What are the applications of pic microcontroller?

PIC microcontrollers come in many sizes and capabilities.

For example the 12F683 is an 8-pin device, which can have all but two of the pins (which are used for power) to do input and output.

A use of one might be the controller for a computer mouse.

A larger PIC might be capable of interfacing to Ethernet, and with its analog input, provide remote sensing of "things" (voltages, and via various sensors, temperature, pressure, etc).

An example of some things I have thought of using a PIC for:

- a pic, using its analog input, could measure the resistance between two wire probes in the soil of a potted plant. When the soil dries out, the resistance goes up, so the PIC could sense this (possibly even just waking up every hour for a measurement) and then blinking an LED if the plant needs water.

- a small <$10 LED desk lamp, could have its function greatly enhanced by a pic - so that you could have variable brightness (using pulse-width-modulation i.e. turning it on and off so fast you just see it as dimmer, but not flickering), auto-shut-off i.e. turning itself off after 20 minutes of no one touching it.

The PIC that could be used in such applications as above, would cost <$1.

Another theoretical example:

Imaging replacing a wall switch with a plate with some electronics behind it.

The middle of that plate has a small hole behind which is an infra red LED, blinking at a particular pattern.

Above and below it, are other holes (or "lenses") containing infrared receptors.

If you were to move your hand from below to above the plate, the infrared sensors on the bottom would see your hand first, then the one above the middle, thus telling a PIC that a movement from down to up was being done, and it could close a relay or more likely a transistor type switch, to turn the light on. It might even change the dimming of the light based upon how fast you raise your hand.

if dimmable, you could turn the light on and off by just pushing your hand straight toward the plate, so it would approximately see you both top and bottom and the same time, indicating a different action that moving up or down. "etc".