Summary of PICKITPLUS – A PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE THAT REVITALIZES THE OUTDATED PICKIT2 AND PICKIT3
Microchip's PICkit2 and PICkit3 are In-Circuit Debugger/Programmers for PIC microcontrollers. Support for their original software ended in 2009 and 2012, prompting the creation of PICkitPlus. This open-source replacement supports both old and new 8-bit chips via three variants: PICkit 2Plus, PICkit 3Plus, and PICkitCommandLine. While the GUI versions support EEPROMs, the command-line tool is designed for integration with IDEs like Great Cow BASIC.
Parts used in the PICkitPlus Project:
- PICkit2 programmer
- PICkit3 programmer
- PICkitPlus software
- PICkit 2Plus application
- PICkit 3Plus application
- PICkitCommandLine application
- Great Cow BASIC IDE
Microchip’s PICkit2 and PICkit3 are both In-Circuit Debugger/Programmers, designed for programming and debugging Microchip PIC microcontrollers (and occasionally EEPROMs).
The PICkit2 programmer was released back in 2005, and allowed the user to program and debug most of the 8 and 16 bit PIC microcontrollers and dsPIC controllers as well. Its successor, the PICkit3 programmer, was released some years later.
In 2009 and 2012, Microchip stopped providing support for the PICkit 2 and PICkit3 software , respectively. They released the source code for the Windows GUI software, making it possible for users to update and maintain it themselves. This resulted in the launch of the PICkitPlus software in 2018 by the PICkitPlus team.
The PICkitPlus software is a total replacement for the original PICkit 2 and PICkit 3 software, designed to facilitate programming of any 8-bit PIC microcontroller using a supported programmer (either genuine or clone). In contrast to the original PICkit software, which doesn’t provide support for the newer 8-bit microcontrollers, PICkitPlusincludes support for old chips and new chips alike.
The PICkitPlus software comes in 3 main variants for the PICkit™ 2 and PICkit™ 3 applications called PICkit 2Plus, PICkit 3Plus, and PICkitCommandLine.
- PICkit 3Plus Graphical user interface application. A specific solution for the PICkit™ 3 In-Circuit Debugger/Programmer and clones
- PICkit 2Plus Graphical user interface application. A specific solution for the PICkit™ 2 In-Circuit Debugger/Programmer and clone
- PICkit Command line user interface application.
The PICkitPlus command line application supports both the PICkit2 and PICkit3 programmers and even potentially clones as well. It can run alone, but is mainly intended for use with Integrated Development Environments such as Great Cow BASIC. The PICkitPlus command line software does not support EEPROM chips; although the PICkitPlusGUI software does.
Read more: PICKITPLUS – A PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE THAT REVITALIZES THE OUTDATED PICKIT2 AND PICKIT3
- What is PICkitPlus?
PICkitPlus is a total replacement for the original PICkit 2 and 3 software that facilitates programming of any 8-bit PIC microcontroller. - Can PICkitPlus support newer microcontrollers?
Yes, unlike the original software, PICkitPlus includes support for both old and new 8-bit microcontrollers. - Does the PICkitCommandLine support EEPROM chips?
No, the PICkitPlus command line application does not support EEPROM chips, though the GUI software does. - How can users update the discontinued PICkit software?
Users can update and maintain the software themselves because Microchip released the source code for the Windows GUI software. - What are the three main variants of PICkitPlus?
The three variants are PICkit 2Plus, PICkit 3Plus, and PICkitCommandLine. - Which IDE is the PICkitCommandLine mainly intended for?
The command line software is mainly intended for use with Integrated Development Environments such as Great Cow BASIC. - Does PICkitPlus work with clone programmers?
Yes, PICkitPlus is designed to facilitate programming using supported programmers which include genuine or clone devices. - When did Microchip stop providing official support for PICkit2?
Microchip stopped providing support for the PICkit 2 software in 2009.
