Microchip has introduced the MPLAB PICkit Basic, an affordable and compact debugging tool designed for students, hobbyists, and engineers working with PIC, AVR, dsPIC DSCs, and SAM microcontrollers. Priced at just $29.99, this new debugger offers a cost-effective solution for programming and debugging a variety of Microchip devices. It is fully CMSIS-DAP compatible, allowing integration with multiple development environments, including MPLAB X IDE, MPLAB IPE, and MPLAB VS Code extensions, as well as third-party tools like IAR Embedded Workbench. This ensures flexibility for users who work across different platforms.
The MPLAB PICkit Basic debugger is equipped with a USB 2.0 Type-C interface for fast data transfer and an eight-pin inline header with flying leads, enabling seamless connections to supported microcontrollers. It supports a range of debugging and programming protocols, including 4-wire JTAG, Serial Wire Debug (SWD), UPDI, PDI, SPI, debugWIRE, and TPI, ensuring broad compatibility with different devices. An included adapter converts the eight-pin connector to the standard 10-pin Arm SWD pinout, making it easier for developers to connect to Arm Cortex-based systems. Microchip designed this debugger with both accessibility and ease of use in mind, making it an ideal tool for educational settings and professional development environments. The device features automatic target device detection, simplifying the debugging process and reducing setup time. With its compact and lightweight build, it is well-suited for portable development setups, whether in a classroom, workshop, or personal lab. Despite its small size, it delivers the high-performance debugging capabilities expected from Microchip’s ecosystem.
The MPLAB PICkit Basic is supported on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and is compatible with MPLAB X IDE version 6.25 or later. It comes packaged with a USB Type-C cable, color-coded flying leads, a 10-pin SWD adapter with a flat cable, and two Microchip stickers. The debugger is now available for purchase through Microchip’s official website and pre-order through other authorised distributors.
