Thanks for the fast replay. Here is some testing I have done with your proposed solution:

I have added a new <ToolchainLoader> element (i copied the one from the IAR-ARM toolchain) and changed the <PathDetectionKey> to the Embedded Workbench for Renesas. I also changed the compiler, linker and assembler as well as the <BinaryDirectory> and the <IncludeDirectories>. As far as I can see, there shouldn’t be anything left which points to something ARM related.

If I create a new Project with the Embedded Project Wizard, the Embedd Workbench 8.1 (it’s the one for Renesas) is indeed recognized and can be selected in the dropdown menu. The Microcontroller type can also be selected in the “supported device” list below.

A problem occurs if I click “Next”. VisualGDB trys to test the compiler and returns with an error message: “Failed to launch iccrl78.exe. VisualGDB has tried to test your settings by building a simple project and encountered following errors:”:

Run “C:\Program Files (x86)\IAR Systems\Embedded Workbench 8.1\rl78\bin\iccrl78.exe ” in directory “” on local computer
————————–

IAR C/C++ Compiler V4.10.1.2197 for RL78
Copyright 2011-2018 IAR Systems AB.
PC-locked license – IAR Embedded Workbench for Renesas RL78, 16K KickStart Edition 4.10

Available command line options:
–c++ C++
–c89 Use C89 standard
–calling_convention [v1|v2]
Select calling convention (default: v2)
–char_is_signed
‘Plain’ char is treated as signed char
–char_is_unsigned
‘plain’ char is treated as unsigned char
–code_model [n|near|f|far]
Select code model (default: near)
–code_section section-name
Select default code section name
–core [s1|s2|s3]
Select core (default: s3)
-D symbol[=value]
Define macro (same as #define symbol [value])
–data_model [n|near|f|far|h|huge]
Select data model (default: near)
–debug
-r Insert debug info in object file
–dependencies=[i|m|n][s][lw][b] file|directory|+
List file dependencies
i Include filename only (default)
m Makefile style (multiple rules)
n Makefile style (one rule)
s Don’t include system file dependencies
l Use locale encoding instead of UTF-8
w Use little endian UTF-16 instead of UTF-8
b Use a Byte Order Mark in UTF-8 output
(+: output same as -o, only with .d extension)
–deprecated_feature_warnings [+|-]feature,[+|-]feature,…
Enable (+) or disable (-) warnings about deprecated features:
attribute_syntax Warn about attribute syntax that
will change
preprocessor_extensions Warn about use of migration
preprocessor extensions
segment_pragmas Warn about use of #pragma constseg/
dataseg/memory
–diagnostics_tables file|directory
Dump diagnostic message tables to file
–diag_error tag,tag,…
Treat the list of tags as error diagnostics
–diag_remark tag,tag,…
Treat the list of tags as remark diagnostics
–diag_suppress tag,tag,…
Suppress the list of tags as diagnostics
–diag_warning tag,tag,…
Treat the list of tags as warning diagnostics
–disable_div_mod_instructions
Disable generation of div instructions
–discard_unused_publics
Discard unused public functions and variables
–dlib_config name|path
Specify DLib library configuration
–double bits double size
32 type double is 32 bits wide (default)
64 type double is 64 bits wide
–do_explicit_zero_opt_in_named_sections
Allow zero init optimization for variables in named
sections/segments
-e Enable IAR C/C++ language extensions
–enable_restrict
Enable the restrict keyword
–error_limit limit
Stop after this many errors (0 = no limit)
-f file Read command line options from file
–f file Read command line options from file and report dependency
–generate_callt_runtime_library_calls
Generate callt runtime library calls
–generate_far_runtime_library_calls
Generate far runtime library calls
–guard_calls Use a guard call for a function static initialization
–header_context
Adds include file context to diagnostics
-I directory Add #include search directory
-l[c|C|D|E|a|A|b|B][N][H] file|directory
Output list file
c C source listing
C with assembly code
D with pure assembly code
E with non-sequential assembly code
a Assembler file
A with C source
b Basic assembler file
B with C source
N Do not include diagnostics
H Include header file source lines
–macro_positions_in_diagnostics
Use positions inside macros in diagnostics
–max_cost_constexpr_call limit
Maximum cost (number of calls/number of loop iterations) when
evaluating a top-level constexpr call
–max_depth_constexpr_call limit
Maximum depth of recursion when evaluating a top-level
constexpr call
–mfc Enable multiple file compilation
–misrac1998 Enable MISRA C diagnostics (not available)
–misrac2004 Enable MISRA C diagnostics (not available)
–near_const_location [RAM|ROM0|ROM1]
Select near const location (default: ROM0)
–nonportable_path_warnings
Enable warning for non-matching case in paths
–no_bom Don’t use a Byte Order Mark in Unicode output
–no_call_frame_info
Suppress output of call frame information
–no_clustering Disable clustering optimizations
–no_code_motion
Disable code motion
–no_cross_call Disable cross call optimization
–no_cse Disable common sub-expression elimination
–no_exceptions Disable C++ exception support
–no_fragments Do not generate section fragments
–no_inline Disable function inlining
–no_path_in_file_macros
Strip path from __FILE__ and __BASE_FILE__ macros
–no_rtti Disable C++ runtime type information support
–no_scheduling No scheduling
–no_size_constraints
Remove limits for code expansion
–no_static_destruction
Do not emit code to destroy C++ static variables
–no_system_include
Do not search in the default system header directory
–no_tbaa Disable type based alias analysis
–no_typedefs_in_diagnostics
Do not use typedefs when printing types
–no_uniform_attribute_syntax
Use old meaning for IAR type attributes before initial type
–no_unroll Disable loop unrolling
–no_warnings Disable generation of warnings
–no_wrap_diagnostics
Don’t wrap long lines in diagnostic messages
-O[n|l|m|h|hs|hz]
Select level of optimization:
n No optimizations
l Low optimizations (default)
m Medium optimizations
h High optimizations
hz High optimizations, tuned for small code size
hs High optimizations, tuned for high speed
(-O without argument) The same setting as -Oh
–only_stdout Use stdout only (no console output on stderr)
–output file|path
-o file|path Specify object file
–pending_instantiations limit
Maximum number of instantiations of a given template in
progress at a time (0 -> no limit)
–predef_macros file|directory
Output predefined macros
–preinclude filename
Include file before normal source
–preprocess=[c][n][s] file|directory
Preprocessor output
c Include comments
n Preprocess only
s Suppress #line directives
–public_equ symbol[=value]
Define public assembler symbol (EQU)
–relaxed_fp Enable floating point optimizations that may affect the result
–remarks Enable generation of remarks
–require_prototypes
Require prototypes for all called or public functions
–silent Silent operation
–source_encoding {locale|utf8}
Encoding to use for source files with no BOM
–stack_protection
Enable stack smashing protection
–strict Strict C/C++ standard language rules
–system_include_dir directory
Set system header directory
–text_out encoding
Encoding to use for text output files
utf8 UTF-8
utf16le Little-endian UTF-16
utf16be Big-endian UTF-16
locale Locale specific encoding
–uniform_attribute_syntax
Same syntax for IAR type attributes as for const/volatile
–use_c++_inline
Use C++ inline semantics in C mode
–use_paths_as_written
Use paths as written in debug information
(normally absolute paths are used)
–use_unix_directory_separators
Use forward slashes in paths in debug information
–utf8_text_in Non-source text input files with no BOM use UTF-8 encoding
–version Output version information and exit
–vla Allow variable length arrays
–warnings_affect_exit_code
Warnings affect exit code
–warnings_are_errors
All warnings are errors
–warn_about_c_style_casts
Warn about uses of C-style casts in EC++/C++
–workseg_area[=20]
Enable short address workseg area with optional size
–workseg_area[=30] (default: 20)
————————–
Command exited with code 0

—– contents of (version regex) —–
IAR (.* Compiler|ELF Linker) (V[^ /]+)/.*
———————————–

That is the normal output if you call iccrl78.exe with no arguments from the console. Could it be that VisaulGDB starts the iccrl78 compiler with no, or wrong arguments ? I have looked for a file which defines the compiler arguments used by VisualGDB but I couldn’t find one.

Besides that I am curious if VisualGDB’s Intellisense would still work with the code for the Renesas IAR compiler ?

If there are any ideas/solutions to the above problem you can let me know, if not it seems like I’m stuck with ARM devices 🙂

Thank you very much. The modification of the RegularExpressions.xml file works great and the error is gone.

At the risk of trying your patience, I have one more problem left. After checking the compiler, VisualGDB runs “Detecting conditional settings” and returns with a System.ArgumentNullException. I guess it’s because the ROM and RAM sizes of all detected Renesas devices are set to zero.
I’m not sure if this is important, but if I select a Renesas device it shows the correct file path to the device folder under “Shared file locations” in the bottom of the window (in my case it’s C:\Program Files (x86)\IAR Systems\Embedded Workbench 8.1\rl78\config\devices\RL78 – G13).
I checked that folder and it seems like the .menu files are all there.

Is there some way to specify the ROM and RAM sizes of a device manualy ?