Help with ICD2 clone!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi guys!!!
I need your help because I’ve been trying to make my icd2 form Lothar Soltz web work, but I’ve failed. It seems to be annoyed with me!!!!
I revised the circuit many times but I didn’t found any problems with it. I’m using PIC 16F877 and I loaded the file BL01010101.hex form the Mplab into it.
As a target pic I’ve been using the pic 16F88

When I try to connect the ic2 to mplab, it always gives me errors, for example:

Connecting to MPLAB ICD 2
...Connected
ICD0082: Failed MPLAB ICD 2 operation
MPLAB ICD 2 Ready
Connecting to MPLAB ICD 2
...Connected
ICDWarn0054: MPLAB IDE has lost communications with the MPLAB ICD 2. Would you like to attempt to reconnect?
Connecting to MPLAB ICD 2
...Connected
ICD0286: Unable to communicate with ICD
ICD0082: Failed MPLAB ICD 2 operation
MPLAB ICD 2 Ready
Connecting to MPLAB ICD 2
...Connected
ICDWarn0054: MPLAB IDE has lost communications with the MPLAB ICD 2. Would you like to attempt to reconnect?
Connecting to MPLAB ICD 2
...Connected
ICDWarn0054: MPLAB IDE has lost communications with the MPLAB ICD 2. Would you like to attempt to reconnect?
ICD0286: Unable to communicate with ICD
ICD0082: Failed MPLAB ICD 2 operation
MPLAB ICD 2 Ready

I’ve taken all the special cares, like disabling the FIFO buffers, using the correct com port with 19200 baud rate. I’ve even test the cable and the rs232 chip by making a loopback test but it always work fine.

Then I tried to rewrite the pic 16f877 but using Low voltage Programming and something strange happened. Icprog gave me and advice that there was a error in writing address 0000f. (Could be it the wrong thing that doesn’t let my icd2 work??) I didn’t pay attention to it and tried again but it didn’t work. (I made the correction to the circuit putting a 10k pulldown resistor in PGM after using lvp)

Many times I measured the Vpp voltage when I was trying to connect the icd2 to mplab and it always was in 0v, is this ok?

I Know my post is not short, but I’m trying to describe you all the things.
I really need the icd2.
I hope that someone of you help me, I will appreciate any kind of help thanks!!

Are you using a USB to RS232 adapter?

juanbbv said:

Icprog gave me and advice that there was a error in writing address 0000f. (Could be it the wrong thing that doesn’t let my icd2 work??)

Click to expand...

That will be one of your problem.You must program the PIC successfully without any verify failed errors.

For the time being try this programmer to load your hex into 877.

**broken link removed**

If you still cannot solve the issue, you can try the junebug or a full PICkit2 on my site.
Best wish,

blueroomelectronics said:

Are you using a USB to RS232 adapter?

Click to expand...

I´m using RS232 adapter

juanbbv said:

I´m using RS232 adapter

Click to expand...

Do you mean a USB to RS232 adapter?

Guys,

I ve tried to download again the file bl010101.hex with the uJDM programmer and something uncommon happened, i couldn´t download the file into the pic, i dont know why... is something like the bootloader isn´t the correct to the PIC16f877, but i´ve taken it form the file Mplab/ICD2/Bl01010101.hex like all the explanations says.(i tried to write the pic with another program and it worked fine)

Another thing is that my cable to connect the icd2 to the PC (rs232 cable) is 1.5 meter lenght, is it too long? i´ve read that in some cases the length could be a problem...

I am in a big big problem!!!
please help!!

Is it a usb to rs232 adapter? if so thats your problem.

blueroomelectronics said:

Do you mean a USB to RS232 adapter?

Click to expand...

I´am conecting the pic to a max 232 chip. From it to the db9 cable to the PC in com1
Sorry, maybe i did not explain very well. English is my second language.
Thanks

I've made an ICD clone from his page, but used a 876a, so I'm not sure this will help. To get it working on my computer, I had to enable the FIFO buffers, but set them both to low (1). With them completely disabled, I was having communication errors.

hmmmm

Would you be able to purchase a inchwom+ from Canada?

Its definately worth it, at only 45$, get one. No substitution.
**broken link removed**

That's a fix I've heard before, setting the fifo to 1 might work. Make sure you've got a 16F877 as the 16F877A uses different firmware.
The length of the RS232 cable can be long, 2m is common.
If the MAX232 isn't hot it's fine.
Also it should be COM1 or COM2.

So the clones wont work with a USB to RS232 ?? I was kind of hoping for that (but i guess i can make it to work with USB direct see www.stolz.de.be)

BronzeG3 said:

I've made an ICD clone from his page, but used a 876a, so I'm not sure this will help. To get it working on my computer, I had to enable the FIFO buffers, but set them both to low (1). With them completely disabled, I was having communication errors.

Click to expand...

Thanks i´m going to try your solution, maybe it works!

But before this I have to solve the problem of writing the pic 16f877 with the file Bl010101.hex becouse i always have errors independentely of the programmer I use...
I don´t now why... All the sites I´ve readed says that this is the correct file for this pic16f877 and PIC16F876 (there isn´t disponibility for the last here in my country)
The error is always related o address 0000f, is like the file is not compatible with the pic...
help!!!!

Krumlink said:

hmmmm

Would you be able to purchase a inchwom+ from Canada?

Its definately worth it, at only 45$, get one. No substitution.
**broken link removed**

Click to expand...

I would like, but i don´t have much money.In my country uss dollars are expensive, and the shipment is too. (maybe it will cost to me 100 dollars or more...)
Thanks

My ICD2 clone works fine with a USB>RS232 adapter.

Mike.

I've pulled out hair with some USB to RS232 adapters. The best I've ever seen are the IOnetworks ones but they are $$$
https://www.digi.com/products/usb/edgeport.jsp

On a sidenote I'm clearing out the original Inchworm PCBs.

juanbbv said:

Then I tried to rewrite the pic 16f877 but using Low voltage Programming and something strange happened. Icprog gave me and advice that there was a error in writing address 0000f. (Could be it the wrong thing that doesn’t let my icd2 work??) I didn’t pay attention to it and tried again but it didn’t work. (I made the correction to the circuit putting a 10k pulldown resistor in PGM after using lvp)

Click to expand...

One of the problems is that the file BL010101.hex has it's config setup to turn LVP off. The problem is that you can not turn off LVP using LVP programming; you must use HV programming ( 13V on MCLR). I suspect you are right and the root of all your problems is that the initial loading of BL010101.hex into the F877 has errors. If you can't find a program to load your F877 with BL010101.hex, maybe you can buy a pre-loaded one from Bill's site, etc.