Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

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] 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 (ARM) and PIC32 (MIPS) microcontrollers.[12][13][14]

MPLAB 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 X supports automatic code generation with the MPLAB Code Configurator and the MPLAB Harmony Configurator plugins.

MPLAB X

MPLAB X IDE
Developer(s)Microchip Technology
Stable release
6.20[15] / January 31, 2024; 10 months ago (2024-01-31)
Written inJava (programming language)
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows >7, Mac OS X, Linux[15]
LicenseProprietary EULA
WebsiteMPLAB X Homepage

MPLAB X is the latest version of the MPLAB IDE built by Microchip Technology, and is based on the open-source NetBeans platform. MPLAB X supports editing, very buggy debugging and programming of Microchip 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers.

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.

MPLAB X supports the following compilers:

  • MPLAB XC8 — C compiler for 8-bit PIC and AVR devices[12][16]
  • MPLAB XC16 — C compiler for 16-bit PIC devices[16]
  • 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 [12][16]
  • HI-TECH C — C compiler for 8-bit PIC devices (discontinued)[17]
  • SDCC — open-source C compiler[18][better source needed]

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 inC++
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
LicenseProprietary EULA
Websitewww.microchip.com/mplabx Edit this on Wikidata

MPLAB 8.x is the last 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]

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