The AVR Software Framework uses a set of standard Application Programming Interfaces or APIs across all AVRs. They simplify how your application code interfaces with chip peripherals and communication interfaces, ensuring that your application code migrates even easier across the whole range of AVR microcontrollers.

Application Builder

Use the Application Builder to import drivers, communication stacks and services from AVR Software Framework into a project. The Application Builder automatically manages library dependencies, making sure your code contains the required drivers.

Solution Explorer

The Solution Explorer presents an organized view of all your projects and their files, and gives you simple access to the commands that apply to them. You can easily create applications containing multiple microcontrollers and develop the code for all of them within the same solution.

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In-system programming

AVR Studio 5 connects seamlessly to a wide range of AVR debuggers and programmers.

One of the biggest advantages of modern flash microcontrollers is their ability to send debug data to your PC, giving you perfect view of what goes on inside.

JTAGICE3

The new JTAGICE 3 is smaller, faster and more robust than previous models, and supports all 8- and 32-bit AVR microcontrollers.

I/O view

With the JTAGICE connected, AVR Studio 5 can present status of all processor, memories, communication interfaces, and analog interfaces in nicely formatted views, giving you fast access to critical system parameters. There is no faster way to identify bugs and optimize a design, in the lab or in the field.

Easy updates

Fast in-system programming allows a software update to be downloaded in seconds. Self programming and custom bootloaders allows microcontrollers to receive code updates via any interface, even across a radio link.

官網簡介就這樣了，從我初步用的角度來看，首先最大的變化當讓是IDE了，用的是VS2010的shell,如果電腦里安裝了vs2010中文版的話這個界面也都是中文版。IDE的變化最爽的就是寫程序，代碼提示，用起來很爽。工程管理界面看起來也非常舒服。

當然也有不爽的地方，不爽一是安裝包很大，需要.net 4.0支持，完全安裝1個G的空間，安裝時間也很長，這一點肯定是其他單片機類開發軟件沒有的，不過想想這也沒啥，用的方便就可以。軟件設置改動很大，需要一段時間來熟悉。

當然最郁悶的就是仿真器支持的少了，最便宜的JTAG用不了了，STK500倒是可以用，但是支持的器件要比在4.x的版本中少，我用的mega128就不支持。如果用jtagice mkII的話要五六百，暫時還買不起。只能用雙龍ISP或者通過bootloader下載了，其他的地方正在琢磨。

最后給上下載地址：

這個下載地址是官方正式版的地址，包含所有的組件的版本，下載他沒錯了，也可以去官網下載，但是得先注冊一下。

上面這個版本是20110511更新的，有興趣的可以關注一下。歡迎交流。