CCS News

Connecting PIC^® MCU People with PIC^® MCU Resources. That's what www.mcuspace.com is all about.

This website was launched on 1/15/07 and is directed at the PIC^® MCU programming community and anyone who is interested in PIC^® Microcontrollers. Our goal was to sponsor a website where people can go to research and learn about different PIC^® MCU products and PIC^® MCU tools making it the largest known collection of PIC^® MCU resources. It is designed to be an interactive commonplace where all things PIC^® MCU related come together and can be compared and rated.

You will see that www.mcuspace.com is a convenient place to obtain useful information on pricing, features, and user comments on a variety of products including Debuggers, Prototyping Boards, Compilers, Programmers, Assemblers/Disassemblers, and Stamps. The pages are set up in a table format with filter options available so that you can narrow your search and locate the perfect product to meet your needs. If you find what you are interested in, just click on the name and you are automatically directed to the best place to find additional information on that product and purchasing information. Or click on the rating and comments to see what real users think of the product before you make a purchase.

Some other features of www.mcuspace.com are Current News Stories that keep you informed about Microchip products and events. There is also " The Featured Site of the Week " which gives you the best rated site for other PIC^® MCU information. We have also included a Poll to allow readers to vote and provide customer feedback on their opinions on a series of questions. Of course these features change frequently to keep the most up-to-date information.

This site provides you with every step of information you would need to start and complete a project. We have the basic information to get you started in the right direction, comparison charts to compare different products, and even an application projects page to give you ideas and ways to use your new product. It's a great place to get informed and start your networking with other PIC^® MCU users and you can start by stopping by www.mcuspace.com/mcuforum to visit and chat with PIC^® MCU people and possibly even start a PIC^® MCU party!

Have you heard about the new abilities of the Download Manager tool? Download Manager is included as part of the Version 4 CCS C Compiler software and can be accessed in the compiler's IDE or as a separate executable. Download Manager checks and updates the compiler software, the ICD and Mach X software, and current drivers and datasheets; while archiving previous files.
Access to Download Manager is as easy as clicking an icon or as a separate executable from the desktop. The following highlights are some of the options for Download Manager settings:

• Customize software to update
  
• Save an archive copy of downloads
  
• Frequency in which to check for updated files
  
• Settings for updating/saving new files
  

• " Overstock Item " Special Price! CAN Bus Development Kit (Hardware Only) For Just $75.
  
• " Free Item " High Speed, Durable Programmer and More! Buy A Mach X Programmer Today And Receive A PIC16F877A Prototyping Board FREE With Your Order!
  
• " Special Offer " Buy One-Year IDE Compiler Maintenance And Get $50 Off An RFID Development Kit (Hardware Only) With Your Purchase.
  

Following the success of the Version 4.0 Beta Release, CCS is proud to announce that the Version 4.0 C Compiler is now available to consumers. Today's release sets a new standard for C Compiler software, taking ease-of-use and improved function to a whole new level. CCS invites you to experience Version 4.0.

Version 4.0 includes exactly the features you've been waiting for in a next generation C Compiler. The new-look Version 4 IDE enables a set of powerful tools and wizards providing the greatest level of ease in your project management. C-Aware Editor, Flow Chart Editor , Document Generator, C-Metrics Calculator, and the updated project wizard are just a few of the tools allowing the user to perform advanced code generation in a logical visual environment. Help file and mouse-over-tool tips, as well as the Tech Support Wizard, assist developers during all phases of the development process. And the new Download Manager helps keep your software up-to-date automatically.

Version 4.0 enhances your ability to produce more compact, efficient C code with integrated features and functions, and the upgraded RS232 and I2C Libraries which now include SPI libraries to support any general purpose. Version 4.0 is overall faster in the completion of operations, quickening the compilation process through the new Relocatable Objects/Linker feature, and the Fixed Point Decimal function also provides a dramatic speed boost. Version 4.0 marks an increase in the Compiler's flexibility in the handling of constant data through Pointers to Constants, and the Compiler is now supportive of new data types, bit arrays, and default and variable parameters providing a more complete C Compiler solution to your development needs. To learn more about Version 4.0, please visit the following website: http://www.ccsinfo.com/version4.

Version 4.0 is designed for the optimal, efficient development of C Code for Microchip PIC^® Microcontrollers. Support for PIC24, dsPIC30XXXX, and dsPIC33XXXX Microcontrollers will be available in the near future. You can expect many more new features to appear in Version 4.0 over the next several months as CCS completes testing on those features.

Please report any problems or comments to support@ccsinfo.com, and expect a number of releases over the next couple of weeks to address all reported issues. Version 4.0 printed manuals will begin shipping on August 23, 2006.

The ICD-U40 Rev 5 now supports the newly released PIC18FJxx series of chips from Microchip. The ICD-U40 has been improved by changing the level converters on clock and data. The new revision also added a level converter on B3 (allowing debugging at low voltages).

Microchip's newly released PIC18FJxx series of chips is now supported for ICSP™ with the CCS ICD and soon for debugging. This series of PIC18 devices features:

• Low-power, high-speed CMOS Flash technology
  
• Operating voltage range of 2.0 - 3.6V
  
• 5V tolerant digital input
  
• Double synchronous serial ports (I2C and SPI) and double asynchronous (LIN capable) serial ports
  
• Large amounts of RAM memory for buffering and Flash program memory
  

• ICD-U40 Under Warranty: E-mail sales@ccsinfo.com within 30 days regarding your ICD-U40 error and we will ship a replacement unit and a return label for the defective unit at our cost.
  
  
• ICD-U40 Out of Warranty: E-mail sales@ccsinfo.com regarding your ICD-U40 error and we will provide you with an RMA # to return the unit. We will promptly provide a repair quote. Shipping to and from CCS is at Customers expense.

At this year's Microchip MASTERs conference, CCS will be conducting a hands-on seminar entitled 1092 CCS: Using the CCS Compiler for Rapid Development of Microcontroller Applications. The class aims at improving the skills of programmers using the CCS C Compiler and provides hands-on experience with our compiler, IDE, and debugger. This is an excellent opportunity for new or experienced CCS users to learn about the powerful features of the CCS C Compiler.

MASTERs is a highly technical conference run yearly by Microchip in an effort to advance the knowledge of Microchip developers. This year MASTERs will be at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, AZ. The dates are July 26 - 29, 2006. Register today, and be sure to sign up for our class!

The Wireless Development Kit - ZMD Edition will be released for sale on Friday, June 16th.

This kit allows for development of wireless devices that are IEEE 802.15.4 compliant. The heart of the ZMD Wireless prototyping board contains the ZMD44102 transceiver, which is 900 MHz and can transmit up to 100 meters.

Source code is provided to customize wireless applications such as energy management, remote metering and control, home and building control, industrial networks, two-way remote keyless entry, and health monitoring networks.

Click here to place your order now! Those customers who have already placed orders will have their boards shipped out first. All other orders will be shipped on a first-come, first-served basis.

CCS offers volume licensing with the Multiple User Licenses. This allows companies who have multiple users working on the same project, each requiring his or her own C Compiler, to save money on software.

One Multiple User License will license one additional user or computer, in addition to the original compiler.

Certain restrictions apply. Please click here for the complete policy.

CCS is showcasing a design of 81 cooperating PIC18F8525 chips at the Microchip MASTERs Conference in Chandler, AZ at the end of July. The cubes are designed to be modular and communicate on a serial bus at 810 MIPS. This display has been updated since Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose to include new graphic imagery and The Game of Life.

Click here for more information.

CCS is very pleased to offer the complete line of our C Compilers for purchase on MicrochipDirect. We hope to expand the list of stocked items over the next few months, so check back to this page for updates.

Please visit: www.microchipdirect.com.

Jean Paul Talledo used the CCS C Compiler and PIC^® MCU microcontrollers to construct a data acquisition system for mobile applications. Jean's wireless sensor network and position-tracking system can be used to monitor a vehicle's acceleration, temperature, and more. Accumulated data is then relayed to an Internet database server.

Review the April issue of Circuit Cellar magazine to read the full story, entitled "Data Acquisition for Mobile Applications."