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STEP 2 - START NOW WITH MICROCHIP DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
Microchip has a large suite of software and hardware development tools integrated within one software package called MPLAB® Integrated Development Environment. Other companies also provide tools that work within this framework. Here is an overview of the MPLAB IDE “umbrella” and the categories of software and hardware tools that are integrated:
Built into the MPLAB IDE are a Programmer’s Editor, a Project Manager and powerful Debug tools. Additional tools are standard components of the free MPLAB IDE, as shown by the yellow blocks, MPASM assembler, MPLINK/MPLIB linker and librarian and MPLAB SIM, the software simulator. The MPLAB C compilers (green block) are sold separately and work seamlessly within this environment. The hardware tools are shown in red and include programmers and debuggers as well as complex in-circuit emulators. Note that MPLAB ICD and PICkits have the attributes of low cost debugging, Emulation/Analysis and Device Programming in one tool. The plug-ins (shown in blue) include third party C and Basic compilers, real-time operating systems, the graphical Data Monitor and Control Interface and libraries that can be linked into your own specific applications.
Microchip Software Tools
MPLAB® IDE – The Integrated Development Environment serves as the main application from which other tools are deployed.
MPLAB IDE is an MS Windows application that helps you write code that will run in an embedded application, and then enables you to test the application with various software and hardware components.
Download MPLAB IDE and use the MPLAB IDE Quick Start manual to explore how easy it is to create an application. Write assembly code, build and assemble your project with MPLAB's wizards, then test your code with the built-in simulator and debugger.
Explore the capabilities of all the Microchip microcontrollers. When you are ready to test your own application, use MPLAB® REAL ICE™ or MPLAB ICD 2 or MPLAB ICD 3 to program a device and analyze your hardware, or choose the PICSTART® Plus or MPLAB PM3 programmers to program your code.
Free Software Components of MPLAB IDE
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Programmer’s Text Editor
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Use the editor to write source code and save it as a file. Source code can be for the built-in assembler and for compilers, such as Microchip’s MPLAB C compilers.
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Project Manager
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Allows the source files to be grouped and then sent to the selected set of software tools for assembly and/or compilation.
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MPASM™/MPLINK™
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Code written in MPLAB is converted into “machine code” by the assembler –the one’s and zero’s that get programmed into a device and which are the actual instructions executed by the MCU. The linker takes care of putting the code into memory, assigning register locations for variables, and ensuring that each source module (usually written as a text file) can access functions and variables from other source modules.
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MPLAB SIM
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This is the full-featured simulator that is built-in to MPLAB IDE. It supports PIC MCU and dsPIC DSC debugging. It uses your PC to simulate the MCU instructions and also simulates many peripheral functions, including A/D conversion, USARTs, and pin I/O. Stimulus signals can be injected into registers or onto pins, and logs of register changes can be saved in a text file for further analysis.
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Optional Software Components of MPLAB IDE
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MPLAB C Compilers
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Full-featured ANSI compliant C compilers for the PIC18, PIC24 and PIC32 MCUs, and dsPIC DSCs is a 32-bit Windows® console application as well as a fully integrated component of MPLAB IDE. Projects, compiler switches and linker customizations can be done completely within MPLAB IDE to provide a full graphical front end to this powerful compiler. Editing errors and breakpoints instantly switch to corresponding lines in source code, and watch windows show data structures with defined data types, including floating point.
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Microchip Hardware Tools
Programmers
Using MPLAB IDE and its software components, an application can be written and tested. In order to program the application into a device, a programmer is required. These programmers are available from Microchip:
Optional Programmer Components of MPLAB IDE
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PICSTART Plus
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A low-cost device programmer, mainly supporting PIC DIP devices.
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MPLAB PM3
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A universal programmer supporting most PIC and dsPIC devices and packages.
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MPLAB ICD
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A low-cost debugger/programmer that works with many of the latest Flash PIC MCUs and dsPIC DSCs.
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PICkit Development Programmer/Debugger
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Enables in-circuit debugging and programming of selected PIC® microcontrollers.
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Microchip In-Circuit Emulators and Debuggers
Although MPLAB SIM can be used to test code, often code interacts with other devices unpredictably, or the real time actions of peripherals are difficult to simulate accurately. A hardware debugger is used to exercise code in a prototype or in the final implementation.
Microchip In-Circuit Emulators and Debuggers
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MPLAB REAL ICE
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MPLAB REAL ICE In-Circuit Emulator System is Microchip’s next generation high speed emulator for Microchip Flash DSC® and MCU devices. It debugs and programs PIC® and dsPIC® Flash microcontrollers with the easy-to-use but powerful graphical user interface of the MPLAB Integrated Development Environment (IDE), included with each kit.
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MPLAB ICD
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Some Flash-based PIC MCUs and dsPIC DSCs have extra logic on each chip that allows an in-circuit debugger to download code into the chip and then to execute it. The extra logic allows the application firmware to stop at breakpoints where the engineer can view the internal registers and inspect the state of the chip at the breakpoint. Code can be single stepped, and variables and registers can be modified to determine if the code is performing correctly. The actual program memory of the target Flash device is used while debugging. In-circuit debug allows interconnection to a design --even after the product goes into production, it can be debugged and re-programmed.
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PICkit Development Programmer/Debugger
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Enables in-circuit debugging and programming of selected PIC® microcontrollers.
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Demonstration and Evaluation Boards
To get started quickly with Microchip devices, consider investigating the many Demo and Evaluation boards. From general purpose microcontroller designs to highly specific designs such as TCP/IP, ZigBee™ and USB communications, these boards come fully functional, with demonstration software that can be modified and reprogrammed to conform to your own requirements. Most boards feature LEDs, switches, potentiometers, temperature sensors, as well as a prototyping area to add your own custom circuitry. Along with the MPLAB In-Circuit Emulators and Debuggers, these boards allow you to learn the basics, and then quickly advance to prototyping your own application with minimal effort.
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Microchip Demo and Eval Boards
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MPLAB Starter Kits
MPLAB Starter Kits offer a complete system with a demonstration that works right out of the box. Simply plug into the USB port of a PC and watch the application execute. An integrated debugger and programmer allow the included application projects to be inspected, modified and re-programmed into the starter kit. These provide a quick introduction to a new application or technology, and are inexpensive systems to do application specific demonstrations.
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MPLAB Starter Kit
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