Setup SimulIDE for Arduino

With SimulIDE on your computer you don't need any other material to learn electronics. Build simulated circuits and program devices you don't own. An evolving product, new and better features show up in each new release.

In this project we use SimulIDE 1.0.0-RC3 Unstable for Windows 64. The name means it is the third Release Candidate software and it works on normal Windows computers.

The other releases will have different features and cosmetic looks. Windows 64 release 0.4.15 comes packaged with avra.exe AVR assembler program and gpasm.exe for PIC microcontrollers.

Download the SimulIDE installer zip file from the website. Check the file name.

Download the installer Windows zip file for Arduino IDE Classic. We need this version of Arduino, not the Aduino app or other.

You should now have 2 zip files.

Unzip both files and you will have a folder containing the SimulIDE software and a second folder with the Arduino IDE. They can be located anywhere on your Windows computer but you have to remember where the folders are.

The unzipped Arduino files should look like this. You may already have this type of Arduino installation on your computer.

SimulIDE folder can be located anywhere on your Windows computer. Some versions come with additional tools. We will open the folder with the application simulide.exe and double click to run it. This is normal startup and SimulIDE will not be added to your program menu. You can make a shortcut on your desktop.

Double click on simulide.exe When you run on your Windows computer for the first time expect this window to appear.

Click More info and you see

Run anyway

A new circuit, no components.

Find Arduino Uno in the Components field and pull onto the central panel field

Take a look at the menu icons across the top. Hover your cursor over the icons and see what commands are there.

Locate the power and reset buttons that turn the simulated Uno on and off. The gear icon is for Compiler Settings. The folder icons let you create new .ino sketches and load sketches you already have.

The checkmark is just like in Arduino, it will verify the sketch can compile into an Arduino program. The down arrow icon will download the sketch into the simulated Arduino.

Create a new sketch Blink.ino and put this code into the sketch. It is the standard Blink example from Arduino. Careful it is not saved into a folder with another .ino sketch.

void setup() {pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);}
void loop() {
    digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);
    delay(1000);
    digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);
    delay(1000);
}

If you click the checkmark you will probably get errors. Let's set the Compiler to use the Arduino IDE. Click the gear icon above the sketch and select Compiler Settings.

This is a big list of compilers, do they all work? Probably, but this project is about the Arduino, go to Arduino in the list. The other toolchains have to be installed and setup properly.

Use the ... box to browse to the folder containing the Arduino IDE files we unzipped earlier. We will set the Tool Path to this folder. Do the same for the Include Path to set it to the include files. Tell the simulator to program for the Arduino Uno board.

Click the checkmark icon to verify the sketch compiles.

Looks good, now click the download button.

Now we see Firmware successfully loaded

Nothing is happening

Try the power button at the top of the IDE.