PIC16F877A Timer1 Tutorial

The Timer1 module is a 16-bit timer/counter within most PIC MCU devices. Timer1 can increment up to a value of 65535 before it overflows back...

PIC16F877A Timer0 tutorial

The Timer0 module is an 8-bit timer/counter that is included with all 8-bit PIC MCU devices. The Timer0 is more than just a timer....

PIC Microcontrollers Timers

In this tutorial, we will learn what are "Timers"; we will explain this with examples using the Microcontroller PIC16F877A. For this tutorial is may be...

How to use interrupts in microcontrollers

In this tutorial we will learn how to use external interrupts in PIC microcontrollers. We will go in depth on how to set it up...

Interfacing 4×3 keypads with PIC16F877A

In this tutorial, we will provide an overview of the 4x3 membrane keypad. The keypad serves as a reliable and budget-friendly tool for having inputs...

Control Possibilities with PIC16F877A: Relays, Optos, H Bridges (Part 3 of 3)

Most microcontrollers have limited current sink or current source on their pins, including the PIC16F877A. However, certain projects may require larger currents than the maximum...

Interfacing PIC16F877A with MOSFETS (Part 2 of 3)

Most microcontrollers have a limited current sink or current source on the pins, the PIC16F877A is no exception. However, for certain projects you may want...

Interfacing PIC16F877A with transistors (Part 1 of 3)

Most microcontrollers have a limited current sink or current source on the pins, the PIC16F877A is no exception. However, for certain projects you may want...

Prerequisits

To make it easier, I assume you have a basic knowledge of the following:

  • Basic circuitry knowledge; such as resistors, transistors, diodes, relays.
  • Basic programming knowledge in C; understand what are functions, operators, data types, and more.
  • Digital electronics, such as logic gates.

On some occasions I will explain it from scratch, but to understand everything, it is best to brush up on the basics so that you can follow the tutorials.

Required Software

For these tutorials we use Microchip’s own software package that includes:

  • MPLAB X IDE
  • XC8 Compiler
  • PICKIT3 programmer/debugger

All the tools can be downloaded at the official website of Microchip Technology

Required Hardware

The full tutorial consists of many different types of electrical components, sensors and actuators. It depends completely on your own project what you need. However, in all cases you will need a Pickit3 tool to install the software and you need at least 1 PIC16F877A microcontroller to install it on.