“Our primary goal is to optimize the development experience for engineers using Microchip devices,” said Greg Robinson, corporate vice president of Microchip’s development tools, microcontrollers, and wireless networking business units. “By eliminating licensing fees and providing free, high-performance tools, we are removing barriers to innovation. Customers can now leverage our optimized compilers and built-in machine learning capabilities to efficiently move from design to deployment.”.

The MPLAB XC Pro, previously available only through paid licenses, employ advanced techniques to reduce code size, decrease memory usage, improve execution speed, and generate highly efficient, architecture-optimized code for embedded applications. These professional-level features enable developers to streamline embedded design across Microchip's range of 8-, 16-, and 32-bit microcontrollers and microprocessors.

The MPLAB Machine Learning Development Suite Model Builder, an extension of MPLAB or Microsoft® Visual Studio® Code (VS Code®) used to generate optimized code for sensor recognition in AI and IoT, is now also available free of charge. It empowers developers to build and deploy embedded, end-to-end machine learning solutions and facilitates the efficient deployment of edge intelligence for resource-constrained devices. By offering MPLAB ML in VS Code, Microchip reinforces its commitment to meeting developers' needs in their preferred environment and providing them with a more flexible and user-friendly development experience.
The offering of free development tools also includes Microchip's MPLAB XC Functional Safety compilers. These TÜV SÜD-certified compilers are designed for high-security applications and enable compliance with industry functional safety standards. Certification documentation and purchase support are available when needed. Thanks to the free download, developers can now focus their designs on security from the outset and without licensing costs or fees, as these only apply when required by certification.

Updates and priority technical support for compiler-related inquiries are included at no additional cost. Visit the website for more information about Microchip's VS Code extensions.