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Installing and configuring MPLAB

Here we will guide you through the installation and configuration steps necessary to have MPLAB running on your machine

Note: This tutorial assumes you have already downloaded the repositories for icub firmware, if you have not, please clone the following repositories into the under the same directory: - robotology/icub-firmware - robotology/icub-firmware-shared

Installing the MPLAB X IDE

  • Goto https://www.microchip.com/mplab/mplab-x-ide and browse down to "Downloads" section and download the latest version of MPLAB® X IDE driver for Windows (currently v5.40).
  • follow the instructions and default options

Installing the MPLAB XC Compilers

All the compilers and related dependencies can be downloaded from https://www.microchip.com/mplab/compilers, in the last section, in the tab "Compiler Downloads". image

  • After the install of the MPLAB X IDE is complete, follow the suggestion to download the "MPLAB XC compiler 16 bits" for dsPICs, and download the "MPLAB XC16 Compiler vX.XX" compiler for Windows, in "Compiler Downloads" tab (as shown above), "Compilers" subsection.
  • Launch the compiler installation: select the "free" option, and select the default options in the steps that follow.
  • Download Install the "MPLAB XC16 Compiler Part-Support Patch vX.XX" from the subsection "Latest Part Support Patch Files". This is a priori for supporting new parts, but actually the dsPIC used in our setup, version 33FJ128MC802, appears in the "supported parts in the update" section of the release notes of the patch.
  • Download Install the "Current Peripheral Libraries" -> "16-bit dsPIC33, PIC24E, PIC24H MCUs: Legacy Peripheral Libraries" from the subsection "Peripheral Libraries (PLIBS)" (latest version of "PIC24/dsPIC Peripheral Libraries v2.00 - Windows" here).

Note on the "MPLAB XC16 Compiler vX.XX" compiler

The compiler "MPLAB XC16 Compiler v1.50" alone is missing some dependencies like the include <pwm12.h>. If you build the project without the mentioned additional patches, you'll get the error: 

CLEAN SUCCESSFUL (total time: 8ms)
make -f nbproject/Makefile-default.mk SUBPROJECTS= .build-conf
make[1]: Entering directory 'C:/Users/icub/git/icub-firmware/emBODY/eBcode/arch-dspic/board/2foc/appl/2FOC-V3/2FOC-V3.X'
make  -f nbproject/Makefile-default.mk dist/default/production/2FOC-V3.X.production.hex
make[2]: Entering directory 'C:/Users/icub/git/icub-firmware/emBODY/eBcode/arch-dspic/board/2foc/appl/2FOC-V3/2FOC-V3.X'
"C:\Program Files\Microchip\xc16\v1.50\bin\xc16-gcc.exe"   ../src/2FOC.c  -o build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/2FOC.o  -c -mcpu=33FJ128MC802  -MMD -MF "build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/2FOC.o.d"        -omf=elf -DXPRJ_default=default  -legacy-libc    -ffunction-sections -mlarge-data -O3 -I"../include" -msmart-io=1 -Wall -msfr-warn=off    -mdfp="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microchip/MPLABX/v5.40/packs/Microchip/dsPIC33F-GP-MC_DFP/1.2.35/xc16"
"C:\Program Files\Microchip\xc16\v1.50\bin\xc16-gcc.exe"   ../src/DHES.c  -o build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/DHES.o  -c -mcpu=33FJ128MC802  -MMD -MF "build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/DHES.o.d"        -omf=elf -DXPRJ_default=default  -legacy-libc    -ffunction-sections -mlarge-data -O3 -I"../include" -msmart-io=1 -Wall -msfr-warn=off    -mdfp="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microchip/MPLABX/v5.40/packs/Microchip/dsPIC33F-GP-MC_DFP/1.2.35/xc16"
"C:\Program Files\Microchip\xc16\v1.50\bin\xc16-gcc.exe"   ../asm/MeasCurr.s  -o build/default/production/_ext/1360919980/MeasCurr.o  -c -mcpu=33FJ128MC802  -omf=elf -DXPRJ_default=default  -legacy-libc  -I"../asm" -Wa,-MD,"build/default/production/_ext/1360919980/MeasCurr.o.d",--defsym=__MPLAB_BUILD=1,--no-relax  -mdfp="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microchip/MPLABX/v5.40/packs/Microchip/dsPIC33F-GP-MC_DFP/1.2.35/xc16"
"C:\Program Files\Microchip\xc16\v1.50\bin\xc16-gcc.exe"   ../src/Faults.c  -o build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/Faults.o  -c -mcpu=33FJ128MC802  -MMD -MF "build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/Faults.o.d"        -omf=elf -DXPRJ_default=default  -legacy-libc    -ffunction-sections -mlarge-data -O3 -I"../include" -msmart-io=1 -Wall -msfr-warn=off    -mdfp="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microchip/MPLABX/v5.40/packs/Microchip/dsPIC33F-GP-MC_DFP/1.2.35/xc16"
"C:\Program Files\Microchip\xc16\v1.50\bin\xc16-gcc.exe"   ../src/PWM.c  -o build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/PWM.o  -c -mcpu=33FJ128MC802  -MMD -MF "build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/PWM.o.d"        -omf=elf -DXPRJ_default=default  -legacy-libc    -ffunction-sections -mlarge-data -O3 -I"../include" -msmart-io=1 -Wall -msfr-warn=off    -mdfp="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microchip/MPLABX/v5.40/packs/Microchip/dsPIC33F-GP-MC_DFP/1.2.35/xc16"
"C:\Program Files\Microchip\xc16\v1.50\bin\xc16-gcc.exe"   ../src/ADC.c  -o build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/ADC.o  -c -mcpu=33FJ128MC802  -MMD -MF "build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/ADC.o.d"        -omf=elf -DXPRJ_default=default  -legacy-libc    -ffunction-sections -mlarge-data -O3 -I"../include" -msmart-io=1 -Wall -msfr-warn=off    -mdfp="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microchip/MPLABX/v5.40/packs/Microchip/dsPIC33F-GP-MC_DFP/1.2.35/xc16"
"C:\Program Files\Microchip\xc16\v1.50\bin\xc16-gcc.exe"   ../src/System.c  -o build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/System.o  -c -mcpu=33FJ128MC802  -MMD -MF "build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/System.o.d"        -omf=elf -DXPRJ_default=default  -legacy-libc    -ffunction-sections -mlarge-data -O3 -I"../include" -msmart-io=1 -Wall -msfr-warn=off    -mdfp="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microchip/MPLABX/v5.40/packs/Microchip/dsPIC33F-GP-MC_DFP/1.2.35/xc16"
"C:\Program Files\Microchip\xc16\v1.50\bin\xc16-gcc.exe"   ../src/DCLink.c  -o build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/DCLink.o  -c -mcpu=33FJ128MC802  -MMD -MF "build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/DCLink.o.d"        -omf=elf -DXPRJ_default=default  -legacy-libc    -ffunction-sections -mlarge-data -O3 -I"../include" -msmart-io=1 -Wall -msfr-warn=off    -mdfp="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microchip/MPLABX/v5.40/packs/Microchip/dsPIC33F-GP-MC_DFP/1.2.35/xc16"
"C:\Program Files\Microchip\xc16\v1.50\bin\xc16-gcc.exe"   ../src/can_icubProto.c  -o build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/can_icubProto.o  -c -mcpu=33FJ128MC802  -MMD -MF "build/default/production/_ext/1360937237/can_icubProto.o.d"        -omf=elf -DXPRJ_default=default  -legacy-libc    -ffunction-sections -mlarge-data -O3 -I"../include" -msmart-io=1 -Wall -msfr-warn=off    -mdfp="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microchip/MPLABX/v5.40/packs/Microchip/dsPIC33F-GP-MC_DFP/1.2.35/xc16"
Options have been disabled due to restricted license
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In file included from ../src/Faults.c:5:0:
../include/PWM.h:10:19: fatal error: pwm12.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
This is a known issue with the latest drivers released after version v1.24. The fast workaround in the previous setup was to revert the driver back to version 1.24. That version should be available at https://www.microchip.com/development-tools/pic-and-dspic-downloads-archive, but does not clearly appear in the section "MPLAB C Compiler for PIC24 and dsPIC DSCs" and seems to be available only as "Source Archives". The real cause of the issue is actually explained in the v1.25 release notes: 
The peripheral libraries are no longer shipped with the compiler package. These may be downloaded separately from the MPLAB XC download page.
So, the proper fix is to download the additional Legacy Peripheral Libraries as explained in the previous section.

Running the MPLAB X IDE [WIP]

  • Run app MPLAB X IDE v5.40.
  • Open the project 2FOC-V3.X (shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+O on windows).
  • You should see in the lower left pane:

image

The 2FOC device is the dsPIC33FJ128MC802.

  • Then, click on Packs - dsPIC33F-GP
  • You should see a popup window with the project properties:

image

Just click "OK".

  • Clean and Build the project as shown below:

image