Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottyWarpNine
Interesting, so would it be easier if I could try to install a previous version of MPlab? if there are legacy versions available for download...
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My apologies .. perhaps I made some assumptions that are not correct!
The only reason to deal with code and compilers is if you want to change the code yourself.
If you buy a board from Paul and do the soldering yourself, he sends you a hex file to load into the dsPIC (or you find it yourself from the forums etc).
To load the hex file you use a utility in MPLAB X called MPLAB IPE, which loads a HEX file from your computer and uses a PICKit 3 to write the code to the dsPIC. The PICkit 3 is a $80 USB device (seen as low as $39). MPLAB X is free from Microchip, who make PIC and dsPIC CPUs. The PICKit 3 connects to the dsPIC via a JTAG port, which is a 4 pin interface, which is beside the dsPIC on the board.
Other JTAG debugger/burners will work - I know Paul uses the PICKit 3 so that's what I ended up buying. I had an older PICKit 2 but had trouble loading the library for the dsPIC. It was far too frustrating ... so I spent a bit of money and got a running system.
As for the older versions of MPLAB - I have not found a source. MICROCHIP does not appear to support the older versions and seems to be discouraging their use. Or they were ... perhaps .. by not giving general access to the archives
Did that help?