PIC Logicator is the software that we use to design, develop and simulate flow diagrams. The flow diagram, once created, can be downloaded onto a PIC chip.

A PIC chip, or microcontroller, is a single chip that can be programmed to switch output devices on and off in sequences and in response to input from sensors. A microcontroller contains all the elements of a microprocessor system. This system, which is the basis of a computer, consists of a number of separate elements:
CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory) and I/O (Inputs/Outputs). In a microprocessor system, each of these elements will be in the form of one or more individual chips. However, the PIC microcontroller combines all of these elements in just one chip, that processes instructions as well as controlling devices.

A PIC microcontroller is a programmable device, which means that it is able to store sets of instructions in the form of a program, and carry out the instructions whenever the program is run. The code that the chip uses internally to do this, is called “machine code”. It is written in hexadecimal and is difficult for anyone other than a trained programmer to use. So, a programming language is used to allow designers to create, edit and download instructions to the chip. The machine code is generated automatically from the programming language.