AI Assisted Coding Comes into Play for Embedded Solutions
March 04, 2025
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In the growing arena of AI-assisted coding, accuracy, efficiency and speed are paramount. Microchip Technology has set itself up to provide one of the only ai coding assistants tailored specifically to the needs of the embedded computing industry and those factors of efficiency and accuracy are in the forefront of the design.
According to a recent release, Microchip is releasing a new product that will leverage AI to assist software developers and embedded engineers in writing and debugging code.
MPLAB AI Coding Assistant is a free Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extension, based on open-source AI code assistant Continue, and comes preconfigured with Microchip’s AI chatbot for real-time support, according to the announcement.
Microchip says the chatbot enables a chat functionality to help developers evaluate and iterate upon code directly from a sidebar. The goal is to enhance the coding experience, the company said, by providing custom, relevant real-time assistance and insights on Microchip products. Additional 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 Microchip 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, VP, development systems and academic programs, 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.”
Microchip says that, rather than just text responses, the MPLAB AI Coding Assistant’s sidebar chat feature can deliver block diagrams directly within the VS Code interface to make it more user-friendly, and when combined with easy access to a library of documentation on Microchip microcontrollers and microprocessors, can streamline the coding process and help enhance accuracy.
The MPLAB AI Coding Assistant is available for free; some advanced features require a subscription license.
Ken Briodagh is a writer and editor with two decades of experience under his belt. He is in love with technology and if he had his druthers, he would beta test everything from shoe phones to flying cars. In previous lives, he’s been a short order cook, telemarketer, medical supply technician, mover of the bodies at a funeral home, pirate, poet, partial alliterist, parent, partner and pretender to various thrones. Most of his exploits are either exaggerated or blatantly false.
