Table of Contents
Notice to Customers.......................................................................................................................................1
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 4
1.1. Document Layout......................................................................................................................... 4
1.2. Conventions Used in This Guide..................................................................................................4
1.3. Recommended Reading...............................................................................................................5
2. About the Debugger................................................................................................................................ 7
2.1. MPLAB PICkit 4 In-Circuit Debugger Description........................................................................ 7
2.2. MPLAB PICkit 4 In-Circuit Debugger Advantages....................................................................... 7
2.3. MPLAB PICkit 4 In-Circuit Debugger Components...................................................................... 8
2.4. MPLAB PICkit 4 Block Diagram................................................................................................... 9
3. Operation.............................................................................................................................................. 10
3.1. Debugger to Target Communication...........................................................................................10
3.2. Target Communication Connections...........................................................................................11
3.3. Debugging..................................................................................................................................14
3.4. Requirements for Debugging..................................................................................................... 15
3.5. Programming..............................................................................................................................17
3.6. Resources Used by the Debugger............................................................................................. 17
4. Debugger Usage................................................................................................................................... 18
4.1. Installation and Setup.................................................................................................................18
4.2. Debug Tutorial............................................................................................................................18
4.3. Quick Debug/Program Reference.............................................................................................. 18
4.4. Debugger Limitations................................................................................................................. 19
4.5. Common Debug Features.......................................................................................................... 19
4.6. Connecting the Target Board......................................................................................................20
4.7. Setting Up the Target Board....................................................................................................... 20
4.8. Setting Up MPLAB X IDE........................................................................................................... 21
4.9. Starting and Stopping Debugging.............................................................................................. 21
4.10. Viewing Processor Memory and Files........................................................................................ 22
4.11. Breakpoints and Stopwatch........................................................................................................22
5. MPLAB PICkit 4 Programmer-To-Go.................................................................................................... 24
5.1. Power Requirements for Programmer-To-Go.............................................................................24
5.2. Limitations for Programmer-To-Go............................................................................................. 25
5.3. Setting up PICkit 4 for Programmer-To-Go Mode...................................................................... 26
5.4. Using Programmer-To-Go.......................................................................................................... 30
5.5. Exiting Programmer-To-Go Mode...............................................................................................31
6. Troubleshooting.....................................................................................................................................32
6.1. Some Questions to Answer First................................................................................................32
6.2. Top Reasons Why You Can't Debug.......................................................................................... 32
6.3. Other Things to Consider........................................................................................................... 33
7. Frequently Asked Questions................................................................................................................. 36
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User Guide
DS50002751D-page 2