Page 20 - Making PIC Microcontroller Instruments and Controllers

IHE ItcnocoxtnofLER

The Microcontroller

The PIC I 6F877A microcontroller (which is a necessary component on the board) is
not provided, because each of the compatible PIC microprocessors available have
varying lbatures and you may want to select a unit that suits the application you have
in mind. We will be using the reconrmended PIC 16F877A microcontroller for all our
experiments. If you want to use another processol be sure to check it for pin-to-pil com
patibility with the LAB Xl board on the Web. Datasheets can be downloaded for all
the microcontrollers at no charge from the Intemet. A large number of PICS can be used
in the LAB-X l. See the list at the end of rhis chapter

IHE SOFTWARE COMPILEN
The PICBASIC PRO BASIC software compiler (ro be pwchased separately), produced
by microEngineering Labs, offe$ the functions needed to control all aspects of ihe
hardware provided by Microchip Technology as a part of their large PIC offering. A11
the functions available on the PIC 16F8?7A microconfoller we will be using are acces
sible from the software. The PICBASIC softwarc will create programs ior almost the
entire family of PIC microcontrollers. You will be able to use this compiler lbr all your
futue projects if you stay with the Microchip MCUS. (It is, all in all, a very wofthwhile
invesment.)

ADDITIOI{AL HARDWARE

The following hardware can be added wifhout making any modifications to the boad.
These hardware items fit into sockets or onto pins that are provided on the LAB-XI as
shipped. Not aI devices can be mounted simultaneously in that some adalresses are shared
by the sockets provided. In our expedments, we will populate oily one empry socker
at a time in order to make swe no conflicts arise. (There is no need to use more than
one device simultaneously for any one experiment, so this will not be a problem.)

: Memory chips
t I2C memory chip
I SPI memory chip
: Microwire memory chip
| l2-bitA{o-D convener chip
I Nru6355
I Real-time clock chips
r DSl202
r DSl302
r LIC1298
I Thermometer chip
r DS1802