Post by thread:PIC - what does it mean?

Dear All, I'm sure this question has been asked by a great deal of people... I've just started writing my thesis for the project and it would be awful handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it mean? etc. etc. Can anybody (i.e. Andy Warren or Microchip) help? Thanks. J.W. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Johnnie Walker MSc Digital Systems Engineering Heriot-Watt University email: spam_OUTceejbcwTakeThisOuTcee.hw.ac.uk .....ceejbwKILLspam@spam@pp.hw.ac.uk ceejbwKILLspamtorduff.hw.ac.uk www: http://www.cee.hw.ac.uk/~ceejbcw tel: (0131) 343 2864 -----------------------------------------------------------------

> > Dear All, > > I'm sure this question has been asked by a great deal of people... > > I've just started writing my thesis for the project and it would be awful > handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it > mean? etc. etc. Peripheral (sp) Interface Controller. Don't remember where I read it. BAJ

Although I am not a PIC originator... I have heard that PIC is from "Programmable Interface Controller" in that the architecture was first envisioned as a programmable interface for larger (mainframe) computers. Rgds, Brian. ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: PIC - what does it mean? Author: John B C Walker <.....ceejbcwKILLspam.....CEE.HW.AC.UK> at Internet_Exchange Date: 8/14/96 3:53 PM Dear All, I'm sure this question has been asked by a great deal of people... I've just started writing my thesis for the project and it would be awful handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it mean? etc. etc. Can anybody (i.e. Andy Warren or Microchip) help? Thanks. J.W. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Johnnie Walker MSc Digital Systems Engineering Heriot-Watt University email: EraseMEceejbcwspam_OUTTakeThisOuTcee.hw.ac.uk ceejbwspam_OUTpp.hw.ac.uk @spam@ceejbwKILLspamtorduff.hw.ac.uk www: http://www.cee.hw.ac.uk/~ceejbcw tel: (0131) 343 2864 -----------------------------------------------------------------

>handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it General Instruments (the originator of the PIC) called it a "Perpheral Interface Controller" as it was intended to offload peripheral management from the main processor. If I remember correctly, PICs in those days were NMOS and masked ROM only. Microchip (which I believe was a GI spin-off) has taken it a long way (due in part to Motorola supply shortages. Motorola OWNS the embedded world, or at least USED to). Regards, Dana Frank Raymond KILLspamdfrKILLspamicom.ca

Brian, I'm sorry to contradict you, but I've always heard it "Peripheral Interface Controller" Jim ______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: Re: PIC - what does it mean? Author: Brian Boles <RemoveMEbbolesTakeThisOuTCCMAIL.MICROCHIP.COM> at Internet_Exchange Date: 8/14/96 10:56 AM Although I am not a PIC originator... I have heard that PIC is from "Programmable Interface Controller" in that the architecture was first envisioned as a programmable interface for larger (mainframe) computers. Rgds, Brian. ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: PIC - what does it mean? Author: John B C Walker <spamBeGoneceejbcwspamBeGoneCEE.HW.AC.UK> at Internet_Exchange Date: 8/14/96 3:53 PM Dear All, I'm sure this question has been asked by a great deal of people... I've just started writing my thesis for the project and it would be awful handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it mean? etc. etc. Can anybody (i.e. Andy Warren or Microchip) help? Thanks. J.W. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Johnnie Walker MSc Digital Systems Engineering Heriot-Watt University email: TakeThisOuTceejbcwEraseMEspam_OUTcee.hw.ac.uk RemoveMEceejbwTakeThisOuTpp.hw.ac.uk ceejbwEraseME.....torduff.hw.ac.uk www: http://www.cee.hw.ac.uk/~ceejbcw tel: (0131) 343 2864 -----------------------------------------------------------------

At 03:19 PM 8/14/96 +0600, you wrote: >>handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it > >General Instruments (the originator of the PIC) called it a "Perpheral >Interface Controller" as it was intended to offload peripheral management >from the main processor. I believe the fist time I saw a PIC (if it was even called that) used was to replace the Intel 8048 microprocessor in a Mouse Systems Mouse. I remember the circuit board was drilled to take either the 8048 or the GI part. (We were ripping the micros out of the mice and running the optical encoders straight into our Amiga 1000S, but that is another story) carl ---------------------------------------------------------------- Henry Carl Ott N2RVQ | talk/chat carlott@204.74.7.186 EraseMEcarlottinterport.net | http://www.interport.net/~carlott/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- "A day job...in an office? My worst nightmare!"-Ticknophobia

<RemoveME199608141718.NAA10487EraseMEEraseMEgemini.cc.gatech.edu> Byron A Jeff wrote: > > > > Dear All, > > > > I'm sure this question has been asked by a great deal of people... > > > > I've just started writing my thesis for the project and it would be awful > > handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it > > mean? etc. etc. > > Peripheral (sp) Interface Controller. > > Don't remember where I read it. That's one meaning, but not the appropriate one in this context I think. -- _ FREE SMS->Fax - Call 0973 577510 (_) _| _ . _ _ Tel 07050 ADRIAN Nokia orange in stock *NOW*. E&OE ( )(_|( |(_|| ) Fax 0500 222258 http://www.rhanna.demon.co.uk/aa/

>Dear All, > >I'm sure this question has been asked by a great deal of people... > >I've just started writing my thesis for the project and it would be awful >handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it >mean? etc. etc. > >Can anybody (i.e. Andy Warren or Microchip) help? > I've always understood it to mean peripheral interface controller however, if you say pic to most people they associate it with the 8259A - this is a programmable interrupt controller and is part of the PC architecture hence the possibility of confusion cheers - Steve

Peripheral Interrupt Controller in the Intel world. Peripheral Interface Controller in the Microchip world. ---------- From: John B C Walker To: Multiple recipients of list PICLIST Subject: PIC - what does it mean? Date: Wednesday, August 14, 1996 7:53AM Dear All, I'm sure this question has been asked by a great deal of people... I've just started writing my thesis for the project and it would be awful handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it mean? etc. etc. Can anybody (i.e. Andy Warren or Microchip) help? Thanks. J.W. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Johnnie Walker MSc Digital Systems Engineering Heriot-Watt University email: RemoveMEceejbcwspam_OUTKILLspamcee.hw.ac.uk RemoveMEceejbwTakeThisOuTspampp.hw.ac.uk EraseMEceejbwspamspamBeGonetorduff.hw.ac.uk www: http://www.cee.hw.ac.uk/~ceejbcw tel: (0131) 343 2864 -----------------------------------------------------------------

> > > > Dear All, > > > > I'm sure this question has been asked by a great deal of people... > > > > I've just started writing my thesis for the project and it would be awful > > handy to know what 'PIC' actually meant. Is it an acronym? What does it > > mean? etc. etc. > > Peripheral (sp) Interface Controller. > > Don't remember where I read it. It couldn't have been in the PIC FAQ, could it? :) -- Tom. Check out the PIC FAQ at; digiserve.com/takdesign/pic-faq/faqindex.html