MPLAB

MPLAB is a proprietary freeware integrated development environment for the development of embedded applications on PIC and dsPIC microcontrollers, and is developed by Microchip Technology.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

MPLAB Extensions for Visual Studio Code and MPLAB X for NetBeans platform are the latest editions of MPLAB,[9][10][11] including support for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems.

MPLAB and MPLAB X support project management, code editing, debugging and programming of Microchip 8-bit PIC and AVR (including ATMEGA) microcontrollers, 16-bit PIC24 and dsPIC microcontrollers, as well as 32-bit SAM[12] and PIC32[13] microcontrollers by Microchip Technology.[14][15][16]

MPLAB X

MPLAB X IDE

Developer(s)	Microchip Technology
Stable release	6.20[17] / January 31, 2024; 11 months ago (2024-01-31)
Written in	Java (programming language)
Operating system	Microsoft Windows >7, Mac OS X, Linux[17]
License	Proprietary EULA
Website	MPLAB X Homepage

MPLAB X is the latest version of the MPLAB IDE built by Microchip Technology,[18] and is based on the open-source NetBeans platform. It replaced the older MPLAB 8.x series, which had its final release (version 8.92) on July 23, 2013.[19]

MPLAB X is the first version of the IDE to include cross-platform support for macOS and Linux operating systems, in addition to Microsoft Windows. It supports editing, very buggy debugging and programming of Microchip 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers. It supports automatic code generation with the MPLAB Code Configurator and the MPLAB Harmony[20] Configurator plugins.

MPLAB X supports the following compilers:

• MPLAB XC8 — C compiler for 8-bit PIC and AVR devices[14][21]
• MPLAB XC16 — C compiler for 16-bit PIC devices[21]
• MPLAB XC-DSC - C compiler for dsPIC family of devices
• MPLAB XC32 — C/C++ compiler for 32-bit MIPS-based PIC32 and ARM-based SAM devices [14][21]
• HI-TECH C — C compiler for 8-bit PIC devices (discontinued)[22]
• SDCC — open-source 8-bit C compiler[23][24]

Debugger bugs:

• Memory view crashes the whole IDE when searching for an address
• Step over sometimes steps in and step out doesn't work
• Disassembler view is buggy showing incorrect instructions
• Phantom breakpoints that can't be cleared
• Automatic firmware update sometimes fail requiring full erase of SNAP

MPLAB 8.x

MPLAB IDE

Developer(s)	Microchip Technology
Final release	8.92[19] / July 23, 2013; 11 years ago (2013-07-23)
Written in	C++
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
License	Proprietary EULA
Website	www.microchip.com/mplabx

MPLAB 8.x is the discontinued version of the legacy MPLAB IDE technology, custom built by Microchip Technology in Microsoft Visual C++. MPLAB supports project management, editing, debugging and programming of Microchip 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers. MPLAB only works on Microsoft Windows. MPLAB is still available from Microchip's archives, but is not recommended for new projects.[19] It is designed to work with MPLAB-certified devices such as the MPLAB ICD 3 and MPLAB REAL ICE, for programming and debugging PIC microcontrollers using a personal computer. PICKit programmers are also supported by MPLAB.

MPLAB supports the following compilers:[19]

• MPLAB MPASM Assembler
• MPLAB ASM30 Assembler
• MPLAB C Compiler for PIC18
• MPLAB C Compiler for PIC24 and dsPIC DSCs
• MPLAB C Compiler for PIC32
• HI-TECH C

References

1. Embedded C Programming and the Microchip PIC, Cengage Learning, 2004
2. Designing Embedded Systems with PIC Microcontrollers, Newnes, 07-Nov-2009
3. Programming 16-Bit PIC Microcontrollers in C, Elsevier, 2011
4. PIC Microcontrollers: Know It All, Newnes, 30-Jul-2007
5. Mechatronics with Experiments, John Wiley & Sons, 27-Jan-2015
6. PIC Microcontrollers: An Introduction to Microelectronics, Elsevier, 2011
7. Microcontroller Programming: The Microchip PIC, CRC Press, 19-Dec-2006
8. Implementing 802.11 with Microcontrollers, Newnes, 18-Oct-2005
9. "MPLAB Extensions for Visual Studio Code Extension Pack". Visual Studio Marketplace. 2024-06-24. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
10. PIC Microcontroller Projects in C: Basic to Advanced, Newnes, 08-Apr-2014
11. Microcontrollers: High-Performance Systems and Programming, CRC Press, 28-Oct-2013
12. SAM family of 32-bit microcontrollers based on ARM Cortex-M cores
13. PIC32 family of 32-bit PIC microcontrollers (MCUs)
14. MPLAB SNAP In-Circuit Debugger (DS50002787A), Microchip, 2018
15. Designing Embedded Systems with 32-Bit PIC, Newnes, 22-Aug-2013
16. Programming 32-bit Microcontrollers in C: Exploring the PIC32, Newnes, 08-Apr-2011
17. MPLAB X Home Page, Microchip
18. MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
19. MPLAB IDE Archives, Microchip
20. MPLAB Harmony v3, the Embedded Software Development Framework for 32-bit Microcontrollers and Microprocessors
21. MPLAB® XC Compilers, Microchip
22. HI-TECH C compiler for PIC10/12/16 MCUs (PRO), Microchip
23. Setting up the free compiler SDCC at MPLABX, Google Sites
24. "SDCC - Small Device C Compiler". Retrieved 2013-01-20.

External links

• Microchip MPLAB Website