PIC - How to program them in assembly?
Start MPLAB X IDE
Go to File &gt; New Project
From the Microchip Embedded, select a &quot;Standalone Project&quot;, click Next
Pick your processor family/device, click Next
Pick your tool (or just click Next)
Select your compiler toolchain, mpasm should be available, it defaults to c:\Program Files (x86)\Microchip\MPLABX\v5.xx\mpasmx Click Next
Give your project a name/location, click Finish

You'll now have a project with no source files. Right click the source files folder and add a new source file, there should be two options under the &quot;New&gt;&quot; context menu for assembler files.
The C compilers are free from this page, just click on the &quot;Compiler Downloads&quot; tab and you can download/use them. They have licenses for more commercial uses if you want, but you don't need it to use them. You shouldn't have to install the XC compilers if you don't want to use them, MPASM comes installed with MPLAB X.