Top Stories New Microchip C Compiler for 16-bit PIC24 Devices and dsPIC's MPLAB C30 Provides Excellent Code Efficiency with ANSI-Compliant Option for C Programs Microchip have just released the new Version 2.0 of its MPLAB® C30 (part # SW006012) highly optimized C cross-compiler, cross-assembler, linker and librarian. The MPLAB C30 C Compiler, with its comprehensive libraries and extended functionality, supports all of Microchip’s high-performance 16-bit PIC24 microcontroller and dsPIC® digital signal controller families. Driving compiling technology into new territory, this new ANSI-compliant compiler includes unique language extensions to utilize DSP functionality from the C programming language. The free MPLAB C30 Student Edition offers the same functionality as MPLAB C30 Version 2.0 for 60 days, after which it maintains full source-code compatibility and device support, with no program or data memory limitations. The only difference is that Version 2.0 has more code optimization. The Student Edition is a great tool for students, educational institutions and embedded software engineers interested in learning about Microchip’s 16-bit devices and language tools, provided that code space is not the most critical design factor. Increasingly, embedded software engineers are looking to simplify code development while reducing design-software costs. Microchip developed Version 2.0 of the MPLAB C30 compiler in tandem with the design of the PIC24 and dsPIC33 families to ensure optimal C code efficiency. The MPLAB C30 is tightly integrated into the free MPLAB IDE Integrated Development Environment for writing code, building projects and testing with Microchip’s high-speed simulator or MPLAB ICD 2 In-Circuit Debugger. Final optimized code can be programmed into devices with the cost-effective MPLAB ICD 2 or volume-production MPLAB PM3 device programmer from the same MPLAB user interface. The MPLAB C30 compiler is distributed with a complete ANSI C standard library. All library functions have been validated and conform to the ANSI C library standard. The library includes functions for string manipulation, dynamic memory allocation, data conversion, timekeeping and math functions (trigonometric, exponential and hyperbolic). I/O functions for file handling are part of the MPLAB C30 suite, along with complete source code for the low-level file I/O functions. Large and small code and data models are supported. The small-code model takes advantage of efficient forms of call and branch instructions, while the small-data model utilizes compact instructions for accessing data in Microchip’s 16-bit architectures. The company's Web site address is http://www.microchip.com/. [Reprinted with kind permission from Microchip Corporation]

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