The ACME Pic Programmer
An Inverter Buffered PIC Programmer

Because the ITU-PIC programmer was simple, easy to use and inexpensive, it only makes sense to bring it back. If Dontronics web page is correct, Chris Sakkas, the designer of this little guy has passed on. It has been a few years but why not bring it back in a modified form? The board was copyrighted but not patented therefore any new design and layout of the general circuit should be good. This circuit rocked. It was cheap. It inexpensively buffered the main data lines leading back into the parallel port of the computer and the Microchip 16F84 and 16F874 chips were (and are) easily programmed with this little rascal therefore making it a good start for many small lab and robotics projects. The only disadvantage compared to the Basic Stamp for most projects wass lack of an IDE. We can fix that!!

=================So let the resurrection begin.================
=================Bulleted lines are done or partially done and have dates==============
  • Step A. Publish one or more programming protocols for this type of programmer using a program like like ic-prog.
    1. The Bonny Gijzen IC-PROG programmer works with the following settings:
    Set hardware to PROPIC2, Invert the following: data in, data out, and clock. (9/04) Rock and roll!!

  • Step B. Publish the new board with rough parts requirement.(9/04, updated 12/06)

  • Step C. Attempt to obtain the original copyrights to the the original programmer.

  • Step D. Publish (9/04, updated 12/06) the reverse engineered circuit diagram with some modifications for
    better performance..Publish and Test a circuit diagram for a
    new programmer (12/06). Found original ITU-PIC document, fixed minor problems with diagram.
    Publish expanded parts list with Digikey parts numbers..

  • Step E. Post the copper foil for tested board along with (pdf combo)multilayer view.
    Top copper (top copper-2X),
    Bottom copper(bottom copper-2X)Layout or post a 2 layer board that can be used to provide the circuit.

  • Step E1/2 Publish assembly instructions. Just do it 'eh.

    To do>>>Step F. Make the board available on EBAY or some such.

    To do>>>Step G. Provide and test a 2 layer data acq. and process control
    board on the web, greenhouse controller ;)

    To do>>>Step H. Create a PIC IDE.

    To do>>>>Step I. Live long and prosper!!

    Original put up in: OCT. 2004. Most recent addition:Dec. 2006