Open-Source Integrated Development Environment with Cross-Platform Support for Linux, Mac OS and Windows Users Released By Microchip

Microchip Technology (News - Alert) Inc. is one of the leading providers of microcontroller, analog and Flash-IP solutions. During the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, California, the company announced its next-generation, open-source integrated development environment. which is the MPLAB X IDE. It comes with cross-platform support for Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems. The company has added a host of high-performance features to the new IDE, such as the ability to manage multiple projects and tools with simultaneous debugging, an advanced editor, visual call graphs and code completion.

The MPLAB X can support an entire portfolio of 8, 16 and 32-bit microcontrollers including all 800+ PIC microcontrollers, dsPIC digital signal controllers and memory devices.

In a release, Derek Carlson, Microchip’s vice president of development systems said that, “By combining the feature-rich MPLAB X IDE with the high-performance and migration-friendly PIC MCU portfolio, Microchip is taking its industry-leading development support to the next level. Now more than ever, Microchip provides embedded designers with the world’s most universal, flexible and easy to use microcontroller development platform.”

Some of the additional features of the new MPLAB X IDE include the Import utility for quick and easy migration of projects from old MPLAB IDE platform, Code completion and context menus via advanced editor, Configurable watch window, Supports multiple compiler versions, simultaneously and Team collaboration tools for bug tracking and source-code control.

The MPLAB X is based on the Oracle (News - Alert) Sponsored open-source NetBeans platform. The NetBeans platform currently has an active user community that can contribute a wide range of enhancements and third-party plug-ins.

Duncan Mills, senior director of product management T Oracle said that, “Microchip has built upon the flexible and open-source NetBeans platform to significantly advance their MPLAB X IDE. MPLAB X maintains the core benefits of NetBeans, enabling developers to quickly and easily deploy optimized embedded applications.”

Harold Foster, chief engineer of Accompli Electronic Controls said that, “Microchip is once again living up to its well-earned reputation for providing low-cost yet powerful embedded development platforms for its highly functional and peripheral-rich PIC microcontrollers. In fact, Microchip provides the kind of support that is unattainable for its competitors. By moving to an open-source, cross-platform environment with the new MPLAB X IDE, Microchip has raised the bar even higher.”