PIC16F877 Development Board

This is a development and exploration board for the PIC16F877 processor (no suffix, not the A part). The board includes several ideas that are a typical for the first exploration of a processor.

Project Highlights

Hobby space for a programmer. There are 3 rows of holes for a a single 28 pin 0.300" DIP, or more than one chip with a total of 28 pins or fewer. This can be used to place an RS-232 level shifter and a small PIC to provide ICSP boot programming, for example.
ICSP support. The chip accepts power and signals from an ICSP programmer. LED signals indicate activity on the ICSP pins.
Choice of clock. RC or External Crystal. The A suffix part discontinued the external crystal option, and the programming algorithm is a little different.
LED output. The LEDs are in place to do the first project of turning them on and off, or sequencing them. The signals pass through a latch that has a pull resistor to place it into a default tranaparant state. In addition, the board calls for a different value on each resistor, so that the current-voltage curve on various LEDs can be determined using this board.
Access to all PIC pins. A row of holes are provided for a connector strip or direct soldering to each pin on the PIC chip.
BUS for daughterboard. A bus for a daughterboard is provided. Not all the PIC chips cross to the daughterboard. One daughterboard is currently designed, and it provides an RS232 cable tester and data monitor/repeater. It also detects Network Time Protocol packets when they are sent using PPP, and the clock and LEDs on the PIC are thereby synchronized to universal coordinated time. A PIC on the internet!
Peer to Peer compatability. The daughterboard can be a second board, a clone, and only the ICSP signals brought over. This can be a simple ICSP programmer for a second board, or more complicated communication can be implemented by the user. Limiting resistors give some protection from accidental bus contention.

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Build it up.

December 2003

Bare board. The front view of the board.

Bare board. The back view of the board.

LED polarity. Test LED polarity early in the assembly.

Shameless Commerce.

January 2008

If people buy these, I'll do more!

This board has some design differences from other development boards. I envision that two of them can be used as a programmer + project board for an individual, or for a classroom. Think of a system of LEGOs that fit together and make much more than a single part.

The items listed below are for sale. If they are not on eBay right now, ask and I'll put them there ASAP.

This board was developed using EAGLE Cadsoft. The files used to manufacture this board are for sale. You can edit them, manufacture this board or your derived design.
The bare boards are for sale.
The assembled boards are for sale.
The software sources ... didn't really get backed up that well. Bummer. Binary image only for sale, spiffy improved version Real Soon Now
Modifications for your purposes.

On the bench.

December 2003

Operational. The board is counting. The green LEDs on the left are active.

In an application. The RS-232 daughter board is attached.

Being programmed. A programmer is attached via ICSP. The board itself is a programmer for its peers, and is compatible with third party programmers.