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These installation files update a previously installed compiler with information it needs to support more recent Microchip devices.

Part Support Patches

• Will update new device-specific information: header files, linker scripts and memory configuration files.
• Will not add new functionality or optimizations to your compiler
• Will not provide corrections to the compiler's operation

Part support patches allow for the selection of new devices not provided originally by the compiler, and use those devices' SFRs and other features in a project. A part support patch is only needed when using a device that is not available in a compiler.

Part-support patch file names include a corresponding compiler version number. If the patch file is used to update the corresponding compiler, then all added parts will work. Part-support patches can be applied an older compiler, but not all devices added by the patch are guaranteed to work in the older compiler.

Any support for new devices added by a part support patch will be incorporated into all subsequent compiler releases. Once an update to a more recent compiler version is completed, part support patches will no longer be needed for those devices. For example, if version 1.30 part support patch is applied to version 1.30 compiler to use a new device, the device-specific information contained in the patch will already be present in the subsequent 1.31 compiler release.

The compiler's release notes list new devices that it supports. Part-support patches have their own release notes, indicating all the devices the support. Part-support updates are available free of charge - no HPA is required.