MPLab Problems

[AndyOne]

I have been successfully creating PIC programs by using Oshonsoft Basic compiler in combination with MPLab Assembler/linker for a while but recently it's performance started to degenerate...

First of all I was getting the MPLab error, "Build Failed, No linker Script" on a few builds then more and more and now I can't get anything to work.

The microchip forum suggests that if you are using the Quickbuild option on a single stand-alone .asm file with appropriate org statements it shouldn't need the linker and shouldn't invoke it

Other problems that cause the same error are
1. Filename contains a double extension.
2. File path too long

So I've done everything to try and fix the problem including downloading the latest version of MPLab but nothing works except the simplest of .asm files.

Does anyone have any ideas.

Thanks,

Andy.

[Malc C]

Andy, try building the HEX with MPLAB from an asm file stored on the root of C:

Might help

[Chippie]

Andy, try building the HEX with MPLAB from an asm file stored on the root of C:

Might help


I found that useful........and it works.
I had an asm file held in a folder on my C drive, but when I attempted to assemble it, MPlab said file name too long...placed in the root directory it worked fine..(just wish writing code was that easy.............. :confused: )

[AndyOne]

Thanks guys,

I also tried putting the .asm list at the root of the directory and this works. It is, however, very inconvenient compared with the having an ordered directory system with all my code several layers down which worked before the problem set-in. I am aware of the error that there shouldn't be more than 63 characters in the directory name to the .asm file but even with way less than this it falls over where it didn't before.

Any other suggestions welcome.

Andy.

[Malc C]

Maybe they've changed something in the current version.

[Acetronics]

Hi,Andy

Did you check your basic compiler location in MPLAB ( PROJECT menu \ set language tools locations ) ???

Two files relative to your compiler ( *.mtc and ? ) have to be located Here :

C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLAB IDE\Core\MTC Suites

Alain

[AndyKunz]

MPLAB sucks - always has. The only thing I ever use it for any more is the simulator, and then only working from a hex file.

Andy

[AndyOne]

Hi,Andy

Did you check your basic compiler location in MPLAB ( PROJECT menu \ set language tools locations ) ???

Two files relative to your compiler ( *.mtc and ? ) have to be located Here :

C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLAB IDE\Core\MTC Suites

Alain

Alain,

I don't use projects I always assemble from a stand-alone .asm file which means there aren't any files in the project files list. I just load the .asm file and assemble it using quickbuild option. This AFAIK means that it doesn't have to know anything about the compiler where the .asm file comes from. The error is about linking which it shouldn't have to do any of at all because there is only one file. It all worked fine until a few days ago when it all went strange.

Andy.

[JimDrew]

MPLAB sucks - always has. The only thing I ever use it for any more is the simulator, and then only working from a hex file.

Andy

I have made millions of dollars worth of firmware using MPLAB, it works just fine. I have used dozens of similar utils over the last 30+ years of assembly programming, and I believe MPLAB to be one of the easiest to use and most intuitive of the bunch.

One thing that you must remember about MPLAB is that it was written using a higher-level language and thus has some restrictions... like the file path and name can not exceed 60 characters.

[AndyKunz]

Maybe it's just my disdain for programs that try to think for me, for programs that think they know more about how the job needs to be done than I do, for programs that only run on a particular OS, for IDEs in general, for clunky text editors, and for ICE/ICD.

I use 3 generic tools: text editor (any I please, usually PFE), make utility (usually nmake for PIC stuff) driving the appropriate compiler(s)/assembler(s), and the burner. This provides a standard interface that has worked quite well across multiple OS's (CP/M, DOS, Windoze, Linux) as well.

Have made my living this way for ages - including programming PICs before Microchip, also with 8051, 6502, Z80, and more. My salary alone over the past 20+ years has totaled millions, let alone how much my customers and employers have made from the products.

I've had dinner with the guys who wrote MPLAB. I'll be the first to say it has improved much over the years. But it still sucks.

Andy

[AndyOne]

I've just been running MPLab and now it works again without a hitch.

What's going on!! (rhetorical).

Andy.