Guidelines for the Introductory Lab Session

This page gives information about some modifications from what is given in the MPLAB-ICD User's guide. Please have the MPLAB-ICD User's guide open before proceeding further.

0. Read and understand Chapters 1 & 2 of MPLAB-ICD User's guide.

1.  Follow the instructions till Section 3.4.3

2.  When the Edit project dialog box opens, (figure 3.2).
    
     Click Change  --> Select MPLAB-ICD Debugger under Tools --> Click OK .
 
       The Development mode in the Edit Project Dialog box should(will) show 16f877 instead of MPLAB-ICD 16f877 (figure 3.4). That is correct  because only 16f877 can be used with MPLAB-ICD Debugger.
      MPLAB-IDE will now establish communications with MPLAB-ICD. You might get an Import error saying " There is no hex file ". Ignore this error.
       If you receive an error message "ICD Communications failed", refer to Chapter 7 for troubleshooting.
       Most commonly, it might be due to improper port settings.
 
        Start --> Settings --> Control Panel --> System --> Device manager --> Double click on Port --> Port Settings : Make sure that the Flow Control Option  is Xon/Xoff.  Then click Advanced : Select "Use FIFO buffers" if it is not already selected. Click OK and resume.
On fixing this error, proceed to the next section.

3. Section 3.4.7
      Select Project --> Make Project : Build Results Window shows up.

4. Section 3.5
        It says " MPLAB-ICD dialog should be open on the desktop". But, it does'nt show up usually. To open the ICD Options dialog box :
        Select Options --> Select Development mode --> Select ICD Debugger option : ICD options dialog box (figure 3.10, not figure 3.9) should appear.
        Make sure that oscillator is set for RC.

5. Read and understand Section 3.6 and proceed to Section 3.7 (Programming the PIC 16f877). DO NOT CLOSE THE ICD DIALOG BOX. YOU CAN MINIMIZE IT. Closing will disable the ICD.