Debugging is one of the most important stages in the development of various electrical products. To do it successfully you need the right debugger/programmer. There are lots of options to reflect the number of different microcontrollers on the market. One of the most recent arrivals is the MPLAB or Microchip Snap. It stands out for being low cost while still offering the power to program various SAM Flash, PIC and AVR microcontrollers as well as 32-bit products.
Using it as a debugger
As long as you follow two steps you can successfully use the Snap for debugging. Firstly you need to program the application on to the target microcontroller. Luckily, you can do this with Snap itself rather than needing additional equipment. During the programming, you must activate the debug functions.
Secondly, you need to use the debug hardware to run the program and then test it. The Snap will be able to take on the debugging using essential features.
An advantage here is you don’t need a clock for programming. The Snap will use a specific sequence of sending pulses and data to confirm the debugger and target microcontroller can communicate.
To use the Snap as a debugger it must have power though. This comes from connecting it to a computer using a USB cable.
You must also ensure there aren’t any improper circuit components. If there are they could interfere with the active debugging lines and prevent the Snap from working. For example, you need to ensure there are no capacitors, diodes or pull ups in the wrong places.
Another thing you must ensure is that the microcontroller is running. If it does not run, particularly because it does not have power, debugging cannot take place.
Once these requirements are met you can debug in MPLAB X IDE. You just need to set Snap as the current tool. You can then get on with your debugging.
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So, if you want Microchip Snap (MPLAB) browse our website today. Our prices are great and we can arrange fast delivery for you.