Datasheet

Emulator User’s Guide for MPLAB X IDE
DS52085A-page 150  2013 Microchip Technology Inc.
Persistent Data
Data that is never cleared or initialized. This allows an application to preserve data
across a device Reset.
Phantom Byte
An unimplemented byte in the dsPIC architecture that is used when treating the 24-bit
instruction word as if it were a 32-bit instruction word. Phantom bytes appear in dsPIC
hex files.
PIC MCUs
PIC microcontrollers (MCUs) refers to all Microchip microcontroller families.
PICkit 1, 2, and 3
Microchip’s developmental device programmers with debug capability through Debug
Express. See the Readme files for each tool to see which devices are supported.
Plug-ins
The MPLAB X IDE has both built-in components and plug-in modules to configure the
system for a variety of software and hardware tools. Several plug-in tools may be found
under the Tools menu.
Pod
MPLAB REAL ICE system: The box that contains the emulation control circuitry for the
ICE device on the header or target board. An ICE device can be a production device
with built-in ICE circuitry or a special ICE version of a production device (i.e.,
device-ICE).
MPLAB ICD: The box that contains the debug control circuitry for the ICD device on the
header or target board. An ICD device can be a production device with built-in ICD cir-
cuitry or a special ICD version of a production device (i.e., device-ICD).
Power-on-Reset Emulation
A software randomization process that writes random values in data RAM areas to
simulate uninitialized values in RAM upon initial power application.
Pragma
A directive that has meaning to a specific compiler. Often a pragma is used to convey
implementation-defined information to the compiler. MPLAB C30 uses attributes to
convey this information.
Precedence
Rules that define the order of evaluation in expressions.
Production Programmer
A production programmer is a tool that has resources designed into it that program
devices rapidly. It has the capability to program at various voltage levels and completely
adheres to the programming specification. Programming a device as fast as possible
is of prime importance in a production environment where time is of the essence as the
application circuit moves through the assembly line.
Microchip production programmers, such as MPLAB PM3, MPLAB REAL ICE in-circuit
emulator, and MPLAB ICD 3, have been designed to be robust enough to tolerate these
demanding environments.
Some top-end tools have additional accessories. The MPLAB REAL ICE Performance
Pak has accelerators to speed up the communication and ICSP process. The MPLAB
PM3 programmer has interchangeable socket modules to support various devices
out-of-circuit.