ICDU and PIC16F819

[mcafzap]

I have a 3.3volt circuit using an '819 which usually does not connect with the ICDU, usually by responding with 'Could not detect target chip'. I say usually, because if I power down & up the PIC then the _first_ time I connect all is well.

I know there are problems with this chip because it is possible to make the reset internal which would stop any ICD from working, but this is not the case.

Any ideas/suggestions? (I've got one, but I wouldn't get paid if I did it.)

Steve

[mcafzap]

To partially answer my own problem (and get it off my chest) here are some findings:

I found that using the ICD control program I could consistently find the correct chip, but only if I generated an internal reset first by lowering and raising the supply voltage. Thus it would also start to work in the debugger environment, until it came to starting the debug session when the message 'Device failed to halt - check mclr and oscillator'

I altered the voltage to 5v, amended the reset circuitry with a catch diode, pulled up B3, wired B3 to the debugger, changed from a standard 4 MHz crystal to a ceramic resonator, tried brand new ICs having programmed the configuration register externally. All to no avail.

I then altered the configuration to INTRC_IO and it started to work. I say started because you can only step about 3 times before the message 'Invalid clock value from the debugger - debugging may not have been enabled' appears.
Finally, as the first statement, I have tried setting the internal clock to 8MHz which results in a slight improvement - I can get about 7 steps now. Just 'running' seems fine until you stop the program, whereupon another message, 'Could not run program. No response from the ICD data in buffer'.

One step forward, two steps back. Ideas anyone? Any similar experience?

Steve

[mcafzap]

Further and better particulars...

First I found the cause of the crash when stepping was caused by