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IAR Visual State 7.2 made repeatable simulation and navigation in large state-machine models easier: it added sequences of action-function return values, offline event-sequence files, and search across events, states, and actions. Those are changes in the 7.2 release, not a description of the newest release listed by IAR: its update portal lists Visual State 11.3, published November 27, 2025.
What IAR Visual State does
IAR Visual State is a model-based development environment for describing embedded application behavior as a state machine. Engineers create states, transitions, events, and actions graphically, then simulate and verify the model, generate C code, and document the design. The intent is to work on behavior at the model level before and during implementation, rather than treating the state machine only as handwritten code.
The environment also supports reusable submachines and product variants, an API, and a standalone Viewer for sharing models. These capabilities help organize related behavior and distribute designs, while simulation and verification serve different purposes: simulation exercises selected behavior, whereas verification checks model structure and properties.
What changed in Visual State 7.2
The 7.2 update focused on two practical problems: making test scenarios more repeatable and finding design elements more quickly as models grow.
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| Change in 7.2 | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Sequences of action-function return values in the simulator | A simulated action function can return different predefined values on successive invocations, making it possible to exercise behavior that depends on changing results. |
| Offline event-sequence files | Teams can prepare event inputs outside the simulator and replay a defined sequence against the model, rather than entering each event manually for each run. |
| Search field for events, states, and actions | Designers can locate named elements directly in a large design instead of navigating through the model manually. |
These additions address distinct bottlenecks. Return-value sequences control simulated action outcomes; event files standardize the input sequence; search reduces the effort of locating model elements. Together, they are most useful when a team needs to repeat a scenario or work in a model with many named elements.
How the design-and-test workflow fits together
- Model behavior: represent the application with states, transitions, events, and actions. Reusable submachines and variants can organize common behavior and product-specific differences.
- Exercise the model: use the simulator to drive it with events and, for relevant scenarios, predefined sequences of action-function return values. Event-sequence files allow inputs to be prepared offline and replayed.
- Check model structure: run verification to identify issues such as unreachable states, dead ends, unconsumed inputs, and complex areas that may deserve focused testing.
- Generate implementation code: use Visual State Coder to produce C code from the model, with generated-code options available for different needs.
- Debug in the toolchain: integrate with IAR Embedded Workbench for hardware debugging, including state-machine-level debugging features.
What verification can—and cannot—tell you
Verification is useful for finding structural problems that can be difficult to spot by running a handful of scenarios. An unreachable state may never be entered; a dead end can leave behavior with no modeled way forward; and an unconsumed input may indicate that an event has no applicable handling in a situation where one is expected. The tool can also highlight complex model areas as candidates for more focused testing.
Those checks complement simulation rather than replacing it. A model-level verification result does not, by itself, establish that generated code behaves correctly on target hardware under every real-world condition. Simulation lets engineers exercise chosen paths and outcomes; hardware debugging helps investigate implementation behavior in the integrated toolchain.
What is the latest Visual State version listed?
IAR’s update portal lists Visual State 11.3, published November 27, 2025, as a maintenance update. The portal also says support for Embedded Workbench IDE Platform v8 is ending. That makes 7.2 a historical release whose simulator and search changes remain useful to understand, but it should not be mistaken for the newest version listed by IAR.
The portal documents Windows and Ubuntu packages for 11.x releases and says Visual State installers require a valid Support and Update Agreement. Confirm the available installer, platform requirements, support status, and current purchase or evaluation terms with IAR before planning an installation or upgrade.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who benefits most from the 7.2 changes?
- Teams with repeatable test cases: event-sequence files make it easier to run a prepared series of inputs consistently.
- Models with stateful action behavior: sequences of return values help simulate actions whose results vary from one call to the next.
- Designers navigating large models: search for events, states, and actions avoids relying entirely on manual navigation.
For teams evaluating Visual State now, the relevant decision is broader than the 7.2 additions: confirm the current release and platform/support requirements, then assess whether the modeling, verification, code-generation, and Embedded Workbench integration fit the project’s workflow.
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