picdub18 is an 8-bin PIC development board for testing purposes, useful for connecting the PIC to a protoboard and avoid assembling the microcontroller and required components (crystal/oscillator, decoupling capacitor, reset switch...) on the same protoboard. It doesn't include any typical component such as LEDs, switches, LCDs, 7-segment displays... and must be programmed/burned using an external programmer.

Electronic schematic

This board is intended to be used by PIC16F716 but should also work with PIC16F627A, PIC16F628A, PIC16F648A, PIC16F818, PIC16F819, PIC16F84A and PIC16F88. All of them can be powered from 2 to 5.5V, so keep the board's supply within this range.

The PIC can be programmed using any programmer (such as pic³prog) which supports ICSP, but you need to build an adapter for being able to plug that programmer to this board.

Sockets were placed for the PIC and for the external oscillator so you can test different types of oscillators and frecuencies.

Input/ouput pins are connected to single-row female headers so they can be plugged easily to the protoboard. Pins RB6 and RB7 and not connected directly to those headers, they go through a pair of microswitches that must be disconnected when the PIC is being programmed or debugged, so external circuits cannot interfere the ICSP communication. There are also a pair of headers connected to power and ground so you can power the protoboard from this PCB.

A 56nF decoupling capacitor was placed near the PIC, which is not completely necessary but a 100nF is recommended (56nF is fine). There is also a green LED which indicates that the PIC is running.

This board was designed using Altium 6.7.

Assembling

The PCB layout was printed on photo paper using a laser printer and transferred to the copper by the toner transfer method.

Finished PCB