# Can I use an Arduino (like an Uno) to program a Microchip PIC16xxx chip? **URL:** \ **Category:** 3rd Party Boards\ **Created:** [November 4, 2019, 8:53pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887 "2019-11-04T20:53:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![b3jh24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/90ced4/32.png) [@b3jh24](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/b3jh24)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 8:53pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887/1 "2019-11-04T20:53:40Z")
I have a PIC16F (Microchip) SOIC chip that I need to put some memory on. I don't have any of the Microchip programmers available to me and so I was wondering if I could use an Arduino to write a simple hex file to flash memory on the PIC chip. Is this possible? If so, how would I go about doing so? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![PerryBebbington](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/perrybebbington/32/238766_2.png) [@PerryBebbington](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/PerryBebbington)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887/2 "2019-11-04T21:16:07Z")
I've never seen any post from anyone suggesting this is possible. Well, OK, I think it must be possible, but whether anyone has written the software needed is another question. Try Google. Better still buy a [PICkit](https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/chip-programmers/1717762/) ---
**Author:** ![Budvar10](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/budvar10/32/215868_2.png) [@Budvar10](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/Budvar10)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887/3 "2019-11-04T21:27:35Z")
Yes, it should work. I cannot find 16F right now but here is for 18F: > **[Arduino as a Pic18F programmer - High Spark](https://sites.google.com/site/thehighspark/arduino-pic18f)** Just google for it. There are also discussions here on the forum. @PerryBebbington: Yes, maybe better to have PICkit, but with Arduino it would be more fun and he can learn something. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Some another links: [https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,92929.0.html](https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php/topic,92929.0.html) > **[Arduino Can Program PIC Too!](https://hackaday.com/2012/05/02/arduino-can-program-pic-too/)** > > This is a wiring diagram that \[Soranne\] put together when developing a method of programming PIC microcontrollers using an Arduino board. You can see that he takes care of the 12V issue by connectiโ€ฆ > **[GitHub - rweather/ardpicprog: Arduino-based solution for programming PIC...](https://github.com/rweather/ardpicprog)** > > Arduino-based solution for programming PIC microcontrollers. - GitHub - rweather/ardpicprog: Arduino-based solution for programming PIC microcontrollers. ---
**Author:** ![PerryBebbington](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/perrybebbington/32/238766_2.png) [@PerryBebbington](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/PerryBebbington)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887/4 "2019-11-04T21:56:42Z")
> Yes, maybe better to have PICkit, but with Arduino it would be more fun and he can learn something. True of course ๐Ÿ™‚ I am spoiled, I have both :o Am I allowed to say I prefer MPLABX with XC8 over the Arduino IDE? No? OK, I won't ๐Ÿ˜• ---
**Author:** ![Budvar10](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/budvar10/32/215868_2.png) [@Budvar10](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/Budvar10)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 8:08am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887/5 "2019-11-05T08:08:17Z")
Wait a minute, you cannot compare MPLAB with Arduino IDE. Take more equal rival, AVR Studio. Although, they are not rivals anymore. @b3jh24: Sorry, we are off topic a bit. ๐Ÿ˜• ---
**Author:** ![PerryBebbington](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/perrybebbington/32/238766_2.png) [@PerryBebbington](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/PerryBebbington)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 8:46am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887/6 "2019-11-05T08:46:19Z")
> Wait a minute, you cannot compare MPLAB with Arduino IDE. Clearly I can as I just have done so! @b3jh24: Sorry too! To be fair they are different tools for different purposes. ---
**Author:** ![westfw](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/westfw/32/213443_2.png) [@westfw](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/westfw)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 10:08am UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887/7 "2019-11-05T10:08:59Z")
> I have a PIC16F (Microchip) SOIC chip which PIC16F, exactly? Older 16F chips used a high voltage programming algorithm that would probably be annoying to set up (about as bad as HVSP for a tiny85), but the newer chips mostly come with low voltage serial programming enabled. which OUGHT to be pretty easy. Whether you can get a tool comparable to avrdude to TALK to the programmer is a separate problem. There's a long legacy of PIC programmers (and software tools) that were pretty "weird", and I don't know that there has been as much standardization and documentation of communications protocols as there has been in the AVR world. Probably better to spend $20 for a "Microchip SNAP" programer/debugger (it won't do HV either, though.) ---
**Author:** ![b3jh24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/90ced4/32.png) [@b3jh24](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/b3jh24)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 2:01pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887/8 "2019-11-05T14:01:18Z")
> westfw: > which PIC16F, exactly? Older 16F chips used a high voltage programming algorithm that would probably be annoying to set up (about as bad as HVSP for a tiny85), but the newer chips mostly come with low voltage serial programming enabled. which OUGHT to be pretty easy. Whether you can get a tool comparable to avrdude to TALK to the programmer is a separate problem. There's a long legacy of PIC programmers (and software tools) that were pretty "weird", and I don't know that there has been as much standardization and documentation of communications protocols as there has been in the AVR world. > > Probably better to spend $20 for a "Microchip SNAP" programer/debugger (it won't do HV either, though.) It's a PIC16F15324 so it's capable of low voltage programming. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/arduino/user_avatar/forum.arduino.cc/system/32/1140315_2.png) [@system](https://forum.arduino.cc/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 5:18pm UTC](https://forum.arduino.cc/t/can-i-use-an-arduino-like-an-uno-to-program-a-microchip-pic16xxx-chip/618887/9 "2021-05-06T17:18:19Z")