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DEMYSTIFYING IN-CIRCUIT SERIAL PROGRAMMING

by Phil Anderson

Start ı Humble Beginnings ı Application Circuit Example ı The End Result ı Sources and PDF

When I first encountered the concept of in-circuit serial programming (ICP), I found it a bit confusing. However, after reading a datasheet about microcontrollers, reading all the application notes I could find, and experimenting on the bench with chips in circuits and with my chip programmer, the concept crystallized in my mind.

When dealing with microcontrollers, serial programming is the process of loading the chipıs flash memory with an application program, whereas in-circuit programming is the process of loading the chip with the same file but loading it when it is already installed in a circuit.

Chip programming is completed using a hardware programmer with serial interface and ZIF socket, a PC, and software. The chip is placed in the ZIF socket, and the programming software delivers the application file. In my lab, I use Microchipıs PICSTART PLUS programmer, a PC running Windows, and Microchipıs MPLAB development software. In this article, Iıll demonstrate how ICP programming can be completed, with care and some restrictions, using the same programmer and software.

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