Whats ahead for MPLAB

[3v0]

I expect that the next release of MPLAB (ver 10) will be the Hi-Tide IDE. We may loose support for some of the older programmers/emulators. I hope PICkit2 makes the cut !

The new IDE will allow you to use other compilers including Microchips own compilers which will go into a maintenance mode.

New appnotes and many updated appnotes will use the Hi-Tide compiler.

Most microchip provided software will be ported to Hi-Tide at some point. Some will not make the cut and you will need to use microchips compilers.

In a recent email from Microchip indicated they had not downsized in spite of the economy. My hat is off to them. If they keep the Hi-Tech software people they will have a larger software staff. That could be interesting.

I could be wrong about all of this but I think it is a decent educated guess.

 

[be80be]

I read about them not down sizing I don't think they going to dump there own because
they own Hi-teck LOL. More like make there's better Mplab will just get better.

If they where going your route why this on the Hi-tide web site

Please Note: the HI-TIDE integrated development environment has been temporarily archived. While it is still available for download, technical support will not be provided for this product.

Microchip wants the Compilers Hi-Tech makes and the men and women who wrote it.

 

[3v0]

I read about them not down sizing I don't think they going to dump there own because they own Hi-teck LOL.

Doing so is not unheard of. Management feels the pain from the warts in their software, so they buy another company thinking the purchased stuff is in better shape.

More like make there's better Mplab will just get better.
If they where going your route why this on the Hi-tide web site

Please Note: the HI-TIDE integrated development environment has been temporarily archived. While it is still available for download, technical support will not be provided for this product.​

This is part of a response Microchip sent to me regarding an MPLAB bug.

it probably won't get fixed on any future MPLAB 8.x version, because when we release MPLAB 10 it won't have the same window issues at all because it's a totally different architecture. (The annoying screen flashing, redraw issues, docking window issues, etc... should be gone.)​

They have stopped development on MPLAB 8. I expect developers are busy making Hi-Tide into MPLAB V10.

We all know that MPLAB is behind the IDE curve. It makes sense for them to move ahead with the better IDE. I expect they will keep the MPLAB name but the IDE and debugger will be Hi-Tide.

I have not looked at Hi-Tide for maybe 15 years. But it has a long history and I find it hard to imagine that it is not a generation or two ahead of MPLAB in features and quality.

 

[be80be]

Hi-tide looks good I have it but i always used mplab hope we get to see soon.

 

[Oznog]

I wrote a big LCD project some years ago which compiled under HT's PICC18 and Microchip's C18, and even with the C18 optimizations active, the HT PICC18 code ran WAY faster than the C18. Like several times faster. I never did get into a performance evaluation of just why that was. It could have been some specific construct causing a major slowdown.

There was a quantum difference between PICC18 and C18 compilers though, in the way it handled ROM vs RAM pointers. Recall that in a Harvard architecture, accessing ROM data is totally different than accessing RAM data. C18 uses a keyword to denote a ROM pointer type, forcing any accesses to that pointer to be ROM reads. PICC18, at least back when I used it, did not have any distinction. And that was confusing how they managed to pull this off. I think what they did was add a flag in an unused bit of the 16-bit pointer variable (since no part has over 32k of RAM) but then anywhere a pointer was accessed the code has to test whether it's flagged as a RAM or ROM ptr and have code available to access either one. This should have made PICC18 much slower for frequent pointer references like I had- but, like I say, it was definitely the faster one.

 

[qratman]

By Hi-Tide you probably mean Eclipse. These days many companies are abandoning their own tools and customizing Eclipse to their needs. I however don't quite like it. I think it is too complicated and bloated and not as fast as some other IDE-s because Eclipse is based on Java (which is notorious for its not so good speed, although yes, it has become better over time).

 

[be80be]

By Hi-Tide you probably mean Eclipse. These days many companies are abandoning their own tools and customizing Eclipse to their needs. I however don't quite like it. I think it is too complicated and bloated and not as fast as some other IDE-s because Eclipse is based on Java (which is notorious for its not so good speed, although yes, it has become better over time).

nope we mean hi-tide but you have a good point it's built on eclipse
did't no that till you pointed it out. I still say microchip will build on there own
and use hi-tech compilers

 

[Mr RB]

By Hi-Tide you probably mean Eclipse. These days many companies are abandoning their own tools and customizing Eclipse to their needs. I however don't quite like it. I think it is too complicated and bloated and not as fast as some other IDE-s because Eclipse is based on Java (which is notorious for its not so good speed, although yes, it has become better over time).

Sometimes there's nothing that slows you down more than progress.

I hate "upgrading" to something big bloated and slow. It's like "upgrading" your Ferrari to a big fat schoolbus.

 

[nabeelkhan634]

how can i run the program through mplab 8.4 .for the sake of checking of my program.. not step by step.. just make it to run with original speed to check my delay as well

 

[3v0]

Sometimes there's nothing that slows you down more than progress.

I hate "upgrading" to something big bloated and slow. It's like "upgrading" your Ferrari to a big fat schoolbus.

In general I agree. But MPLAB is nothing to write home about. The reason I try to use MPLAB for all projects is because learning to use yet another IDE is mostly wasted time. It does not contribute to the project.

I took a quick peek at the Hi-Tide IDE. It loads slow but does not seem to run slow. (modern dual core PC) According to the windows task manager Eclipse used 892K of memory with a trivial program and MPLAB 140,510K. I would not read too much into this without looking more deeply.

The complexity of the IDE one needs mostly dependent on the complexity of the project. There no need for navigation aids inti-sense like features when ones is working with a simple project. But not all embedded applications are simple. I have to say I liked some of what I saw in HiTide but it was only a peek.

 

[Wp100]

Hi,

So what you are really saying is that the average Pic hobbyist should make several backups of MPLAB 8.4 and associate programs as it will become Microchips equivalent of Microsofts XP.

 

[3v0]

First we do not know for sure that MPLAB will be based on Eclipse/Hi-Tide. That is my opinion.

All of these tools are a bit daunting till you get used to them. I expect that if on sticks to a subset of what is offered it may work ok for the more casual user.

 

[Wond3rboy]

I hope PICkit2 makes the cut !

Hi 3V0, They are still selling the PICKIT2 so i guess it wont miss out in MPLAB10!

 

[3v0]

Microchip is teaching classes on MPLAB V10.

Microchip is teaching classes on MPLAB V10.

1415 IDE : Introduction to MPLAB® IDE v10
This class will introduce the new cross platform MPLAB® IDE v10 to existing and new customers. The class will detail the differences between the current MPLAB IDE v8.xx and the new MPLAB IDE v10. The class will also cover how to get started using MPLAB IDE v10.

I have not seen where one can download it yet.

 

[Wp100]

Hi,

Does this test version seem to be what its going to be like .. ?
Google Translate

It seems to have a download link as well - 207mb though !
**broken link removed**

 

[Pommie]

Oh no,

MPLAB X IDE, IDE interface exactly like Eclipse

I really don't like eclipse.

Mike.

 

[3v0]

I just installed MPLAB X IDE Beta3.0a.

So far it only supports the latest debuggers. Looks like it will do ICD2 but at least for now not pickit2.

Lots of unsupported compilers including C18.

 

[3v0]

Oh no,


I really don't like eclipse.

Mike.

I originally figured they would use eclipse because they got it with the hi-tech purchase. But they went with netBeans instead.

 

[AtomSoft]

wow no Pickit 2 support? Sux!!! Thanks goodness im moving to ARM heh... but im a PIC lover so ill get a PICKIT 3 soon!!!

 

[3v0]

Do not get too excited about not having pickit2 support. This is still in beta and it is open source. I expect if microchip does not add it some one else will.

I have been toying with getting an ICD3. If the pickit2 support is slow in coming I may get one.