Working With Hardware Tools

The new MPLAB® Xpress supported hardware tools currently are:

  • MPLAB Snap in-circuit debugger/programmer
  • MPLAB PICkit™ 4 in-circuit debugger/programmer
  • MPLAB PICkit 4 On Board (PKoB4) – Curiosity and Curiosity Nano boards

Preparing the Project and Tool

To prepare to program your code using a hardware tool:

  1. Ensure your project builds without errors.
  2. If using MPLAB Snap or MPLAB PICkit 4, ensure the debugger is connected to a target.
  3. Connect your hardware to the PC using a USB port.

Starting the USB Bridge Tool

MPLAB Xpress needs a program called USB Bridge to connect to your local USB port. This allows MPLAB Xpress to send a compiled HEX file to a supported hardware tool.

If this is the first time you have used a hardware tool with your project:

  1. Open Project Properties from the icon on the Dashboard DashboardIcon_ProjProp.png.
  2. Click on your hardware tool under Debug Tool. Text and a link will appear below.
  3. Click on the Start the USB Bridge Tool link.
ProjProp_StartUSBBridgeTool2.png

You will now see the Manage USB Bridge window.

  1. You will need the latest OpenJDK to run the USB Bridge Tool. If you need to install this, click on the green Download & Install OpenJDK button to find and install an OpenJDK.
  2. To acquire the USB Bridge Tool application, click on the green Download USB Bridge Tool button. This will download the file bridge-app.jar to your PC.
ManageUSBBridge.png

Find the file bridge-app.jar on your PC and double click on it to launch the USB Bridge Tool application.

USBBridgeApp_Running.png

Connecting to the USB Bridge Tool

To connect to the USB Bridge Tool, click on the Connect to USB Bridge icon USBBridge_Icon.png.

You can see that the tool is connected in the USB Bridge Tool application.

USBBridgeApp_Connected.png

Programming and Running Your Application

Select the MPLAB Xpress Make and Program Device ProgramDevice_Icon.png icon.

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