1 Discover Tips and Tricks

Discover is a tool to help you find Microchip example project. It offers several ways to filter projects, so that you can efficiently find a Microchip tested example, as close as possible to your application requirements, to use as a starting point for your development.

Understanding how to use the TAGS Filters may be particularly useful when getting started.

Click the boxes of the Discover User Interface below, for tips and tricks related to that particular filter

Discover Search (Standard mode)NAME FilterDESCRIPTION FilterDEVICE FilterTAGS FiltersTAGS Filters
If you are new to Discover, you can watch the short overview videos:

1.1 Discover Tips and Tricks

1.1.1 Discover Search (Standard mode)

The top search bar is a free text global “Search”, which filters on all the columns, as well as Categories and Sub-categories. Search input terms are combined using an implicit AND operator, so adding more search terms to make the filtering more specific, reduces the result set. This applies to both the Global Search Bar, as well as other free text column filters, e.g. NAME and DISCRIPTION.

Tip: Entering: PIC IoT Touch, will filter on: PIC AND IoT AND Touch. Toggling Advanced Mode to ON, will show the logic used in the search term.
Note: Search terms are NOT case sensitive.
Tip: Search terms of more than 1 word (i.e. with spaces), should be enclosed in 'Double Quotes' (" ") to be treated as one search term, e.g. "Motor Control". Starting with a general term like this avoids making any assumptions about the specific implementation. In the example below, a variety of implementations.
Tip: Since the NAME and DESCRIPTION columns are so closely linked, it may often be more useful, to start filtering top search bar here with a general term of interest, such as “Touch”, then fine tune using the COLUMN filters.

Using Special Meaning Symbols/Tokens

  1. Double quotes (" ") are required to use the following special meaning symbols/tokens:
    • AND
    • OR
    • Parentheses "( )"
    • Colon " : "
  2. To include 'Double Quotes' ( " ) in search terms, they must be escaped using the ‘Backslash’ symbol, e.g. " \"Lazer\" ".
  3. To use ‘Backslash’ in search terms, ‘Backslash’ must be escaped using a ‘Backslash’, e.g. \\
  4. To use 'Forward slash' in the starting position of a search term, the entire search term needs to be enclosed in 'Double quotes'.

1.1.2 Discover Search Language (Advanced mode)

Discover Search Language (DSL) is an advanced way to search and find items inside MPLAB Discover. Using DSL more flexible and specific search queries can be formed using supported keywords and symbols.
Note: Query customization using DSL is only supported in advanced mode.
There are two input options for advanced mode Search Query and Selection.

Search queries are formed using the logical operators AND and OR, as well as parentheses to set presendence. In addition there are a series of reserved symbols. All reserved symbols need to be escaped using double quotes, except for quotes and backslash needs, which are escaped using a backslash. This escaping is needed only to include the reserved word in the search term.

Meaning of symbols and operators

  • AND: Logical AND (case sensitive)
  • OR: Logical OR (case sensitive)
  • Parentheses - ( ): Sets presedence of terms.
  • Colon - : Used to set the search context.
  • Double Quotes: Combine words to a single search term, e.g."Motor Control".
How to literally use special symbols inside search terms:
  • Double quotes - "
  • Backslash - \: Escape with a backslash, i.e. \\
  • Forward slash - /: If the forward slash is used in the starting position of a search term, the entire search term must be double quoted, e.g., "/hello". Note: No double quote is required for hello.
  • Other reserved terms, such as AND, OR, parentheses ( ), and colon - ;, must be double quoted to use literally in the search term.

Discover Search Language can be enabled by toggling the “Advanced” mode button which is on the right top side of the screen.

The following case sensitive operators, are supported in advanced search mode:
  1. AND
  2. OR

AND has higher precedence than OR. Both operators are left associative.

Tip: Parentheses can be used to change the order of evaluation.
Example: DSL query: ( pic OR avr ) AND touch
Tip: Search terms with space can be enclosed in 'Double Quotes' to treat that as one search term.
Example:
  • DSL query: "Curiosity Nano" AND touch.
  • DSL query: (avr OR sam) AND "Curiosity Nano" AND touch.
Tip: The query below is an efficient way of filtering on the "Curiosity Nano" hardware tools platform, for a specific technology, i.e. touch.
Tip: Search context can be indicated using ‘Colon’ symbol. Example:
  • DSL query: "IDE Examples":Name:interrupt AND "IDE Examples":Description:adc.

Handling Special Symbols

‘Colon’, ‘Parentheses’, 'Double Quotes', ‘Backslash’ and 'Forward slash' are special symbols.
  1. In order to use colon symbol or parentheses in search terms, those symbols must be enclosed in 'Double Quotes'.
    Example: DSL query with colon and parentheses in search terms: "http://" AND "(PGA)"
  2. In order to use 'Double Quotes' in search terms, 'Double Quotes' must be escaped using ‘Backslash’ symbol.
    Example: DSL query with double quotes in search terms: "\"Hello" AND pic
  3. In order to use ‘Backslash’ in search terms, ‘Backslash’ must be escaped using a ‘Backslash’.
  4. In order to use 'Forward slash' in the starting position of a search term, the entire search term needs to be enclosed in 'Double quotes'.
    Example: DSL query: "/ip" AND pic
  5. If AND or OR is used literally in search term, it needs to be enclosed within 'Double Quotes'.
    Example: DSL query: "AND" AND logic

1.1.3 Discover Categories and Sub-Categories

If you are not sure what you're looking for, you can expore the technologies that Microchip suports in Categories and Sub-categories.
Tip: Holding down CTRL (windows) allows you to select multiple Categories / Sub-categories, which has the effect of ANDing these filters together.
Tip: Below one can see the Sub-Categories of Motor Control that Microchip has project examples for.

1.1.4 Column Filters

NAME FilterDESCRIPTION FilterDEVICE FilterTAGS FiltersPERIPHERALS Filter

1.1.4.1 NAME Filter

Think about the project name as a very short project description. The NAME describes the project focus, or what it does.

Tip: Filtering on the global “Search” will filter on all the columns. Since NAME and DESCRIPTION are so closely linked, this may often be more useful.

1.1.4.2 DESCRIPTION Filter

The project DESCRIPTION goes a little deeper and may give some insight into how the application is implemented.

Tip: Hover over a given project row to see the full project DESCRIPTION.

1.1.4.3 Project USER GUIDE

In the table, showing the list of projects matching the applied filters, clicking on a project row opens the user-guide of the specific project. So, you can step into successively more detail about the project moving from PROJECT.

  1. NAME, to
  2. DESCRIPTION, to
  3. USER-GUIDE.

1.1.4.4 DEVICE Filter

Tip: In the device column, the user can filter on part of the part number.

Perhaps the user does not know the specific device, but it is recommended to use an AVR or a PIC, the device filter has you covered.

Tip: The example on the right filters on the “PIC16” family of devices.

Try also: “dsPIC”

1.1.4.5 PERIPHERALS Filter

Looking for examples using a particular peripheral, add this filter to the project?

Simply search for the peripheral of interest.

Checking the box adds the peripheral filter to the IDE Examples.

Note: You can add as many as you like. The example on the right will filter on IDE Examples which use ADC AND OPAMP.
Note: This will likely give a very similar result to the Discover Global Search.

1.2 TAGS Filters

The categories and sub-categories are project Tags. However, Tags are used for more than this, here are some useful examples.

1.2.1 Filter on IDE

Have a preference to work in either MPLAB X IDE, or Microchip Studio, use Tags to filter on your IDE of choice.

Use the Global Search or the followingTags: MPLAB X, Studio

Tip: Any MPLAB X IDE project can also open online in the MPLAB XPRESS IDE.

1.2.2 Filter on Compiler

Have a preference for a specific group of Microchip MCU product families, use Tags to filter on your compiler of choice.

Use the Global Search or the followingTags: XC8, XC16, XC32, GCC .

Tip: AVR and SAM devices are now supported by XC8 and XC32 compilers, respectively.

1.2.3 Filter on Configurator Content

Have a preference to develop with MCC, or Harmony?

Use the Global Search or the followingTags: MCC, Melody, Harmony, MHC

  1. MPLAB Code Configurator (MCC)
  2. MPLAB Harmony Configurator (MHC)
Tip: You’re now able to configure Harmony content in using either MHC or MCC.

The new MCC Content Manager allows you to select whether the user wants to work with MCC Classic\MCC Melody\MPLAB Harmony content types.

Table 1-1. MCC Content Type, with links to key references
MCC Melody Technical Reference
MCC Product Page
MCC Classic User Guide
MCC Product Page
MPLAB Harmony User Guide
MPLAB Harmony 3 Product Page
Figure 1-1. This video may be useful to understand some of the differences between MCC Melody and MCC Classic

1.2.4 Getting Started

Search “Getting Started” to find examples related to Getting Started training, e.g., peripheral tech briefs, to get started with a peripheral.