Five Computers

Simplified VPI iterators using PyHVL generators

I've been using PyHVL for a variety of verification tasks in the past few years. PyHVL is an open source Python integration for Verilog and SystemVerilog simulators. To give a quick taste of what it can do for you, consider the following SystemVerilog VPI C code.

void display_nets(mod)
    vpiHandle mod;
    {
       vpiHandle net;
       vpiHandle itr;
       vpi_printf("Nets declared in module %s\n",
       vpi_get_str(vpiFullName, mod));

       itr = vpi_iterate(vpiNet, mod);

       while (net = vpi_scan(itr))
          {
          vpi_printf("\t%s", vpi_get_str(vpiName, net));
          if (vpi_get(vpiVector, net))
          {
             vpi_printf(" of size %d\n", vpi_get(vpiSize, net));
          }
          else vpi_printf("\n");
       }
    }

Here is the equivalent VPI code, this time written in Python, using PyHVL.

def display_nets(module):

    print 'Nets declared in module', get_str(vpiFullName, module) 

    for net in vpi_iterator(module, vpiNet):
        print '\t%s %s' % ( get_str(vpiName, net), 
                get(vpiVector, net) and 'of size %d' % get(vpiSize, net) or '')

The magic happens in the implementation of the vpi_iterator() method, which uses a Python yield instruction to turn the method into a generator. Generators are much like functions, except they maintain a frozen stack frame, at the point where the yield occurs. All existing variables within the method maintain their state and execution picks up where it left off, just after the yield. The example also uses lazy evaluation of the result of get(vpiVector, net) to either call get(vpiSize, net) or not print the 'of size' additional string.

def vpi_iterator(handle, type=vpiNet):
    iterator = iterate(type, handle)
    if iterator:
        handle = scan(iterator)
        while handle:
            yield handle
            handle = scan(iterator)

This lets you write loops inside out as one of my colleagues aptly put it. The outcome is you can simplify the management of loops and indices and focus on the point of the loop. You write less code, you introduce fewer bugs. The code is easier to read and maintain as a result. This is just a very small example of some of the power of using a modern scripting language like Python, as an adjunct to a SystemVerilog simulator.

If you spend much time writing VPI code, you should take a look at PyHVL. It could make your life much simpler, or get in touch and I can help you with it.

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