When your chip vendor has 2 IDE's and NEITHER work!!! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 01:43:00 pm
content: Yes I am talking about chief fuckwit company of the decade Microchip!So Microchip Studio, the one that looks like it won't break my eyes on a 4k screen, this will not even compile an empty project.MPLABX the one that will ruin my eyesight on a 4k screen cannot find the header files I imported that are listed in the project configuration!!!!If only there was not a chip shortage, I'd never be using this turd of a company again. Both programs worked fine previously although previously previously MPLABX just refused to launch.Pity that I don't know how to set up any IDE for microcontroller coding.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 02:04:12 pm
content: In MPLABX, when you #include a file, it searches the directories listed in project properties > General > Source Folders. It doesn't look through the list of files that have been individually added to the project. Other IDEs often work the same way - it's how come you can (for example) #include <stdint.h> without having to explicitly add that header to your project.Have you added the folder containing your header file to this list?

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 02:13:03 pm
content: If you werehappyable to use earlier versions, here's a link where you may find them:https://www.microchip.com/en-us/tools-resources/develop/libraries/microchip-libraries-for-applications

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 02:26:05 pm
content: Its funny/sad how when I read the title I immediately knew what company.Quote from: Simon on May 19, 2022, 01:43:00 pmPlease tell us if you find an IDE or GUI tool for PIC and Atmel that you like!

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 02:30:18 pm
content: Quote from: AndyC_772 on May 19, 2022, 02:04:12 pmIt won't even find it's own header file that is in the program, it's ridiculous! i am now looking for samc21.h manually to add it to the program that it shipped with! We have a couple of SAMC21 xplained boards, neither would work, after randomly doing a load of updates to shit we didn't even understand they magically worked, then we had to try and get the other computer into the same state bearing in mind that with all these tiny "packs" I do not believe it is truly possible to have 2 same setups! All fucking day wasted over trying to get something to work that when last launched worked!

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 02:38:23 pm
content: I simply cannot justify trashing Microchip based on my experience with it.Yes, things have changed there, perhaps for the worst from a hobbyist perspective. But even today, my two recent service tickets have gotten answers. The last previous "service" ticket I had was more than 10 years ago. That was solved by a telephone call with tech service in Chandler, AZ. The recent tickets required a slow dialog by email. They involved the same problem and different agents assisted. Eventually, I solved the problem myself by re-installing MPLab 8.92 with an older .jam file. Neither agent insisted I install a newer IDE to get help. The last agent provided the link to legacy files I gave earlier.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 02:38:30 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on May 19, 2022, 02:26:05 pmI just want one that works, and as I refuse to waste weeks on any of their 4 or 5 pathetic code configurators I don't need any fancy stuff, I just need to write code, compile it and program the chip! I am now about to copy the manufacturers header files into my project to shut the stupid assholes up!

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 02:40:22 pm
content: Quote from: jpanhalt on May 19, 2022, 02:38:23 pmWhere do I get such personalized help? I am doing this for an employer, I only made the massive mistake of buying 1000 of their chips "just in case" and now need to use them if any of their IDE's would work!

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 02:45:44 pm
content: It's been awhile and I forgot the exact keystrokes. Basically, I went to the site and may have gone to technical resources, then to "contact us." The latter requires an account, which I had, and completion of a service ticket. I got an immediate computer reply and about 2 days later a service tech contacted me. Each handshake took 2 to 3 days, which is slow, but nevertheless, they helped.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 04:09:28 pm
content: Well we have an account but they made it such hard work to take a credit card that we had to get our American sister company to buy them and ship them on so there is not even a record of the purchase but we do have a credit account.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 04:38:06 pm
content: Mine is just a personal account (email and password). No charge for that. On the good side, I haven't had to change the password ever.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 04:51:33 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on May 19, 2022, 01:43:00 pmHow did you set up the configuration for the header files? That has never been a problem for me and I've been using MPLABX since it first came out.Here's where I configure where it looks for header files:

author: hans
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 04:52:47 pm
content: Quote from: cdev on May 19, 2022, 02:26:05 pmIt's an unicorn at this point.The next time I close a bracket of some C syntax, I bet the syntax highlighter from NetBeans must be thinking I'm programming Brainfuck. That's what the highlighting from then onwards looks like.It's a pity. In general I don't mind Microchip's silicon, but I absolutely hate their devtools.

author: DavidAlfa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2022, 10:31:30 pm
content: I never had any issues like that in MPLABX. Sure, weird bugs requiring restarting, but not such like that.Might sound stupid, but did you install everything related to the SAM mcu (compiler, etc) correctly and ticked the option that says something like "add compiler path to environment" ?Also ensure you created a microchip Project, not a generic one, with all steps (device, compiler election...).What happens if you create a new, blank project?Perhabs you inadvertently modified something in the project settings?

author: ozcar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2022, 06:49:54 am
content: Quote from: DavidAlfa on May 19, 2022, 10:31:30 pmMaybe it is just me, but I hate it when something needs that. It makes my already too-long path even longer, and has a high chance of not working, and/or breaking something else, due to duplicate DLLs etc.I just had that when setting up development environment for RP2040. It took me a week to get that to work, and I'm sure I will discover a few casualties from that down the track.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 20, 2022, 07:21:41 am
content: MPLABX was installed, I'm sure I have don projects with it before on a samc, if I tell it I am using this chip in the project setup it should sort itself out.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 20, 2022, 07:41:57 am
content: right, they have got rid of the samc21.h file....... so one IDE just won't compile an empty project and I have to rewrite every entry for their own header file.

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2022, 07:47:58 am
content: Honestly if it wasn't simon i would have said it was NXP.But really i've never developed with atmel parts (besides briefly using atmel studio some years ago) so i never experienced the issues simon has, my experience with microchip tools is on par or better with any other vendor ide

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 20, 2022, 08:34:21 am
content: Copied all the header files from studio, some idiot at microchip decided to do away with a header file in mplabx, and yes they and idiot because in the past they thought about it. There is a samc.h and a samc21.h, both identical, clearly there was a name change but back then someone thought and kept both files in the pack, now they took both out because users writing their own peripheral code is totally not a thing when the vendor has 3 different code configurators each one more of a car crash than the next.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 20, 2022, 08:38:04 am
content: Quote from: JPortici on May 20, 2022, 07:47:58 amso other vendors just fail to install I take it as at one point mplabx just failed to launch randomly.I'd like to learn about how this whole IDE thing comes together so that it's easier to fault find (yes I am actually accepting the need to fault find someone else's system that they provide as an advert for their micro's) or set up my own thing. It's not a case of wanting to find a better IDE but to just have something that is not going to be messed about with in the background.When your launch your IDE and it has over 40 updates and one of them randomly fixes the reason your development board was not working you have a problem. The idea of the development board is to have a known environment, not in this case, it could be broken or it could be that the IDE wants an update.....

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 20, 2022, 09:02:30 am
content: Quote from: Simon on May 20, 2022, 08:38:04 amah you unlocked some memories. At the time i was evaluating the ATSAMC21 using the xplained board under atmel studio (couple of years before they were bought by microchip) and that's exactly what happened from time to timeAtmel had this "smart" (to me idiotic) feature of things being automatically recognized as connected then unlocking some menus and features and examples, whereas for microchip (or ST or NXP for that matter) you select the processor and only then you can select the available dev boards. period. And it will check if it's connected only when the IDE needs it and it care it will ask what to do.Silabs does the same shit as atmel do, but at least it works. Their radio configuration app hasn't received an update in i don't know, 5 years?I wonder if newer devboards for atmel parts that use the PK4OB have the same "features" or they dropped that and you have to manually select things like in microchip devboardsI'm really sorry i can't be of any help because in the end i don't use atmel parts, all that pile of issues is unknown to meI wonder, can you not use the debugger on board and use an external debugger instead?Edit: re-reading apparently you have issues with packs? can't you select an older pack version, os use an older compiler version?

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 20, 2022, 11:16:46 am
content: The problem is that you install the IDE and the xplained board will not work, you install updates without having any idea what they are and now it works, that is scary. If they said, you are missing this driver for this board I would understand, but it's like just cross fingers tick every update and hope.They do have the debugger header so I can connect an ICE directly, now that I have copied the original header files from studio and included them it compiles.The stupid thing is that this started 24 hours ago because I could not be arsed to make up a 555 timer circuit with the SOIC chip I have when I would rather use a PDIP so I thought, I'll just program a PWM on the closest thing to hand - 24 hours later my gargantuan setup code I was developing has compiled fine and only took minutes to correct typo's but getting the IDE to play ball took hours