Proteus VSM was the first product to bridge the gap between schematic and PCB for embedded design, offering system level simulation of microcontroller based designs inside the schematic package itself. Over fifteen years later, Proteus VSM is still leading the field with more microcontroller variants and peripherals than any competing product, better measurement and debug tools and a consistent focus on innovation.
This page outlines some of the benefits to using Proteus VSM as an embedded prototyping tool in your workflow.
Proteus VSM provides a unique development platform for the embedded engineer. It allows you to specify a program (HEX file, COF File, ELF/DWARF2 File, UBROF File etc) as a property of the microcontroller part on the schematic and during simulation will show you the effects of the program on the schematic you have created.
Typically, engineers spend as much time finding and fixing problems and testing projects as they do in creating them in the first place. This is an area where Proteus VSM excels.
When you set a breakpoint in your code the entire system stops when that line of code is reached. When you then single step the entire system will advance, showing you the effects of the execution of that line of code on your schematic (virtual prototype). This makes it easier to work out where a particular problem lies and whether the software design or hardware design is at fault.
As discussed above, Proteus VSM will save time and effort during the design phase and in the testing/debugging phase. Both of these translate into cost savings for a project and these savings multiply with each additional project undertaken.