MPLAB

MPLAB is a proprietary freeware integrated development environment for the development of embedded applications on PIC and dsPIC microcontrollers, and is developed by Microchip Technology.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]}

MPLAB Extensions for Visual Studio Code and MPLAB X for NetBeans platform are the latest editions of MPLAB,^[9][10][11] including support for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems.

MPLAB and MPLAB X support project management, code editing, debugging and programming of Microchip 8-bit PIC and AVR (including ATMEGA) microcontrollers, 16-bit PIC24 and dsPIC microcontrollers, as well as 32-bit SAM^[12] and PIC32^[13] microcontrollers by Microchip Technology.^[14][15][16]

MPLAB X

MPLAB X IDE

Developer(s)	Microchip Technology
Stable release	6.25[17] / March 4, 2025; 2 months ago (2025-03-04)
Written in	Java (programming language)
Operating system	Microsoft Windows >7, Mac OS X, Linux[17]
License	Proprietary EULA
Website	MPLAB X Homepage

MPLAB X is the latest version of the MPLAB IDE built by Microchip Technology,^[18] and is based on the open-source NetBeans platform. It replaced the older MPLAB 8.x series, which had its final release (version 8.92) on July 23, 2013.^[19]

MPLAB X is the first version of the IDE to include cross-platform support for macOS and Linux operating systems, in addition to Microsoft Windows. It supports editing, very buggy debugging and programming of Microchip 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers. It supports automatic code generation with the MPLAB Code Configurator and the MPLAB Harmony^[20] Configurator plugins.

MPLAB X supports the following compilers:

• MPLAB XC8 — C compiler for 8-bit PIC and AVR devices^[14][21]
• MPLAB XC16 — C compiler for 16-bit PIC devices^[21]
• MPLAB XC-DSC - C compiler for dsPIC family of devices
• MPLAB XC32 — C/C++ compiler for 32-bit MIPS-based PIC32 and ARM-based SAM devices ^[14][21]
• HI-TECH C — C compiler for 8-bit PIC devices (discontinued)^[22]
• SDCC — open-source 8-bit C compiler^[23][24]

Debugger bugs:

• Memory view crashes the whole IDE when searching for an address
• Step over sometimes steps in and step out doesn't work
• Disassembler view is buggy showing incorrect instructions
• Phantom breakpoints that can't be cleared
• Automatic firmware update sometimes fail requiring full erase of SNAP

MPLAB 8.x

MPLAB IDE

Developer(s)	Microchip Technology
Final release	8.92[19] / July 23, 2013; 11 years ago (2013-07-23)
Written in	C++
Operating system	Microsoft Windows
License	Proprietary EULA
Website	www.microchip.com/mplabx

MPLAB 8.x is the discontinued version of the legacy MPLAB IDE technology, custom built by Microchip Technology in Microsoft Visual C++. MPLAB supports project management, editing, debugging and programming of Microchip 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit PIC microcontrollers. MPLAB only works on Microsoft Windows. MPLAB is still available from Microchip's archives, but is not recommended for new projects.^[19] It is designed to work with MPLAB-certified devices such as the MPLAB ICD 3 and MPLAB REAL ICE, for programming and debugging PIC microcontrollers using a personal computer. PICKit programmers are also supported by MPLAB.

MPLAB supports the following compilers:^[19]

• MPLAB MPASM Assembler
• MPLAB ASM30 Assembler
• MPLAB C Compiler for PIC18
• MPLAB C Compiler for PIC24 and dsPIC DSCs
• MPLAB C Compiler for PIC32
• HI-TECH C