User manual

MPLAB
®
X PICkit™ 3 USER’S GUIDE
 2013 Microchip Technology Inc. DS52116A-page 17
Chapter 2. Operation
2.1 INTRODUCTION
A simplified description of how the PICkit 3 In-Circuit Debugger/Programmer system
works is provided here. It is intended to provide enough information so a target board
can be designed that is compatible with the debugger for both debugging and
programming operations. The basic theory of in-circuit debugging and programming is
described so that problems, if encountered, are quickly resolved.
• Tools Comparison
• PICkit 3 vs. PICkit 2
• Debugger to Target Communication
• Communication Connections
• Debugging
• Requirements for Debugging
• Programming
• Resources Used by the Debugger