This page is meant to give information for setting up a stand-alone dsPIC on a solderless breadboard. It also includes basic information about how to do in-circuit programming (programming your dsPIC without the need to remove it from the breadboard), and RS-232 serial communication (which requires logic level conversion from 0V & 5V to 12V & −12V).
picture with RJ-11 in-circuit programming header plugged in 
Electrical schematic of Stand-Alone dsPIC 
pictures without RJ-11 in-circuit programming header plugged in 
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RS-232 Connections
To achieve RS-232 serial communication requires logic level conversion from 0V & 5V to 12V & −12V. There are several options for doing this, including building circuitry on board your solderless breadboard, buying a RS-232 logic-level shifter board, or building your own RS-232 logic-level shifter board.
Bread-boarding RS-232 Logic Level shifting circuitry
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Store bought RS-232 Logic Level PCB
These boards are available from Ebay and other sources and use a MA X232? (or similar) surface mount chip for about $10–20.
Here’s one that I bought. 
Home made RS-232 Logic Level Board
Here’s a RS-232 board that uses a D S275? chip that one of my students made
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Programming adaptors
ZIF ICD-2 programming Adaptor
Part Number: AC162049 - Universal Programming Module for ICD2 $39.99 as of April 2008 
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SIP ICD-2 In-circuit programming Adaptor
Part Number: AC164110 - RJ-11 to ICSP Adapter $9.99 as of April 2008 
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In-circuit programming connections for ICD-2
