Create a new 'Stand-Alone' project in MPLAB X for a PIC16F1508.

Open the MPLAB Code Configurator under the Tools > Embedded menu of MPLAB X IDE.

Select the peripherals for your project.
In this first project these peripherals need to be selected:

• System Module
• Interrupt Module
• Pin Module

These modules will automatically be included when you launch the MCC. The result should look like the picture below:

Open the 'Pin Manager' and then click on the PORTA pin 2 (RA2) output blue lock symbol. It should turn green. This adds this RA2 I/O pin to the project. Also, make sure the reset pin has the blue lock shown. If it is green, then click on the green lock to make it blue. This will make the reset internal. It should look like the picture here when completed:

Close the 'Pin Manager' and then click on the 'Pin Module' under 'Project Resources'.

The center screen should show RA2 listed on the I/O chart. Click on the output box to make the pin an output (if not checked) and make sure Analog and WPU are not checked (click on them to uncheck them).

The System needs to be setup next. Click on 'System Module' under 'Project Resources'.

In this section, the oscillator settings and the configuration settings are selected.

Oscillator

1. Select 'INTOSC' from the System Clock Select drop-down menu.
2. Select the '1 MHz_HF' selection from the Internal Clock drop-down menu.

This will enable the internal 1 MHz internal oscillator as the system clock.

Configuration

Each configuration setting can be changed under the 'Register tab' of the System Module. Match the selections shown here:

Click on Generate Code to have the MCC create the software libraries for this project.

The project will now have both generated Header Files and Source Files. It should also have a generated main.c file.

Double click on main.c to open it up in the Editor window.

The main.c file is where the application code is added. A list of I/O controlling macros are generated by the MCC and placed in the pin_manager.h file. The MPLAB XC8 compiler also has a built-in delay in the format: __delay_ms(delaytime). The delaytime is a value indicating how many milliseconds to delay.

Within the while (1) brackets in main.c, there is a comment that states Add your application code. Place the following code under that comment:

   while (1)
    {
        // Add your application code
        IO_RA2_Toggle();
        __delay_ms(200);
    }

Click on 'Build Project' (hammer icon) to compile the code and you should see a "BUILD SUCCESSFUL" message in the Output window of MPLAB X.

BUILD SUCCESSFUL (total time: 325ms)

Make sure your project has the programming tool selected (part of Step 1 above) and connect power to your development board.

Click on the 'Make and Program Device' icon. This will build the project again and launch the programmer. In the Output window, you should see a series of messages and if successful it will end with a "Programming and Verify Successful" message.

Output Window:

Connecting to MPLAB PICkit 3...

Currently loaded firmware on PICkit 3
Firmware Suite Version.....01.41.06
Firmware type..............Enhanced Midrange

Target voltage detected
Target device PIC16F1508 found.
Device ID Revision = 2

The following memory area(s) will be programmed:
program memory: start address = 0x0, end address = 0x5f
configuration memory

Device Erased...

Programming...
Programming/Verify complete

The project can be closed in MPLAB X. The project is saved automatically when it is built but any changes to files or configuration may ask to be saved before the project is closed. The project can be closed under File > Close Project.