In this project, we propose to develop a Python framework to (1) manage the files of an embedded hardware/software (HW/SW) codesign project and (2) generate the Verilog code of the hardware components. The framework will be tested on the OpenCrypto system created in previously NGI-supported projects. The flow will use only open-source tools.
An embedded HW/SW project requires that various source files be conveniently organized in a directory tree so that the build scripts can produce the needed artifacts. Typically, Makefiles and different scripting languages are employed, which is often a barrier for new developers. The proposed Python framework will raise developer accessibility by providing a single cockpit for the design process.
Hardware Design Languages such as Verilog and VHDL give a lot of flexibility to users. Still, the design tools reject most of their features and force users to use a small, low-level subset if we want the code to be human-readable and portable to both FPGAs and ASICs. The result is a very tedious and error-prone hardware design process. So, we'd like to propose a tool to generate portable Verilog code using a Python API.
Py2HWSW aims to develop a Python generator of portable Verilog code. Py2HW is not a High-Level Synthesis (HLS) language. It is instead a tool to help hardware designers produce readable, lint-clean, and portable Verilog code that can be used seamlessly in any FPGA or ASIC.
This project will benefit from a significant body of work constructed over the years, which is described in the following links.
IOb-SoC is a System-on-Chip (SoC) template comprising an open-source RISC-V processor, a memory subsystem, and a UART. IOb-SoC is the departing repository; it already uses a collection of Python scripts to create a build directory for compiling and running various tools.
IOb-SoC-OpenCryptoHW is a reconfigurable cryptographic hardware IP core for Next Generation Internet. Security and privacy are more important than ever with the Internet of Things.
Optionally, create a python virtual environment before installing the py2hwsw package:
python -m venv py2hwsw_env
source py2hwsw_env/bin/activateUse the following command to install the py2hwsw program with pip:
pip install git+https://github.com/IObundle/py2hwsw#egg=py2hwswAs an alternative, to install the py2hwsw package from the locally cloned repository:
pip install -e path/to/py2hwsw_directoryUse the following commands to install the py2hwsw program with Nix:
export PY2HWSW_PATH=path/to/py2hwsw_directory
nix-shell path/to/py2hwsw_directoryIf the Py2HWSW_PATH environment variable is not set, the nix environment will only install the project dependencies. Not the py2hwsw package itself.
To use the py2hwsw program from a local repository without having to rebuild the package (as with nix and pip), run the py2hwsw.py script directly:
Ensure the ~/.local/bin/ is in the PATH environment variable.
Otherwise, set it by adding the following to your .bashrc file:
# set PATH so it includes user's private ~/.local/bin if it exists
if [ -d "$HOME/.local/bin" ] ; then
PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
fi
Then create a symlink to the py2hwsw.py script in the ~/.local/bin directory:
ln -s path/to/py2hwsw_directory/py2hwsw/scripts/py2hwsw.py ~/.local/bin/py2hwsw
Since this project started recently, usage examples are still being constructed and will be available soon.
This project is funded through NGI Zero Core, a fund established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission's Next Generation Internet program. Learn more at the NLnet project page.
