ABSTRACT
The PIC architecture increases in complexity and power, so does the size, intricacy, and cost of the devices. The baseline PICs are quite similar in architecture and programming to their mid-range relatives. In most cases the difference between a baseline and a mid-range device is that the low-end one lacks some features or has less program space or storage. This chapter mentions several general characteristics of the PIC: Harvard architecture, RISC processor design, single-word instructions, machine and data memory configuration, and characteristic instruction formats. Many microcontrollers, including the Microchip PICs, are based on the Harvard architecture. These devices have separate storage for program and data and a reduced instruction set. The mid-range PICs in particular has 8-bit data words but 12-, 14-, or 16-bit program instructions. All members of the mid-range family of PICs have 14-bit instructions in a set of 35 instructions.
