PIC16F877A DIP-40 Microcontrollers & Development Boards

PIC16F877A microcontroller ICs and learning boards

Choose a PIC16F877A for a legacy design, repair or hands-on PIC development. This collection contains PIC16F877A-I/P 40-pin through-hole IC listings, one five-piece IC lot, socketed minimum-system boards and PIC learning boards. Two multi-model IC listings also offer PIC16F887-I/P as a separate selection. A loose chip, a populated experiment board and a different PIC model are not interchangeable order contents; confirm the selected product before checkout.

Select the right product form

• Bare PIC16F877A-I/P: choose the exact DIP-40/PDIP-40 device for a matching 40-pin socket or PCB layout. Listings include one-piece and five-piece purchases. A DIP device requires an appropriate external circuit and firmware; a chip-only order is not a development board, power cable or programmer.
• PIC16F887-I/P versus PIC16F877A-I/P: on two product pages, the “Color” option selects one of these two different 40-pin PIC microcontrollers. The headline naming both does not mean a pair ships. Although both are 40-pin devices, do not assume identical pin functions, peripherals, configuration words, oscillator behavior, firmware or programming support. Read the respective datasheets before replacing an existing chip.
• Minimum-system boards: listings describe socketed PIC16F877/PIC16F877A development boards with a reset button and replaceable crystal; one board description mentions a 4 MHz crystal, four RB-port pushbuttons, eight RD-port LEDs and an RS-232 interface. These features are specific to that listed board, not guarantees for every board. Check whether the selected board includes the PIC chip, crystal, headers, USB power lead or serial cable.
• Learning/experiment boards: a kit listing describes an assembled PIC16F877A learning motherboard plus a separate chip, USB power line and 9-pin cable, while another learning-board listing has a much shorter contents description. Verify the actual kit inventory, fitted MCU and documentation rather than assuming identical bundles.
• Boards advertised with 12 V input: two minimum-system module listings mention external 12 V supply alongside USB power and an ICSP interface. That is a board-input claim, not permission to apply 12 V to MCU I/O or its supply pins. Check the board's power-selection and regulator documentation, connector polarity, and exact purchased version before powering it. A title saying “JTAG emulator” does not establish that a JTAG debugger is included.

Technical checks before purchase

1. Match the full ordering code and package: verify PIC16F877A-I/P, DIP-40 footprint, pin-1 orientation and operating-temperature suffix for repairs. PIC16F877 (without A) and PIC16F887 are not automatically equivalent to PIC16F877A.
2. Review the device datasheet: confirm program flash, SRAM and EEPROM needs, oscillator and reset arrangement, voltage range, ADC channels, timers, UART, SPI/I²C and pin multiplexing for the selected MCU. Do not treat generic listing fields such as “voltage regulator,” “standard voltage” or “international standard” as PIC electrical specifications.
3. Plan programming: identify ICSP/programming header pinout, device support and tool software for your exact chip. A board's ICSP connector may permit connection to a separately purchased programmer; it does not prove that PICkit, ICD or K150 hardware is in the box.
4. Inspect board integration: confirm socket type, oscillator frequency, regulator/power-source selection, serial-level conversion, LEDs/button jumpers and which I/O pins remain free. An RS-232 connector and TTL UART pins have different electrical interfaces.

Frequently asked questions

Do the PIC16F877A and PIC16F887 options ship together? No. These are alternate chip selections in the multi-model listings. Select the precise model and quantity; a separate five-piece listing is for five PIC16F877A ICs.

Can I plug a new PIC16F877A into my old board and run existing firmware? Physical fit is only the first check. Verify the original part marking, clock, configuration bits, firmware image, pin usage and electrical design. A blank replacement chip requires programming.

Is a development board ready to debug out of the box? Not necessarily. Some board descriptions specify ICSP support for external tools; check whether a compatible programmer/debugger, cable and software are supplied. ICSP is a programming interface, not proof of an included emulator.

Can I feed the 12 V board listing from a 12 V supply? Only after verifying that particular board's documented input, polarity, regulator and jumper settings. Never infer MCU pin tolerance from board-input wording.

How do I choose a board for a classroom or bench test? Check the included chip, socket, crystal, buttons, LEDs, serial interface and power leads against the experiment you intend to perform, then compare its free I/O and supported programming method.