Release Notes for MPLAB® PM3 Device Programmer

MPLAB® IDE v8.15

OS Suite Version v2.02.09

Software DLL Version 2.40.01

September 22, 2008

 

IMPORTANT: Do not allow Windows® OS to pick a USB driver; MPLAB PM3 will not work with this driver. You must follow the procedure specified at MPLAB IDE software installation for USB driver set-up. If you did not set up the port during installation, see the section in this readme file on USB Port Setup.

Table of Contents

1      Device Support

2      Operating System Support

3      HCS Support and Programming Information

4      Reference Documents

5      What's New in V8.14

6      Repairs and Enhancements in V8.14

7      Autorun

8      Known Problems

9      Important Notes

10     USB Port Setup

11     Socket Support

12     Tested SD/MMC Cards

13     Definitions

14     Declaration of Conformity

1         Device Support

Click the link below to see device support for the programmer (PM3).

·         Device Support List

For the devices below use only MPLAB PM3 assembly #10-00398, not assembly #10-00359. Assembly #10-00359 may not be able to provide proper Vpp voltage (per the programming specification.)

PIC18FxxKxx    PIC 16LF727     PIC 16LF726

2         Operating System Support

This tool has been tested under the following PC operating systems:

Windows® 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, and Windows Vista™ (32-Bit)* OSs

MPLAB PM3 P/N 10-00359 does not support 64-bit Vista.
MPLAB PM3 P/N 10-003987 supports 64-bit Vista.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Beginning with MPLAB IDE v7.51, MPLAB IDE and MPLAB PM3 will no longer be tested on Windows 98 or Windows ME OSs. MPLAB IDE and MPLAB PM3 may continue to work under these operating systems, but their operation will no longer be verified through testing.

3         HCS Support and Programming Information

As of MPLAB IDE 7.41, MPLAB 5.xx is no longer required to create SQTP files for the programming of an HCS devices.  SQTP file creation for HCS devices is now available by using the KeeLoq Plug-in.  This component is offered during the MPLAB IDE Installation.  When installed, the KeeLoq Plug-in becomes available under the Tools menu in the MPLAB IDE.  Encoder, Decoder and Transponder options are offered on the KeeLoq dialog for the SQTP file creation.

4         Reference Documents

The following documents may be found on our website or MPLAB IDE CD-ROM:

·         MPLAB PM3 User's Guide                                        DS51464

·         Setting Up the MPLAB PM3 Poster                           DS51405

·         Programming Specifications for devices                     various DS numbers

·         Development Tools Selector

On-line help (Help>Topics) is also available for this tool:

·         Programmers>MPLAB PM3                                      hlpMPLABPM3.chm

5         What's New in V8.14

·         New device support.

6         Repairs and Enhancements in V8.14

·         Bug fixes.

7          Autorun

To automatically load an environment into the PM3 at power-up, Autorun can be used on a memory card (PM3Card).  Create a file called autorun.run at the root directory level of the memory card and include these commands in the file:

 

LOAD <Enviroment Path>\<Environment Name>

END

 

For example, if an environment has been saved on the memory card (PM3 Card) called PIC18F4321 in directory PIC18F4321, the following lines should be placed in the autorun.run file:

 

LOAD PIC18F4321\PIC18F4321.pm3

END

 

Note: Make sure there are no leading or trailing spaces on the command line or the command will not be recognized.

8         Known Problems

The following is a list of known problems. For information on common problems, error messages and limitations, please see “Troubleshooting” in the online help file for MPLAB PM3 (hlpMPLABPM3.chm).

8.1           Loss of Communication

·         The MPLAB PM3 does not timeout if a communication error is received. If this occurs, turn the power to the MPLAB PM3 off then on. Disable and then Enable the MPLAB PM3 within MPLAB IDE.

8.2           MPLAB IDE

·         Once address ranges are set in the Programmer Settings dialog, Program tab, the settings will stay set and not revert to default values after an operation.

8.3           GENERAL

·         Memory Areas, Program Memory Range, Preserve EEProm and Erase All Before Program options set on the MPLAB PM3 hardware for Stand Alone use cannot be controlled by the MPLAB IDE, Visual PROCMD or PM3CMD, nor are they saved with Environments.

·         With PIC18F8xxx devices set in boot block processor mode, memory past the boot block range is not accessible. Therefore, verifying after the boot block range will fail in this mode. In microprocessor mode, all of program memory will fail a verify. In some devices, configure and ID memory will also fail.

·         For ICSP of PIC18Fxx20 and dsPIC30F devices, you must connect the AVDD and AVSS pins for the devices to program.

·         ICSP is not currently supported for Serial EEProm devices.

·         ICSP programming of dsPIC devices may require a short cable and/or impedance matching resistors for optimal speed. On some of the smaller pin count devices, crosstalk between the PGD and PGC does not allow the device to get into ICSP mode. Keep the cable length under 6 inches and/or place 100ohm resistors in-line with the PGD and PGC signals to minimize the crosstalk.

·         The OS Suite that has been released with the MPLAB IDE version installed on the workstation must be used for programming. If not, conflicts can occur between the MPLAB IDE and the MPLAB PM3 firmware detected on the programmer.

·         If you encounter a problem with downloading an MPLAB PM3 BIOS using a USB connection, under certain conditions, an MPLAB PM3 may lose communication with the PC. during the BIOS download. If this occurs, the MPLAB PM3 screen will appear blank upon restart. At this point, the new BIOS may be downloaded using MPLAB IDE through a Serial Port connection.

·         Programming issue on the 16C5X – The PM3 may have difficulty programming the 16C5X device. To work around this issue, place 0.1uf cap on both Vdd to ground and Vpp to ground. In addition, connect the device ground pin to the system ground located on the socket module. Turn the socket module over and find connector P1. The bottom pin on the inside edge of the connector is ground. Make sure to ground the associated ground pin of the device to system ground. For further assistance, please contact Microchip support.

8.4           SSRs (System Service Requests)

·         SSR 25254 - Some devices require that a .1uF bypass capacitor be placed from the VDD pin to the VSS pin of the device to successfully program the device. If programming failures still arise, try increasing this value incrementally to a maximum of 10uF. The parts affected are:

            PIC16F737        PIC16F747        PIC16F767        PIC16F777

            PIC16F818        PIC16F819        PIC18F1220      PIC18F1320

            PIC18F2220      PIC18F2320      PIC18F2331      PIC18F2431

            PIC18F2410      PIC18F2420      PIC18F2455      PIC18F2480

            PIC18F2510      PIC18F2515      PIC18F2520      PIC18F2525

            PIC18F2550      PIC18F2580      PIC18F2585      PIC18F2610

            PIC18F2620      PIC18F2680      PIC18F4220      PIC18F4320

            PIC18F4331      PIC18F4431      PIC18F4410      PIC18F4420

            PIC18F4455      PIC18F4480      PIC18F4510      PIC18F4515

            PIC18F4520      PIC18F4525      PIC18F4550      PIC18F4580

            PIC18F4585      PIC18F4610      PIC18F4620      PIC18F4680

            PIC18F4682

·         SSR 26990 - The PIC10Fxxx, PIC12F510 and PIC16F506 support programming down to 2.25 volts. Programming below this voltage may cause the program memory and calibration data to be improperly programmed.

·         SSR 28011 - The PIC17Cxxx devices cannot be programmed under ICSP with all MPLAB PM3 daughter cards or FPGA versions found in the MPLAB PM3. For example, if either the daughter card or FPGA versions are improper, attempting to enable the MPLAB PM3 with a PIC17C756A will yield the following error messages:

MPLAB IDE

The current hardware configuration does not support ICSP for PIC17C devices. Please contact Microchip support for the latest MPLAB PM3 hardware revision. The following sockets are supported:

AC164301

AC164308

AC164319

Stand Alone Mode - MPLAB PM3 Display

Your MPLAB PM3 does not support PIC17CICSP. Please contact Microchip for a hardware upgrade.

·         SSR 28427 - 18F24J10:  Fails to Erase/Program (Revision 2 motherboard issue). If you experience this Revision 2 Motherboard problem, please contact Microchip for hardware replacement.

·         SSR ICD2-81: MPLAB ICD 2 fails to program/verify the PIC24FJ128GA010 device when user code does runtime flash erase /write operation. It appears the device is executing code before the full programming cycle is complete.

For PIC24F devices during a programming/verify operation (or subsequent verification operation) of user code that performs self-writes and/or self-erases to program space, a verify sequence may fail if the code execution occurs within the first execution cycles following reset.

 

Workaround: Place a delay in your code before the code section that performs the self-write and/or self-erase.

The specific delay value may need to be adjusted, but 100 ms would be a conservative value to start

out with. Here is a C language example that illustrates the workaround:

 

int main (void)

{

 

    // Place 100 ms delay here before any self-write/self-erase code

 

        .       .       .

        .       .       .

        .       .       .

 

}

.

·         PM3-152 - Use of the 'Manual Download' option may cause some MPLAB PM3 units to clear the BIOS just as the download begins; it hangs.  If this occurs, toggle the power on the MPLAB IDE PM3 and exit the MPLAB IDE.  Restart the MPLAB IDE and accept the 'Automatic Upgrade' that will be offered when the MPLAB IDE detects that the BIOS and possibly other components require update.

·         PM3-157 - Calibration Tab Page 'New Value' Text Box: Still accepts certain invalid values; Programming is allowed. If it is necessary to change the calibration value, do not delete the '0x' mask in the 'New Value' text box.  Two hexadecimal numbers should be appended to the '0x' mask, such as 'AE' or '32'.

·         PM3-162 - Use ICSP on the PIC16F88 at Vdd around 3.3V. Program some data on a blank device. Erase the device. Notice that the blank check will fail and that the erase did not occur.

The PIC16F88 and other devices in this family (PIC16F818, 819, 87, 873A, 874A, 876A, 877A) do not support a low voltage bulk erase command. To clear the program memory space, perform a "Debugger>>Clear All Memory>>All Memory" command, then program this image into the device.

·         PM3-180 - MPLAB PM3 fails to program an HCS300 device when attempting to use the PRO MATE II socket module (AC004002) and the PRO MATE II to PM3 adapter (AC164350).

·         PM3-188 - After an 'Erase All' command is sent to the MPLAB PM3, MPLAB IDE output window states 'Operation Succeeded', but the message is displayed only to indicate that the command was sent, not that the Erase was really done.

·         PM3-223 - Wrong SQTP value used when using storing SQTP data in EEPROM and transfering to MPLAB PM3 in an environment.

·         PM3-242 - The MPLAB PM3 does not function for PIC32 devices when saving an environment file to an SD card in an external card reader.

9         Important Notes

9.1           MCP Devices

MCP devices are now supported. Hex files for MCP CAN extenders can be created in two ways using the .ASM and .INC files available from Microchip FAEs, CAEs or applications engineers:

1)       Select the appropriate values for each parameter in the .ASM file and assemble it using MPASM or MPASMWIN. The potential values for each parameter are listed in the .INC file. Import the resulting hex file and program the device.

OR

2)       Choose values for each parameter in the GUI (graphical user interface) and generate the hex file. Import the resulting hex file and program the device.

9.2           PIC17CXXXX ICSP Support

For support of PIC17CXXXX ICSP, the following is required in your MPLAB PM3:

·         Minimum daughter card version 2.83

·         Minimum FPGA version 1.11.00

Contact Microchip for the procedure to update the FPGA version and the required file.

9.3           PIC18FXXJXX and PIC24F Support

On devices such as the PIC18FXXJXX and PIC24F the configuration fuses now reside within the program memory. Therefore, when these devices are code protected, the configuration fuses will read back as all zeros. An additional verify after a program verify operation, will now fail all program memory locations including configuration values. In the past configuration values were still readable even though the device was code protected.

10    USB Port Setup

Installation and setup instructions are dependent on your operating system. Open the appropriate file for your OS in a web browser and follow the instructions to install the driver(s).

Note: If you have accidentally installed the Windows OS default driver, these instructions will direct you to how to "clean" your system first before installing the correct driver(s).

Win 2000/XP/Vista/Vista 64

Find detailed instructions at:
C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLAB IDE\ MPLAB PM3\Drivers\ddpm3.htm

Basic instructions are as follows:

  1. Install MPLAB IDE v7.43 or higher for Win 2000/XP/Vista or 8.14 or higher for Win Vista 64.
  2. Insert a communication board (standard or high-speed) into the MPLAB PM3 pod.
  3. Connect the MPLAB PM3 pod to a PC USB port using a USB cable.
  4. Follow the “Found New Hardware Wizard” to install the drivers (software) automatically.

Win XP 64

Installation instructions are as follows:

  1. Install MPLAB IDE 8.14 or higher.
  2. Insert a communication board (standard or high-speed) into the MPLAB PM3 pod.
  3. Connect the MPLAB PM3 2 pod to a PC USB port using a USB cable.
  4. The “Found New Hardware Wizard” dialog will open. Under “Can Window connect to Windows Update to search for software” select “No, not this time” and then click Next.
  5. In the next dialog, under “What do you want the wizard to do?” select “Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)”. Click Next.
  6. In the next dialog, select “Search for the best driver in these locations”. Uncheck “Search removable media” and check “Include this location in the search”. Browse to the driver location: C:Program Files\Microchip\MPLAB IDE\VistaXP64. Then click Next.
  7. The wizard should install the drivers and display a final dialog when it is done. Click Finish to close the wizard.
  8. Verify that the driver is installed by viewing the Device Manager, Custom USB Drivers>Microchip Custom USB Driver. To open the Device Manager window, select Start>Control Panel>System> Device Manager.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Beginning with MPLAB IDE v7.51, MPLAB IDE and MPLAB PM3 will no longer be tested on Windows 98 or Windows ME OSs. MPLAB IDE and MPLAB PM3 may continue to work under these operating systems, but their operation will no longer be verified through testing.

Win 98
C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLAB IDE\MPLAB PM3\Drivers\ddpm398.htm

Win ME
C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLAB IDE\MPLAB PM3\Drivers\ddpm3me.htm

11    Socket Support

Refer to the Development Tools Selector (DTS) located on the Microchip web site (www.microchip.com). Select "Development Tools" under "Design", then select "Development Tool Selector" under "Resources" from the MPLAB IDE CD-ROM you used to install MPLAB

12    Tested SD/MMC Cards

Microchip is continuing to test MMC and SDMMC cards from various manufacturers. At the time of this release, we suggest using cards greater than 16 MB.

The following SDMMC and MMC cards have been tested with the MPLAB PM3:

Manufacturer                 Type                 Size

ATP                              SD                    1 GB

Generic                         SD                    128 MB

Integral                          SDMMC            64 MB

Kingston                       SDMMC            32 MB & 128 MB

Kingston                       MMC                64 MB

Lexar                            MMC                32 MB

Lexar                            SD                    512 MB

PQI                               SD                    128 MB

PNY                             SD                    128 MB

PNY                             SD                    256 MB

PNY                             SDMMC            256 MB

SanDisc                        SD                    128 MB

SanDisk                        Ultra II SD         256 MB

 

Microchip does not support FAT32 and FAT12 formatted cards. MPLAB PM3 will reformat non-supported formats to FAT16.

13    Definitions

Image

An image encompasses all the information needed to program a device. MPLAB IDE first transfers an "image" to the MPLAB PM3 before it verifies or programs a device. In addition, when you read a device you are creating an image on MPLAB PM3 which later will get transferred to MPLAB IDE.

MPLAB PM3 Operating System (OS)

The MPLAB PM3 OS (aka Firmware) is the suite of machine code that allows the programmer to operate much like Windows is to your PC. MPLAB IDE will automatically alert the user when a new upgrade is available.

Environment

The MPLAB PM3 Device Programmer uses a new concept called an MPLAB PM3 Environment. An Environment is a snapshot of the current programming settings for a specific device. It contains all the necessary information to recreate the current programming state, including a binary image of the device’s memory data, links to an optional SQTP file, and specific part information. When an Environment is saved, a folder is created on the selected drive on a PC or on the removable MPLAB PM3 Card.

See the MPLAB PM3 User's Guide for more information.

14    Declaration of Conformity

We

Microchip Technology Inc.

2355 W. Chandler Blvd.

Chandler, Arizona 85224-6199

USA

hereby declare that the product:

MPLAB PM3

 

complies with the following standards, provided that the restrictions stated in the operating manual are observed:

Standards: IEC 61010-1  Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurements, control and laboratory use.

Standards: IEC 61326-1  Electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use - EMC requirements

Microchip Technology, Inc.

12 November 2003

 

Important Information Concerning the Use of the MPLAB PM3

 

Due to the special nature of the MPLAB PM3 programmer system, the user is advised that it can generate higher than normal levels of electromagnetic radiation which can interfere with the operation of all kinds of radio and other equipment.

To comply with the European Approval Regulations therefore, the following restrictions must be observed:

  1. The system must be used only in an industrial (or comparable) area.
  2. The system must not be operated within 20 meters of any equipment which may be affected by such emissions (radio receivers, TV´s etc.).