PG164130 - PICkit 3 In-Circuit Debugger

Microchip's PICkit 3 In-Circuit Debugger/Programmer uses in-circuit debugging logic incorporated into each chip with Flash memory to provide a low-cost hardware debugger and programmer. In-circuit debugging offers these benefits:

Low cost

Minimum of additional hardware needed for debug

Expensive sockets or adapters are not required

The PICkit 3 can now also reprogram any PIC microcontroller with a simple push of a button: Find out more about Programmer-To-Go function.

Note: The PICkit 3 In-Circuit Debugger/Programmer is NOT a production programmer. It should be used for development purposes only.

The MPLAB PICkit 3 allows debugging and programming of PIC® and dsPIC® Flash microcontrollers at a most affordable price point using the powerful graphical user interface of the MPLAB Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The MPLAB PICkit 3 is connected to the design engineer's PC using a full speed USB interface and can be connected to the target via an Microchip debug (RJ-11) connector (compatible with MPLAB ICD 2, MPLAB ICD 3 and MPLAB REAL ICE). The connector uses two device I/O pins and the reset line to implement in-circuit debugging and In-Circuit Serial Programming™.

PICkit 3 Features

USB (Full speed 12 Mbits/s interface to host PC)

Real-time execution

MPLAB IDE compatible (free copy included)

Built-in over-voltage/short circuit monitor

Firmware upgradeable from PC/web download

Totally enclosed

Supports low voltage to 2.0 volts (2.0V to 6.0V range)

Diagnostic LEDs (power, busy, error)

Read/write program and data memory of microcontroller

Erase of program memory space with verification

Freeze-peripherals at breakpoint

Program up to 512K byte flash with the Programmer-to-Go

Installation CD is not included

Host System Requirements

A workstation with an available USB port and a Windows®, Mac OS®, or Linux® operating system. (You may need to update the PICkit firmware to work with the latest Mac OS. Some users have said the firmware can only be upgraded successfully using a Windows PC. For more information, check the Microchip Forum. The USB cable is included.

Header Information

Some 8-, 14- and 18-pin devices use small header boards with a special MCU for debugging. This special MCU has extra pins for PICkit 3 communication and therefore allows the use of all pins on the part for the application. The header board is not used or needed for programming. However, when debugging these devices the header must be used. See the "Header Specification" document below or see a list of current devices that use headers here.