PICAXE VSM - now available! PICAXE Virtual System Modelling (VSM) is a software circuit simulator, that combines a ‘virtual’ PICAXE chip with animated components and Berkeley SPICE circuit analysis to produce a simulation of a complete PICAXE project – and most circuits simulate in real time! Click here for more PICAXE VSM information. Click here to download PICAXE VSM. The software will run in 'demo' mode until a licence key is purchased (i.e. the same installation is used for both demo and full versions). Click here to purchase PICAXE VSM. Click here for the main PICAXE website.

To use PICAXE VSM simply draw your circuit schematic on screen, using the automated wiring and library of over 10,000 popular analogue / digital components to build up your circuit. Add voltage/current probes to any point in the circuit, and then connect any virtual instruments (e.g. an oscilloscope) as required.  Then associate your our PICAXE BASIC program to the PICAXE chip component and click ‘Run!’ to watch the circuit in operation.

The on-screen output components (e.g. LEDs, motors and displays) animate as the PICAXE program runs, and input device such as temperature sensors, switches and keypads can be activated by clicking on the animated model in the circuit simulation. PICAXE VSM also provides extensive debugging facilities – the PICAXE program can be stepped through line by line, breakpoints can be set in the program, and the variable values can be displayed on screen. Virtual instruments such as ammeters, voltmeters and oscilloscopes can be connected to any pin or wire to study the circuit operation. Voltage and current can also be highlighted by various animation options, for instance by adding ‘voltage bar graphs’ to component pins or by automatically changing the colour of wires.

PICAXE VSM also supports traditional components such as 555 timers, op-amps, CMOS & TTL logic etc. A series of electronic principles tutorials are also included free of charge! Traditional components can be simulated in circuits by themselves, or combined into a PICAXE circuit. You can also add multiple PICAXE chips to a single circuit so, for instance, two chips can communicate via RS232 serial communication.

• Berkeley SPICE and digital circuit simulation for all PICAXE chips
• Library of over 10,000 components
• Sample files include simulations of all of Revolution PICAXE kits.
• Many animated output components, including LEDs, 7 segment displays, LCDs, motors, servos, stepper motors etc
• Many animated input components including switches, LDRs, thermistors, digital temperature sensors, keypads, iButtons etc.
• On screen animation of voltage and current, including unlimited number of probes
• Virtual instruments include voltmeter, ammeter, oscilloscope, signal generator, logic analyser, timer, serial terminal, i2c and spi debuggers
• Support for all major protocols, including RS232, spi, i2c, 1-wire, etc.
• Can simulate traditional circuits (e.g. 555 timers and CMOS/TTL logic chips) as well as PICAXE circuits
• Support for multiple PICAXE chips on same design
• Serial port linking to allow models to send/receive data from real devices over the computers real serial COM port
• Support for hierarchal sub-system blocks to generate a complete project using several sub-systems
• Users can develop their own models and animations
• Export net lists for use in a dozen different PCB applications

• Click here to download the full install of PICAXE VSM (v1.0.4). The software will run in demo mode until a licence is purchased i.e. the demo version can be 'unlocked' to the full version by purchase of a licence key. The demo is function restricted, it will only simulate the files in the 'demo samples' folder and will not save/print designs.
• Click here for the revision details.

• Tutorial 1 - Overview
• Tutorial 2 - Getting Started
• Tutorial 3 - Using Virtual Instruments
• Tutorial 4 - Exporting Bill of Materials and PCB netlist
• Tutorial 5 - Modifying component symbols

• Main PICAXE website
• Click here for more information on PICAXE VSM.

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