On March 5th, 2025, Labcenter Electronics Ltd. announced on their Facebook page the official release of Proteus 9. I saw this post five days later and immediately went to their website to see what was new. Proteus has a unique perk that sets it apart from other EDA software. Proteus is known for its all-in-one approach to schematic capture, simulation (including microcontroller simulation), and PCB layout. While other EDA tools also offer PCB layout or SPICE simulations, Proteus distinguishes itself through its deep integration of circuit simulation with embedded systems, allowing users to test and debug real firmware in a fully virtual environment. Today, I’ll share some thoughts on the new release of Proteus 9 and discuss its new features.
Proteus 9
For testing purposes, I installed the demo version of Proteus 9. The installation now includes a new feature: Portable Install. This allows installation in a single, user-defined location, which is a useful option for those working on multiple PCs, such as installing to an external hard drive.
You can download Proteus 9 directly from Labcenter Electronics’ official website. They offer a demo version for evaluation purposes.
Download: Proteus 9
Upon opening the program, I noticed that the splash screen is smaller compared to Proteus 8’s. In Proteus 9, the schematic graphics have been removed, and the new screen is brighter and more modern, featuring a gradient background. In contrast, the older Proteus 8 screen is simpler, using a solid blue color. One seems to be trying to be flashy, while the other is straightforward.
Home Tab and Migration Tool
The Home tab is similar to Proteus 8, but the Start section now includes a new option: Migration Tool. This tool is also accessible through the system menu: System -> Other Tools -> Migration Tool.
Design and New Framework
Proteus 9 has been completely redesigned. It is now a 64-bit program, enabling it to utilize more of your computer’s resources for faster performance and the ability to handle larger, more complex projects. The most significant change, however, is that Proteus is now built on a flexible framework that is not limited to Windows. This paves the way for future versions of Proteus to run on Linux and Mac computers, expanding its accessibility to a broader audience and making it a more versatile tool.
Icons
The older Proteus icons had a classic-style toolbar appearance, typical of older Windows desktop applications, but with a simpler, schematic-style look (thinner lines, more symbolic shapes). They appeared less 3D and used fewer bright colors. Now, changes have been made (though not to modern vector or flat designs; the classic design remains), incorporating brighter colors and simple gradients. Some icons have a slight bevel effect to make them stand out on toolbars, similar to the old design.
Theme
Proteus 9 introduces theme functionality. In the global system settings, you can toggle between standard and dark mode themes. I believe this basic feature should have been implemented earlier.
Customizable Toolbars
Proteus 9 allows customization of toolbars within tabs or application modules. In the Proteus 9 home screen, the File I/O Toolbar and Application Module Toolbar are now under the Home application module, and the same applies to Schematic Capture and other modules. Related toolbars are grouped under their respective tabs/modules. You can drag and place them within the current module. However, even if you close Proteus without saving the project, the toolbar positions are retained. A drawback of this feature is the absence of a reset option; you must manually reposition the bars to their default locations.
Mode selection toolbar groups, such as simulation tools and 2D Graphics, can be collapsed or expanded. You can switch between modes in collapsed groups by right-clicking, along with the icon size option.
You can also unpin the object selector and overview window to maximize the editing window. In Proteus 8, this was achieved using the auto-hide feature in the object selector via right-click. In Proteus 9, a pin icon at the top of the overview window serves this purpose. However, I found this feature less responsive than in Proteus 8. When unpinning the object selector and overview window and continuing work in the editing window, they don’t hide immediately unless you wait after clicking the pin icon. In Proteus 8, this action was instantaneous.
System Scope
Another new feature is the system scope in the schematic capture. This option is located in the animation control toolbar. It’s similar to the oscilloscope tool in the virtual tool mode selector but operates during simulation. This allows live probe placement on the circuit during simulation, a feature the default oscilloscope tool lacks. This is the only feature I consider significantly improved in Proteus 9 so far.
Schematic and PCB Module Response
In Proteus 9, the schematic capture editor window exhibits a slower response compared to Proteus 8. Placing, dragging, or using 2D shapes results in a laggy editor window. Proteus 8’s editor, on the other hand, provides a smooth and fast response for components and 2D graphics. This is a major bug or drawback in Proteus 9. The PCB module has the same issue. Additionally, zooming is less smooth than in Proteus 8.
In Proteus 8 Schematic Capture, if you run a simulation without any components, it displays an error message such as:
“Nothing to simulate! Simulation FAILED due to partition analysis error(s).”
However, in the new version of Proteus, running a simulation without any components does not show an error. Instead, the log indicates that netlisting and analysis are successful.
I’m not sure if this is a bug or an intended feature, but in my opinion, generating an error for an empty simulation would be the better approach
Managed Libraries
When designing electronic circuits or PCBs, users rely on library parts from various sources, including Labcenter, web vendors, or custom-created components. By default, Proteus treats all parts equally, allowing placement and on-the-fly editing.
The Managed Libraries feature introduces a controlled, approval-based workflow for parts usage. It ensures design accuracy by using only approved parts. A librarian selects and locks critical details, preventing user modifications. Version control tracks updates, and Proteus checks for consistency. This simplifies design and reduces errors. I find this feature more useful for PCB design than schematic. I haven’t yet explored how it integrates with Git version control or online library sharing. I will share more information on effective usage after further investigation.
Proteus recommends not manually copying your Proteus 8 libraries into the Proteus 9 library folder. While Proteus 8 libraries can be read in Proteus 9, they are not writable in the new version.
You can check the following resources for Proteus 8 libraries, where you’ll find a rich collection of animated simulated models. Link: Free Proteus Resources: Download Proteus 8 Libraries Now!
MicroPython Integration
Proteus VSM (Virtual System Modeling) has enhanced support for MicroPython, a simplified version of Python designed for embedded systems. The update includes support for more development boards, such as the Pyboard, and improved integration with real-world communication protocols like SPI and I2C via the FT232 chip. Additional improvements are also being made to the Visual Designer and IoT tools.
Final Thoughts
Since I primarily use Proteus for simulations and schematic capture, so I only tested the schematic capture module. There are more updates in other modules, such as PCB.
My honest review of Proteus 9 is that Labcenter has prioritized business expansion with this release. The major update is the shift to a 64-bit architecture, paving the way for Linux and Mac versions in the future. However, many of the new features in Proteus 9 could have been added to Proteus 8 instead of justifying a completely new version. Despite the release of Proteus 9 SP1 after beta testing, it still falls short of the stability of Proteus 8, especially given the lag issues in the schematic and PCB editors.
Overall, while Proteus 9 introduces some useful features, it still requires significant optimizations before it can be considered a truly stable and improved version over Proteus 8.
