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[Heckler]

What exactly is a conditional config/compilation?

You can write code that will easily compile for different PIC processors and not have to maintain and update separate program files for each processor... since different PIC's often name their registers differently, even though they do the same thing.

Here are a couple(3) of examples... This code allows me to use either the 16F690 or the 16F1828.

The first is an example of conditional config... meaning seting the configuration registers

#IF __PROCESSOR__ = "16F1828"
    #CONFIG
           __CONFIG _CONFIG1, _FOSC_INTOSC & _WDTE_ON & _PWRTE_OFF & _MCLRE_OFF & _CP_ON & _CPD_OFF & _BOREN_OFF & _CLKOUTEN_OFF & _IESO_OFF & _FCMEN_OFF
           __CONFIG _CONFIG2, _WRT_OFF & _PLLEN_OFF & _STVREN_OFF & _BORV_25 & _LVP_OFF
    #endconfig
    #else
       #IF __PROCESSOR__ = "16F690"
         #CONFIG
           __CONFIG _INTRC_OSC_NOCLKOUT & _WDT_ON & _PWRTE_OFF & _MCLRE_OFF & _CP_ON & _CPD_OFF & _BOD_OFF & _IESO_OFF & _FCMEN_OFF
         #endconfig
           #ELSE 
           #ERROR "Program does not support " + __PROCESSOR__
       #ENDIF
#endif

#msg "compiling for target " + __PROCESSOR__

an example of setting up registers...

#IF __PROCESSOR__ = "16F1828"
  AnselA  = 0              'and turn off analog
  AnselB  = 0             
  AnselC  = 0
  IOCAF = 0      'clear interrupt flag register
  WDTCON=010100 'SET WDT PRESCALER
#ELSE
  Ansel  = 0               'and turn off analog
  AnselH = 0
  INTCON.0 = 0   'clear interrupt flag register
#ENDIF

An example of clearing the interrupt flag register for two different PICs...

#IF __PROCESSOR__ = "16F1828"
  IOCAF = 0
#ELSE
    INTCON.0 = 0   'clear interrupt flag register
#ENDIF

At compile time, only the code that fits your selected processor is actually included in the final compiled code.