Table of Contents
Recommended Tools for First Time Users
Writing code for the Quick-240™ is easily accomplished using the open source MPIDE (Multi Platform Integrated Development Environment). MPIDE is written in Java and has version compiled to run on Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. The latest downloads are avaible here:
Additionally Ethernet libraries from Digilent, Inc. are needed to be able to create applications that communicate over Ethernet. These libraries can be found at the bottom of the Digilent Ethernet Shield web page
If you don't have Java installed on your computer you may need to install it as well.
chipKIT Drivers
The Quick-240 is programmed via the USB-B connector on the board and requires a driver when in Windows. The USB for Serial (CDC-ACM / bootloader) driver can be found in the “drivers\chipKIT Drivers” folder of most versions of MPIDE. It can be installed in windows by running the chipKITDriverInstaller_v10.exe program in this directory. An alternative location for the inf file for Windows is located here:
Alternatively, the chipKIT drivers can be found in the MPIDE directory in the “…\mpide-version-yourOS-releasedate\drivers\chipKIT Drivers” folder.
The drivers from MPIDE have been zipped up and are located here as well:
Libraries
Other Tools
An alternative development tool that we are keeping our eye as possibly the primary recommended development tool in the future is UECIDE. With the mission to make it easier to use the Quick240.
MPIDE Known Issues with Specific Versions
Generally MPIDE is getting better with time and we at PONTECH always try to use the latest version for any given project. Sometimes improvements cause regression and here are some notes to help you choose which version to use. For a full list of open issues please check the github repo issues list for the MPIDE project.
| MPIDE Release | Issue | Windows | Mac | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20130715 | Serial1 does not work | Yes | Untested | Untested |
| 20140316 | USB for Serial does not Enumerate on all Windows PC's | Yes | Untested | Untested |
| 20140821 | USB for Serial does not Enumerate on all Windows PC's, chipKITEthernet plib based library does not work | Yes | Untested | Untested |
Older builds of MPIDE can be found here.