legoHDL is a complete, robust, and flexible HDL package manager and development tool used through the command-line interface. It provides full package management capabilities and incorporates special functionality specific to HDL designs to rapidly improve development workflow.
NOTE: This project is considered a prototype and has neared its final major pushes. Feedback is welcome from trying out the tool. I have learned a lot and this project has grown greatly from the lessons learned. More enhancements and revisions will be applied when creating the real product. Real development is planned to be written in Rust under the test-driven-development methodology.
VHDL and Verilog are supported as well as mixed-language.
Cross-platform compatibility with macos, ubuntu, and windows.
Requires only python 3.5+, git, and your favorite text-editor.
Projects are called blocks within legoHDL, and are managed under 3 levels: downloaded (D), installed (I), or available (A). See which levels blocks are at in your active workspace. Blocks contain your HDL source files and their designs, which can be referenced by any new project.
Library Block Status Version Vendor
---------------- -------------------- -------- ---------- ----------------
eel4712c lab1 I 3.0.1
eel4712c lab2 I 3.0.2
eel4712c lab3 D I 1.1.1
eel4712c lab4 D I 2.0.1
eel4712c lab5 D I 1.0.4
eel4712c lab6 D
graphics LED_Animation D
graphics VGA D
cpu mips D A 0.0.1 uf-ece
eel4744c lab4 D
audio synthesizer D I 2.0.2 Kazhuu
io motor_driver D
io rotary_encoder I 1.0.2 open-ip
projects digilock D I 0.0.1
util toolbox D I 1.0.3
sample mux_2x1 I A 3.0.1 uf-ece
With a single command, return relevant information collected from the IP file's initial comment block and ready-to-use compatible code for VHDL or Verilog instantiation. By instantiating a design into a project, legoHDL automatically knows to use that IP's file for building a project, even if it's located outside the current project.
--- ABOUT ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project: eel4712c.lab5
Author: Chase Ruskin
Course: Digital Design - UF EEL4712C
Created: October 16, 2021
Entity: bcd_encoder
Description:
Converts a binary number into a binary-coded decimal number using the
"double dabble" algorithm. If at any point during the computation the input
number changes, the algorithm resets.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- CODE ---
constant WIDTH : positive := 4;
constant DIGITS : positive := 2;
signal clk : std_logic;
signal rst_n : std_logic;
signal go : std_logic;
signal bin : std_logic_vector(WIDTH-1 downto 0);
signal bcd : std_logic_vector((4*DIGITS) -1 downto 0);
signal done : std_logic;
signal ovfl : std_logic;
uX : entity eel4712c.bcd_encoder generic map(
WIDTH => WIDTH,
DIGITS => DIGITS)
port map(
clk => clk,
rst_n => rst_n,
go => go,
bin => bin,
bcd => bcd,
done => done,
ovfl => ovfl);
legoHDL approaches IP management by allowing the developer to solely focus on designing new hardware, not wasting time fighting with tools and rewriting code. Developers take advantage of structural modeling styles to reuse IP, and legoHDL analyzes HDL source files to determine what external designs are required based on instantiations within the source code.
INFO: Identified top-level unit: synthesizer
INFO: Identified top-level testbench: tb_synthesizer
INFO: Generating dependency tree...
--- DEPENDENCY TREE ---
\- audio.tb_synthesizer
+- audio.synthesizer
| +- audio.wave_gen
| +- audio.multi_port_adder
| | \- audio.adder
| +- audio.audio_ctrl
| \- audio.piano
\- audio.audio_codec_model
--- BLOCK ORDER ---
[1]^- audio.synthesizer(v2.0.2)
When a developer is ready to build their project, whether it's for linting, simulation, synthesis, or generating a bitstream, legoHDL exports a simple text file called a blueprint that lists the necessary HDL files in a topologically sorted order to be read and plugged into any backend tool for a completely custom workflow.
@BOARD-DESIGN /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/quartus/system_top_level.bdf
@VHDL-SRC /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/vhd/wave_gen.vhd
@VHDL-SRC /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/vhd/adder.vhd
@VHDL-SRC /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/vhd/audio_ctrl.vhd
@VHDL-SRC /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/vhd/piano.vhd
@VHDL-SRC /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/vhd/audio_codec_model.vhd
@VHDL-SRC /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/vhd/multi_port_adder.vhd
@VHDL-SRC /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/vhd/synthesizer.vhd
@VHDL-SIM /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/tb/tb_synthesizer.vhd
@VHDL-SIM-TOP tb_synthesizer /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/tb/tb_synthesizer.vhd
@VHDL-SRC-TOP synthesizer /Users/chase/develop/eel4712c/synth/vhd/synthesizer.vhd
Developers set up custom workflows by writing and using plugins for their backend tool to be reused with all projects. No more copying makefiles or tcl scripts into every project.
# --A simple plugin script to run a VHDL simulation using GHDL--
import os
#blueprint file is located in 'build/' directory
os.chdir('build')
tb_entity = None
#list of tuples storing the (library,filepath) to be analyzed in order
src_list = []
#[!] read blueprint file to collect the necessary data to build the design
with open('blueprint', 'r') as blueprint:
for rule in blueprint.readlines():
#break up line into list of words
rule = rule.split()
#label is always first item, filepath is always last item
label,filepath = rule[0],rule[-1]
#collect data on non-work VHDL files and their libraries
if('@VHDL-LIB' == label):
lib = rule[1] #second item is library name
src_list += [(lib, filepath)]
#collect data on VHDL work files
elif('@VHDL-SRC' == label or '@VHDL-SIM' == label):
src_list += [('work', filepath)]
#collect data on VHDL testbench entity
elif('@VHDL-SIM-TOP' == label):
tb_entity = rule[1] #second item is entity name
#[!] analyze all collected VHDL files
for src in src_list:
os.system('ghdl -a --std=08 --ieee=synopsys --work='+src[0]+' '+src[1])
#[!] run simulation if a testbench entity is provided
if(tb_entity != None):
os.system('ghdl -r --std=08 --ieee=synopsys '+tb_entity)legoHDL is designed to benefit the individual developer as well as those working together. Set up a vendor to centralize IPs for you or your team to use and collaborate. Easily share plugins, settings, and templates across your team by setting up profiles.
legoHDL has configurable aspects, such as custom labels, multiple workspaces, and vendor repositories, that can be easily changed through its integrated GUI.
To learn more about the powers of legoHDL, read the documentation.
Check out the roadmap to see what features and enhancements are currently being worked on. This project is under active development, so features may change or be added.
- Make sure python as version 3.5+ and git are installed.
python --version
git --version
- clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/c-rus/legoHDL.git
- Install the program via pip
pip install ./legoHDL
- Verify it is properly installed.
legohdl --version
- See the documentation website for further details on getting started.
Note: Once the roadmap is complete for v1.0.0, users will be able to install legoHDL directly through pip from PYPI.
-
Upon first time calling legohdl, run
legohdlfrom the command line. -
When prompted to import a profile, return
y. -
Next, return an empty response to get going with the default profile.
-
Enter other prompted information such as your name, text-editor, and workspace path.
-
legoHDL is now ready. Create your first block and open it in the configured text-editor with
legohdl new tutorials.gates -open.
Checkout the tutorials for next steps.
Refer to the manual for complete overview and explanations on every command and their relevant flags.
Usage:
legohdl <command> [<entry>] [<flags>] [-h]
Commands:
Development
new create a new legohdl block (project)
init initialize existing code into a legohdl block
open open a block with the configured text-editor
get print instantiation code for an HDL entity
graph visualize HDL dependency graph
export generate a blueprint file
build execute a custom configured plugin
release set a newer version for the current block
del delete a block from the local workspace path
Management
list print list of all blocks available
refresh sync local vendors with their remotes
install bring a block to the cache for dependency use
uninstall remove a block from the cache
download bring a block to the workspace path for development
update update an installed block to be its latest version
show read further detail about a block
config modify legohdl settings
Type 'legohdl help <command>' to read about that command.
Inspired by the modular building approach of LEGO® bricks, legoHDL brings modularity and management to hardware description languages by enabling designs to be built like LEGO® bricks. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this project.