production gang programming

[nehallove]

Hi Everyone,

We would like to go to production programming for PIC18F25K20 controller. I have heard prime-8 is one of the way to go. But we would like to program 24 - 48 units programming simultaneously whereas prime-8 can do 8 only.

Is there any means available to program 24-48 units in production tester ?

Thank you,
nehal
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nehal

[Guest]

Why not make your own gang programmer? They aren't really that complicated unlike the good old days of programming 1708s !!!

jay

[mbradley]

If I may suggest, it sounds like you need to burn alot of chips, why not just have microchip burn it for you? A few times I have ordered chips with my hex file preloaded.

Or if I may add, when doing production, I sometimes incorporate a programer into the test fixture, I program a test routine, then followed by actual code.
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Michael Bradley
www.mculabs.com
Open Drivers and Projects

[nehallove]

Hi Michael,

We have been talking to Microchip; and they are ready to program our chips. There are 4 various type of the product based on the same chip. Now we don't know if in future we have to program unit as different one from the product line (may be one of the 4 won't sell that much). And that is why we want to have possibility of in circuit programming. So that we can program just our unit on the fly as any of our 4 products.

So I am looking for the programmer which can program multiple boards. I am also we are looking if ATE can do programming of PICs.

Thank you,
nehal
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nehal

[mbradley]

The last production job I setup, I actualy just bought a few of the pickit2's from microchip, and used the command line version of the programmer.

Basicaly I wrote a VB windows app that would call the command line programmer to download a test program, the my vb app would run a test routine, then at the completion, it would call the command line program again to programm the actual hex file of the main program.

we used a 'bed of nails' (aka pogo pins) as a programming/test fixture.

otherwise, I just use the programmer to go feature and let the assemblers/testers program the boards. I know its not a bulk program, but each one has to be handled by hand for assembly or packaging, so it hasnt been an issue for my clients.
_________________
Michael Bradley
www.mculabs.com
Open Drivers and Projects

[icesynth]

Have you considered getting Microchip to load in a boot loader?

Then you can use USB / Serial to program the units on the production line, and if your application changes, it's easy to just start programming with a different file.
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Programming for the the real world.
--Chris Burchett
Sylver Technologies Inc.