Interfacing PIC Microcontrollers

Program Downloading

When the application hardware has been produced, the MCU program must be

downloaded into the chip. The traditional method is to remove the chip from

the circuit and place it in a separate programming unit (therefore must be fit-

ted in a socket, not soldered in). The program is then downloaded from the de-

velopment system PC host, using the programming utility in MPLAB. This has

obvious disadvantages – removing the chip risks physical and electrical dam-

age, is not possible to reprogram in-circuit or remotely.

Microchip have therefore come up with an in-circuit programming method,

which is inexpensive and provides the opportunity ...