Summary of PIC 16F84 Serial Programmer
Summary: The article describes a simple RS232-powered serial programmer for the PIC 16C84/16F84 microcontroller. It highlights the programmer's compatibility with laptops, lack of ZIF socket (use an open IC socket), available PCB layout (pic16f84.pdf), and references MPLAB and online resources for programming software and examples.
Parts used in the PIC 16F84 Serial Programmer:
- 9-pin female RS232 connector (CON1)
- Open IC socket (for PIC 16C84 / 16F84)
- PCB (1:1 layout, pic16f84.pdf)
- Passive components for RS232 power extraction (resistors, capacitors as per circuit)
- Transistors or level-shifting components as per published circuit
- Wiring to connect PIC to programmer
- Optional laptop/PC serial port (provides power)
The Microchip PIC 16C84 was one of the first serial in-system programmable microcontroller. I saw PIC serial programmers published in Electronic magazines in 1993. Today, many PIC programmer circuits – for serial and parallel PC ports – are published on the Internet.
Despite its somewhat unusual design – like the 128 byte page RAM/Register direct/indirect memory mapping – it is a popular microcontroller, easily available and programmable now as flash microcontroller 16F84. The developer environment MPLAB from Microchip is free of charge and many application examples are available.
I prefer a serial programmer. It does not require an external power supply, it extracts power from the PC RS232 connection. The circuit below also works fine with laptop computers, despite their often too low RS232 voltages. The 9-pin female connector (CON1) connects directly to the PC serial output. It is not designed as a production programmer, so it lacks a ZIF-socket. Use an open IC-socket instead. The 1:1 PCB layout is available as PDF formatted file: pic16f84.pdf.
The PCB package I use locates the layout at the bottom of the page. View the PCB etching page to produce the PCB. Programming software and application examples could be found for example at the links of www.mikrocontroller.net,
For more detail: PIC 16F84 Serial Programmer
- Does the programmer require an external power supply?
No, it extracts power from the PC RS232 connection according to the article. - Is the programmer compatible with laptop serial ports?
Yes, the article states it works fine with laptop computers despite often low RS232 voltages. - Is this programmer intended for production use?
No, it is not designed as a production programmer and lacks a ZIF socket. - What socket should be used for the PIC on this programmer?
Use an open IC socket instead of a ZIF socket as recommended in the article. - Where can I find the PCB layout?
The 1:1 PCB layout is available as a PDF file named pic16f84.pdf per the article. - Where can I find programming software and examples?
The article suggests MPLAB (free) and online resources such as the links on www.mikrocontroller.net for software and examples. - Does the article mention support for PIC 16F84 flash versions?
Yes, it notes the PIC 16C84 is popular and available as the flash microcontroller 16F84.
