Getting Started with PIC Microcontrollers

On the following pages you will find step by step instructions on how to wire up a PIC 16F84 and program it using MPLab and a PICSTART Plus programmer. If you use different development tools, you'll have to adapt these instructions accordingly.

1

Start by reading the list of What You'll Need. If you don't have some of these things, you will find information about where and how to get them. There are many suppliers available for the parts you'll need. I shop with Digi-Key (mostly because they are a local supplier and I can get parts next-day), but also because they have everything I need.

2

Build a basic circuit. Your first circuit should be little more than a couple of LEDs connected to a PIC. You'll need a crystal resonator to provide the timebase, a few pull-up resistors, current limiting resistors for the LEDs and one capacitor. With so few external components, very little can go wrong.

3

Write your first program. Start with something very simple, like switching on a couple of LEDs. I've provided a sample program that fits the bill, but I won't mind if you go off and do your own thing. Don't be too ambitious with your first program. Learn to walk before you run.

That's it!

If you have everything you need when you get started, you should be able to get your first application up and running within a few hours. But start early to give yourself plenty of time. Chances are, once you get a basic application up and running, you'll want to keep playing.

To get started, read this list of What You'll Need.