What is a native binary executable? The PIC microcontroller executes instructions which are stored in binary. Native instructions are instructions that the PIC microcontroller can decode and execute directly in its internal hardware. Such native instructions are executed in 1 or 2 machine cycles. Some compilers produce instructions which cannot be executed directly by the processor but instead must be interpreted by another program which runs on the processor. Sometimes such a program is refered to as a tokenised BASIC program, sometimes as byte code, sometimes as pcode. Such interpreted code can require hundreds of machine cycles to execute each instruction. So why is it 14 bit when the PIC is an 8 bit processor? Each machine code instruction on the PIC is coded into a binary patern that occupies an instruction word. Arizona MicroChip (the people that make the PIC microcontroller) produce several versions of microcontroller. These versions fall into 3 groups 12 bit cores, 14 bit cores and 16 bit cores. With the exception of the processors memory and peripheral layout, each processor within a group is binary compatible (with a few excptions). A program compiled for a 16F84 will run on a 16F628 and on a 16F877. The only special consideration are memory layout and periperal initialisation and use.