The PIC family has a very short range of instructions. With just about 35 instructions, there may be times where you need to find complicated solutions for operations that you thought as standard, such as a division or multiplications for example, that there is no direct instruction for them.

All instructions have just about the same format. First comes the name of the instructions. Then, comes the instructions fields. The fields may be none, one or two, according to he instruction. They could be filled with wither a register file address (f), a bit address (b), a literal field, constant data or label (k) or a destination selection (d).

A register file address is a field that indicates the absolute position of a register within the RAM. This field could be filled with either a number (e.g. 0x05h for the PORTA register) or a register name, as long as this name has been previously declared.

Each byte is composed by bits. For the 8-bit PIC 16F88 that we use, each byte is composed by 8 bits. When a field requires a bit address, this means that a number from 0 to 7 must be placed. Number 0 corresponds to the Less Significant Bit (LSB) and it is the most right placed bit in within the byte. Number 7 on the other hand corresponds to the Most Significant Bit (MSB) and it is the most left placed bit in within the byte.

This field is generally a number. This number may be from a previous-defined constant data, or from a label within the code.

This field can be either 0 or one. It is used in instructions that will return a byte as a result of an operation. The destination field will define where this byte will be stored. If this field is 0, then the byte will be stored in the working register (W). If the destination is 1, then the byte will be stored back to the register that the specific operation began. If the Microchip header file is included within your code, then you can directly write 'W' for 0 or 'F' for file register.

The W is the one and only Working Register that exists in the PIC 16 series. This is a 8-bit width register used for general operations. The W register will be your best friend and therefore you need to get used to it really quick. For example, there is no direct way to add a 8-bit number with ti a file register. Instead, you need first to load this number to the W register (using the movlw instruction) and then add the W register to the file register (using the addwf instruction).

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Basics       What will you need       Choosing the right PICThe MPLAB       Getting familiar with the MPLAB environment       Creating a new project       Open and close projects       Creating new files and including them in the project       Your very first assembly program       Compile a program and transfer to the PICSection 1: Beginner's theoryMemory Organization       The Data Memory Organization       The Program Memory OrganizationThe instructions       General knowledge about instructions       Value Loading Instructions       Program Flow Instructions       Mathematic Instructions       Logic Function Instructions       Bit Orientated Instructions       Byte Orientated Instructions       Miscellaneous InstructionsThe Basic Special Function Registers       The Status Register       The Option_Reg Register       The TRIS and PORT registersBeginner's PIC Tutorials       How to use our PIC Tutorials       A Pushbutton turning an LED on and off       A Simple LED Flasher       Interfacing Multiple Switches - The internal Pull-Up resistors       An LED Sequencer       Interface a Single 7seg Digit       Interface Multiple 7seg Digits       A 3-digits Decimal Counter       A Clever ButtonSection 2: Intermediate theory       Instruction Cycle Duration and Calculated Delays       The Timer Modules - Timer0       The Timer Modules - Timer1       The Timer Modules-Timer2

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