We call PICKitPlusCommandLine for the Raspberry Pi PICKitCMD-Pi.
PICKitCMD-Pi is the Raspberry Pi application that provides support for the latest generation of Microchip microcontrollers and EEPROMs devices. The software is feature rich and easy to use via the console.
See below for supported Pi Hardware.
PICKitCMD-Pi application is the replacement application for existing Raspeberry Pi Python scripts as this is fully supported software.
The intent of PICKitCMD-Pi is enable operations using either a PICKit 2 or PICKit 3 programmers via the Raspberry Pi Linux console interface. Console arguments are passed to the software to configure the operation of write, reading, verify. The software capabilities are shown in the table.
PICKitCMD-Pi supports nearly 1000 different types of microcontrollers and EEPROMS.
New functionality
PICKitCMD-Pi features:
Safe Usage Enhancements
Supported Pi Hardware
Raspberry Pi 4 is supported but the following constraint. The Pi4 has a defect in its USB subsystem, which causes Microchip or clone PICKit 2 and PICKit 3 programmers to work poorly or not at all. We provide a revised PICKit 2 programmer called PICKitPlus PI4 which resolves this issue.
The PICKitPlus PI4 is a special variant programmer designed to work correctly on a Raspberry Pi 4. It operate 4% slower than the standard PICKitPlus model; but unlike the any PICKit2 or PICKIt3 the PICKitPlus programmer will function on a Pi 4. The Raspberry Pi 4 USB subsystem has a subtle flaw that causes PICKit2 or PICKIt3 programmer to "lock up" very frequently and need to be unplugged and replugged by hand. Previous models of Raspberry Pi and Raspberry 5 do not have this flaw. The PICkitPlus PI4 solves this problem, and as a bonus also works everywhere a PK2 would. Also, see here
Raspberry Pi 5 is fully supported using a Microchip or clone PICKit 2 and PICKit 3 programmer.
The table below compares the capabilities.
PICKitCMD-Pi | Other Microchip software | |
---|---|---|
Hex File Operations
|
Same capability | Same capability |
Device Family - microcontrollers and EEPROMs
|
Legacy parts and latest parts |
PICkit2 software limited to legacy parts. PICkit3 supports legacy and latest parts via MPLAB-X Java interface. |
Programmer Operations
|
Same capability | Same capability |
|
Yes | Partial |
|
Yes | No |
|
Yes | No |
Tool Operations
|
Yes | No |
Operation features of the programmers | PICkit2 | PICkit3 |
|
Maintain |
Maintain
|
|
Large VDD Allowed VDD rise time is 500 us or less. |
Large VDD Allowed VDD rise time is 500 us or less. |
|
range of 2.5v to 5.0v |
range of 2.5v to 5.0v |
|
maximum external VDD is 5.0 v |
maximum external VDD 5.5 v. |