertisements
In MPLABX IPE, first, select a microcontroller that is supported by PICkit 3 standalone application. Then, in the Settings menu, disable “Auto download firmware”. Go to “Manual Download Firmware” and browse to the folder where the standalone app is installed. Select PK3FW_012633.jam file, then OK.
Using MPLABX to downgrade the PICkit3 firmware.
In the end, you should see some message like:
Now Downloading new Firmware for target device: PIC18F4520
Downloading bootloader Bootloader download complete Programming download… Downloading RS… RS download complete Programming download… Downloading AP… AP download complete Programming download…
Currently loaded firmware on PICkit 3
Firmware Suite Version…..01.26.33 * Firmware type…………..PIC18F
Target device was not found (could not detect target voltage VDD). You must connect to a target device to use PICkit 3.
If the PICkit 3 is completely bricked and is not recognized by MPLABX IPE or by PICkit 3 standalone application, the only way to restore it is to open it to access the internal ICSP pins and use another programmer to reload the firmware. Two excellent tutorials on how to do this are here and here.
Advertisements
Short version (for those who just need the solution)If you get the error message that your PICkit3's firmware is out-of-date, go get MPLAB 8 (only for Windows) and let it upgrade the firmware automatically (clickProgrammer -> Select Programmer -> PICkit3 ). Then go back to MPLAB X and program your device (of course, select correct target chip). I cannot believe this solution either. But it is from Microchip's support team.Full storyI will be team-teaching Embedded System class next semester, with another faculty member who offered this class previously, using Microchip's PIC24 architecture. However, my first contact with PIC24 is very frustrating.Microchip released a new IDE, MPLAB X, for developing and downloading programs for their chips. Unlike previous one, it supports Linux (whereas ATMEL and Texas Instruments have done years ago). I ordered PICkit3 (the downloader or hardware programmer) and Explorer 16 (the dev kit) from Microchip in the hope to use their technical support later. Out-of-date firmware in PICkit3However, downloading programs using PICkit3 and MPLAB X frustrated me a lot. The error message didn't help or the information was not consistent with what happened.When I first finished a hello-world program and tried to download, I got a self-contradictory error: ![]() I tried again and it seems that MPLAB X helped me update the firmware: So I tried again and but even the firmware was messed up: Since the firmware was never updated, I contacted Microchip's technical support. TroubleshootingAfter a week, they replied and gave me a very weird solution: updating the firmware using an older version (8) of MPLAB on Windows. I tried and I even got error messages on Windows.Just when I was about to send the Pickit3 back, I plugged it back to my Linux box for last try and some miracle happened. (I guess what happened was that MPLAB 8 on Windows upgraded the firmware to a version from which MPLAB X kept upgrading.) ConclusionIt took me 2 weeks just to run a hello-world program. I have to say that Microchip does not pave a way for fresh people to learn their stuff. Just a few example:
Hence, my first contact with Microchip's solution was not pleasant. ![]() Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2022
Categories |