24-02-2025 | Microchip Technology | Industrial
Microchip Technology is employing the power of AI to assist software developers and embedded engineers in writing and debugging code with the launch of its MPLAB AI Coding Assistant. A Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extension, the free tool is based on Continue – the market's leading open-source AI code assistant – and comes preconfigured with the company's AI chatbot for real-time support.
The chatbot allows a chat functionality which enables developers to evaluate and iterate on code directly from the sidebar. This interactive support improves the coding experience by delivering highly customised, relevant, real-time assistance and insights on Microchip-specific products, with the chatbot updated continuously. Further features include advanced autocomplete for easier coding, an edit feature, error detection for efficient code modifications within the current file, and integrated access to searchable documentation within the IDE.
"The MPLAB AI Coding Assistant represents a significant leap forward in software development and will transform how engineers work with Microchip products," said Rodger Richey, vice president of development systems and academic programs at Microchip. "We're harnessing the power of AI to provide interactive, real-time support that helps developers create better software more quickly and with less hassle."
Unlike most other code assistants on the market, MPLAB AI Coding Assistant's sidebar chat feature can deliver block diagrams directly within the VS Code interface rather than just text responses. This capability, together with easy access to a library of documentation on the company's MCUs and MPUs, which is updated on a continuous basis, streamlines the coding process and helps improve accuracy.
