3 Getting Started with Software Development

This section gives a detailed information on the steps to install IDE, compiler, tool chain, wireless stacks and application examples on the PC. Prior to each release, the wireless stack and application examples are thoroughly tested against a snapshot of tool versions and other software dependencies. This chapter provides information on setting up the development environment with all the required dependency versions and provide detailed steps to fulfill all the dependencies.

If the user is already familiar with Microchip Tools, then the following table summarizes the dependencies.

Tools and Harmony Component Versions

Table 3-1. Tool Chain

IDE, Compiler and MCC plugin

Version

Location

MPLAB X IDE

6.25 or above

MPLAB X IDE

XC32 Compiler

4.60 or above

MPLAB XC32

Microchip Code Configurator (MCC)

5.6.2 or above

MPLAB X IDE > Tools >Plugins(1)
Device Family Part Pack (DFP)

1.0.29

MPLAB X IDE > Tools >Packs(2)
Note:
  1. For more details on MCC installation, refer to Installing the MCC Plugin section from Related Links.
  2. For more details on DFP, refer to the Installing Device Family Pack section from Related Links.

Harmony Components

Figure 3-1. Content Manager

Use Content Manager (CM) to download the following Harmony components.

It will download the Harmony components to C:\Users\XXX\.mcc\harmony\content.

Table 3-2 3-4. Harmony Components

Harmony Components to be Cloned with MCC Content Manager

Version

wireless_system_rnwf

3.1.0

wireless_wifi

3.12.2

csp

3.23.0
core3.15.5

wireless_ble

1.5.0

wireless_pic32cxbz_wbz

1.6.0

wireless_system_pic32cxbz_wbz

1.8.0

CMSIS_5

5.9.0

FreeRTOS-Kernel

11.2.0
wolfssl5.4.0
crypto 3.8.2
For example,
  1. Input “wireless_ble” in Content Manager and press <Enter>.
  2. Then choose the version specified in the above table.
  3. Finally, press “Apply” to download it.
  4. Ensure to download all the required components specified in the above table.
Figure 3-2. Content Manager
The downloaded components will be under .mcc/harmony/content/. For example, the wireless_ble v1.5.0 will be in the following directory.
Figure 3-3. Component Path

Application Example

Use Microchip Discover to download the following example code.

The application code can be downloaded to any folder and no requirement to be reside in C:\Users\XXX.mcc\harmony\content. Therefore, users can decide on their own folder and download the code. There are different categories of application code. This user guide only describes wireless_apps_pic32_bw1. Users can find the user guide of other application code when they click the link provided in the table.
Table 3-3. Application Example
NameVersionApplications
wireless_apps_pic32_bw1v1.0.0Wireless with below applications
core_apps_pic32wm_bw1v1.0.1Peripheral driver
csp_apps_pic32wm_bw1v1.0.1System Middleware

Insert the above “Name” in the search field to find the example in Microchip Discover.

For more details, refer Download Application Example from Discover in Running a Precompiled Application Example from Related Links.

Figure 3-4. Microchip Discover
Another way is to download the application code directly from Microchip-MPLAB-Harmony Github. Insert the above “Name” in the repository field and download the example code.
Figure 3-5. GitHub
Choose the version and the download method. As mentioned before, the application code can be downloaded to any folder.
Figure 3-6. Downloading Example Application