VirtualBreadboard (VBB)

VirtualBreadboard was designed as an emulator for Breadboard integrated circuits, being able to function as a development environment for microcontrollers, as well. Breadboard is a general term in electronics, referring more to the form of a circuit rather than its functionality, describing the construction base for electronics prototypes.

Its presence in the program’s name denotes VirtualBreadboard’s orientation towards Breadboard form-factor circuits, although it’s not limited to this.

The application’s range of uses varies from developing and debugging microcontrollers and emulating circuits to programming control panels for embedded applications and creating documentation for circuits.

Not to be confused with a circuit analyzer though – it is able to emulate some types of circuits, but does not provide SPICE simulation and cannot be used for resolving circuit related issues.

VirtualBreadboard presents itself inside an intuitive and user-friendly interface that provides access to a rich collection of circuit templates, amongst which you will find Arduino samples, as well as more basic examples such as relays, HBridge demos and so on.

Whether you choose one of the existing templates or opt for a new project, you will be able to personalize your choice with various components, instruments, timers, function generators, motors, LCD and LED displays, to name just a few.

The emulation of a circuit can be started right away, with the error log displayed in wide view, so you can watch in real time what went wrong. You can also use the terminal component to send UART commands at TTL levels.

In a nutshell, VirtualBreadboard is not a science project, but a powerful and reliable suite that gained popularity and appreciation through extensive efforts and years of development. It can be used by students, engineers and teachers alike.