Changing a Project's MCU in MPLAB® X IDE

Last modified by Microchip on 2023/11/09 09:12

There are several reasons why someone might consider changing MCUs in MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment (IDE). One reason could be to upgrade to a more powerful MCU that can handle more complex tasks or to add new features to their project. Another reason could be to reduce costs by selecting a lower-cost MCU that still meets the project's requirements. Additionally, changing MCUs may be necessary if the original MCU becomes obsolete or is no longer available. Finally, changing MCUs may be necessary to improve performance, reduce power consumption, or address other design considerations. Whatever the reason, MPLAB X IDE makes it easy to switch between MCUs and provides a range of tools and resources to help developers make the transition smoothly.

Open the Project Properties window.

Select the new MCU to use:

Near the top of the Project Properties window, you will see a Family pull-down menu and a Device pull-down menu. The device box displays the MCU currently being used. Changing the part number in the Device menu will instruct MPLABX to make and image for that particular MCU the next time the project is Built

Note: Since Microchip makes several hundred different MCUs MPLABX provide the Family menu. Selecting the family to use before selecting the device may reduce the time needed to change the MCU designation.

Note: When a tool has been selected it will appear within a blue box in the Hardware Window

Confirm the selection.

After you have selected the Hardware tool to use select Apply then OK.

changing the mcu in the project properties

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