Making a DIY Prototype Board for PIC16F887

Using a prototype board for micro-controller could save circuit construction, reducing any wrong wiring on bread-board. A development board or prototype board for PIC micro-controller costs around 40USD at local electronics stores.

DIY PIC16F887 Microcontroller Prototype Board
A DIY Prototype Board for PIC16F877A PIC16F887 PIC18F4550

However we can make our own hand-made development board at home using a simple DIY method with some used components. It doesn’t cost any money due to my own in-house components.

I have some 8-bit micro-controller including PIC1F6877A, PIC16F887, PIC18F4520, PIC18F4450, etc. So Decide to make my own prototype board using existing components.

This DIY prototyping board could fit PIC16F877A, PIC16F887, PIC18F4550, etc. It has a USB type-B connector for PIC18F4550 USB micro-controller. For more information you can see this link.

It has some sample code written using MPLABX IDE and XC8 C compiler,

LCD and Sensors

Inter Integrated Circuit (I2C)

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

PIC16F877A/887 Programming Tutorials In MikroC

PIC16F877A is an old 8-bit PIC device release around 2003. Many new released 8-bit PIC devices come with many special features and rich of peripheral.

Copy Microcontroller PIC16F887 File

However, PIC16F877 is still in use for student to start learning PIC programming.

MikroC Pro for PIC is a C compiler targeting the 8-bit PIC device. It has a free version, but it limit the coding size to not above 2 KB.

I have wrote some beginning tutorials for PIC16F877A with MikroC:

  1. Getting started with MikroC
  2. Digital Ports programming and interfacing

For PIC16F887 in MikroC

  1. Blinking the PIC16F887 in MikroC
  2. Using PORTA of PIC16F887 as a digital I/O
  3. PIC16F887 toggling an output relay
  4. Using PORTB internal resistors of PIC16F887 in MikroC
  5. Accessing the internal 8 MHz oscillator of PIC16F887 in MikroC
  6. PIC16F887 External Interrupt Example With 7-Segments Display In MikroC
  7. PIC16F887 Interrupt-On-Change in MikroC
  8. PIC16F887 IOCB in motor control example using MikroC
  9. PIC16F887 Timer0 Works in Counter Mode MikroC
  10. PIC16F887 Timer0 in timer mode MikroC
  11. PIC16F887 Timer0 Interrupt Programming in MikroC
  12. PIC16F887 Timer0 Creating Delay Function in MikroC
  13. PIC16F887 Timer0 Interrupt Driven Display
  14. PIC16F887 Timer1 and Ultra Sonic Range Measurement Application

A DIY LPC1114 ARM Cortex-M0 Board

A DIY development board for ARM Cortex-M0 cost around 10 US Dollar from any on line store.

With an in-house stock component and DIY support equipment I decided to make my own tiny ARM development board. Click here for more information.

Making A DIY LPC1114 ARM Cortex-M0 Experimental Board At Home
A finished PCB assembling with fully tested on top side

Using MC34063A To Create DC/DC Converters

MC34063A is DC/DC converter controller IC. It has built-in oscillator, voltage reference and current sensing circuit.

We can use this device to design a simple buck, boost and a voltage inverter circuit.

  1. A DC/DC Boost Voltage Inverter

A DC/DC Boost Inverter

2. A Buck Converter

A Buck Converter

3. A Boost Converter

A DC/DC Boost Converter

 

Making a UV timer for PCB Making

UV timer create a accurate time for the PCB expose box. Without buying a ready to use timer, we can make it by a simple programming on an 8-bit embedded controller.

Making a PCB UV Expose Timer Using PIC16F876A With MPLABX XC8
The picture of the completed project
I make this stuff using PIC16F876A. For the project details, click here.