Specialized Windows programs (compilers) are used for writing a programs for microcontrollers. One of them called mikroBasic PRO for PIC is described herein. The main advantage of this program is that it features many additional tools installed to aid in the development process.

If you have ever written a program then you know that the point is to write all instructions in such an order they should be executed by the microcontroller and observe the program rules. In other words, the program you are writing just has to adhere to your idea. That’s all! The microcontroller does not understand high-level programming languages as this and therefore it is necessary to compile the program into machine language. A single click on the appropriate icon within the compiler results in creating a new document with the .hex extension. It is actually the same program, just compiled into machine language which the microcontroller understands perfectly. This program is called a HEX code and forms a seemingly meaningless sequence of hexadecimal numbers. When compiled, the program should be loaded into the microcontroller by means of appropriate hardware, i.e. programmer.