New IDE Could Simplify Embedded Control

Microchip TechnologyInc. said yesterday it is rolling out a new open-source integrateddevelopment environment (IDE) that could make it easier for engineers to getstarted with embedded control.

Known as MPLab X IDE, the new product provides engineerswith a single IDE for more than 800 of the company's microcontrollers,including 8-, 16-, and 32-bit devices. Introduced at the Embedded Systems Conferencehere, it uses an open-source framework based on the NetBeans platform, and offerscross-platform support for Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems. Thecompany's engineers say they focused on ease of use, which could be criticalfor engineers who haven't done a lot of embedded control work.

"We're making the system approachable," noted Derek Carlson,vice president of development systems for Microchip. "We want to attract newusers who may not have as much experience in embedded control and we're tryingto make it less scary for them."

Microchip said that they wanted the new IDE to be compatiblewith a wide range of development tools to shorten the learning curve for users.As such, MPLab X provides a single, unified graphical interface for Microchip devicesand for third-party tools. The company also wanted to make it simple for usersto migrate up and down within its huge portfolio of PIC microcontrollers, dsPICdigital signal controllers and memory devices.

"If you're changing your application from one architectureto another, you don't have to re-learn" Carlson said. "You can migrate up anddown and still have the same set of tools."

Carlson added that IDEs often get fragmented within aportfolio, causing users to have to employ different ones for 8-bit, 16-bit and32-bit architectures. With MPLab X, Microchip made a concerted effort toprevent that from happening, he said.

The company said it is especially interested in appealing tomechanical engineers and other design professionals who don't have a great dealof embedded programming experience.

"Our ability to get people started quickly is whatdistinguishes us," Carlson said.