gr-verilog

========

GSoC19 project: Cycle-accurate Verilog Design Simulation Integration

This is an OOT module for GNU Radio integrating verilog simulation. This module can run Verilog simulation at runtime in GNU Radio based on Verilator, an open-source Verilog simulator.

So far, serveral blocks namely verilog_axi_ii, verilog_axi_ff, verilog_axi_ss, verilog_axi_bb and verilog_axi_cc, hereinafter referred to as verilog_axi_xx, were implemented.

The verilog_axi_xx block can be used in both python code or GNU Radio Companion.

Installation

First you need to install the dependencies (see below).

Then, you need to download this repository

$ git clone https://github.com/B0WEN-HU/gr-verilog.git

After this, gr-verilog should be installed as any other GNU Radio out-of-tree module.

$ cd gr-verilog
$ mkdir build
$ cd build
$ cmake ..
$ make
$ sudo make install
$ sudo ldconfig

If your GNU Radio is installed in other directory (rather than /usr/local), then replace the cmake line cmake .. above with: cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=<directory of GNU Radio> ..

Dependencies

gr-verilog requires:

GNU Radio version 3.7.11 or newer.

GNU Make version 4.1 or newer.

Verilator version 3.916 or newer.

gcc version 7.4.0 or newer.

Usage

verilog_axi_xx blocks require user's Verilog module to follow AXI4-stream input and output interfaces and protocols. If your design does not use AXI4-stream interfaces and protocols, you need to have an additional top Verilog module to wrap it up in order to use verilog_axi_xx blocks. The verilog_axi_xx blocks use only part of the interfaces of AXI4-stream protocol, which are listed below:

// These are input and output ports required in the Verilog design
 * AXI signals:
 * ACLK               input
 * ARESETn            input
 * TVALID_IN          input
 * TREADY_IN          output
 * TVALID_OUT         output
 * TREADY_OUT         input
 * TDATA_IN[31:0]     input
 * TDATA_OUT[31:0]    output

Once you have a Verilog module with the interfaces required, now you can test your Verilog module in GNU Radio. The easiest way is to use GNU Radio Companion. You should be able to find a block named Verilog AXI in GNU Radio Companion if you installed this OOT module correctly. You need to choose the type of the block (usually Int), specify the Verilog file, and leave other options as default. Then, if everything goes well, you can use your Verilog design just like any other blocks in GNU Radio.

You can also use the verilog_axi_xx blocks in python. First you need to import the module:

import verilog

After that, you need to use following code to instantiate a verilog_axi_xx object with parameters wrapped in "${ }". ${type.fcn} represents the data type of the block ii for Int, ff for Float, ss for Short and cc for Complex. ${file} is the filename of the Verilog file, String type, it should be an absolute path. ${overwrite} is Boolean type, indicates whether to overwrite the template files in user's Verilog file directory. ${IO_ratio} is Float type, it represents the ratio of number of input and output items, the right parameter can help the scheduler improve the performance. ${verilator_options} is String type, the block passes the options to Verilator. ${skip_output_items} is Int type, the block will skip first skip_output_items output items.

vl = verilog.verilog_verilog_axi_${type.fcn}(${file}, ${overwrite}, ${IO_ratio}, ${verilator_options}, ${module_flag}, ${skip_output_items})

Examples

You can find the example apps/verilog_axi_ii_demo.grc. you need to specify the Verilog file for Verilog AXI block before running the flow graph. You can use the Verilog file double_axi.v in examples/double/. double_axi.v just take the input and shift 1 bit left (which double the input). Then, you should be able to see the results in the GUI.

The example apps/verilog_axi_ff_demo.grc shows how Verilog AXI works with Float input and output. You can use the very same Verilog module as above, double_axi.v. You can see more obvious effects of what double_axi.v does. But how could the same Verilog module be able to deal with both integer and float number? Well, actually there is a pair of functions in the cpp template templates/axi_module.cpp named float_to_fix and fix_to_float, which can automatically convert floating point number and fixed point number. You may need to modify the function in order to fit in certain design.

Hint

The Complex type of Verilog AXI, verilog_axi_cc, is not the block that is ready to use, you definitely will not use only 32 bits to represent a complex number, so you have to some do modifications on the template file in order to fit in your design. Please define the _USER_MODIFIED_ macro to avoid unnecessary code being compiled (because if you changed the interfaces, there will be a lot of syntax errors in the existing template code).

Future Work

Add more examples.

Bring verilog_general_xx into the module.