diff --git a/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_1d.py b/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_1d.py
index 82d98c38210..48f7f98a4c0 100755
--- a/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_1d.py
+++ b/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_1d.py
@@ -2,8 +2,14 @@
 
 # Copyright 2022 Modern Electron, David Grote
 
+import os
+import sys
+
 import numpy as np
 
+sys.path.append("../../../../warpx/Regression/Checksum/")
+from checksumAPI import evaluate_checksum
+
 # fmt: off
 ref_density = np.array([
        1.27989677e+14, 2.23601330e+14, 2.55400265e+14, 2.55664972e+14,
@@ -45,3 +51,9 @@
 density_data = np.load("ion_density_case_1.npy")
 print(repr(density_data))
 assert np.allclose(density_data, ref_density)
+
+# compare checksums
+evaluate_checksum(
+    test_name=os.path.split(os.getcwd())[1],
+    output_file=sys.argv[1],
+)
diff --git a/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_2d.py b/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_2d.py
index e9e053cb6a4..74f40e557a5 100755
--- a/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_2d.py
+++ b/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_2d.py
@@ -11,12 +11,11 @@
 import sys
 
 sys.path.append("../../../../warpx/Regression/Checksum/")
+from checksumAPI import evaluate_checksum
 
-import checksumAPI
-
-my_check = checksumAPI.evaluate_checksum(
+# compare checksums
+evaluate_checksum(
     test_name=os.path.split(os.getcwd())[1],
     output_file=sys.argv[1],
     rtol=5e-3,
-    do_particles=True,
 )
diff --git a/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_dsmc.py b/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_dsmc.py
index 505521fc1ca..56d86980d72 100755
--- a/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_dsmc.py
+++ b/Examples/Physics_applications/capacitive_discharge/analysis_dsmc.py
@@ -8,14 +8,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 
 sys.path.append("../../../../warpx/Regression/Checksum/")
-
-import checksumAPI
-
-# this will be the name of the plot file
-fn = sys.argv[1]
-test_name = os.path.split(os.getcwd())[1]
-
-my_check = checksumAPI.evaluate_checksum(test_name, fn, do_particles=True)
+from checksumAPI import evaluate_checksum
 
 # fmt: off
 ref_density = np.array([
@@ -58,3 +51,9 @@
 density_data = np.load("ion_density_case_1.npy")
 print(repr(density_data))
 assert np.allclose(density_data, ref_density)
+
+# compare checksums
+evaluate_checksum(
+    test_name=os.path.split(os.getcwd())[1],
+    output_file=sys.argv[1],
+)
diff --git a/Regression/Checksum/benchmarks_json/test_1d_background_mcc_picmi.json b/Regression/Checksum/benchmarks_json/test_1d_background_mcc_picmi.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..029294deb66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Regression/Checksum/benchmarks_json/test_1d_background_mcc_picmi.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "lev=0": {
+    "rho_electrons": 0.0044328572492614605,
+    "rho_he_ions": 0.005198609403474849
+  },
+  "electrons": {
+    "particle_momentum_x": 3.5020450942268976e-20,
+    "particle_momentum_y": 3.5342700024993965e-20,
+    "particle_momentum_z": 1.2596017960675146e-19,
+    "particle_position_x": 2139.5967568101983,
+    "particle_weight": 14577210937500.002
+  },
+  "he_ions": {
+    "particle_momentum_x": 2.770046913680294e-19,
+    "particle_momentum_y": 2.755651798947783e-19,
+    "particle_momentum_z": 3.619494241595636e-19,
+    "particle_position_x": 2200.218124999781,
+    "particle_weight": 17184714843750.002
+  }
+}
diff --git a/Regression/Checksum/checksum.py b/Regression/Checksum/checksum.py
index 4133d882a41..b2f327e36e3 100644
--- a/Regression/Checksum/checksum.py
+++ b/Regression/Checksum/checksum.py
@@ -243,9 +243,8 @@ def evaluate(self, rtol=1.0e-9, atol=1.0e-40):
             )
             print("Benchmark: %s" % ref_benchmark.data.keys())
             print("Test file: %s" % self.data.keys())
-            print("\n----------------\nNew file for " + self.test_name + ":")
+            print(f"\nNew checksums file {self.test_name}.json:")
             print(json.dumps(self.data, indent=2))
-            print("----------------")
             sys.exit(1)
 
         # Dictionaries have same inner keys (field and particle quantities)?
@@ -261,9 +260,8 @@ def evaluate(self, rtol=1.0e-9, atol=1.0e-40):
                     % (key1, ref_benchmark.data[key1].keys())
                 )
                 print("Test file inner keys in %s: %s" % (key1, self.data[key1].keys()))
-                print("\n----------------\nNew file for " + self.test_name + ":")
+                print(f"\nNew checksums file {self.test_name}.json:")
                 print(json.dumps(self.data, indent=2))
-                print("----------------")
                 sys.exit(1)
 
         # Dictionaries have same values?
@@ -298,7 +296,6 @@ def evaluate(self, rtol=1.0e-9, atol=1.0e-40):
                         rel_err = abs_err / np.abs(x)
                         print("Relative error: {:.2e}".format(rel_err))
         if checksums_differ:
-            print("\n----------------\nNew file for " + self.test_name + ":")
+            print(f"\nNew checksums file {self.test_name}.json:")
             print(json.dumps(self.data, indent=2))
-            print("----------------")
             sys.exit(1)