Electronics > Microcontrollers

How do you tell Microchip to PISS OFF!!! I want the old MPLAB back?

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Mechatrommer:

--- Quote from: notsob on November 29, 2012, 02:24:09 am ---If you don't like it go ARM (however using basic suggests this path is not for you), if enough people move because they don't like the tools, someone's going to have to lift their game.

--- End quote ---
and hows that going to help? IDE'wise freeware'wise?

AlfBaz:
I think you should bite the bullet and just learn MPLABX

I tried it when you had to sign up to access the BETA version. The context editing capabilities at that stage were enough to have me jumping for joy.

Once your code starts getting a little complex and you have to access deep and obscure parts of structures, reference defines etc, etc, it becomes very tedious flipping between files to look them up. Especially when a lot of these files may not be visible to your current project as the files may be part of a library. When this happens it start getting annoying if you have debugging them.

Changing micros is an option but in this situation you not only have to learn a new IDE but also a new architecture and new software stacks, all a PITA

bxs:

--- Quote from: xDR1TeK on November 28, 2012, 11:17:46 pm ---I have been home brewing as always and played with MPLABX beta, then 1.3 and now 1.5, and can't get Proton Basic compiler to be recognized by MPLABX as a toolchain. I know no one is doing anything about it now, but it worked before with  MPLAB 8.6 till 8.80.
--- End quote ---

I'm far from liking Mplab X because of how buggy it is, you just need to go to microchip forum and see some of my posts, but if your problem is with the lack of Proton Basic compiler support I don't agree.

Starting with Mplab X v1.5 only Microchip toolchains are supported by default, to add others you have to go to Tools->Plugins and search for a plugin for a different toolchain, exist some, but don't know if Proton Basic is there, if not is not microchip that you should ask, but Proton Basic guys to develop a plugin for Mplab X.

You can't blame Microchip for not doing plugins for others toolchains, are the companies of those toolchains that need to know if they want Mplab X support or not, if they think that it is important for their customers then they will do it  ;)

Note that Microchip have some code to help with those plugins, and they even had help in the past people not representing any company.

Achilles:
Well....I also use the old MPLab 8.6.
I like it more than the MPLabX and so there is no need for me.
One attraction was the Mac OSX support....if it would work with my pickit 3. At least I learned that the Microchip support sucks and doesn't help in any way. SO for a project on a tight schedule I couldn't recommend microchip....but hey...The IDE is free and the compilers in the light mode as well.....that's at least something...


So just use 8.6 and it's fine if you don't like the new IDE.

xDR1TeK:
All nice feedback; however, one thing is for sure, when shit hits the fan, you have to roll up your sleeves and go low level.
I have been working in assembly since microsoft had the macro assembler. The good old days.
AlfBaz is right about something, when you need to be productive then you need to jump the band wagon and pick a smoother development environment. Anybody can hook 5v on trigger data back and forth. Having this done anytime you change your application is not easy when code is just sitting in the way of progress. It is a one-man-show, firmware is not easy to debug. Getting it to work is one thing, catching freakish behavior is another. Sim can only take you so far, it still cuts development time and that is why it is important. Plus, debugging in-circuit is risky.

For me, version 8+ proved stable, safe, trust worthy. Something you can depend on. Trust me, I have tried many IDEs. Some where amateur group effort, some were even standardized. Heck even worked with Qt before it was bought by Nokia. Tried eclipse with various open source compilers, embedded and platform development. They all sucked, lacked substance and blown all to hell.

So mplab 8 to me is like winxp, or a good driver for one of my PC hw. It was fine, they needn't make something worse if they had something working. Again, I am no java fan, never been and will never be.

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