I built a UBW a ways back. The only thing you need to buy is the UBW itself. The drivers can be downloaded or already exist in XP and Vista. Do not recall which.
The UBW or other bootloader based system can not create a bootloader on another chip. You only have the one chip to work with and it has no debug.
With a PICkit2 or clone you can program any number of chips. If you intent is to write programs I strongly suggest you use this option.
It still takes both you have to load the boot loader with a programmer like the pickit2
You may find some one that will sell you a chip with the boot loader on it.
I didn't think they still sold them I removed that post. I don't think using USB Bit Whacker as programming a Pic Lol see some else did all the work for you lol.
I didn't think they still sold them I removed that post. I don't think using USB Bit Whacker as programming a Pic Lol see some else did all the work for you lol.
The idea behind the bitwacker is that you write the code on the PC and use the PIC as an IO device. They even have a demo app where you click on the port pins to turn them on and off. It is cool stuff.
And they can be used for code development if you can put up with a boot loader.
It would be easier to buy a pickit2 which is usb and get a 18f4550 and play with the usb stack check this out Microchip Technology User Forums it a list of work that xiaofan did he one of the coder's that made UBW happen
The UBW kit is $25. A serial programmer is going to cost you another $10 or so. Then there is that non trival matter of writing the code to make this hybrid programmer work!
Not a JDM programmer because the UBW only puts out TTL levels. There's no way to generate the 12v.
Buy the PICkit 2 and then build a UBW. It only takes a circuit board, a PIC and socket, crystal+caps, a few push buttons and LEDs, 3 other capacitors, a few resistors and a USB socket. I've put one together for about $8 using strip board. Of course, my home built UBW isn't as polished looking as the $25 one that you buy from Sparkfun, but it works.
With a PICkit 2 you can program just about any PIC, which is a needed capability if you are going to continue with PICs.