PICs

PICs, short for Peripheral Interface Controllers, are a family of microcontrollers originally developed by General Instrument (GI) in the 1970s. GI's PIC was designed as a small, inexpensive controller for embedded applications. Microchip Technology acquired the PIC business in 1990 and subsequently popularized the line. PICs are widely used in embedded systems due to low cost, simple architecture, and broad ecosystem of tools and code libraries.

Most PIC microcontrollers use a Harvard architecture with separate program and data memory and a relatively small instruction set. The 8-bit PIC16 and PIC12 families are common for simple control tasks, offering on-chip flash memory, RAM, and a variety of peripherals such as timers, I/O ports, analog-to-digital converters, and serial interfaces. The PIC18 family adds features for higher performance and larger memory with an enhanced instruction set. The 16-bit PIC24/dsPIC families provide higher performance with more advanced peripherals and digital signal processing features. The 32-bit PIC32 family uses a MIPS-based core for more demanding applications.

Key features across PICs include in-system programmable flash memory, a range of on-chip peripherals, and a lightweight development flow. Programming is typically done in C or assembly, using Microchip's MPLAB X IDE and MPLAB Code Configurator, and programming hardware via ICSP.

Applications span consumer electronics, automotive, industrial automation, and hobbyist projects. The PIC line is one of the most widely adopted families of microcontrollers and remains active with ongoing product updates and community support.