User manual

MPLAB STARTER KIT FOR PIC24F
USERS GUIDE
© 2008 Microchip Technology Inc. DS51725A-page 7
Chapter 1. Introduction to the Starter Kit
Thank you for purchasing Microchip Technology’s MPLAB Starter Kit for PIC24F. This
board is intended to introduce and demonstrate the capabilities and features of PIC24F
microcontrollers. In addition, the starter kit has on-board in-circuit debug circuitry so
that you may develop and debug your own applications.
This chapter introduces the starter kit and provides an overview of its features. Topics
covered include:
•Overview
Operational Requirements
Initial Board Setup
1.1 OVERVIEW
The MPLAB Starter Kit for PIC24F provides an all-in-one solution for debugging and
programming applications using Microchip’s own MPLAB Integrated Development
Environment (IDE). A USB connection to a host computer supplies communications
and power to the board; no additional external power supply is needed. For
independent host-side USB operation, the starter kit may be disconnected from the PC
and powered at test points for independent functionality.
The starter kit includes integrated debug and programmer circuitry that allows
applications to be programmed onto the board’s PIC24F MCU device and then
debugged, all using MPLAB IDE. The need for an additional programmer or hardware
interface has been completely eliminated.
The application side of the starter kit contains a range of hardware components to
demonstrate the utility and processing power of Microchip’s PIC24F family of 16-bit
microcontrollers.
1.2 OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
To communicate with and program the MPLAB Starter Kit for PIC24F, the following
hardware and software requirements must be met:
PC compatible system with CD-ROM drive
One available USB port on the PC, or a powered USB hub
•Microsoft
®
Windows
®
2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, or Windows Vista™ (32-bit)
In addition, the following is needed for some of the application demos:
USB Flash Drive (not included)
Note: Only initial testing has been performed on 32-bit Windows Vista for this
release. The 64-bit version is not supported at this time.