Pic16F676 Part 1 connecting the PIC to a Pickit 3 using a breadboard and jumper wires to program it

This is part 1 of a series of videos in which I will start programming the Pic16f676 chip using C using a Pickit 3. I am using a simple MERG (Model Railway Electronic Group) PMP 9 Kit to supply the parts I need. This kit is available to members for less than £3.

The videos I will keep short and cover a number of steps required to get more out of this PIC.

In this video I require the following from the MERG kit

1 PIC16f676 8 bit microcontroller
1 10K resistor for holding Pin 4 of the PIC to 5 volts

You will need a breadboard and some jumper wires and a Pickit 3 to be able to follow along.

Check out the github pages as this is being updated regular to add more learning details.

Codes and other updates from my github page.
https://github.com/johnmholmes/PIC16F...

Since making the video I have Added a 100nF capacitor across the 5V and GND pins (pins 1 and 14) of the PIC16F676 microcontroller.

When a microcontroller switches its GPIO pins on and off, it can cause spikes or dips in the voltage supply, known as noise. This noise can potentially affect the performance of the microcontroller and any connected devices.

By adding a capacitor across the power supply and ground pins, the capacitor acts as a filter to smooth out any noise on the power supply. This helps to ensure that the microcontroller and any connected devices receive a stable and clean power supply.

Additionally, the capacitor can also help reduce noise caused by the operation of the GPIO pins. As the microcontroller switches its GPIO pins, any changes in the current draw can cause fluctuations in the voltage supply. The capacitor can help to absorb these fluctuations and prevent them from affecting the performance of the microcontroller and connected devices.