6.18.1.1 Customizing Helper Functions for 8-bit PIC Devices

When using the MPLAB XC8 Compiler for PIC MCUs, the putch() and getch() functions need to be completed to define the stdout and stdin streams used by printf() and scanf() functions, respectively.

Printing using printf() will not work as expected until the putch() stub (found in the pic/sources/c99/common/putch.c of your compiler distribution) is completed. The putch function is called repetitively by printf() to send each byte of the formatted output. The putch() function should send the byte passed in as an argument to the required destination, for example a UART. See Example code for 8-bit PIC MCUs for information on defining putch() so that printed text appears in an MPLAB X IDE simulator window.

Reading input using scanf() will not work as expected until the getch() stub (found in the pic/sources/c99/common/getch.c of your compiler distribution) is completed. The getch() function is called repetitively to obtain each bye of the input. The getch() function should return one byte read from required source, for example a UART. See Example code for 8-bit PIC MCUs for information on defining getch() so that it can read text from a file when you are using the MPLAB X IDE simulator.

Once completed, the source files for getch() and putch() should be built with your other source files in the usual way.