Microchip Technology Inc. announced full MPLAB® development tool availability to support today’s launch of the new PIC32 32-bit microcontroller family. The immediate availability of a broad and compatible suite of tools means that Microchip’s current customers can easily make the transition from 8- and 16-bit microcontroller development to 32-bit development. At the same time, designers new to Microchip will find a highly integrated 32-bit toolchain that sets a new industry standard for integration and ease of use. PIC32 tool support is available today from the free MPLAB IDE version 8.0, the MPLAB C32 C compiler (including a free evaluation version), the MPLAB REAL ICE™ emulation system and the MPLAB ICD 2 in-circuit debugger.
With 16 years of experience in the marketplace and full support for all PIC® microcontroller families, the MPLAB IDE is the tool of choice for the majority of Microchip’s customers. The free MPLAB IDE supports the PIC32 family’s advanced debugging features, such as hardware-based complex break points, trace debugging, as well as full project-management features for developing complex projects.
The MPLAB C32 C compiler (part # SW006015) is available now with a free Student Edition that supports 64 KB of compiled code, and a full edition that supports unlimited compiled code. The MPLAB C32 is fully integrated with the MPLAB IDE and select third-party IDEs. The compiler package includes an ANSI C compiler, assembler, linker and peripheral libraries for the PIC32 family. The peripheral libraries are API compatible with the MPLAB C30 C compiler that is used with Microchip’s 16-bit MCU and DSC families. The end result is highly optimized code for smaller, faster-running applications that are portable across Microchip’s 16- and 32-bit portfolios.