Working with the Serial Port model in Proteus

Method of working with Proteus

In order to check this functionality, we will use Proteus. If we add a serial port model and connect the RXD and TXD, transmitted data should immediately be returned to the computer. This verifies the ability to enact serial communication in Proteus.

Ideally, a virtual serial port would be created in Proteus that would simulate the interaction with a physical interface. Then you could just run the device simulation and use Serial Port Terminal as the host program to test the connection. Unfortunately, the virtual port is not created in the Proteus simulator without the help of additional software.

The facility that allows the COM port model to work in Proteus is known as COMPIM.

What is COMPIM in Proteus?

COMPIM models a physical serial port. It buffers received serial communication and presents it as digital signals to the circuit. Any serial data transmitted from the UART model or the CPU will also travel through the computer’s serial port. There are workarounds that can be used to create a virtual serial port using Bluetooth or USB connectivity. Another feature of the COMPIM model is its ability to provide baud rate conversion. There is also optional software and hardware verification which can be implemented to address the physical and virtual aspects of the device.

Two ways of working with Proteus

There are two methods that can be used to check the functionality of the “host program” <-> “COM port” <-> “device model in the Proteus system.

• Configure Proteus’ virtual port to one physical port and the host program to the other one. Connect them using a serial cable.
• You can also use two computers, one of which is running the device simulation while the host program executes on the other one and connect them via their COM ports.

Proteus has advantages over other tools like VMLAb and Atmel Studio because it provides faster simulation of external serial ports. You can also work with commercial drivers using Proteus.

There is, however, an issue when we are using a modern laptop or another computer that does not contain a serial port.