7 Key Differences Between MCC Classic and MCC Melody

Key advantages of MCC Melody over Classic.

Selecting Between MCC Melody and MCC Classic

The MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC) provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to configure various peripherals and communication stacks and set up the basic configuration of your Microcontroller. When MCC is started, e.g., from the MCC plug-in in MPLAB X IDE, the MCC Content Manager wizard will open, offering the user different supported firmware drivers and library content types. The selection options will depend on your project's target MCU.

You will have the option to select the content option if supported by your target device. If it is not supported, then that option will be greyed out.

MCC Melody Technical Reference
MCC Product Page
MCC Classic User Guide
MCC Product Page
MPLAB Harmony User Guide
MPLAB Harmony 3 Product Page
Note: MPLAB Harmony: PIC32M, PIC32C and SAM 32-bit device support. Harmony is NOT available for AVR, dsPIC or PIC16/18/24 devices.

MCC Melody: Newer dsPIC or PIC16/18/24 devices. This is the latest generation library and offers the most comprehensive API compatibility between devices. It also offers a driver to peripheral dependency tree configuration. If your target device supports Melody, a new project without legacy MCC API needs will benefit from the newer MCC Melody content. Check the “Library Support” to ensure the libraries you need are supported. Some devices may offer MCC Melody only, others MCC Classic only, and some may offer both. MCC Classic does NOT support PIC32M, PIC32C or SAM 32-bit devices.

MCC Classic: Mature dsPIC or PIC16/18/24 devices. This is an older “legacy” library, and is useful when porting an application from an older to a newer MCC project. If your target device supports Melody, a new project without legacy MCC API needs will benefit from the newer MCC Melody content. Check the “Library Support” to ensure the libraries you need are supported. Some devices may offer MCC Melody only, others MCC Classic only, and some may offer both. MCC Classic does NOT Support any PIC32M, PIC32C or SAM 32-bit devices.

Figure 7-1. Library Support Can Be a Key Factor in Your Selection Between MCC Melody and MCC Classic

Differences in Generated Code Between MCC Melody and MCC Classic

In MCC Melody, the code generation of various drivers happens in driver-specific folder in the following structure on the drive:
  1. The Package view is moved to the bottom left from the top right.
  2. The Configuration view is moved to the right pane from center.
  3. The Versions panel is replaced by MCC Content Manager. MCC Core Versions are still managed by the Core Versions panel.
  4. In mcc_generated_code, there are some updates to the folder structure of components:
    • The folder src has the .c files and header files used for driver implementations
    • At the root of the driver folder, the driver has interface header files, types, and API header files, which can be used by libraries and applications
Figure 7-2. MCC Melody Driver Component File Structure