Scicos-HDL User Guide

1 About Scicos-HDL

1.1 Features
● Links The Scilab/Scicos with the Digital circuit design(EDA).

● Integrates the hardware circuit, algorithm and Scilab/Scicos environment as a plat for digital circuit
design, simulation and Hardware Description Language generation.

● Enables complex signal processing combined with powerful mathematical tools.

● Inside libraries: Sequential logic library, Combinational logic library, Ipcore library, simulation library.

● Support mixed-simulation with the Scicos blocks.

● Automatically generates Description Language(VHDL and Verilog ).

● Automatically generates a VHDL testbench.

● Automatically generates a Verilog testbench.

● Automatic propagation of signal names to generated HDL.

● You can specify most values in the block parameter dialog boxes using Scicos workspace.

● Mix-simulation with original Scicos blocks and Scicos-HDL blocks.

● Open interface for users to add blocks.

● Under Scilab ‘s LICENCE.

● Support: Windows XP, 2000, 98, Linux, UNIX, and Mac OS X.

1.2 General Description

Scicos-HDL integrates the hardware circuit, algorithm and Scilab/Scicos environment as a plat for digital
circuit design, simulation and Hardware Description Language generation. Scicos-HDL shortens digital circuit
design cycles by helping you create the hardware representation in an modeling-friendly development
environment. You can combine existing Scicos blocks with Scicos-HDL blocks and to link system-level design .
It is a open source project under Scilab ‘s license, the release vision 0.5 can help to design and simulate some
small-scale digital circuit system with its Hardware Description Language generation. We now will make it as a
tool for teaching digital circuit design. Now it supports VHDL&Verilog Languages.

Scicos-HDL now has five libraries, including : HDL_Sequential_Lib, HDL_Combinational_Lib,

HDL_IPcore_Lib, HDL_Simulation_Lib, HDL_Super_Lib. See the following picture:
 Figure 1 HDL_Combinational_Lib Figure 2 HDL_Sequential_Lib

Figure 3 HDL_IPcore_Lib Figure 4 HDL_Simulation_Lib

1.3 Design Flow

When using Scicos-HDL, you start by creating a design model in the Scilab/Scicos software. After you have
created your model, you can generate VHDL or Verilog HDL files and their simulation generate files for VHDL
or Verilog HDL simulation.
The design flow involves the following steps:
1. Create a model with a combination of Scicos and Scicos-HDL blocks using the Scilab/Scicos software.

2. Simulate the model in Scicos using a Scope block to monitor the results(inside Ghdl—VHDL
simulator).

3. Use the VHDL or Verilog HDL Compiler block to analyze your design and generate HDL language.

4. Use other synthesis tools to perform RTL synthesis.

5. Download to FPGA/CPLD board and test.

 Figure 5 Design flow

2 Getting Started Tutorial

2.1 Introduction
This tutorial uses an example full adder design, fulladder.cos, to demonstrate the Scicos-HDL design flow.
The full adder is composed of some AND gate blocks, NOR gate blocks and NOT gate blocks as its entity
blocks, these blocks belong to combinational logic library(HDL_Combinational_Lib); some other blocks
including I/O port blocks(IN and OUT), HDL I/O ports blocks(HDL IN and HDL OUT) , simulation
blocks(Square wave generator), displayer(Mscope) and VHDL and Verilog HDL Compilers, these blocks belong
to simulation library(HDL_Simulation_Lib) and clock blocks from Scicos Sources palette. .
After finished the design and simulation, run Scicos-HDL Compilers to generate VHDL / Verilog HDL code of
your design. By this example you will know the whole flow of using Scicos-HDL to design circuit and generate
VHDL / Verilog code.
The following rules are used：
>> This sign will guide you to get into the subdirectories and select the final operation. For example:
Palette>>Palettes>>HDL_Sequential_Lib, it means that please select the palette menu,click
palettes, and then click HDL_Sequential_Lib.
This sign is a prompt, means there is significant information for you.

Bold-face It means the name of menu, the option of dialog box and so on, which you can click or select.

2.2 Creating the Full Adder Model

To create a new model, perform the following steps:
● Start the Scilab/Scicos.

● Choose File >>Save As (File menu) in the new model window.

● Browse to the directory in which you want to save the file. This directory becomes your working
directory, This tutorial uses the working directory <D:/test/>.

● Type the file name into the File name box. This tutorial uses the name fulladder.cos.
 ● Click Save.

● Click the Palette menu in the menu bar and select the library, we need HDL_Combinational_Lib ,
HDL_Simulation_Lib and Sources.

The following sections describe how to add blocks to your model and simulate the model in Scicos.

2.2.1 Add the AND gate Block

Perform the following steps to add the AND gate block:
● In the Palette>>Palettes, click HDL_Combinational_Lib to view the blocks .
● Double-click or drag AND gate block into your model (3 andgate2 blocks and 4 andgate3 blocks).
See the following picture:

Figure 6 Open Palette Figure 7 Click HDL_Combinational_Lib

Figure 8 AND gate blocks

2.2.2 Add the NOT gate Block

Perform the following steps to add the NOT gate block:
● In the Palette>>Palettes, click HDL_Combinational_Lib to view the blocks .
● Double-click or drag NOT gate block into your model (3 notgate blocks).
 See the following picture:

Figure 9 NOT gate blocks

2.2.3 Add the NOR gate Block

Perform the following steps to add the NOR gate block:
● In the Palette>>Palettes, click HDL_Combinational_Lib to view the blocks .
● Double-click or drag NOR gate block into your model (3 norgate blocks).
See the following picture:

Figure 10 NOR gate blocks

2.2.4 Add the I/O port blocks(IN and OUT)

Perform the following steps to add the I/O port blocks block:
● In the Palette>>Palettes, click HDL_Simulation_Lib to view the blocks .
● Double-click or drag I/O port blocks block into your model (3 IN blocks and 2 OUT blocks).
See the following picture:

Figure 11 Click HDL_Simulation_Lib Figure 12 I/O port blocks 1

Then we change the I/O port blocks' name as a fulladder, see the picture next:
● Double-click the I/O IN blocks to display the Parameters dialog box, see figure 13.
● Change the name”IN_1” to “CI”.
● Click “OK”.
You will see the block display the name “CI”, change the other four I/O port blocks(IN and OUT blocks) as
well, see the figure 14:

Figure 13 Change I/O blocks name

 Figure 14 I/O port blocks 2
The I/O blocks must be put in every model file，the number of these blocks is equal to the whole
system I/O ports number.

2.2.5 Add the HDL I/O ports blocks(HDL IN and HDL OUT)
Perform the following steps to add the NOR gate block:
● In the Palette>>Palettes, click HDL_Simulation_Lib to view the blocks .
● Double-click or drag HDL IN and HDL OUT block into your model (1 HDL IN and 1HDL OUT).
● Double-click the HDL IN block to display the Parameters dialog box, see figure 15.
● Change the input port number to “3”.
● Click “OK”.
You will see the the HDL IN block's input port number has been changed, change HDL OUT as well, see

figure 15: Change the input port number

 Figure 16 HDL IN AND HDL OUT
The HDL IN and HDL OUT blocks must be put in every model file，their I/O ports number is equal to
the whole system I/O ports number.

2.2.6 Add the Square wave generator block

Perform the following steps to add the Square wave generator block:
● In the Palette>>Palettes, click HDL_Simulation_Lib to view the blocks .
● Double-click or drag Square wave generator block into your model (3 Square wave generator blocks).
See the following picture:

Figure 17 Square wave generator block

2.2.7 Add the displayer(Mscope) block

Perform the following steps to add the Mscope block:
● In the Palette>>Palettes, click HDL_Simulation_Lib to view the blocks .
● Double-click or drag Mscope block into your model (1 Mscope).
● Double-click the Mscope block to display the Parameters dialog box, see figure 18.
● Change the Parameters: Ymin vector= -1 -1; Ymax vector = 2 2.
 Figure 18 Change parameters
 Make sure that the input ports number of Mscope is equal to the number of I/O OUT blocks.
 The Scicos help document will help you how to change the parameters.
● Click “OK”.
See the following picture:

Figure 19 Mscope block

2.2.8 Add the clock block

Perform the following steps to add the clock block:
● In the Palette>>Palettes, click Sources to view the blocks .
● Double-click or drag clock block into your model (4 clock blocks).
● Double-click the clock block to display the Parameters dialog box, see figure 19.
● Change the “Sample and offset”( figure 20 show the value ).
● Click “OK”.
See the following picture:
 Figure 20 Clock block

Figure 21 Clock block value

2.2.9 Make connections

Make connections to connect the complete your design as follows:
● From one black output port to one black input port(from one block's the right to one block's the left).
● From one red output to one red input port(from one block's the bottom to one block's the top).
● From one output port to more then one input ports,double click the line and then link to other input port.
See the following picture:
 Figure 22 Connections

2.2.10 Add the VHDL and Verilog HDL Compilers block

Perform the following steps to add the VHDL and Verilog HDL Compilers block:
● In the Palette>>Palettes, click HDL_Simulation_Lib to view the blocks .
● Double-click or drag VHDL and Verilog HDL Compilers block into your model.
Now the design model file has been completely finished. See the following picture:

Figure 23 Compilers

2.3 Compiling the Design

To generate the VHDL and Verilog HDL codes for you design, Perform the following steps:
● save you model file.
● Create two empty folders to save the HDL codes,here we have VHDL and VERILOG folder in D:\test
directory(Figure 24).
 Figure 24 Create two empty folders
● Double-click the VHDL or Verilog HDL compiler block in your model to display the compiler dialog
box (Figure 25 ).

Figure 25 Dialog box

● Perform the following steps:
 Click Yes to continue.
 Choose a folder to save HDL codes and click Yes(Figure 26 ).

Figure 26 Choose a folder

 Wait until the compiling finished and click OK(Figure 27 ).

Figure 27 Compiling successfully

  Go to the folder to check the codes(Figure 28 ).

Figure 28 HDL file generation Figure 29 HDL code(part)

2.4 Simulate Your Model in Scicos

To simulate your model in the Scicos, perform the following steps:

● Choose "Simulate>>Setup" (top menu) to display the Configuration dialog box (Figure ).

Figure 30 Simulation Setup

● Type “50” (or more)in the Final integration time box and click OK.

Figure 31 Change parameters

● Start simulation by choosing Simulate >>Run (top menu).

Figure 32 Run simulation

● Then Scicos will display the result.
 Figure 33 Result of GHDL Figure34 Result of Scicos
Now we have finished the tutorial, any problem please send us an email: [email protected].

Some rules
● Make sure you have put the block Scicos-HDL IN as the input ports.
● Make sure you have put the block Scicos-HDL OUT as the output ports.
● Self-connected is not allowed in every block.
● Make sure the path and name of model file are correct.
● Make sure the directory of saving VHDL / Verilog code file is correct.

3 Summarize
You can use the blocks in Scicos-HDL to create and simulate a hardware implementation of a system model in
Scicos in a short time. The Scicos-HDL Compiler blocks generates VHDL / Verilog HDL code. Scicos-HDL
makes Scicos have hardware design and simulation function. It set up a bridge between Scilab and EDA.

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THE END
Scicos-HDL Group 2008-04