My PicKit2

This is my OEM PicKIT2 i got. USB cable not shown.










Found a small container. Shaved of holes for usb and ribbon cable.





This is my 40 pin ZIF with RJ 45 as a ICSP socket.

if (PIC with <= 20 pins)
{ switch to down position;
place PIC in pin 11 on ZIF; }
else
{ place PIC in pin 1 on ZIF;
switch to up position; }




The PicKIT2 comes with a button for reprogramming last program. Since i am find it easier to press the "WRITE" button on the screen i did not make an opening for that button.

Click here for my ZIF Schematics or view more @ Downloadz section on this blog.

APRS

What is APRS?

A brief explanation on what Automatic Position Reporting System is.

Some newer rigs like Kenwood’s TM-D700A or TM-D710A has built-in APRS. Essentially what APRS does is, it sends out a packet of information at a fixed interval. This informs other stations with APRS enable rigs, who you are (callsign) and where you are. It knows where your current QTH is via a GPS module (usually optional) in your rig. If you have a Garmin or Lowrance GPS with map display, then you can hook it up to your rig, and location of other APRS stations will be displayed on the map. APRS can also be used for triangulation and get weather information from satellites.

APRS can also be used in base-stations and portables that do not have APRS built-in. For this to work though, you need:-

• Computer
• Internet connection
• Echolink
• APRS software
• APRS hardware

The software can be downloaded from www.uiview.org. There is extensive help/info on the website as well as setup guide to get your APRS up and running. UIVIEW is now maintained by JA1OGS (Art), who not long ago came to Malaysia and gave a talk on APRS. You should visit his website for more info. If you don’t want to download and have a notebook, you can leave me a comment and I will upload it to your notebook when we eyeball. Please ensure that your have at least 400MB for free space. Software includes, APRS software (UIVIEW32), documentation, APRS module schematics, and hex file, PCB design for a serial port PIC programmer and much more. Thought the software is free, to use it, registration is required and you must be a licensed HAM member to register it. To see APRS at work live, click here.

Download schematics and hex file for the APRS module. But you will need a PIC programmer to “burn” the hex code into the PIC microcontroller. See my previous article on homebrewing PIC programmer. Alternatively you could pass the PIC to me and I will burn it for you.

On a final note, exploring the web, I found an excellent documentation on APRS, It covers the history, basics and advance use of APRS, and It’s called APRS101. Leave me comment if you are interested to attend a workshop on APRS. The one day I will get 9W2AXE to organize it.

73’s.

PIC Burners

Of course, before you start building a program, you'll need to store it into a PIC chip. To do that you will need a PIC programmer. You can buy commercial ones, or build your own. I personally get the satisfaction build my own and even more so when it works. :) I have a :-

• JDM2
• Schematics (GIF/Eagle)
  
• WWW

• Feng3
• Schematics (GIF/Eagle)
  
• WWW

• Feng3 modified with ICSP
  
• Schematics
  

• PICKit2 OEM
• WWW

All the above mentioned except the PICKit2 use the PC's serial port to program the chip. The PICKit2 uses the USB port.

The PICKit2 I purchased came with a ICSP/ICD port only and not a ZIF socket or any socket to program the chip. So based on the Feng3 design I made a ZIF socket to program the chip and also included an ICSP port.

The schematics for my version of Feng3 and the PICKit2 ZIF available from download section.

Available from the sidebar under the heading :

Downloadz--PIC programmers

Which takes me to development of the PCB. The fun stuff. But that for another day.

PIC

For those interested in PIC programming i recommend MikroE's C or Basic. Whichever programming language you comfortable with. If you have not program before, i suggest you try out both C and Basic. MikroE compilers are free, for code up 2K of hex code.

For even lower level, then download Microchip's MPLAB IDE. It free and assembly compiler.

Learning to program is beyond the scope of this blog. There is lots of site out there that can inform you on how to get started. I suggest that you download the help files and go thru the the examples given with these compilers. But I will from time to time post some programming tips.