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Quitting MplabX
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johnl



Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Posts: 120

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Quitting MplabX
PostPosted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 4:36 pm     Reply with quote

Is there an simpler alternative to MplabX? It decided to stop working and I've always had issues with it over the years. I believe I'm at my limit.

NotePad++ and CCS command line compiler would work, but how to program the chip? I have ICD3 and ICD2. Anyone use Mplab IPE for programming?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
chaphill



Joined: 07 May 2019
Posts: 21
Location: Chappell Hill, Tx

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 5:08 pm     Reply with quote

I use MPLAB X IPE V5.10 with PICKIT 3 for dsPIC33EV256GM004, some PIC24's and occasionally for an 18F. I have used the CCS ICD U64 with the CCSLOAD as well. I ended up going back to the older MPLAB IPE after some isues with a newer one. That is the only reason I use MPLAB though, CCS is much simpler to use. I had to download all of the MPLAB X IDE but the only thing I have ever opened is the IPE.
temtronic



Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 9081
Location: Greensville,Ontario

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 6:40 pm     Reply with quote

I've used MPLAB for decades, last version is V8.92. Have used ASM and CCS C through it to burn PICs using my PICSTARTplus and PICKIT3 burners.
Have never used the 'simulator' in it..I just burn and test in the Real world.
It does support the 18F46K22, the newest PIC I use on a steady basis.
I'm old, stuck in my ways....no real need to 'upgrade'.
johnl



Joined: 30 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 8:50 pm     Reply with quote

@chaphill: So you use the command line CCS, then load the .hex into IPE and program the chip?
What editor do you use?
johnl



Joined: 30 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 18, 2021 8:53 pm     Reply with quote

@temtronic: I have 8.92 and just saw that it covers 18F4520 which I'm using. I'll give it a try. Simpler is always better and MplabX goes off the rails for me.
Ttelmah



Joined: 11 Mar 2010
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:16 am     Reply with quote

Have to agree wholeheartedly.
MPLAB was always a much better program than MPLAB-X. MPLAB-X
seems never really to work well, and can be a real pain.
PrinceNai



Joined: 31 Oct 2016
Posts: 452
Location: Montenegro

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:57 am     Reply with quote

I always use the old MPLAB with 18f46k22 and Pickit3. Once upon a time I decided that I'll use 16f15323 because it is smaller and I wanted to squeeze as many PCB's as possible on 100mm x 100mm area in order to save $5 on PCB price. Had to use MPLABX to do the development and programming. If I weren't bald already, I'd rip all my hair out. Nothing worked from the start, interface is terrible, it is slow. It reported 1.000.000 errors in the code that were not there. Unresolved this, unresolved that. It flashed Pickit3 with a newer firmware that old MPLAB didn't recognize and was unable to revert back. Luckily the ancient Pickit app did the trick there, otherwise I'd have to reflash Pickit3 manually.

Those were by far the most expensive 5 bucks I ever saved.
temtronic



Joined: 01 Jul 2010
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Location: Greensville,Ontario

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 6:14 am     Reply with quote

re:
Quote:
Those were by far the most expensive 5 bucks I ever saved


sigh, I hate hearing/reading these stories....
I know, I repeat myself a lot, a lot...but I've never seen the wisdom in 'saving 50 cents' using a smaller, cheaper PIC when that costs you 1,000s of $$$ in R&D time (which is REAL money....)

It's too bad uchip won't 'open up' on how to add new PICs to the 'database' of PICs in MPLABv8.92.

it'd be nice to play with the new ones, but that'd mean a new compiler, programmer, new software to learn, finding protoboards I can SEE, etc.
getting too old to change..... Laughing
PrinceNai



Joined: 31 Oct 2016
Posts: 452
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 6:49 am     Reply with quote

Well, every lesson costs. Luckily I'm (mostly) just a hobby developer and all it took was some of my free time. But I learnt never ever to use MPLABX again :-)
Jesse



Joined: 07 Sep 2021
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 8:03 am     Reply with quote

I have used both, MPLAB X IDE 5.50 and MPLAB IDE v8.92 on PIC24 using the CCS compiler.

With MPLAB IDE 8.92 I compile the code and program with the MPLAB IPE is working fine for me.

A lot of problems using MPLAB X IDE and those compilers... (XC8, C...)

I would go back to MPLAB v8.92
PrinceNai



Joined: 31 Oct 2016
Posts: 452
Location: Montenegro

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 9:20 am     Reply with quote

I use CCS IDE to write and compile the code. Until I'm happy with how the code behaves, I import the COF file to MPLAB 8.92. After that, every time I rebuld the code in CCS, the changes are automatically reflected in MPLAB. Debug the code with Pickit3. When debugging phase is over, just comment out ICD = TRUE, import .hex into MPLAB and burn it. No need for MPLABX IPE. But I suspect you are using a newer programmer, unsupported by MPLAB. On that note, I'm using Chinese clones of Pickit3. Since I move around a lot, I have at least 5 of them and they all work. They cost like 10€.

You could of course use only MPLAB to do it all, but I got used to the looks of CCS IDE for writing.
chaphill



Joined: 07 May 2019
Posts: 21
Location: Chappell Hill, Tx

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 9:29 am     Reply with quote

@Johnl I am another one of those old farts. I spent 15 years working for a company that was too "cheap" to buy a real compiler so I developed some pretty sophisticated multiprocessor data collection tools in assembly using a freeware command line compiler. I bought the CCS C IDE when I formed my own company and will never go back to the command line versions. Sorry, been there done that.
I use Notepad+ when I am working in windows, I love the dual screen for "borrowing" code from "known working" programs. -Ray
johnl



Joined: 30 Sep 2003
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:50 am     Reply with quote

OK, switching to MPLAB 8.92. It does build the project with no errors, which is a big improvement over MPLABX. However, it won't connect to the ICD3.
I ran the MPLAB Driver Switcher (as admin), unplugged the USB a few times.

Any ideas?

When reconnecting:

MPLAB ICD 3 detected
Connecting to MPLAB ICD 3...
ICD3Err0038: Failed to intialize ICD 3.

Failed to properly connect to ICD 3

Here's a new clue: MPLAB IPE connects to the ICD3 without a problem.
PCM programmer



Joined: 06 Sep 2003
Posts: 21708

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2021 1:52 pm     Reply with quote

Search for this with Google:
Quote:

site:microchip.com/forums ICD3Err0038: Failed to initialize ICD 3
PrinceNai



Joined: 31 Oct 2016
Posts: 452
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 8:19 am     Reply with quote

If you already used the same ICD3 in MPLABX it is possible that the firmware it loaded is too new and not compatible with MPLAB. ICD firmware (.jam file), found in MPLAB 8.92 directory is version 1.28.90 and FPGA 2.02.10. Check in MPLABX which versions you have. If I understood correctly, driver switcher only changes the way ICD communicates with the PC, not the actual firmware. You could try picking a PIC from another family and force ICD3 to load the firmware for that family and then go back to MPLAB. There should also be a checkbox somewhere in MPLABX "always use the latest firmware". If you uncheck that, it seems possible to downgrade the firmware version to this one.
Quote:

Microchip support response

MPLABX IDE v2.15 -> Project properties -> "ICD3" -> "Option categories" -> "Firmware" -> uncheck "Use Latest Firmware" -> I selected the .jam file -> then program the device with IDE. After this it worked also with IPE v2.15.

See if "Use Latest Firmware" is checked. This usually make MPLAB X to update the ICD3 firmware with the right software for the MPLAB X version used. As I described above, it can be updated manually. If the ICD3 is not loaded with the software corresponding to MPLAB X v2.15 when going back from MPLAB X v3.35 it is possible that there may be some backwards incompatibility that may cause problems.


Might be relevant in your case.
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