Microcontroller Chip maker Microchip Technology Inc has been phenomenally successful with its low-cost PICmicro family in the last few years. PICs are now probably used in more applications than any other family, as well as being embedded in a high proportion of smart cards. Small wonder that many people are keen to learn how to program them and get themselves a programmer.

The new K149 PICmicro programming kit features both serial RS-232C and high speed USB interfacing. It currently supports some 61 different PICmicro chips, including the 16F84/A, the 16F627/8, the 12C508/9, the 16C63A and many others.

The most popular kind of programmer is one that's driven from a PC, probably because Microchip Technology has made available (for free downloading) an excellent suite of program development software called MPLAB which runs under Windows. So with a PC-driven programmer, you can develop your PIC firmware on the PC using MPLAB and then program it into a chip with a minimum of hassle.

A PC-driven programmer is the way to go then and the easiest and cheapest way to get one is to assemble one of the many kits that are now available.

In this article, we're taking a look at two such kits from Hong-Kong based DIY Electronics, which are available in Australia from Ozitronics. One is an updated version of DIY's existing low-cost introductory kit designed specifically for the very popular PIC16F84 chip. The other is a completely new kit which can not only be used to program many different PIC chips but also offers a choice of either RS-232C or high-speed USB interfacing to the PC.