Have you tried the VSM

[Tim]

Sorry to bombard you with Polls but have you tried the ISIS VSM?

I find the VSM invaluable for debugging my code. Even in programs where the hardware does not match I can sim my code and follow the logic though a watch window. However I get the feeling most people do not not use it and have put this poll up to try and get some idea of the reality.

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If you want to comment or have questions please post.

Tim

[Tim]

Please note you can select more than one item

[Mark Rodgers]

I use the VSM at some stage on all my projects, I have a licence for the 18 series and find it has more than been worth its cost in saved time.
I come from a hardware back ground and find assembler impossible and sleep inducing so a normal type of debugger just leaves me totally cold and I would never use one if it was available.
The VSM alllows me to see in real time the LCD(for instance) printing the values of some calculation or the result of an interaction with an instrument etc.

One project involving an RS232 based design has been completely designed and coded in the VSM with no protoyping, due to the COM port simulation that my virtual code used to talk to the external hardware in real time. I find this amazing and wish I had one years ago, it would have saved the VERO fairy carrying all that board to my hardware graveyard.

The Demo boards are well worth getting to know and they are very useful without needing to jump in and get a licence straight away.

[joesaliba]

Hi Tim,

I would like to know how to use it but I tried several times with no success. Maybe a small help to get started is good. What put me off among other things are:- the zoom in, zoom out feature, once you zoomed in you cannot move along the `board', the lack of components in the library. How can I add a push button, where to add an LED? All this has put me off to use it. I preffered doing a small board, with a few pushes and an LCD, and 4 outputs, but this, unfortunatly, is only for a 16F877. I voted `I would use the VSM if I knew how to' because as I read in this forum, and I am `jeolous' of this, is that many people use it and I do not know how.

Regards

Joseph

[Mark Rodgers]

The 877 Demo Board is very usefull, even if you do not wish to use the 877 in your project the code for many projects can be tried in the 877 demo board even if it is for a 628 for example, most 16F pics can be tested to some extent in the 877 demo.
When you compile the code you test in the 877 just change it to your PIC(eg 628) and the code will work on your hardware.

Try it you will not break it.

[fanie]

Where do I look for the ISIS VSM ?

[Tim]

The 6 dev boards are free with PDS. If your running 2.1.5.3 then your out of luck. You can buy the ISIS suit and run your code in it though just not the free version.

[Tasos Stratis]

It is very nice. Save a lot of time and it is simple ...

[fanie]

Hi Tim,

I can see how it can be a very nice simulator for your hard- and software, solving hard- and software problems before you have PCB's made etc, - I have tried a couple of times to get it to do something but I only got a yellow bar saying it's on strike, I cannot change anyhing unless I pay first. In pounds it may not be a lot but in rands it's R 6600, quite a spend in anybody's book here.

Personally, I make a schematic (most of the time), do the PCB layout, have the PCB's made, populate them and write the software.

Do I need the VSM? I don't know... I've never relied on anything like this.
Could it change the way my PCB's will look ? Probably...
Will it shorten my production time ? Probably not... !
Are there times I would need it ? May be...
Would I use it a lot? I don't know... couldn't get the demo to do squat...
Could it save time testing hardware / code? Sure... I often have to build a breadboard prototype to do experiments / testing for certain components...

Would I spend R 6600 on it ? Maybe, maybe not.
If I have to do a project that would justify it, yes.

One problem I foresee is that I (this is just me, ok ! ) use some weird stuff at times (like using a volt regulator ie 317 as audio power amp) and I doubt if these guys are going to add all the functionalities to all these components to be able to produce a true working model.

Don't get me wrong, I have read the threads and the guys are happy with it. I'm not putting it down in any way, ok?

Regarding the functionality I can with almost certainty say it's goint to be the same as with the Proton IDE - there are some great functions supplied, but will there be more components added what users ask for? May be, then may be not. Potentially it could be fantastic !

Maybe they feel that if there's a way around a set of commands why replace it with a single command...? I haven't been involved long enough to know what to expect... and nobody replied to any of the commands I requested... one of the commands I posted could save me in one of my apps alone, quite a lot of repeat code, and I would use it all the time. In fact, in this case the assembler is so much easier to use!

Am I the only one, or is everyone just uh... satisfied?

Putting it differently, I'm thankfull for what I got, but dissatisfied 'cos it could be more.

[C_Moore]

Hi everyone,

I thought I would touch on this. I took a closer look at the starter kits on the labcenter website and they look very good...... until saw the price.I abought fell out of my chair. Granted this software is top of the line,but for the average home programmer or hobbiest this is probably more then anyone would spend. just my 2 cents.