[SOLVED] circuit diagram to connect the pic kit3 debugger to target device PIC 18F4520

[Dan1138]

I am using MPLAB IDE 8.56. Could the problem be that I should use MPLAB X IDE instead MPLAB IDE 8.56.

I checked the voltage levels on the pins of the PICKit3. It is 5 volts on pin 1 (MCLR) and 5 volts on pin 2 (V_DD).

I connect an external power supply of 5V from SMPS and connect the PICKIT 3 and select the Target device from "Configure" in MPLAB IDE and select PIC Kit3 from "Programmer".

Any advice would be welcome. I even manually downloaded the firmware but there was no change.

Could it be that the PICKit3 is faulty?

The PICkit3 is likely good.

The firmware the IDE loads in the PICkit3 may be your problem.

An issue I have had when using the PICkit3 with both MPLAB v8.xx and MPLABX is that the PICkit3 application firmware and target specific firmware do not get along well.

This usually occurs when the PICkit3 application firmware version is "newer" that the version the MPLAB v8.xx "knows" about so it does not try to "down rev" the PICkit3 application firmware, but the IDE will update the target specific firmware if the target family has changed. This can result with both PICkit3 firmware loads out of "sync" with each other or the IDE you want to use.

When switching to or from either IDE I force a manual update of the PICkit3 application firmware then force a change of the target specific firmware.

To force a change of the target specific firmware first select a target that is in a different family, wait for the IDE to update the PICkit3, then select the desired target device. For example if you intend to program a PIC18F4520 select a PIC24FJ64GA002, let the IDE update the PICkit3, then select the PIC18F4520.

You should only need to do this "forcing downloads" one time after changing to a different MPLAB IDE.

 

[bobTPH]

You need a decoupling capacitor at each Vss / Vdd pair as close as possible to the pins. 100nF. I have definitely had PICs that would not program without them.

Bob