Microchip MPLAB ICD 3 Boasts Faster Debugging - VIDEO

Microchip today has announced the new MPLAB ICD 3 ®, a high-speed upgrade of the MPLAB ICD 2.

The MPLAB ICD 3 is Microchip's cost-effective development tool that supports Microchip’s Flash-based 8-bit PIC ® microcontrollers, 16-bit microcontrollers, 32-bit microcontrollers (PIC32), and 16-bit dsPIC ® Digital Signal Controllers.

The MPLAB ICD 3 supports in-circuit programming and debugging of all of Microchip's microcontrollers.  The new The MPLAB ICD 3 connects to the host PC via a USB 2.0 interface (backwards compatible to USB 1.1). The MPLAB ICD 3 offers full compatibility with the the previous MPLAB ICD 2, and takes full advantage of USB 2.0 to offer a very high speed debug and programming environment.

The MPLAB ICD 2 was introduced in November 2002 Since that time, nearly 200,000 have been shipped, making the ICD 2 the most popular development tool available from Microchip. The ICD 3 is fully compatible with the previous ICD2, and ICD 2 users of the ICD 2 will see virtually the same user interface.

Improvements 
A significant difference between ICD 2 and ICD 3 is new support for software breakpoints. ICD 3 supports up to 1,000 software breakpoints, including complex, sequenced, and ANDed breakpoints. Hardware breakpoints are supported as with the ICD 2.

The MPLAB ICD 3 maintains backward compatibility with the RJ-11 interface found on the ICD 2, allowing easy connection to customer target boards for prototype debugging and rapid device programming.  By providing the same development, programming, and debugging environment for all of Microchip's Flash-based microcontrollers, design engineers can easily move between Microchip's 500-strong PIC and dsPIC portfolios to find the best device for their application.

The below video was taken at the Embedded Systems Conference Boston 2008, with my handy LG Viewty videophone (which isn't as smooth as I'd like it to be):

The MPLAB ICD 3 supports Microchip Technology’s proprietary 2-wire In-Circuit Serial Programming™ (ICSP™) mode, as well as the Enhanced ICSP programming mode. The MPLAB ICD 3 now supports very high speed programming of Microchip's Flash-based Microcontrollers. For example, the programming speeds of a 128K PIC18 are dramatically reduced, from 26.6 seconds to a scant 8.9 seconds. The entire 512K Flash array of a PIC32, which previously took almost 3 ½ minutes to program, now takes only 11.1 seconds to program.

Microchip has also added a new feature to help novice users verify that the ICD 3 is operating properly. According to Derek Carlson, Vice President of Development Tools, “Included with every MPLAB ICD 3 is a Test Interface Module.  Together with the MPLAB IDE, the module is used to confirm that the software is installed correctly, the USB interface is functioning, and that the MPLAB ICD 3 probe unit and driver lines are working properly.”

The Microchip MPLAB ICD 3 includes:

  • The ICD 3 puck
  • Test Interface Module
  • RJ-11 and USB 2.0 cables
  • CD containing the MPLAB IDE and full documentation
  • Reference poster

About Microchip Technology
"Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:  MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide.  Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality."

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