What is MPLAB IDE?

MPLAB Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a free, integrated toolset for the development of embedded applications employing Microchip's PIC^® and dsPIC^® microcontrollers. MPLAB IDE runs as a 32-bit application on MS Windows^®, is easy to use and includes a host of free software components for fast application development and super-charged debugging. MPLAB IDE also serves as a single, unified graphical user interface for additional Microchip and third party software and hardware development tools. Moving between tools is a snap, and upgrading from the free software simulator to hardware debug and programming tools is done in a flash because MPLAB IDE has the same user interface for all tools.

Don't know where to start?

Download MPLAB IDE and use the tutorial in the MPLAB IDE User’s Guide at the bottom of this page to explore how easy it is to create an application. Write assembly code, build and assemble your project with MPLAB's wizards, then test your code with the built-in simulator and debugger. When you are ready to test your own application, select one of our low-cost debugger/programmers to program a device and analyze your hardware.

Want to write your code in C?

Choose MPLAB C Compilers, the highly optimized compilers for the PIC18 series microcontrollers, high performance PIC24 MCUs, dsPIC digital signal controllers and PIC32MX MCUs. Or, use one of the many products from third party language tools vendors. Most integrate into MPLAB IDE to function transparently from the MPLAB project manager, editor and debugger.

Want to know more?

See the Microchip Web Seminars for up-to-date information on using Microchip products. The archive section contains the Introduction to MPLAB IDE Web Seminar for a tutorial that will get you started quickly with MPLAB projects. There is also an Overview of Microchip Development Tools Seminar, and a walk-through of the powerful features of the simulator and stimulus generator.

MPLAB IDE features include:

Flexible customizable programmer's text editor

Free components

Fully integrated debugging with right mouse click menus for breakpoints, trace and editor functions
Tabbed editor option or separate source windows
Recordable macros
Context sensitive color highlighting for assembly, C and BASIC code readability
Mouse over variable to instantly evaluate the contents of variables and registers
Set breakpoints and tracepoints directly in editor to instantly make changes and evaluate their effects
Graphical project manager
Version control support for MS Source Safe, CVS, PVCS, Subversion

Programmer’s text editor
MPLAB SIM, high speed software simulator for PIC and dsPIC devices with peripheral simulation, complex stimulus injection and register logging
Full featured debugger
MPASM™ and MPLINK for PIC MCUs and dsPIC DSC devices
HI-TECH C PRO for PIC10/12/16 MCU Families running in lite mode
CCS PCB C Compiler
Labcenter Electronic’s Proteus VSM spice simulator
Many Powerful Plug-Ins including
○ AN851 Bootloader programmer
○ AN901 BLDC Motor Control Interface
○ AN908 ACIM Tuning Interface
○ KeeLoq support
○ Data Monitor and Control

Simple, powerful source level debugging

Built in support for hardware and add-on components

Auto alignment of breakpoints after source code modification
Mouse-over variable inspection
Drag and drop variables to watch windows
Watch variables, structures and arrays
Mixed source code/disassembly view
Stack symbolic return label display
Automatic single-step "animate" feature
Pass counts and break on PIC18F, PIC24 and dsPIC file register R/W for MPLAB ICD 2
Step-Out-Of function
Custom hot keys
Powerful simulator stimulus generator
Trace to source correlation to compare real time data collected with original source code and comments

MPLAB C Compilers (free student editions available for download)
MPLAB REAL ICE™ in-circuit emulator
MPLAB ICD 2 and MPLAB ICD 3 in-circuit debuggers and engineering programmers for selected Flash devices
PICkit 2 and PICkit 3 Debug Express economy debug/programmers
PICSTART Plus development programmer
MPLAB PM3 device programmer
Third Party tools, including HI-TECH, IAR, Byte Craft, B. Knudsen, CCS, Micrium, microEngineering Labs, Labcenter, MATLAB, Segger
A host of low cost starter boards, demonstration and evaluation kits