Anybody using a K150 programmer?

[rick.curl]

I'm looking for a really low cost programmer that I can recommend to students in a course I will be teaching at a local Makers group. I just received a K150 programmer that I got on Alibaba and I am disappointed to discover that the file "Microbrn.exe" that comes with it is being flagged as being a trojan by both Mcafee and Restoro.
It may be a false positive, but after a bad experience with another product I got from Alibaba I don't want to risk it.
Has anyone had any success with this programmer? Is there any other software aside from "Microbrn.exe" that will work with it?

Thanks for any info about this.

-Rick

[keytapper]

<Off topic>
My suggestion, should to use a scratch OS, made on a Virtual Machine. Just a slimmed down operating system that will be copied for these particular testing.
A note, don't allow to use internet to the VM and use a monitor setup to see whether a firewall or antivirus detect some unwanted actions.
<On topic>
For a serial programmer, I think there are also home brews with Arduino for 18F chips, but it requires an Arduino board.
Another for older chips, but the programming source is for Linux.
There's a mention here, but is ten years old.
Last but not least:
Check the executable checksum with this.

[Gary Scott]

Could you try the software offered on github, here is a Windows10 solution that appears to be clean.  https://github.com/gabrielcaussi/k150-pic-programmer

[rick.curl]

Hi Keytapper- Thanks for the suggestions, but I need to keep it simple.

Gary- I downloaded microbrn.exe from the link you posted, but it is infected with trojan.win32.trojandownloader.banload.~D5

[Gary Scott]

Microsoft Defender says it's clean, so dunno.

[RGV250]

Hi Rick,
If I have a file that Notron sulks about I use virus total to check it https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload
You point it to the file and upload, it then shows the results from loads of antivirus scanners.

Also regards the cheap programmer, have you looked at the Pickit clone from here https://pickitplus.co.uk/Typesetter/index.php/PICKit2-Programmer-Kit
Not sure of the price but you could get the bare board as well and make a project for them.

Bob

[JonW]

Other option is to use a bootloader on a device and buy USB to TTL adaptors that can double up or serial comms, these are really low cost?
This way you can then flash the bootloader using a single programmer

[keytapper]

I downloaded microbrn.exe from the link you posted, but it is infected with trojan.win32.trojandownloader.banload.

I tested that PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1210.exe :

Code Select Expand

clamscan PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1210.exe
Loading:     9s, ETA:   0s [========================>]    8.65M/8.65M sigs       
Compiling:   2s, ETA:   0s [========================>]       41/41 tasks

/tmp/PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1210.exe: OK

----------- SCAN SUMMARY -----------
Known viruses: 8646168
Engine version: 0.105.1
Scanned directories: 0
Scanned files: 1
Infected files: 0
Data scanned: 9.32 MB
Data read: 3.02 MB (ratio 3.08:1)
Time: 20.067 sec (0 m 20 s)
Start Date: 2022:12:20 20:24:32
End Date:   2022:12:20 20:24:52
You might try that file with an online virus scanner. On the other hand, it may be useful to make a disk image of the OS and give a try. If anything will become strange and signs of infection, just get the image back on place.

[rick.curl]

Hi Rick,
If I have a file that Notron sulks about I use virus total to check it https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload
You point it to the file and upload, it then shows the results from loads of antivirus scanners.

That's really handy.  Thanks for sharing!

Also regards the cheap programmer, have you looked at the Pickit clone from here https://pickitplus.co.uk/Typesetter/index.php/PICKit2-Programmer-Kit
Not sure of the price but you could get the bare board as well and make a project for them.

Thanks, but those are still more expensive than a Chinese clone of the Pickit 2.

Bob
[/quote]

[rick.curl]

Other option is to use a bootloader on a device and buy USB to TTL adaptors that can double up or serial comms, these are really low cost?
This way you can then flash the bootloader using a single programmer

Thanks, Jon, I'll look into that, but since I will be using some of the lowest-cost, low pin count PICs there may not be enough memory space available.  Good idea, though.
-Rick 

[rick.curl]

You might try that file with an online virus scanner. On the other hand, it may be useful to make a disk image of the OS and give a try. If anything will become strange and signs of infection, just get the image back on place.

My big worry is that if I recommend that my students put this on their computers, and it turns out to be one of those viruses that attacks at some point in the future, that could be really bad.

At this point I have four scanners that tell me it is a virus, and four that say it's fine.  Think I had better err on the side of safety.

Hopefully I can find some other software that will work with these.  They do seem to be nice programmers.

-Rick

[JonW]

Rick,
Long time ago we had lots of issues with the clones from China as the production guys were using them.

1: Look for Tiny bootloader online, this is really compact, free tool with GUI, its a (few hundred bytes) and some of the low end MCU 16F15376 have a Uart and are low cost.  Les wrote a bootloader for the 27k42 and I made a board for it.  Problem is now with Pics is getting hold of them.. 

       Q: How many boards are you looking for?

2: Another easy option is to go for the Curiosity Nano boards that are DIL, Have an integrated PiCkit and the MCU onboard for around £15!  Since this is educational, have you considered asking your local Microchip Rep or Disti if they want to sponsor the project?  Maybe worth an email! These also do not require any programs to run

cheap nano