PIC Simulator Guides
Learn how microcontrollers and embedded systems work through practical guides covering PIC programming, assembly language, hardware concepts, timers, interrupts, GPIO, and other fundamental embedded-system topics.
These guides are designed to complement PIC Simulator. Many topics can be explored directly in the browser by writing PIC assembly programs, stepping through instructions, inspecting registers and memory, and interacting with simulated inputs and outputs.
Featured Guides
What Is a PIC Microcontroller? Complete Beginner's Guide
Learn what a PIC microcontroller is, how its CPU and memory work, how GPIO pins and peripherals are controlled, and how PIC programs are written and executed.
Topics include PIC architecture, registers, program memory, RAM, timers, interrupts, assembly language, common instructions, PIC families, and simulation.
20 Embedded Systems Examples and How They Work
Explore real-world embedded systems including washing machines, thermostats, traffic lights, vehicle controllers, electronic locks, industrial equipment, and other everyday devices.
Learn how inputs, microcontrollers, firmware, and outputs work together, then see how the same concepts can be demonstrated with a simple PIC microcontroller system.
PICkit Programmer Guide: What It Is and How It Works
Learn what a PICkit programmer is, how it connects to PIC microcontrollers, and how it is used for programming and debugging physical PIC devices.
Topics include ICSP, PICkit 3, PICkit 4, PICkit 5, PICkit Basic, MPLAB X IDE, programming workflows, device compatibility, and alternatives to PICkit.
What You Can Learn
The PIC Simulator Guides section focuses on practical embedded-system concepts that can be understood through PIC microcontroller programming.
PIC Microcontrollers
Learn PIC architecture, memory organization, registers, instructions, GPIO, peripherals, and microcontroller families.
Assembly Programming
Understand PIC assembly instructions, program flow, loops, subroutines, bit operations, delays, and low-level programming.
Embedded Systems
Learn how real-world devices combine sensors, processors, firmware, communication interfaces, and outputs.
GPIO
Learn how microcontrollers read digital inputs and control LEDs, switches, displays, relays, and other hardware.
Timers
Explore microcontroller timing, Timer0, instruction cycles, delays, counters, and periodic events.
Interrupts
Understand external interrupts, timer interrupts, interrupt service routines, and event-driven embedded programming.
Debugging
Learn how stepping through instructions, inspecting registers, viewing memory, and using breakpoints can reveal program behavior.
Embedded Design
Learn how embedded systems progress from requirements and inputs/outputs to firmware, testing, and hardware implementation.
Learn with PIC Simulator
Reading about microcontrollers is useful, but many embedded concepts become easier to understand when you can watch the processor execute code.
PIC Simulator provides a browser-based environment where you can write and run PIC assembly programs without installing additional software or immediately purchasing hardware.
You can experiment with:
- PIC assembly instructions
- register values
- GPIO inputs and outputs
- Timer0
- interrupts
- program memory and RAM
- breakpoints
- single-step execution
- LED arrays
- switch arrays
- seven-segment displays
Suggested PIC Microcontroller Learning Path
If you are learning microcontrollers for the first time, the following sequence provides a useful progression from basic concepts to more advanced embedded programming.
- Learn what an embedded system is and examine real-world embedded systems examples .
- Learn how PIC microcontrollers work .
- Understand binary and hexadecimal numbers.
- Learn the basic PIC assembly instruction set.
- Configure a GPIO pin and blink an LED.
- Read a digital input such as a push button.
- Learn program loops, counters, and delay routines.
- Use Timer0 for hardware-based timing.
- Learn external and timer interrupts.
- Interface displays and other peripherals.
Additional guides will be added as the PIC Simulator learning section expands.
PIC Programming Tools
In addition to guides and the simulator itself, PIC Simulator includes tools that can help when working with microcontroller timing and programming calculations.
Visit the tools section for available PIC and embedded-system utilities.
Looking for PIC Simulator Documentation?
The Guides section explains PIC microcontrollers and embedded-system concepts. If you are looking for instructions specifically about using the PIC Simulator application, visit the Documentation page.
The documentation covers the code editor, assembler, simulator controls, breakpoints, GPIO controls, widgets, memory viewer, and built-in examples.