PicAXE Univeral Programmer

[bcj]

This is a board to enable the standard download cable and programming editor to program all chip sizes.

Have developed a circuit and DipTrace PCB layout for a programming board which accepts all PicAxe Chips and has a simple moveable plug to select the approriate chip size to program.

Have it working on a KPIC-2840P prototyping board.

Am happy to put this in the the public domain but would ask that if it is of use to anyone that has board making capabilities that they donate me a board or two as I do not have these capabilities and at this time am not looking to get into that area. (I'm in New Zealand)

The board is 4" x 3-1/4" and is double sided with through holes - no jumpers or vias.
Design allows for plug pack supply to regulator on board using screw terminal or 2.5mm DC plug, or for battery supply.
Design also allows for the enhanced download circuit.
The enhanced download circuit added components can be left off if not wanted, as can the on-off switch and regulator/caps by application of approriate jumpers.

Chip selection is made by moving a 14 pin header plug to one of four 14 pin Header sockets for 08-14, 18, 28, 40 pin chips. The chip to be programmed sits in a 40 pin Aries ZIF socket (picked up from Dontronics in Australia for A$17.50).

Board layout at this link (yahoo):-

<A href='http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PICAXE_circuits/files/AXEProg.JPG ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>

Or this (Tinypic.com)
<A href='http://i9.tinypic.com/6giptgw.jpg ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>


Any Interest?


Edited by - B C Jones on 09/07/2007 23:33:11


Edited by - B C Jones on 10/07/2007 03:21:03

 

[MORA99]

Would be neat if someone posted the picture to a site that dont require a yahoo login

For the few circuits where I didnt include download socket and 22K resistor, but just installed the chip in a socket, I use breadboard to reprogram it.

 

[bcj]

Breadboarding is fine - was thinking of higher volumes when setting this up.

As for the picture, didn't have an alternative at the time of posting but your (valid) comment prompted me to look further:- try here (Tinypic.com);

<A href='http://i9.tinypic.com/6giptgw.jpg ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>


Edited by - B C Jones on 10/07/2007 03:26:58

 

[hippy]

I'd personally put the ZIF the other way round, lever to the top, putting pin 1 at top left as the picture is. With plugs I'd have looked at being able to re-route the pins so all PICAXE's could be aligned in the socket at the top.

Going to a whole level of extra complexity ( which I'm just mulling over rather than suggesting ), I wonder how hard it would be to have an auto-configuring programmer which could detect what type of PICAXE was connected and adjust itself. Because of the clamping diodes, it is possible to power a PICAXE and provide 0V via any input pin.

I took the easy option and just wired 8-pin, 18-pin and 28-pin sockets on breadboard in parallel.

Although 28, 28A, 28X and 40X are now superseded, putting holes for the necessary resonators might not be a bad idea for people who do have them.

 

[bcj]

Appreciate the comments.

It seemed more logical to me to have the ZIF lever on the opposite side from the selection area as it easier to work when holding down the board and plugging the various parts and working the lever. The ZIF is in a machined socket so it could easily be installed either way round - an increase in board size would allow the user to put the ZIF in whichever way they prefer and not have the lever overhang the board when down.

No problem adding sockets for the resonators.

While I agree it would be neater to have all the chips the same way up, I found the same issue as it would seem the designers of other programmers have found - there is a surprising number of crossing traces and a 2 sided board without a lot of jumpers and/or vias becomes impractical when combined with a logical layout of the parts you need to access to make the selections.
While the pinouts for 28 and 40 are very similar, and the 08/14 are the same, there is little similarity between the pinouts of the 28/40, 18 and 08/14. Just working the traces for the 08/14 and 18 combination took quite a bit of manual redraw to obtain a good trace layout.

Board with Resonator sockets (TinyPic.com)
<A href='http://i18.tinypic.com/6fabhox.jpg ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>


Edited by - B C Jones on 10/07/2007 21:36:07

 

[hippy]

Thanks for explaining the rationale behind the design. I frequently find &quot;why&quot; to be more enlightening and useful than &quot;how to&quot;.

 

[cpedw]

I was very happy with my AXE090 experimenter's board - it accommodates all 08,18 and 28 series Picaxes. A close check of the data sheets shows it should also be able to program a 14M in the 08 socket - the pins are the same and there's just a decoupling capacitor to move to the other side of the board to leave space for the other 6 legs. It's a pity it won't directly connect to inputs 1-3 and outputs 4-6.
ANd I'll need to make other arrangements if I start to use 40 series picaxes.

Derek.

 

[atharvai]

hippy - some finalyear students at Southampton University did this with autodetect. their board was usefull for Stamp BAsic and PICs (including ones without rev-ed bootstrap program, this was auto detect aswell).
i saw this during an openday. They might sell it not sure tho!

 

[bcj]

OK, so I get the feeling that there is not really much interest in this approach.
It's always intriguing to find how different people have different approaches and priorities.

Hippy - have resurrected one of my earlier layouts and find it was able to be configured to run with all the chips the same way round. Have also enlarged the board a bit to allow the ZIF to be inserted either way.

Layout here (TinyPic)
<A href='http://i17.tinypic.com/6g4gykn.jpg' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>

 

 

[hippy]

It's always hard to tell if something's liked or not when cheers of &quot;Just what I've been dreaming of&quot; don't go up and the only comments are as to how it could be better. I wouldn't get demoralised though and there's no way of telling how many people have been inspired by the idea and are thinking &quot;that's cool&quot; even if they haven't said so.

Now what would have been a shame to see would have been absolutely no response, and having to post, &quot;Is anyone out there ?&quot;

 

[MartinM57]

&lt;&lt;some final year students at Southampton University did this ...&gt;&gt;

Hey, I was one of those once!

But, as they say, the half-life of a degree is 3 years, so I've got less than .0078125 of my B.Sc left in me :-(

 

[BCJKiwi]

Final Instalment on this project

Have revamped the layout;
1. Re-oriented to make it easier to use (better positions to hold down the board while plugging/unplugging etc).
2. Resonator sockets better aligned with chip size selectors.
3. Board accomodates ZIF socket installed left or right.
4. Easy to use by those of us who are either Left or Right handed (with the ZIF swapped around).
5. Other features as before - Battery or DC plug pack to regulator, on Off switch if you want it etc.

Layout here (TinyPic) http://i15.tinypic.com/4xowg2w.jpg'

Revamped my signatue so you guys know I'm in NZ so you may make allowances for the time difference!

Edited by - BCJKiwi on 14/07/2007 07:33:01