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PIC Programming-What Will You Need

Before we begin with the learning, i will make you a list for the things that you need to have, in order to follow succesivelly the next pages. It is important to have the same things that i use for the tutorials, as it will make your life much easier. Though all the code and theory could be applied to almost any 8-bit PIC micro, they would require most of the times slight changes to operate as in the tutorials. If you feel free doing such changes, then feel also free to use any other material.




The PIC

At first, the PIC. I will always use the PIC16F88 for the tutorials. This is a medium prize chip. It can be found roughly around $3.5. It has 18 pins, with maximum 16 I/O ports. The reason that i choose this PIC is that it has many capabilities to play with. With this chip and this chip only, except the basic programming and usage of the PICs, we shall learn also how to use the multiple built-in features of the PICs, such as the PWM generator, the analog to digital converter, the capture and compare modules, the asynchronous USART and the SSP. All those features are included in the PIC16F88.



A breadboard

A breadboard of course. Any kind of breadboard can be used. It will host the PIC and the other components of the tutorials. You shall also need some wires for the breadboard. I am a fan of the UTP wires! Fits best for me. Get a meter of FTP wire and operate it.



A set of resistors, capacitors and LEDs

it would make the life over your workbench much easier, if you have a nice set of resistors, capacitors, LEDs and transistors always available. The cost would be less then $25 for such a set. Meanwhile, for the tutorials, some resistors to drive the LEDs would be enough for beginning. As the tutorials goes on, more stuff you will need.



A power supply

A 5 VDC power supply shall be needed. You can use a 7805, a PC power supply (like this one over here), or any other capable to drive up to 2 amperes. Later on, more voltages shall be needed simultaneously, so keep this in mind.



A PIC programmer

The market is filled with those. They vary in speed, connection type, programming capability, socket type, housing, supply type and some advanced capabilities such as the debugging features that goes along with the Microchip MPLAB software. Some programmers carries also programming software and some others only the transfer software. You should select a programmer according to your budget. There are also several schematics in the net with home-made programmers. I had make one once upon a time, but now i use a USB ICD2.2 programmer. Whichever you select is fine by me, but make sure that it is capable to program the PIC16F88 that is used in the tutorials. Also, it would be good your programmer to have the ICSP ( In Circuit Serial Programming) capability. Very helpful in some cases.



MPLAB or another platform

MPLAB is the Microchip's PIC development platform. It is highly recommended to use this platform for your projects. And beause i shall be using it for the tutorials, it would be good to have a same reference point. Feel free though to use any platform you like.

Over the next pages, a "how to" chapter for the MPLAB platform exists. So, even if you are completely new to this program, you will get all the basic knowledge needed to start a new project, add your files, program the PIC and manage other projects.












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  • At 30 December 2014, 11:57:23 user CDRIVE wrote:   [reply @ CDRIVE]
    • Typo found in last sentence under "A Breadboard" heading. I assume it should read "UTP" (Universal Twisted Pair)not "FTP" as shown.


  • At 17 October 2014, 17:26:59 user Giorgos Lazaridis wrote:   [reply @ Giorgos Lazaridis]
    • @Armindo Monteiro Well, actually you will need a few leds, resistors and capacitors. Maybe some switches... Then you can start building things on breadboard, simple educative circuits.


  • At 17 October 2014, 14:03:45 user Armindo Monteiro wrote:   [reply @ Armindo Monteiro]
    • Dear Sir

      I am following your tutorials and learning a long the way.
      I have a PICkit 2 purchased in 2008 , and a PIC16F690 that was supplied with the package in addition to a MPLAB Microchip Delelopment Tool software already loaded in my laptop linked to PICkit 2 and is working fine.
      my question to you is ,
      will this be sufficient for me to make any progress with regards
      to your tutorials or do I have to purchase any additional items.
      I have kept all of this time in order to keep me busy in my retirement now.
      I have studied your section under TRIS and PORT and do understand all of it, due to the easy way you explain things. many thanks for that.

      If you could let me know I will be greatfull

      Kind Regards

      Armindo Monteiro (leaving in Portugal) previously in South Africa


  • At 21 October 2010, 20:29:58 user naseerak wrote:   [reply @ naseerak]
    • Please Also discuss your pic dimmer code as it is a bit obscure for me and also contains adc code


  • At 21 October 2010, 20:28:03 user naseerak wrote:   [reply @ naseerak]
    • No ADC tutorials please add it


  • At 21 April 2010, 6:45:21 user Tom Hargrave wrote:   [reply @ Tom Hargrave]
    • I was scanning through your online book and noticed that the text overlaps the right column of the page by about 50% of the right column, making it unreadable. I am using Interned Explorer 8 to view your web pages.

      I viewed the page with FireFox and the error disappears.
     






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     HOT in heaven!


  • Disclaimer
  • Book Contents
  • Discussion forum

  • Basics
  • What will you need
  • Choosing the right PIC
  • The 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 PIC
  • Section 1: Beginner's theory
  • Memory Organization
  • The Data Memory Organization
  • The Program Memory Organization
  • The instructions
  • General knowledge about instructions
  • Value Loading Instructions
  • Program Flow Instructions
  • Mathematic Instructions
  • Logic Function Instructions
  • Bit Orientated Instructions
  • Byte Orientated Instructions
  • Miscellaneous Instructions
  • The Basic Special Function Registers
  • The Status Register
  • The Option_Reg Register
  • The TRIS and PORT registers
  • Beginner'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 Button
  • Section 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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