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CCS C Windows IDE

There are two genres of the CCS C compiler: the command-line compiler (PCB, PCM, PCH and PCD) and the Windows IDE (PCW, PCWH, PCWHD and PCDIDE). IDE compiler capabilities include many utilities to aid in program design and editing.

Multiple Compilation Units

IDE includes support for separately compiling source code files and then linking them together for the final build. The PCW IDE has tools to easily define the units, figure out what units need to recompiled on a build and automatically calling the linker.

C Aware Editor

PCW includes a full-featured C aware Windows editor. The editor has color syntax highlighting, tab control, bookmarks, context sensitive help and searches for matching } or ). The IDE allows easy access to the call tree, symbol map and other helpful screens. It also includes a direct interface to device programmers and debuggers.

New Project Wizard

New Project Wizard generates an initial .H and .C file for your project based on some standard forms that you fill out. Some forms include helpful information such as: interactively calculating and showing the timer options for you based on your clocks, allocating pins for device drivers and setting up pin names.

C Aware Real-time Debugger

CCS provides a high level debugger for the Microchip PIC ® and dsPIC ® line of microcontrollers. This debugger is included with PCW, CCS's C Compiler with Windows IDE, and requires an ICD unit (CCS ICD-U40 or CCS ICD-S40) connected to a Flash PIC® MCU series microcrontroller that is capable of debugging (such as the PIC16F87x or PIC18Fxx2).   Loading, Reset, Go, Halt, Go To Line, Step and Step Over control commands are provided. The source and list windows in PCW show the current line being executed. Stepping in a source window steps a full C line and in the listing window only an assembly line (single word instruction). Step over works correctly for standard functions, inline functions and library calls.   Standard RAM and Data EEPROM windows shown the data and the locations recently changed. The data may be manually changed on a byte basis. Program memory is disassembled and shown in assembly language mnemonics.
Special function registers are grouped by a function and each bit is fully interpreted in the debugger window.

The watch window allows full C expressions to be specified. Complex types like arrays and structures are fully understood and show in a natural form. All data types are displayed correctly (including bits and floats) and may be shown in a user specified format (like hex). Variables may be modified with standard assignment commands like: buffer[i].start=0x1234 Break points can be set on a source or list file line.

A monitor allows character I/O to and from the target platform. The target program can printf to this debugger window and getc from it.

A logging window can be configured to save specified data in the window and optionally in a spread sheet compatible file every time a specified source line is executed.   Complete debugger setup profiles can be easily saved, loaded and associated with a given project.   All debugger data or any subset of the data can be printed or saved to a disk file. Furthermore, the debugger can be configured to append specified items to a disk file on every break or every single step.

Click here to see how the C Aware Real-time Debugger speed compares to MPLAB® IDE.   Coming Soon: Remotely call a function in the target platform from the debugger (parameters included). Emulator interface.

Project Navigation by File

A navigation bar shows all project related files. This allows for quickly opening or compiling a file from the navigation bar. The navigation bar can even be used to track non-C files associated with the project such as project documentation files.

Project Navigation by Identifier

Another navigation bar shows all project functions and identifiers. Double click on an identifier to move the editor cursor to the location where the identifier is declared.

Special Viewers

Special viewers include quick and easy access to data sheets, valid fuses and interrupts for devices, a hex file disassembler, COD file interpreter and an advanced source/list file compare. Shown to the right is just the file/compare.

Statistics

PCW has a statistics window, which shows lines and statements in each file, and ROM and RAM used by each function along with percentages.

C-Metrics Calculator

The compiler evaluates the code cyclomatic and computational complexity using the McCable and Halstead Complexity measures. The derived Maintainability Index gives a good insight into the structural and textual complexity of the source code.

Special Function Register Reference

The PCW IDE allows the viewing of all SFR's for a given part and has the ability to generate custom .h files with the register and bit definitions for specific functions.

Automatic Documentation Generator

The compiler recognizes comments that have specially marked tags as containing information that should be exported for program documentation. The compiler associated comments with variables and functions plus the compiler accumulates information on its own about functions, variables and types. The new documentation generator uses a user generated template in .RTF format and merges in the project information from the source files and generates a .RTF output file as source code documentation.

Ability to Generate Customized Include
Files with SFR Definitions

Automatically generate a custom include file according to the device parameters you need.

Device Selector

The device selector makes it easy to find parts with the right number of pins, memory and other criteria. Grids can be sorted by any column or easily printed. Individual rows can selected to find more details on the part and to check distributor price and availability.

Edit/Add-To The Device Database

PCW includes a Windows based device editor, which edits the device database for each device the compiler is compatible with. This editor can change the RAM and ROM specifications, hardware features and more.

Ability to Generate C Constant
Declarations from a Hex or Binary File

The PCW IDE has a tool to import a binary or hex file and create from it a C declaration to make it easy to include images or a bootloader into your C program.

Flow Chart Editor

A flow chart editor is included with PCW for quick and easy charting. This tool can also be used to generate simple graphics including schematics. This is all part of our version 4 effort to make documentation a more integral part of the design process.

RTF Documentation Editor

PCW comes with a full featured RTF editor to make integration of documentation into the project easier.

Technical Support Wizard

The PCW IDE includes a technical support wizard that may be used to report problems or ask questions of technical support. Customers with active maintenance that use this wizard get their requests marked at a higher priority at CCS. The wizard offers an easy option to zip up your project files to be sent to CCS for analysis.

Spellchecker

The IDE has the ability to spell check all words in comments and/or quotes.

Download Manager

The download manager checks your system for all CCS files and determines what needs updating from the web. The program uses multiple ports for fast downloads and is able to continue downloads that are interrupted.   In addition to the regular compiler software, this utility will check for reference programs such as the TCP/IP stack and USB PC code. Of course, all drivers and utilities are also checked, and it can even update Microchip PIC® MCU datasheets if desired. The PCW IDE allows the user to configure how often the utility check for new updates.   Updates are automatically downloaded and installed and if desired old versions can be automatically archived.

Integration with External Tools

External programs can be defined to appear on the toolbar, in the programmer options or debugger options. This allows easy integration with a number of other programmers and debuggers. In addition, tools can be set up to run whenever PCW starts or after a compilation.

Configurable Desktop

The desktop layout is very configurable and the PCW IDE allows desktop configurations to be saved and loaded. In addition, the default layouts can be specified separately for editing and debugging.

Vista Style - Modern IDE Look

The PCW IDE uses the newest Windows styles. The traditional menu bar has been replaced with the Office 2007 style Ribbons (shown below), navigation bars are provided as slide out windows and all the dialog boxes use the newest controls including integrated help.   For those long-time customers that prefer the Windows 98/2000/XP look over the new Windows Vista, you can easily change the IDE back by executing the following: Go to Options tab and choose the Editor Properties icon. Click on Display icon on the left-side of the window. At the bottom of the window, click on Classic Menu under Menu Scheme

Better Windows Integration for File
Associations

File types (like .C) can be associated with PCW as a user preference. Doubling clicking on a file brings it up in the PCW editor. The user preference screen allows files to be re associated with the program they were associated with before PCW for easy control over the associations. All PCW file types can be configured and output files (like .HEX) can be assigned directly to the ICD software.   PCW allows the establishment of a project directory and makes it easy to navigate to the project and CCS examples directory.