VIrtual Prototyping Panel (VIPpanel)

A picture's worth 1000 words – if your want your product to be accepted by your customer it should not only perform well but its design and operation interface should be great. The VIPpanel helps you here to reach your goals and also to save time and money in the process.

What is the VIPpanel?

The VIPpanel is a Windows program in form of a Dynamic Link Library (DLL), which enables you to simulate a front panel with LCD Display, keys and status indicators on a Windows-PC. The complete design of the front panel including its size, its design, the LCD type, the position and number of keys and indicators can be chosen as you wish. The control of the LCD and the messages from key events are based on a simple protocol via pre-defined library functions in the DLL or communication interfaces. Download the latest version of the VIPpanel software here

Why a front panel simulator?

Using the VIPpanel you can present your design to your customer or project leader in a very short time; it is operational and optically very realistic. Change requests can be respected immediately and you can start or even complete your software development before any target hardware is available!

But this is not all. It is also possible for you to continue using the VIPpanel after completing your development for useful purposes such as a Product Demo or as Download on your home page. By adding corresponding tool-tips and context sensitive help (all of which are part of the VIPpanel's capabilities) it can even be turned into an interactive operator's manual!

Here you can download a complete reference project and experience the full advantages of this solution. Test it and you will certainly be convinced.

How do I use the VIPpanel as part of my development?

The VIPpanel supports two development methods:

If your software project can run under Windows, it communicates via defined library functions with the VIPpanel. We have a detailed example of such an approach which you can use as a basis or as reference. Simply download the VisualStudio Demo-project and application note here.

For those developers who prefer to develop on their target hardware using their favorite embedded tools, the VIPpanel can be configured to communicate with this hardware either over the serial interface or via Ethernet LAN.

Let’s get real

So when your design is complete, your customer satisfied and the testers fully convinced, you need only to transform the design into reality.

Thanks to our experience in the world of embedded development and front panel design, we are your perfect partner. From your VIPpanel design data we can quickly turn your 'virtual' front panel into a real hardware and, if there are any, other wishes can naturally be respected on the way.