Newbie question about a Pic programmer

[lou]

I'm brand new at this and was going to build a Pickit2 Clone programmer, but I saw this on ebay.

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/PIC-USB-Automatic-Programming-Develop-Microcontroller-Programmer-K150-ICSP-/261005621399?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc525b897#ht_7192wt_944

(made in China programmer).

Is this this or does it accomplish the same thing as the Pickit2 ?  I can hardly buy the part for a Pickit2 Clone for the price of this. need some help.... Thanks Lou

[pushycat]

It may be a ICSP programmer but doesnt look like a Pickit 2 clone. As i can see the USB is using a converter chip (may be PL2303) whcih can be seen clearly near the USB connector. The firmware of Pickit2 clone will naturally have a 28 pin 18F2550, whereas a 18 pin device is seen in the given link.

[Sideshow Bob]

I would have gone for a PICKIT 2 or 3 clone. They interface directly to MPLAB, and make your life much more easy. Also many offers a ZIP socket at some added price. This is just flimflams. The fact is that you do not need a zif socket with ICSP programming. How much can you spend on the programmer?

[gan_canny]

This e-bay item appears to do both in-circuit programming and out of circuit programming via a zip socket. Basically a compiler generates a hex file with you code translated to a hex version of machine instructions. Via the usb connection this file is transferred to the e-bay programmer and the e-bay programmer then proceeds to write the code into the PIC chip via the PIC chips programming pins PGC PGD ..it also controls MCLR during this process and of course needs Vcc and Gnd ( 5 pins). The in-circuit  serial programming ICSP takes these five wires and a spare out to the external target board. The E-bay programmer will have the know how to program certain PIC chips. Now optional Interactive Development Environments IDE's manage this process. Mplab will interface with special programmers PIC Kit etc..it downloads a routine to program a specific family of chips ( Not all PIC's use the same timing block size etc when being programmed). Because Mplab downloads the details of how to program a PIc chip it is more versatile since any new chip that needs different programming parameters can be accommodated by  Mplab down loading the new instructions. With Mplab changing families of chips needs a fresh download of programmer instructions prior to the programming of the PIC from the hex file ( your code).  CCS's IDE downloads a nearly complete set of instructions to its programmer so it can without switching code program any chip the CCS compiler supports. IDE's as well as managing programming of a PIC also manage interactive in circuit debugging that many PIC chips support. In short the programmers are specific to the IDE the E-bay programmer probably wont work with IDE's unless it is a perfect clone.

[lou]

Thanks for everyone's input, think that I'll stick with the Pickit2 Clone ... Lou