PicKit 2 recommendation issue

[Wayne J]

I need to make this post because of something that has been brought to my attention. Many folks ask me what programmer to purchase and I always point them to this one (http://cgi.ebay.com/ICSP-Adapter-18-20A-pin-PIC-w-PICkit-2-USB-Programmer-/330401306548?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ced73d7b4#ht_5226wt_708) It is a great deal with a ZIF socket.

I recommend this one simply because of the 20 pin socket. It allows for many more PICs to be utilized than does the 14 pin socket. What I was unaware of, is in the instructions, it does not list the 16F688 as a "Group" that can be programmed with it. This is NOT the case.
The instructions show the 16F688 PIC as "Group C" and uses the 14 pin socket. If you set up the 20 pin socket for "Group G" and have the PIC inserted at the top of the socket, then the pin configuration matches "Group C".
I hope this helps anyone I have made this recommendation to.

[Materdaddy]

I can confirm that setting up the ICSP20A as "Group G" will work to program a PIC16F688 perfectly. I verified this running Windows in a VirtualBox VM (Ubuntu 10.10 host) no less!

Thanks for the help Wayne! Time to play with the multimeter for an hour or two, and hope I can run a blink test in the next day or two on my (first) Renard SS24!

[Tallahassee Dreamer]

I need to make this post because of something that has been brought to my attention. Many folks ask me what programmer to purchase and I always point them to this one (http://cgi.ebay.com/ICSP-Adapter-18-20A-pin-PIC-w-PICkit-2-USB-Programmer-/330401306548?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ced73d7b4#ht_5226wt_708) It is a great deal with a ZIF socket.

I recommend this one simply because of the 20 pin socket. It allows for many more PICs to be utilized than does the 14 pin socket. What I was unaware of, is in the instructions, it does not list the 16F688 as a "Group" that can be programmed with it. This is NOT the case.
The instructions show the 16F688 PIC as "Group C" and uses the 14 pin socket. If you set up the 20 pin socket for "Group G" and have the PIC inserted at the top of the socket, then the pin configuration matches "Group C".
I hope this helps anyone I have made this recommendation to.

Wayne I bought this as suggested from ebay you suggest setting up for group G how do you set it up and what signifies top of socket? I get the following message.

Programming Target (1/5/2011 11:09:49 PM)
PKWarn0003: Unexpected device ID: Please verify that a PIC16F688 is correctly installed in the application. (Expected ID = 0x1180, ID Read = 0x3F80)
Erasing Target
Programming Program Memory (0x0 - 0xF3)
Verifying Program Memory (0x0 - 0xF3)
PK2Error0027: Failed verify (Address = 0x0 - Expected Value 0x0 - Value Read 0x17E0)
PICkit 2 Ready

[kychristmas]

What a nice package Ed has put together here. Great Price and he is very reliable. Hasn't posted here in a while, but let's hope it's becasue his business is picking up or he's enjoying the warm sun some where.

[Wayne J]

Did you follow the setup of the PicKit2 (install OS)?

Just make sure pin 1 of the PIC is in pin 1 of the socket. Top left pin to top left hole (slot), looking at the socket with the lever at the top left.