| Why
Choose Proteus VSM ? |
|
| When choosing the
right software solution it is often easy to lose sight of which
products offer what functionality, particularly when several
software companies offer packages which at first glance may
look identical. Proteus VSM was the first microcontroller co-simulation
package and offers more models with greater detail at the best
price. To help clarify this, and to avoid confusion over product
offerings, we have compiled some functional comparisons below. |
|
| Microcontroller
Model Functionality |
|
| The
core of any embedded system design is the microcontroller and
the completeness of the model as well as it's accuracy are therefore
of primary importance. You should always ensure that simulation
models for microcontrollers not only support a peripheral that
you want to use but support the mode in which you want to use
the peripheral and to a satisfactory level of detail. We have
found that some microcontroller models are in fact little more
than instruction set simulators (which is light years away from
from the level of detail in Proteus VSM microcontroller models
!!) The following chart details model particulars - please note
that not all peripherals exist on all devices. |
|
| |
Hover
the mouse over the entries for a more detailed analysis. |
|
| The
above listing is of course not comprehensive and we have tended
not to include peripherals specific to a particular device or
one particular family (the Memory Accelerator Module in the
LPC2000 family for example). We have however, included all peripherals
relevant to devices supported by alternative packages. If you
have any questions on Proteus VSM microcontroller models please
feel free to contact us. |
|
| Microcontroller
Coverage |
|
| It's
not a great deal of use to have a functionally perfect microcontroller
model of a variant that you don't want to use and have no model
at all for a device you do want to use. The following chart
details the model families available . Note that you should
always check that variants you want to use are actually modelled
- Proteus VSM offers well over 150 microcontroller variants
across our range and we are continually responding to customer
demand to implement additional variants. |
|
| |
|
| Peripheral
Support |
|
|
| In embedded
systems design it's vital that you have simulation models for
the peripherals that you are likely to use. Aside from the standard
collection of TTL/CMOS libraries, opamps, diodes, transistors,
etc. the following chart lists some common embedded
peripherals and their support within various packages. |
|
|
Hover
the mouse over the entries for a more detailed analysis. |
|
| The
list above is by no means complete covers only a smattering
of common embedded peripheral devices. Peripheral modelling
is an area in which we are extremely active and we would be
happy to either answer questions on availability of a particular
model or indeed to add a model request to our development list.
Please feel free to contact us
with suggestions, questions, or for clarification. |
|
Debugging
Capabilities |
|
Being
engineers ourselves we are always conscious that being able
to simulate a schematic design is only part of the process.
The real value and timesaving potential of co-simulation software
lies in it's ability to help you find and fix bugs in both
your software and hardware design. The comparison chart below
covers some of the common debugging facilities you will find
in various packages. |
|
|
|
| Conclusion |
The
above discussion is intended to highlight the completeness
of Proteus VSM as an essential embedded tool both in industry
and in education. It is our genuine belief that you will not
find a better co-simulation tool anywhere
either in terms of functionality or in terms of price.
We are always happy to discuss capabilities or requirements
with customers - please do feel free to contact
us should you have any questions. |
|
This comparison is, to the best of our knowledge, accurate
at the time of writing. |
PIC10
family