Certainly the system used by Bigboat is nice for ICP, as are many of the alternative systems, particularly if you do in-circuit programming frequently. For myself, I simply use short wires from my PICStart Plus to the approporiate pens of the PIC that is in-circuit. Generally, the circuit will need to be powered up with its own supply or battery, because the PICStart cannot provide much power, and you need to use a common ground with the programmer. Microchip refers to it as in-circuit serial programming (ICSP) and provides specific information on how to do it in its datasheets. Go to microchip.com and search on ICSP. John