Extending Existing Build Flows#

In order to extend an existing build flow for use with cocotb, this chapter shows the minimum settings to be done.

Note

These instructions are an unsupported alternative to using the Makefiles provided by cocotb. The $(cocotb-config ...) syntax for executing cocotb-config works in the bash shell; adapt for your scripting language as needed.

For all simulators, the following environment variables need to be set:

See the sections below for additional settings to be done, depending on the simulator.

Icarus Verilog#

  • Call the vvp executable with the options -M $(cocotb-config --lib-dir) -m $(cocotb-config --lib-name vpi icarus).

Verilator#

  • Extend the call to verilator with these options:

    --vpi --public-flat-rw --prefix Vtop \
-LDFLAGS "-Wl,-rpath,$(cocotb-config --lib-dir) \
    -L$(cocotb-config --lib-dir) \
    -lcocotbvpi_verilator" \
$(cocotb-config --share)/lib/verilator/verilator.cpp

  • Run Verilator’s makefile as follows: CPPFLAGS="-std=c++11" make -f Vtop.mk

Synopsys VCS#

  • Create a file pli.tab with the content acc+=rw,wn:* (or equivalent) to allow cocotb to access values in the design.

  • Extend the vcs call with the options +vpi -P pli.tab -load $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi vcs).

Aldec Riviera-PRO#

  • The asim call needs the +access +w_nets option set to allow cocotb to access values in the design.

For a design with a VHDL toplevel, call asim with the option -loadvhpi $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vhpi riviera):vhpi_startup_routines_bootstrap.

Set the GPI_EXTRA environment variable to $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi riviera):cocotbvpi_entry_point if there are also (System)Verilog modules in the design.

For a design with a (System)Verilog toplevel, call alog and asim with the option -pli $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi riviera).

Set the GPI_EXTRA environment variable to $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vhpi riviera):cocotbvhpi_entry_point if there are also VHDL modules in the design.

Aldec Active-HDL#

  • The asim call needs the +access +w_nets option set to allow cocotb to access values in the design.

For a design with a VHDL toplevel, call asim with the option -loadvhpi $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vhpi activehdl):vhpi_startup_routines_bootstrap.

Set the GPI_EXTRA environment variable to $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi activehdl):cocotbvpi_entry_point if there are also (System)Verilog modules in the design.

For a design with a (System)Verilog toplevel, call alog and asim with the option -pli $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi activehdl).

Set the GPI_EXTRA environment variable to $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vhpi activehdl):cocotbvhpi_entry_point if there are also VHDL modules in the design.

Mentor/Siemens EDA Questa and Modelsim#

Questa supports two different flows: the traditional flow using vsim, which is also used by ModelSim, and a modern alternative using qrun.

Design with a VHDL Toplevel

For a design with a VHDL toplevel, call the vsim or qrun executable with the option -foreign "cocotb_init $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path fli questa)".

Set the GPI_EXTRA environment variable to $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi questa):cocotbvpi_entry_point if there are also (System)Verilog modules in the design.

Design with a (System)Verilog Toplevel

For a design with a (System)Verilog toplevel, call the vsim or qrun executable with the option -pli $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi questa).

Set the GPI_EXTRA environment variable to $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path fli questa):cocotbfli_entry_point if there are also VHDL modules in the design.

Cadence Incisive and Xcelium#

  • The xrun call (or xmelab in multi-step mode) needs the -access +rwc (or equivalent, e.g. -afile afile) option set to allow cocotb to access values in the design.

For a design with a VHDL toplevel, call the xrun or xmelab executable with the options -NEW_VHPI_PROPAGATE_DELAY -loadvpi $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi xcelium):vlog_startup_routines_bootstrap.

Set the GPI_EXTRA environment variable to $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vhpi xcelium):cocotbvhpi_entry_point. This is because directly loading the VHPI library causes an error in Xcelium, so always load the VPI library and supply VHPI via GPI_EXTRA.

For a design with a (System)Verilog toplevel, call the xrun or xmelab executable with the option -loadvpi $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi xcelium):vlog_startup_routines_bootstrap.

Set the GPI_EXTRA environment variable to $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vhpi xcelium):cocotbvhpi_entry_point if there are also VHDL modules in the design.

GHDL#

  • Extend the ghdl -r call with the option --vpi=$(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi ghdl).

NVC#

  • Extend the nvc -r call with the option --load=$(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vhpi nvc).

Note

It is recommended to add --preserve-case to build arguments. This is standards-compliant behavior and may become default behavior in NVC.

Tachyon DA CVC#

  • Extend the cvc64 call with the option +interp +acc+2 +loadvpi=$(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi cvc):vlog_startup_routines_bootstrap.

Siemens DSim#

  • Extend the dsim call with the option -pli_lib $(cocotb-config --lib-name-path vpi dsim) +acc+rwcbfsWF.