I am now using my hobby level RC car. I am having a Vcc problem. The RC car has a 7.2v battery pack to drive the wheels. These a big batteries, but the wheels use allot of power.

I would like to use four 1 and 1/2v AA batteries to power everything except the drive wheels. That's six volts. The PIC wants 5v. I can not find reverence to voltage regulation inside the PIC. I think I need a voltage regulator - a subject about which I know nothing. Does just inserting a 5v regulator in the Vcc line from the batteries do the job? Which 5v regulator?

Lastly the USB port supplies a pin with 5v on it. Do I just put an ON/OFF switch in the plus 6 volt battery line and turn that source off when using the USB for programming?

Is having three sources of power a blessing or a hindrance ?


Ken