Emulator for ATmega16

[Raniz]

I've just started a course where we design a digital system based around an ATMEL ATmega16 (MegaAVR family) microcontroller. We're given an account on computers at the university that has a development environment for it, but I want to do this at home since the computers at the university uses windows and most likely doesn't have vim.

I'll need the following to be able to develop for it:

• Emulator
  
• C compiler
  
• Assembler
  
• Debugger

I'm currently emerging gcc for AVR using crossdev, so compiler and assembler (and possibly debugger?) should be taken care of, what I need most help with is finding an emulator for it.

I think it's free to download the development studio from Atmel, but it's for windows, so I'd prefer a linux-based alternative it it were available. Otherwise I'd appreciate if someone knows if AVR Studio works with Wine.

[ewaller]

I use simulavr and it works great. It provides a backend to gdb.

You did not say what you are using to program the device. Must people use an in-circuit programming pod that can range from a bit-bang type device driven by a parallel port to an intelligent programmer with a USB interface.

If you can, I recommend a JTAG programmer instead. The nice thing about that is you can take advantage of the on-chip ICE resources. With that, you can download the program and then attach to the target device with gdb and set breakpoints and examine memory and registers of the target device.

Also, if you want a nice IDE complete with code completion, I find that netbeans does a great job of unifying the development, compiling and debugging with an emulator.

To talk to the target, you will want avrdude and avr-gdb. AVR-Insight is a good front end to avr-gdb.
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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday

[ewaller]

Oh yeah, I forgot. You need avarice as a backend to gdb when you want to talk to real hardware. Conversely, use use simulavr as the back end when you are running simulations.
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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday

[Raniz]

I'm going to have to do uploading to the device at the university since I haven't got the tools at home. I just need the emulator for testing my code at home and then I'll transfer everything to the university and upload it to the device.

I'll have a look at simulavr, thanks.

[ewaller]

Well, enjoy the AVR course. It is an amazing little processor (once you get used to the Harvard architecture)

If you do want the tools, you might take a look at http://www.kanda.com/products/Kanda/STK200ICE.html
DISCLAMER: I am in no way associated with Kanda -- I just like their products.

The kit they provide includes a target board, an in-circuit programmer, and a JTAG pod for US$129.
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Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday