ZIF socket multi chip programmer. Not a dev board

[IronJungle]

Lately I have been programming several PICAXEs for people. It is a pain to insert and remove them from my AXE091 dev board just to program them. Plus, I often have a PICAXE already pushed into the dev board. Removing it with all the surrounding wires is not easy and depending on the state of the project it could be harmful to the poor PICAXE I'm trying to program.

Here is a pic of my solution. Per the diagram in the pic, plug the PICAXE in one way into the ZIF socket to program 08, 14, and 20s. To program the 18 the PICAXE notch and pin 1 goto the opposite side of the ZIF socket. It tests fine with all the PICAXEs mentioned. I must say that I did NOT design the project to work with the 20, but it does. I thought the length of the 20 would interfere with the d/l circuit of the (inverted) 18.

Build details at: http://ijprojects.blogspot.com/2012/07/zif-socket-allows-programming-of-picaxe.html

I am going to guess this has been done (I didn't look) but I think it is a handy way to program multiple PICAXEs with one small package.

 

[Rbeckett]

You could easilly put several ZIF sockets on a board and build a progrsamming circuit that feeds all of the sockets at the same time. I would opt for the higher end upgraded download connection and cable, but you could conceivable program multiple chips multiple times all together. Kind of like a daisy chain or paralell connector system. Sounds pretty easy, but I have never tried it either.
Bob

 

[IronJungle]

Good suggestions, Bob. I'm not in any mass production mode and I only had one ZIF socket handy. This works perfect for what I need.

 

[westaust55]

you could conceivable program multiple chips multiple times all together.

The idea of programming multiple PICAXE chips in parallel has been rasied before. It is not possible due to the way in which the program download functions.

When a program is downloaded into the PICAXE, not only is there data sent via the SerialIn pin, there is also data sent back from the PICAXE to the PC for confirmation. If there were multiple PICAXE chips in parallel:
1. they could be out very marginally in timing and the return data would be corrupted.
2. If one chip did not program correctly it would return different data but with the data all coming back in parallel on the same wire, again corruption of data and you would not know which was faulty
3. Prospective problems with multiple outputs driving onto the same line if one is high and another is low. A 180 ohm resistor in series with each chips could fix the over current problems but the first points still apply.

 

[erco]

IronJungle: Long time no hear! Are you still with us?

I just found this project on your blog: http://www.whiskeytangohotel.com/2012/07/zif-socket-allows-programming-of-picaxe.html

Very clever and timely. I start teaching PicAxe programming next month, and this weekend I will be building some 20-pin ZIF-socket programmers. It's easy enough to program the 8-, 14- and 20-pin M2 chips, but I was going to ignore the oddball 18M2 since the programming pins are different. Your flip-it programmer solution is perfect, especially since I want to use these inexpensive 18M2 boards in the class: http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?26017-Sale-8-Rev-Ed-CHI030A-Project-Boards-for-PicAxe-18-s

Thank you!

 

[IronJungle]

erco:

Glad the idea could help. Did you ever build a few up?