PIC 12F/16F/18F quick start

From DP

Contents 1 Features 1.1 Reference 2 Programmers, IDEs, compilers 2.1 IDE and compiler 2.2 Bootloaders 3 Basic circuit 3.1 Power and reset 3.2 Programming connections 3.3 Crystal 4 Peripherals 4.1 IO 4.2 USB 4.3 Ethernet

Features

• Huge selection of chips, many still in DIP packages
• One inexpensive device (PICkit/ICD, see eBay for clones) programs and debugs most PICs
• Previously famous for a generous sampling program (now dead)

Reference

• PIC mid range manual (16F)
• PIC 18F manual
• PIC 24F manual
• dsPIC 33F manual

Programmers, IDEs, compilers

IDE and compiler

• Microchip's IDE called MPLAB
• MPLABX is Microchip's new cross-platform IDE and compilers for Windows, Linux, and Mac
• Microchip's C18 Compiler for PIC 18F
• Microchip's C30 Compiler for PIC 24F/33F

We use Microchip's free demonstration compilers with MPLAB. The demo compilers have certain optimizations that expire after 60 days, but we don't use those anyway.

There are many third-party C, BASIC, and Pascal compilers too

• SDCC is an open source compiler for some PICs

Bootloaders

PICs do not ship with a bootloader, but there are many that you can program yourself. After the bootloader is installed, a programmer is no longer needed for simple firmware updates.

• ds30 Loader serial bootloader for most PICs (GPL), our favorite
• Diolan USB HID bootloader (GPL), another favorite

Basic circuit

Power and reset

Programming connections

Crystal

Peripherals

IO

USB

Ethernet