First Introduction

This tutorial aims to familiarise you with the main features of Virtual Breadboard. After working through the tutorial, you should be ready to start building breadboard projects on your own.

When working with Virtual Breadboard, it will also be valuable to be aware of the following features, which may result in different behaviour than what you expect if you are used to working with real breadboards.

The version 1.0 user guide also contains a lot of useful information. You might like the read through the guide if you want some extra insight into the operation of Virtual Breadboard.

Building a binary counter

The best way to learn how to use a program is by example. This example takes you through the process of creating a binary counter. In this example you will learn:

	To create a New Breadboard
	To add a component to a breadboard
	To open a package
	To locate a Filename using the property editor
	To select an individual component on a Breadboard
	To rotate a component
	To create a link
	To move a component
	To run a Virtual Breadboard simulation
	To halt a running Virtual Breadboard simulation
	To single step through a Virtual Breadboard simulation
	To set a breakpoint in the PIC source code
	To end runtime mode and return to design mode
	To save a Breadboard

Application Description

A Binary counter is implemented using the PIC16c54 microcontroller available in the PICMicros Package. A CLOCK pulse generated by a 555 TIMER provides the input to be counted. This signal is the input to the RTCC (real time clock) pin of the PIC16c54. The PIC counts the pulses and uses PORT B to show the binary value of the count on a LED display.

The tutorial covers a lot of material, so it has been split into several pages. You can access them from the links above.