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Last available release: 3.15 (Oct - 2009)

What is new:

  • New installer
  • New open Programming Interface allows users to code any AVR microcontroller ant its peripherals. Added as well some new functions for the existing user-components programming interface. For details, see the "user_avr.prj" demo and the new manual file.
  • Extended "usercomp.exe" utility, allows now to generate template files for AVR peripherals.
  • Included in the <userlib> dir the following Open Source library of components:
    • Graphic LCD
    • Virtual-to-real VLMAB to physical COMx ports connector, allows to debug applications based on RS-232 communication with exteranal hardware, like Bluetooth/ZigBee modules, etc.
    • Verilog VCD compatible data logging.
    • LED 7 segment display.
    • WAV file player/recorder, allows generating/recording analog signals based on WAV files.
    • AVR-Studio stimulus/logger, allows to cross-use both systems
    • Digital delay, for several monitoring/debugging uses.
    • Break-on-edge, allows to set breakpoint on signal changes.
    • Performance monitor. A useful tool for those developing user cells.
    • Digital Signal Display/Control. A pair of GUI components to easily display and control 8 digital signal pins.
  • Demos also available for some of the above mentioned components.
  • New LCD component, now supports the whole HD44780 characer set

Fixed bugs:

  • Occasional "GDI message failure" message after a long time using VMLAB.
  • Fixed TWI problem when simultaneous STA/STO bit.
  • Peripherals, etc windows expanded/closed status are now persistent in the same session.
  • Crash situation in user-elements windows containing edit controls
  • WDR instruction wrong behaviour with Mega88/48/168 internal models
  • ADC innternal model: restriction to AREF > 2.5V changed to min 1V
  • UART internal model. Data empty flag auto-clear wrong behaviour in Mega48/88/168

Release: 3.14

What is new:

  • It is freeware. No license needed!
What is fixed:
  • Some TCNTO issues in Mega8535
  • Differential channels ADC in Mega16
  • Watching structures does not work properly in some occasions.
  • Timer 0 compare in Mega16
  • Instructions fmul / fmuls / fmulsu not coded properly.
  • Some registers and peripherals of Mega8535 not coded properly.
  • Mega32 EEPROM EEWE bit not cleared properly.
  • Multiprocess SPI master - slave not working properly.
  • Internal error 661 showing up sometimes when running multi-process.
  • Some cases of COFF file not properly read, when .TEXT section changed by the linker.
  • Internal error 7750 showing up when working with WinAVR
  • Some reserved words not highlited properly by the editor.
  • User-defined cells using sliders not working properly in some conditions.

Release: 3.11

What is new:

  • s public.
What is fixed:
  • Bug in Mega128 micro causing to enter in a perpetual reset in some occasions.

Upgrade: 3.10E (Available only to registered users)

What is new:

  • Support for new AVR micros: Mega48/88/168, Mega8515 and Mega8535
What is fixed:
  • Suport for latest WinAVR release (February 2005). VMLAB generated makefiles did not produce COFF properly.

Upgrade: 3.10C (Available only to registered users)

What is new (in Beta-test):

  • User-defined hardware components programming interface.
  • Multi-process simulation. (Two micros can be simulated in parallel).
What is fixed:
  • CPOL (polarity bit) in AVR SPI.
  • AVR SPI shift register improperly updated
  • Fixed  X-COFF parser, giving some errorrs, and wrong debug info if working with bootloading.
  • Some C words not properly highlighted in PC with Finnish language settings.
  • Some AVR Watchdog  problems, causign a simulation end.

Release: 3.10

What is new:

  • Extended AVR/COFF support.
  • WinAVR/GCC template makefile is now adapted to create by default Ext-COFF.
  • New more powerful Watch Manager dialog.
  • New use of .COFF directive. Now to use VMLAB as "GENERIC" toolchain, if the code is built externally, the .SOURCE directive is optional. VMLAB will load automatically the source files specified in the COFF file.
  • New structures/unions/arrays inspector, with navigation buttons to walk across linked lists, structures within other structures, etc.
  • Bitfields in structures/unions are supported.
  • Mouse-over-symbol watch directly in editors. The old Editor option "Enable Tip Text", now has changed to "Enable mouse watch".
  • Some new looking in the Watch window.
  • Breakpoints on access (R/W) available now for any variable, provided it is static.
  • New command in Editor: "Go to program memory" (popup menu), allows to locate quickly the address of the corresponding line.
  • New popup command in Messages window: "Explain Message". If VMLAB flags an execution error/warning, select the message and open popup menu "Explain Message" to get extended information, possible causes, etc of this error.
  • New menu commands for direct access to Web services.
  • New license transfer mechanism through-the-Web.

What is fixed:

  • TTY terminal showed many times repeated characters after certain Windows NT Service Packs.
  • AVR interrupt flags were improperly cleared in certain occasional circumstances.
  • AVR Mega162 interrupt vectors improperly located.
  • Bootload vectors of AVR Mega32 improperly set.
  • Occasional crashes when the Project File window was split.

Release: 3.9

What is new:

  • AVR Fuses support. See new example BOOTLOAD.PRJ to see the syntax.
  • SPM instruction is now supported in AVR.
  • Directive .RAMINIT xxx ; to initialize RAM to a given value, before simulation.
  • Directive .CLICKTOOL "xxxx"; generic external tool launcher; see new toolbar button
  • Directive GCCMAKE AUTO.
  • WinAVR automatic make handling: graphical settings of compilation options.
  • A new WinAVR specific demos directory: WinAVRdemo, holds 3 demos.
  • All make templates are generated with the  WinAVR 3.3 release format.
  • Direct support for STK500 programmer.
  • The NRZ digital generator has been enhanced to support unlimited length
    patterns, defined in an external file
  • License transfer capability.
  • Direct AVR Assembler Help integration
  • New menu entries for WinAVR / GNU / LibC manuals in Help menu.
  • New command: Analyze, shows major parameters of a selected signal
    (available as button and popup).
  • Syntax highlighting in editors, with user defined options
  • New options "Editor behavior during simulation", (see Options | Editor),
    allows to speed up the edit-fix-run, etc. process, by tuning the warnings.
  • Mouse wheel support.
  • Run to cursor.
  • New "speed-up" options, for experienced users: (Options | Simulation: Ask confirmation on re-start) and in Code Maker: "Auto-run after successful build".
  • Arbitrary break-on-read/write in Data Memory window (popup menu). Also available in
    peripherals related windows.
  • Different coloring for R / W / R+W positions in Data Memory window.
  • Added "Clear R/W coverage" command.
  • Supports latest release of Atmel AVR assembler (Nov 03)
  • New hot-keys for many commands.
  • Much better memory management, avoids occasional heap over-fragmentation, specially due to large storage in the Scope window.
  • Demo version has changed functionality: instead of valid for 21 days, now is code-size limited.

What is fixed:

  • Pathnames longer than 60 characters caused a crash.
  • Code 255, used in Cyrillic characters, caused to be interpreted as End Of File by editors.
  • HEX files with addresses > 64K bytes not handled properly.
  • Editor: searching while simulation running caused a internal error.
  • Step Over command behavior caused sometimes to act as Step Into.
  • AVR: pre-scaler rates in Timer2 (Mega128) not properly handled.
  • Improper behavior of COMMAND.COM/CMD.EXE selection in 3rd party Options.
  • AVR: Input capture not working properly in some micros (Mega8).
  • AVR: Auto-start of A/D converter in some Sleep modes not properly handled
  • AVR: TWI cell fully reviewed, due to some bugs.
  • AVR: Clear on compare on timers occasionally not handled properly.
  • AVR assembler: some duplicated symbols caused an internal error.
  • AVR: UART flags UDRE and RXC not set properly in some occasions.
  • AVR: SPI signals polarity not correctly set in some cases.
  • AVR:SPI interrupt flag non properly cleared in certain conditions. 

Release: 3.7

What is new:

  • New Options menu with a lot of possibilities of setting user preferences regarding Editors, Simulator, Code Maker, GCC, etc. Options are persistent.
  • Support for long names in filenames, provided your assembler/compiler supports them.
  • Export Scope command allows to transfer data to spreadsheets, etc.
  • TTY cell supports up to 250K baudrate.
  • GCC automatic template file generation according to WinAVR.
  • User interface for registers slightly modified.
  • Radix for registers display is persistent.
  • Added command "Open Last Project". 
  • In most recent files list (File menu), clicking over a PRJ  file will open this project.
  • Added CTRL-C / command (Copy to Clipboard) in Messages Window
  • Added stack marker in Memory Window.
  • Added time display to Scope cursors.

Fixed bugs:

  • AVR UART/USART: Framing Error bit must work now.
  • AVR index Z in devices with no SRAM (TinyXX and 1200), use only 1 byte.
  • AVR SPI double rate bit must work now for devices that support it.
  • AVR watchdog time bar must work properly now.
  • AVR selection bits for reference voltage must work now (Mega devices).
  • Editors: too aggressive character filtering, caused texts using Baltic or Cyrillic characters not to be displayed correctly.
  • Comparator model revised to improve signal edges.
  • Stack based variables from CodeVision compiler must be correctly displayed now.

Release: 3.6

What is new:

  • Editor support properly tabulators; no more problems with GCC make files.
  • New .TAB directive in Project File, allows to select the TAB spacing for every project (example:  .TAB 6.)
  • Support for WinAVR version of GNU C Compiler. Enjoy now a seamless integration of this GCC variant.
  • AVR ASM toolchain debugging info read directly from Atmel OBJ file. NO more restrictions with include files, or files not terminated with CR.
  • In Windows NT derivatives (2000, Xp), the console shell for 3rd party tools BAT files is now CMD.EXE, instead of COMMAND.COM.

Fixed bugs:

  • Output compare pins wrongly coded in AVR Mega8 devices.
  • Incorrect reading of COFF files coming from ImageCraft C compiler in some cases.
  • Shift left operations in AVR did not keep properly the X bits (unknown state).
  • Font in LCD macrocell was not OK in some systems: now it uses "Lucida Console" as default, and any available fixed pitch font if this not available.
  • Stop command did not work properly in some cases using C language.
  • Asynchronous clock (32KHz)  activation,  was not properly modeled in AVR devices when being in Sleep mode (for Timers which support this mode).
  •  Automatic start of ADC when setting AVR in  Sleep Nose Reduction mode.
  • In-line syntax error reports from GCC not working OK when the file was not in C: drive.
  • External clock in AVR Timer 0  not working with slow signal edges (no hysteresis).
  • AT90S8515_64K model (with external memory), missed the memory positions for ports A and C (the ones dedicated to ext. memory interface).
  • External editor reload caused a infinite loop of  dialog boxes if VMLAB was iconized. 
  • Improper message " Interrupts are enabled. EEPROM write cycle could fail" was displayed in certain conditions when accessing the AVR EEPROM.

Release: 3.5

  • Support for AVR Mega Devices, including ATmega128.
  • Demo version has new functionality: is full functional during 21 days, but after this time the simulation won't work. The maximum 250 bytes is no longer available.
  • New hardware cell: I2C monitor, see it in new example TWI.PRJ.
  • Upgraded AVR standard assembler AVRASM32.EXE, to last Atmel release.
  • LCD cell provides new button, allowing to break in case of wrong commands.
  • LCD cell supports now the reading of the Busy Flag.
  • TTY cell new commands TX file and RX to file.
  • Unlimited practical simulation time (56 years!).
  • Scope scale changes always keep the screen center now.
  • Pointer watch, including strings.
  • Added new time scales in the Scope, in the nano-seconds range.
  • Execution Profile command is now optional. New directive .STATS in Project File is necessary.
  • Tested with GCC 3.2 (release available at http://www.avrfreaks.net ).
  • Auto-load of code files (optional) on Open Project command.
  • CPU usage behaviour: now VMAB only tries to get 100% CPU usage if simulating.
  • Added the time reference to the error / break messages.

Fixed bugs:

  • Incorrect watch of array values.
  • Input capture edge select in 16 bits timer.
  • Editors Cut / Paste / Clear commands did not give a warning when non in edit mode.
  • Corrupted COFF files caused sometimes the program to crash. An exhaustive check has now been implemented.

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