One of the hardest decisions people have to make when it comes to programming/debugging is what hardware to use. There are lots of options to choose from. In fact, we have a wide selection of them at Kanda. This includes models at various price points, including the Microchip Snap. Clients can come to us for help deciding which model to buy and for lots of other useful resources. Then, they can purchase with confidence via our website.
What type of voltage do you need?
Before you decide on a device, you need to think about what type of voltage you want to program at. There are two options; HVP or LVP. High voltage programming can be as much as 13V. However, Low voltage can be just 1.8V.
A lot of people prefer high voltage because it can offer more options in terms of the number of parts it supports. In fact, with HVP you can program virtually any PIC microcontroller. This includes older ones that need the higher volts. However, there can be a risk that the voltage will be too high and damage parts.
Low voltage programming is not usually for standard use. However, some modern programmers only use it and don’t allow HVP. This includes the Microsoft Snap. Some people avoid LVP because it does not support as many microcontrollers. This is because to use it you need to dedicate a pin to tell the PIC that it is being programmed.
Advantages of low voltage
There is one major advantage with LVP. This is that it is possible to program several PICs on a single board at once. The programmer could daisy chain them together so they program in sequence rather than having to do each one individually. This can save a lot of time during development.
A second benefit of low voltage programming, especially with Microchip Snap, is that the programmer is very cheap. This makes it more accessible to people and won’t require as big an investment to start out.
More advice
If you need more information about Snap, you can find data sheets on the Microchip Developer website. There is also a helpful comparison between it and the PICkit 4. The latter is a popular model that supports almost any kind of PIC. However, some people might not need all the features it offers and may be perfectly happy with the Snap.
Order Microchip Snap online
If you do decide this is the right programmer for you, Kanda can help you to place an order. We have fantastic starter kits and training kits that include everything you need. You can find out about both on our website or contact us for details.