This application note describes how to use PICC or PICC Lite - C language compiler by Hi-Tech with IDEA - the ASIX software for MU Beta PIC emulators.

The PICC (Lite) compiler generates *.COD file which can be used directly with IDEA software. The only limitation of current IDEA version (ver. 1.30) is that a valid *.COD file must exist before a new project is created otherwise IDEA project cannot be created (future IDEA versions will have the non-assembler project creation made easier).

Step 1:

Install the PICC (Lite) compiler, create a correct C source code, set-up the compiling options and compile the source. The *.COD file will be created.

Step 2:

Create a new COD-type project in IDEA using the *.COD file generated by PICC (Lite).

Step 3:

Now, there are two options how to use IDEA with C source files:

• Using PICC (Lite) IDE
  You can write and compile source code in PICC (Lite) IDE and use IDEA as a debugger only (to display source code, variables, etc.). In IDEA, set Project -> Build Options -> External language Tool Options -> Run Language Tool within IDEA option as UNCHECKED. In PICC (Lite) is necessary to set the compile options properly for IDEA (see note below).
• Using IDEA IDE
  Use IDEA Build command to run PICC (Lite) compiler as an external command line tool within IDEA environment. In IDEA, set Project -> Build Options -> External language Tool Options -> Run Language Tool within IDEA option as CHECKED and then select HI-TECH PICC Lite or HI-TECH PICC and click Set Defaults button to set command line options properly for IDEA.

PICC (Lite) Command Line Options

Recommended setting of PICC (Lite) Command Line Options for IDEA is:

-<PartType> -ASMLIST -CR<ProjectName>.XRF -E<ProjectName>.ERR -G <ProjectName>.C

This specifies the part type, requires generation of assembler listing (good for checking compilation efficiency), requires generation of crossreference as well as error files and forces compiler to create the *.COD file in the same format as Microchip tools do.

Example:

-16F84A -ASMLIST -CRTEST.XRF -ETEST.ERR -G TEST.C

Default Language Tool Executable settings are:

C:\PICCLITE\BIN\PICL.EXE for PICC Lite

C:\HT-PIC\BIN\PICC.EXE for PICC