ABSTRACT
PIC is a family of microcontrollers made by Microchip Technology. Popular wisdom relates that PIC is a registered brand in Germany and Microchip is unable to use it internationally. The original PIC was built to be used with General Instruments’ CP1600 processor, which had poor I/O performance. In 1985, the PIC was upgraded with Electrically-Erasable Programmable to produce a programmable controller. The documents and products in the Microchip website, the PIC microcontrollers have gained the support of many hobbyists, enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs who develop code and support products and publish their results on the Internet. PIC development boards come in a wide range of prices and levels of complexity. Most boards target a specific PIC microcontroller or a PIC family of related devices. PIC controllers are roughly classified by Microchip into three groups: baseline, mid-range, and high-performance. Within each of the groups the PICs are classified based on the first two digits of the PIC’s family type.
