PICs

PICs

Understanding PIC Microcontrollers

  • Recognise PIC (Peripheral Interface Controller) as a family of microcontrollers made by Microchip Technology.
  • Gain knowledge of the architecture of a PIC microcontroller, including elements such as the CPU, RAM, ROM, and I/O ports.
  • Be familiar with the features and capabilities of a PIC16F84 microcontroller, often used in beginner microcontroller project designs.

Programming PIC Microcontrollers

  • Comprehend how to use PIC assembly language for programming the microcontroller, including understanding basic commands and instructions.
  • Understand the process of programming a PIC microcontroller, from writing code to transferring it to the microcontroller via a programmer.
  • Awareness of fundamental debugging techniques to ensure the microcontroller is functioning as expected.

Applications of PIC Microcontrollers

  • Understand practical applications of PIC microcontrollers, such as robotics, home automation, and embedded systems.
  • Recognise how to use PIC microcontrollers for input and output handling, including dealing with sensors and actuators.
  • Know about communication protocols used in PIC microcontrollers such as I2C, SPI and USART.

PIC Microcontroller Power and Clocking

  • Comprehend the requirements for powering a PIC microcontroller, how to choose an appropriate power supply, and how to connect it to the microcontroller module.
  • Understand clocking in PIC microcontrollers, including how the oscillator works to provide timing for the system.

PIC Microcontroller Interrupts and Timers

  • Appreciate the concept of interrupts in a PIC microcontroller, why they are needed and how they are controlled.
  • Become familiar with the timer modules in a PIC microcontroller, and how they can be used to generate time delays or perform time-based operations.

Peripheral Features

  • Understand how to use peripheral features built into PIC microcontrollers such as PWM modules for analogue outputs, ADC modules for analogue inputs, and I/O ports for digital connections.