Microcontroller circuits, PIC circuits, Microcontroller Applications

Microcontroller projects put a single programmable chip at the center of a working electronic design and let its stored program decide what the hardware does. Because a microcontroller already contains a processor, memory and input/output pins, a builder can create a wide variety of devices by writing different programs for essentially the same hardware. This combination of software flexibility and compact hardware is why microcontrollers appear in countless gadgets, instruments and automation tasks, and why they are a mainstay of hobby and educational electronics.

Many published projects are based on PIC microcontrollers from Microchip, with parts such as the 16F84, 16F873, 12C508 and 12C671 appearing frequently, alongside designs using the 8051 family and Atmel chips. Each project usually pairs a schematic with the program code, so that a builder can both wire the circuit and load the firmware that brings it to life. A working design needs little more than the chip, a power supply, a clock crystal and connections to the sensors, switches, displays or driver stages it controls.

The range of projects is broad. Some flash navigation lights or drive cyclers and glow drivers for model aircraft; others read temperature and other sensors, control motors and servos, keep time, or communicate with a computer. In each case the microcontroller provides the timing and logic while external components handle power and interfacing. Browsing a list of microcontroller projects is a practical way to learn programming and circuit design together, by studying complete, buildable examples.

Frequently asked questions

Why do so many projects use the same chips?: Popular microcontrollers like the PIC 16F84 are inexpensive and well documented, so a single program change can create very different devices.
What does a microcontroller project usually include?: A schematic for wiring the circuit and the program code that must be loaded into the chip to make it function.
What kinds of tasks do these projects perform?: Driving lights and motors, reading sensors, keeping time, controlling servos and communicating with a computer, among others.

Electronic circuits:			Verticaal
1 wire circuits	Light dimmer circuits	RF-Crystal radio
Analog circuits	Magnetics	RF- FM transmitter
Audio	Measurement	Sensors
Audio amplifiers	Microcontroller, PIC	Sensors-fluid
Battery chargers	Microcontroller projects	Sensors-Light
Computer	Motor control circuits	Sensors-sound
Digital circuits	Opto electronics	Sensors-temperature
Fluorescent Lamp	Oscillator circuits	Sensors-weather
General	Power - control	Solar power
Infra Red Circuits	Power supplies	Telephone technology
LED circuits	Power supplies-SMPS	Video circuits
	RF circuits

Microcontroller Applications

AT Keyboard Interface V1.04 Any key stroke on the local keyboard will send the corresponding scan patterns from the keyboard to the PIC microcontroller. Afterwards, the microcontroller converts the keyboard scan patterns to ASCII characters and transmits them to the RS232 target device

Car parking system using Microcontroller 8051, 74157, 555

DTMF Generator atmel, Generation of Sine Waves Using PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation), Combine Different Sine Waves to DTMF Signal

Electronic door codelock with PIC PIC 16F84, electronic door codelock with PIC 16F84, schematics

Enhanced 5/2-day Central Heating Programmer pic16F628

Home controller a small home controller intended to turn your personal computer ( PC ) into a process control / data collection system, RS232, PIC 16F873A, Educypedia

Infra/radio remote control transmitter/receiver with PIC

NiMH battery charger PIC processor based high capacity battery charger, PIC16C711

Oscillator - PICmicro microcontroller pdf file

PIC16F84 based morse code reader

RC5 microcontroller Tinyserir-RC5 is een kleine microcontroller die geprogrammeerd is om infrarood signalen te decoderen en serieel te verzenden zodat deze gedecodeerd kunnen worden door een apparaat die over een RS-232 poort beschikt, in Dutch

RDS/RBDS Decoder This project supports both RDS (Europe) and RBDS (USA) Tuner FM band 88..108 MhZ (Europe and USA.),

Serial I/O PIC 16F84

Serial port controlled infrared transmitter with PIC PIC 16F628, This is a programmable infrared (remote control) transmitter, which can be controlled from a PC serial port. It is capable of sending many remote control formats, including the Philips RC-5 standard

Serial to parallel converter AT89C2051, The converter runs at 9600 baud, and outputs each byte received on a centronics style parallel port, together with a nominal 50 microsecond strobe. The converter buffers up the bytes received if busy is active, and is bidirectional

Square wave generator 100kHz square wave generator, PIC 16F84

Universal PIC Programmer - Flash PIC programmer for the board

USB and PIC Microprocessors 16C745 and 18F2455

Microcontroller Applications: Clocks

Astronomy clock microcontroller project 2x16 LCD module, PIC16F877A, 16 button keyboard

Digital clock Basic PIC 16F84 flash microcontroller circuit

Nixie Tube Propeller Clock the world's first propeller clock using a nixie tube

Pendule à PIC PIC 16C84

PIC clock PIC16F84

Propeller clock Chester's Propeller Clock Analog/Digital

Propeller clock

Propeller clock flow chart pdf file

Scope Clock DG7 tube and PIC16F876

Timer on a PIC16F628 a 24 hours clock which may be programmed to turn on and off some device at programmed time

VCR Drum Propeller Clock VCR Propeller Clock, PIC 16F628

Microcontroller Applications: LCD display control

1-Wire LCD controller The 1-Wire LCD controller connects to a Dallas 1-Wire network and functions as a slave device. This controller could be used to display information on a LCD under control of a 1-Wire network master

2-Wire LCD Interface" using the PIC16C84 microcontroller Alphanumeric LCD displays, assembler source file written for the PIC16C84, 74LS174

GPS LCD Display Project This project is based on a PIC16F84, included a MAX232 level converter to do the TTL to Serial conversion before it came into the PIC

HD44780-based character-LCD how to control a HD44780-based character-LCD, MIC 8051, PIC 16C84, pdf file

HD44780-based character-LCD

LCD control library

LCD serial terminal based on the PIC 16F84, has RS-232 serial in/out, up to 20 programmable keys, character LCD up to 2x40, 5 auxiliary inputs, 6 auxiliary outputs

PIC LCD Controller Project The LCD Serializer is a very small piggy-back board containing a PIC 16C54 (or 16F84) that converts any "standard" LCD module to a RS232 controlled display

Microcontroller Applications: light

5x5x5 LED cubus

Bicycle Persistence of Vision Light Display using ATTiny26

B0L12 Infrared Sensor PIC 16F873A, Sony IR remote control, pdf file

Building an infrared remote decoder PIC12F675 or PIC12F629

Dobbelsteen

Driving 7-segment LED Displays 16F84

Electronic TL-Dimmer PIC16F876 based 2-channel Electronic TL-Dimmer with sunrise & sunset simulator for fishtanks, with 20x4 VFD, timer, DCF77 24H-clock & calendar

Heart of LEDs Atmel AT89C2051

LED flasher PIC 16F84

LED Patterns with AVR micro This AVR Startup Project will create a rolling display pattern using up to 8 Light Emiting Diodes. But more importantly, this page demonstrates how to set up and run a basic program using the power ATMEL AVR development kit

Micro based PIR to IR remote converter An Atmel AT90S1200 controlling a panasonic VCR

Microcontroller multichannel light dimmer a microprocessor-controlled multiple channel lighting dimmer, that could be used in theatrical and other applications. The device will accept input from a wide range of interfaces: RS232 input, DMX512 (theatrical lighting standard) or RS485, or a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). The device will control a number of lamps by using some form of AC power control, AT90S8515

Night Light Saver Build a device that turn on and off a night light automatically. Save Energy, No EMI, No Battery, Built-in Lamp Fixture, and Peak Shaving, AT89C2051

PIC 16F84 IGBT brightness phase controller a single channel phase controller for a PIC16x84 10MHz, zip file

Red Light for Astronomy Observing PIC12F683

RGB LED, Dart teller, Magic Ball 16F628

Rotating Sprocket Wheel Generator PIC16F84

Seven-Segment Display (multiplexing) PIC 16F84

Solar Charger PIC16F84, Solar Charge Controller

Using a PIC® Microcontroller for DMX512 Communication dmx512 protocol, application note

Microcontroller Applications: Measurement

50 MHz frequency counter, voltage meter & SWR/PWR indicator

Analog to digital conversion using a PIC16C54 pdf file, part of PIC16C54 application notes

Anemometer home made Anemometer with PIC 16F876

Countdown Dark Room Timer PIC16F84 based Countdown Dark Room Timer from 00:00 to 99:59 minutes with relay & alarm

Digital RF Field Strength Indicator with LED display using Atmel AT90S2313 AVR Processor

Digital water level meter 16F876, water level meter circuit

DS1820 temperature sensor readout unit

Energy meter LT1167 - Single Resistor Gain Programmable, Precision Instrumentation Amplifier, LT1167, PIC 16F877a

Humidity & temperature unit

LED temperature display with PIC16F876 Homemade temperature LED display for PC

PIC16F873 ultrasonic range meter

PIC-based 4 channel voltmeter PIC-based 4 channel voltmeter, pdf file

PIC based sonar system PIC16X84

Serial Voltmeter Building a serial voltage meter to measure from 0 to 5 volts DC

Temperature controller 2KW heater controller, PIC12C508, zip file

Temperature monitor controller DS1621 based on an AT90S2313 and a Dallas DS1621 Digital Thermometer. The temperature is displayed on a dual 7-segment display, and two buttons are used for setting parameters, a high current relay switches the heating element

Temperature controlled based on AT89CX051 Atmel 89CX051, LM334Z, LM324, MAX232 chip

Wattmeter Project Digital Wattmeter Project, PIC16F876

Weather station 68HC11, a micro-based weather station, pdf file

Microcontroller Applications: Motor control