Create a New MPLAB® Harmony v3 Project

Last modified by Microchip on 2024/06/24 06:34

This page shows you how to create a new MPLAB® Code Configurator (MCC) Harmony project from scratch.

Before doing this, you'll need to do the following:

If you would rather learn how to open one of the many demonstration application projects that are included in the Harmony framework, visit the "Open an Existing MPLAB Harmony Project" page.

Start the New Project Wizard

Select File > New Project from the main IDE menu.


Choose the project type

In the Categories pane of the New Project dialog, select Microchip Embedded. In the Projects pane, select 32-bit MCC Harmony Project, then click Next.

New project wizard step 1


Provide the Harmony Framework Path

The Harmony Repository will be selected for you. This is where the framework will be downloaded from. You need to specify a folder you want to download the framework to. Provide that folder in the Framework Path box, then click Next.New project wizard step 2


Provide the project name and location

In the Project Settings window, apply the following settings then click Next:

  • Location: Indicates the path to the root folder of the new project. All project files will be placed inside this folder.
  • Folder: Indicates the physical name of the MPLAB X IDE .X project folder. Enter "MyProject" (or a more descriptive name) to create the MyProject.X folder.
    • Note: This must be a valid directory name for your operating system.
  • Name: Indicates the logical name of the project. This is the project name displayed within the MPLAB X IDE.
    • By default, this is the same as the physical folder name, but it can be different if you want it to be. ​

Notes: 

  • The Path box is read-only. It will update as you make changes to the other entries.
  • Click the Show Visual Help button for a detailed description of the fields in this window.

New project wizard step 3


Select the target device

Follow the steps below to set the project’s Configuration Settings.

  • Name: If you don't plan to have multiple project configurations, you can just keep the default name.
  • Target Device: Select the MCU part number for the project.
    • Microchip has a lot of MCU part numbers. Use the Device Family and/or the Device Filter to narrow the devices shown in the Target Device drop-down window.​
    • Use the Target Device drop-down window to select the MCU part number.

After selecting the target device, click Finish. The IDE will automatically open your new Project.New project wizard step 4


Download the MPLAB Harmony framework

When the project opens, the MCC Content Manager Wizard window will be displayed. Click the Select MPLAB Harmony button to select which MPLAB Harmony framework components you want to download.

MCC content manager window, select Harmony

Note: MCC Melody and MCC Classic are software frameworks for 8-bit and 16-bit MCUs.

The MCC Content Manager Wizard will compare the Harmony Repository with the Framework Path (as specified above), and provide you with a list of components you may want to download. This list will include updated components and never-downloaded components.

If this is your first time downloading the framework or if you've chosen a new framework path, the required components will already be selected for you. To keep your first Harmony project simple, just click Finish to download only the required components (about 5 GB):

MCC content manager window, select Finish

  • Harmony 3 Chip Support Package
    • csp (Chip Support Package includes low-level Harmony Peripheral Libraries (PLIBs))
    • dev_packs (includes ARM CMSIS and Microchip Device Family Packs)
  • Harmony reference material
    • quick_docs component provides Harmony help through standalone HTML pages
  • MPLAB Harmony Configurator
    • harmony-services provides all Harmony plugins for the MPLAB X IDE

MCC will automatically start after the download (about 5 GB) completes.


The New Project and MCC windows automatically open

Launched MCC view

  • Resource Manager has two sections. One is Project Resources and another one is Device Resources.
    • Project Resources The project resources area displays all of the peripherals currently configured for the project. For example (CMSIS and Device Family Packs (DFP)). Select peripheral here, and the peripheral is ready to be configured in the Composer area. In the Project Resource area, the System module is always present. The System module simplifies the setting of configuration bits and configures the system clock.
    • Device Resources The Device resources area displays available peripherals for the device. Click on the peripheral you want to add to your project. The peripheral moves to the MCC Project Resources area and is ready to be configured to your project's requirements. For example, Harmony Peripheral Libraries (PLIBs) for your device.
  • Versions show MPLAB Code Configurator Plugin version information and different libraries and their version. For example, the supported Harmony v3 library.
  • Project Graph: shows the instantiated components. You can instantiate available components by double-clicking on the component in the Device Resources panel. After successful component instantiation, you can see the instantiated components under the Project Resources panel.
  • Configuration Options: Displays the tree view of the selected component under the Project Graph area. You can configure the selected component in this section.​

Tool Tip: MCC, by default, has Autosave MCC configuration File option enabled. If you want to disable the MCC autosave option, go to Tools > Options. After opening the Options window, go to Plugins and disable the Autosave MCC configuration file option.

IDE options plugins window

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