Hey Jason,

Firstly, I can't say wether MPLab is more or less capable than MCS. It's just the only one I know and use.

In order to compile in MCS I believe you only need to go to VIEW, COMPILE AND PROGRAM OPTIONS and tell MCS where to find PBP.
(Mine is just C:\pbp)

For Me I just use the compile button on the upper left of the mcs window (below NEW) I have not bothered to get "Compile Progarm" to work.

Below is a post I made in another thread that might help...

I use MicroCode Studio...
I just compile the program in MCS, then move over to the pickit2 window and do a "File", "Import Hex" and go to the directory where MCS put the .hex file and load it and "Write" to the PIC. Mine are under C:\Program Files\Mecanique\MCS.

Just open up MCS and Pickit2 and leave them open for the duration of your programming / editing session.

Once you locat the directory that MCS stores the .hex file, Pickit2 will find it the next time you compile. If you are testing the same program repeatedly you will find the .hex file you are working on, listed as a recent file, under the "File" drop down in the Pickit2 window. You can just double click on the existing link under the "File" menu and you are ready to "Write" to your PIC.

I have not bothered to figure out how to get MCS to automatically compile and burn.

Sometimes I will manually modify the PIC "fuses" in the Pickit2 window just before burning. I'm not that good at setting the "fuses" correctly in my program yet. (look below the "Help" drop down menu, in the Pickit2 window, and you will see a "Configuration" link which will allow you to change the "fuse" bits.

Hope this addresses your question
good luck
Dwight


Personally I think the PICkit2 is ideal to supply power for your test circut as long as you arent pulling too much current.

I can, literally, make a change to a program, compile, import to pickit and program a PIC to test the code in less than 15 seconds. I just leave the pickit window open along side of the MCS window.

NOTE: here is a GOTCHA to watch out for with the LPC demo board...
If you are trying to read the onboard POT into RA0 and send the results to a DEBUG window... there is a confilict as RA0 is also used for DEBUG... so what I did is to cut the trace from the POT to RA0 and put a loose wire instead. That way I can take the output from the POT to any of the PINS that I want to, not just RA0. (See the LPC schematic in its documentation. (this one drove me nuts for a while)

Hope you are making progress