A Programmable Multi-Voltage Battery Charger using PIC16F877A: Proteus-Based Design and Simulation for Renewable Energy Applications

This paper presents the design and simulation of a programmable multi-voltage battery charger using the PIC16F877A microcontroller for renewable energy storage applications. The proposed system supports 12V, 24V, and 48V battery configurations through a user-selectable interface with real-time voltage monitoring via a 20×4 LCD. A voltage sensing circuit with a precision divider network enables accurate battery voltage measurement, while a relay-based control system ensures safe charging by automatically disconnecting at predefined thresholds. The charger was simulated in Proteus Design Suite to validate its performance, demonstrating a voltage regulation error below 0.5% and rapid response times of under 50 ms. Results confirm the system's ability to maintain stable charging across all voltage modes while providing an intuitive user interface. This work demonstrates an effective microcontroller-based solution for adaptive battery charging, offering significant advantages over fixed-voltage chargers in renewable energy systems. The design's combination of flexibility, accuracy, and cost efficiency makes it particularly suitable for solar power applications, electric vehicles, and portable power systems that require accommodating multiple battery voltages.