MPLAB Blockset Installation

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Software Requirements

Supported Operating Systems: Windows and Linux

Component	Requirements
1. MATLAB/Simulink MathWorks	Required: • MATLAB R2018b to R2025b • Simulink • Embedded Coder (includes Simulink Coder) Optional: • Fixed-Point Designer • MATLAB Coder • Stateflow / Stateflow Coder • Motor Control Blockset • System Identification Toolbox • DSP System Toolbox • Signal Processing Toolbox • Control System Toolbox • Optimization Toolbox
2. MPLAB Device Blocks MATLAB File Exchange \| GitHub Releases	• Peripheral blocks (PWM, ADC, UART, Timers, etc.) • Board Templates • Standalone, External-Mode, PIL
3. Microchip Compiler XC Compilers (Free - no time/size limits)	• XC-DSC for dsPIC30F/33F/33E/33C/33A • XC32 for PIC32/PIC32A/SAM (ARM)
4. MPLAB X IDE MPLAB X	• Programming/debugging tool • Supports ICD4, ICD5, PICkit4, PICkit5, PKOB4, Snap

Required Microchip software tools are free. Free compilers support optimization up to -O2; -O3 and -Os require paid license.

Hardware Requirements

Target Board

The blockset supports any board equipped with a compatible dsPIC DSC, PIC32 or SAM microcontroller.

Ready-to-use Simulink templates with preconfigured peripherals are provided for the following development boards:

Development Board	PIM or DIM - DSC MODULES	Development Board	PIM or DIM - DSC MODULES
Curiosity Nano (EV17P63A)	• Integrated dsPIC33AK512MPS506 DSC • Power supply and digital power management applications • On-board debugger with USB-UART bridge (no external programmer required)	Curiosity Nano (EV88G73A)	• Integrated dsPIC33CK64MC105 DSC • Motor control and digital signal processing applications • On-board debugger with USB-UART bridge (no external programmer required)
dsPIC33CK LVMC Board (DM330031)	• Integrated dsPIC33CK256MP508 DSC	dsPIC33CDV Motor Control Development Board	• EV14E50A - dsPIC33CDV64MC106 • EV04R09A - dsPIC33CDVL64MC106
MCLV-48V-300W Inverter Board (EV18H47A)	• dsPIC33AK128MC106 DIM EV68M17A (Internal/External OpAmp) • dsPIC33AK256MPS306 DIM EV22K90A (Internal/External OpAmp) • dsPIC33CK256MP508 DIM EV62P66A (Internal/External OpAmp) • dsPIC33CK64MC105 DIM EV03J37A (Internal/External OpAmp)	dsPICDEM MCLV-2 Development Board (DM330021-2)	• dsPIC33CK256MP508 PIM MA330041-2 (Internal) / MA330041-1 (External) • dsPIC33CK64MC105 PIM MA330051-2 (Internal) / MA330051-1 (External) • dsPIC33EP256MC506 PIM MA330031 (External OpAmp)
MCHV-230VAC-1.5kW Inverter Board (EV78U65A)	• dsPIC33AK128MC106 DIM EV68M17A (Perseus, Internal/External OpAmp) • Active PFC front-end (boost), 325 V DC bus, 1.5 kW continuous • Isolated gate drivers, phase + DC-bus + V_AC sensing	Portable Power Tool Reference Design (03-01156-R2)	• Reference design - Potentiometer on Throttle, buttons and encoder on AUX board
dsPIC33AK Curiosity Platform Development Board (EV74H48A)	• dsPIC33AK128MC106 General Purpose DIM EV02G02A (External Mode ready)

Programmer/Debugger

Required for boards without integrated programmers. Supported programmers: ICD4, ICD5, PICkit4, PICkit5, PKOB4, Snap

J32 programmer (Segger) supports SAM microcontrollers only.

UART to USB Bridge Cable (Recommended)

Recommended for boards that lack USB-to-UART bridge or when higher bandwidth (>460 kbaud) is required.

High-bandwidth communication (External Mode, 12 Mbaud) requires FTDI cables (All FTDI Cables):

C232HD-DDHSP-0 (3.3V)
C232HD-EDHSP-0 (5V)

Installation

Blockset Installation

In MATLAB Add-On Explorer, search for “MPLAB” and click Add.

Offline installation or older MATLAB releases:

Download the .mltbx installer package from GitHub Releases page and run it from MATLAB

Custom installation location:

Download the .mltbx package and install.p script from GitHub Releases page and place them in the same folder
Run install.p - at prompt “Install as an add-on using MathWorks predefined folder? Y/N Y”, select N and enter your custom path

MPLAB Add-On Explorer Installation — MATLAB Add-On Explorer - Search for “MPLAB”

Check Blockset Installation

After the Add-On installer finishes, MATLAB sets the blockset path automatically — you do not need to run picsetup. Type picInfo('check') in the MATLAB Command Window to validate the environment (compilers, MPLAB X, licences, attached programmers).

Sample output with a healthy install and three programmers attached:

>> picInfo('check')

------------------------------------------------------------
   Microchip Blockset 3.xx Installed:
------------------------------------------------------------

 Refreshing caches...

 [1/6] Toolbox location
   [OK]  Blockset in C:\Users\...\MATLAB Add-Ons\Toolboxes\MPLAB Device Blocks for Simulink

 [2/6] MATLAB environment
   [OK]  MATLAB R2025b
   [OK]  Simulink licence available
   [OK]  Embedded Coder licence available

 [3/6] Microchip compilers
   [OK]  2 compiler(s) for dsPIC (16-bit / dsPIC33A):
         - C:/Program Files/Microchip/xc16/v2.10     (XC16    v2.10)
         - C:/Program Files/Microchip/xc-dsc/v4.00   (XC-DSC  v4.00)
   [OK]  1 compiler(s) for 32-bit chips:
         - C:/Program Files/Microchip/xc32/v4.60     (XC32    v4.60)

 [4/6] MPLAB X IDE (programmer interface)
   [OK]  Interface to program chip found.
         MDB : C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLABX\v6.26\mplab_platform\bin\mdb.bat
         IPE : C:\Program Files\Microchip\MPLABX\v6.26\mplab_platform\mplab_ipe\ipecmd.jar
         Java: C:\PROGRA~1\MICROC~1\MPLABX\v6.26\sys\java\ZULU88~1.422\bin\java.exe

 [5/6] MPLAB X version advisory
   [OK]  MPLAB X v6.26 (no known-bad advisory)

 [6/6] Attached programmers (live probe, ~10 s)
   MDB probe : 3 programmer(s) detected.
         - MPLAB ICD 5(020054102RYN003838)
         - MPLAB PICkit 5(020026702RYN013775)
         - MPLAB Snap ICD(021038102RYN001730)

------------------------------------------------------------
 Summary: 9 OK. Environment looks healthy.
------------------------------------------------------------

Each [X] or [!] line carries a clickable hint — for example a missing XC-DSC compiler prints a direct link to its download page.

Troubleshooting

Commands for the MATLAB prompt

Blockset Configuration:

picInfo('check') - Full environment sanity check (compilers, MPLAB X, licences, programmers)
picsetup - Advanced: manually re-apply the path (only needed when switching between a local dev tree and the installed Add-On, or repairing a broken path). Not required after a standard .mltbx install.
picclean - Remove the blockset from the MATLAB path (run before installing a different version side-by-side)
rehash toolboxcache - Refresh MATLAB toolbox cache

Simulink & Code Generation:

bd close all - Close all Simulink models and clear memory
RTW.TargetRegistry.getInstance('reset') - Refresh compiler detection
sl_refresh_customizations - Refresh Simulink customizations
rmdir(fullfile(prefdir,'sl_toolstrip_plugins'),'s') - Clear cached Simulink toolstrip plugins (forces rebuild of the Microchip ribbon tab)

Documentation:

builddocsearchdb(fullfile(fileparts(which('MCHP_dsPIC_stf.tlc')), '../', 'doc')) - Refresh toolbox documentation index

For additional help, visit the Microchip MATLAB Forum or Discussion panel on MathWorks File Exchange

Next Steps

Quick Start Guide | Supported Devices | Board Templates | External Mode & PIL