> The PIC16F877 needs 2-5.5V.

No, it needs 4 to 5.5 volts.  Only the LF variant can go down to 2.0 at
clock speeds of 4MHz and below.

> I've never heard of a low-dropout regulator,
> and my intro books just talk about voltage regulators like the 7805..  Is
> there a simple (like, 3/4 pin) "drop-in" replacement that works like a
7805
> (i.e. not too hard to use)?

There are many.  I keep a bunch of LP2950 around.

If you're running from a 6V battery, you know the voltage can't get too
high.  In your case you can get away with a diode in series with the
battery.  This will drop the voltage 600mV or so.  This is a hack, but
should work for what you need in this case.


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