Microchip TechnologyDV164007

MPLAB® ICD 2 is a low cost, real-time debugger and programmer for selected PIC®MCUs and dsPIC® DSCs. Using Microchip Technology's proprietary In-Circuit Debug functions, programs can be downloaded, executed in real time and examined in detail with the debug functions of MPLAB. Set watch variables and breakpoints from symbolic labels in C or assembly source code, and single step through C source lines or into assembly code. MPLAB ICD 2 can also be used as a development programmer for supported MCUs.

The secret behind In Circuit Debugging is two dedicated hardware lines (microcontroller pins used only during debugging mode) that control In Circuit Serial Programming™ (ICSP™) of the device and, afterwards, debugging through proprietary, on-chip firmware. The ICD 2 debug features are built into the microcontroller and activated by programming the debug code into the target processor. There is some shared overhead expense that includes one stack level, some general purpose file registers and a small area of program memory when in the debug mode.