We know that the working platform of every android application is an android device. So in order to test an android project we need an android device connected to our computer. This is not a convenient way of developing and debugging an android application.
So in order to make the development process simple, the android sdk provides a virtual android device called the android virtual device or simply the AVD. We can create any appropriate device working environment on the AVD. Here is the steps for creating an android virtual device in eclipse IDE.
step 1:
Click the window tab on the menu bar and choose the Android virtual device manager option.
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step 2:
Click the new button on the right top of that window.
Provide any suitable name for your AVD.
Choose a suitable device from the drop down list named device.
Choose a target version from drop down list named Target. (target name is the maximum API level supported by your AVD. Always choose the latest version as target).
Provide device RAM size and internal memory. Choose 512mb, otherwise the AVD take more time to load.
Provide memory size for SD card. Most suitable is 1024mb.
Finally click OK.
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Now you can see that the AVD is created and you can see it in the AVD manager window. To start an AVD, select the AVD from the list in AVD manager and click the start button. By starting an AVD from the AVD manager you can get an opportunity to customize the size of the AVD.