If you're working or experimenting with the Microchip PIC18-series of microcontrollers, and not wanting to pay for a full PICkit programmer - you can make your own Arduino-based hardware to upload code quite easily and without much expense. This has been shown by Kirill Kulakov who explains the hardware and also the software (via command line) required to upload .hex files to the PIC.
Furthermore Kiril explains the commands for read, write, erase and working with fuse bits so the theory is covered as well - plus links to other pages that deal with other MCUs in the PIC18 family. To learn more, visit Kiril's website. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.
If you need to add your own external circuitry such as a PIC programmer to prototype with an Arduino or compatible board, pm one or more of our range of ProtoShields. From the tiny LeoStick to the Mega range, we offer a complete range for you to work with.