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Pullman, WA 99163
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chipKIT™ PGM
Programmer/Debugger Reference Manual
Revised March 3, 2015
DOC#: 502-242
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 1 of 4
Overview
The chipKIT PGM is a simple, low cost, module that supports in-system programming and debugging of
applications written for Microchip PIC based microcontroller boards such as the chipKIT™ and Cerebot boards.
The chipKIT PGM is designed to work with the MPLAB® and MPLAB® X development environments available from
Microchip. This allows the chipKIT boards, for example, to be used as a more traditional microcontroller
development platform using the professional tools available from Microchip.
The chipKIT PGM can also be used from within the MPLAB or MPLAB-X development environments to enable insystem debugging of sketches developed using the Arduino™ compatible MPIDE development environment.
chipKIT™ PGM Reference Manual
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 2 of 4
chipKIT PGM Hardware Overview
The chipKIT PGM has the following features:
1. USB Connector
This is a standard mini USB connector. Use the provided cable to connect the chipKIT PGM to an available
USB port on the PC workstation.
2. Programming Connector
Connect the chipKIT PGM to the target board using this connector. The white triangle marker indicates
the Pin 1 end of the connector.
3. Status LED
This LED indicates that the chipKIT PGM has connected to the target device and is ready for use.
4. Activity LED
This LED is an activity indicator. It blinks when the programmer/debugger software is communicating with
the target device.
5. Power LED
This LED illuminates when the chipKIT PGM is receiving power via the USB port from the host PC.
Using the chipKIT PGM
The chipKIT PGM uses a programmer/debugger circuit licensed from Microchip. Use of the chipKIT PGM requires a
supported version of either the MPLAB IDE or the MPLAB X IDE from Microchip. The licensed debugger is
supported in version 8.63 or later of the MPLAB IDE and all versions of the MPLAB X IDE.
chipKIT™ PGM Reference Manual
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 3 of 4
The MPLAB or MPLAB X IDE can be downloaded from the Microchip web site at: www.microchip.com/mplab.
These software suites include a free evaluation copy of the Microchip C32 compiler for use with the PIC32
microcontroller family.
The appropriate version of the IDE should be downloaded from the Microchip web site and installed. This will
install the necessary software and drivers to enable use of the chipKIT PGM.
Once the desired version of MPLAB has been installed, connect the supplied USB cable to the mini-USB connector
on the chipKIT PGM and to an available USB port on the PC.
Connect the chipKIT PGM to the ICSP port on the target board and start the MPLAB IDE.
The chipKIT PGM behaves similarly to the Microchip PICkit3 Programmer/Debugger and can be used in a similar
way.
In the MPLAB IDE, select Licensed Debugger from either the Programmer.Select Programmer menu or
the Debugger.Select Tool menu. The IDE will connect to the device and identify that it is a ‘chipKIT
Programmer by Digilent’. When the licensed debugger is selected, the MPLAB IDE will check the version number of
the firmware running on the debugger and offer to update it if is out of date with the version of MPLAB being
used.
At this point, the chipKIT PGM is ready for use.
Debugging MPIDE Sketches Using the chipKIT PGM
For detailed information on how to use the chipKIT PGM and the MPLAB IDE to debug MPIDE sketches, please
refer to the document “Debugging chipKIT with MPLAB IDE” available on the chipKIT wiki: www.chipKIT.org/wiki.
This document is in the Application Notes section at the bottom of the Documenation page on the wiki.
CHIPKIT and the CHIPKIT Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S. and other countries,
and are used under license.
Manufactured by Digilent under license from MICROCHIP.
PICkit™ On-Board Programmer/Debugger, © 2011 Microchip Technology Inc. All rights reserved. MICROCHIP SOFTWARE OR
FIRMWARE IS PROVIDED “AS IS,” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO
EVENT SHALL MICROCHIP BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIN, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION
WITH THE SOFTWARE OR FIRMWARE OR THE USE OF OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE OR FIRMWARE. THIS PRODUCT IS
DISTRIBUTED UNDER LICENSE FROM MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.
chipKIT™ PGM Reference Manual
Copyright Digilent, Inc. All rights reserved.
Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Page 4 of 4
Declaration of Conformity
In accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17050-1:2010
Manufacturers Name: Digilent, Inc.
Manufacturers Address: 1300 NE Henley Court
Pullman, WA 99163
U.S.A.
Application of Council Directives:
EMC 2004/108/EC
Standards:
EMC EN55022:2010
EN55024:2010
Product Name: chipKIT PGM
Product Model Number: Digilent P/N 210-242
Digilent Product Category: Programming Solutions
We, the undersigned, hereby declare that the equipment specified above conforms to the
above Directives and Standards.
Location: _Pullman, WA______ Signature: __________
Date: _August 23, 2012 ___ Full Name (print): Clint Cole _________
Title: President___________
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