hdlproto 0.3.0

A Python-based HDL design prototyping framework for circuit simulation and verification

HDLproto

HDLproto is a lightweight, pre-RTL simulator that runs on pure Python. With zero external dependencies, it lets you quickly validate signal timing and control logic during the early design stages (from spec to architecture).

• Intuitive API: express HDL design rules directly using @always_ff / @always_comb and .r / .w
• Event-driven safety: detect rule violations, multiple drivers, and non-convergent combinational logic via exceptions
• Easy to adopt: runs with Python only — great for learning, teaching, and rapid prototyping

About HDLproto (Concept and Scope)

HDLproto is a lightweight simulation framework for emulating HDL-style (Verilog/SystemVerilog) descriptions in Python. It does not aim to strictly replicate HDL syntax but rather to provide a prototyping environment for concisely testing "hardware behavior models" like always_comb / always_ff and Wire / Reg within Python.

Target Goals

HDLproto is designed for the following use cases:

• Verifying CPU microarchitecture designs
• Checking the behavior of small-scale digital circuits
• Prototyping control units and Finite State Machines (FSMs)
• Validating ideas and organizing dataflow before full HDL design
• Understanding the behavior of always_ff / always_comb for educational purposes

The primary goal is to enable users to easily express and verify "HDL-like behavior" using only Python.

What HDLproto is NOT (Unsupported Features)

• Code generation to Verilog / VHDL / SystemVerilog
• Logic synthesis for FPGAs / ASICs
• Timing analysis or logic optimization
• Implementation of large-scale RTL (thousands of signals)

HDLproto is strictly a simulation environment for prototyping and is not a tool for generating synthesizable RTL for FPGAs.

Key Features

• Build HDL-style modules and signals using only Python
• Faithfully simulates the behavior of always_comb and always_ff
• The simulator automatically handles Wire/Reg propagation and stabilization loops
• Automatically analyzes dependencies between modules and signals to run simulations
• Capable of simulating small-scale CPUs (like SAP-1 or a Z80 subset)

Intended Users

• Those who want to quickly prototype CPUs or digital circuits
• Those who want to verify dataflow or algorithms before starting HDL design
• Engineers and students who want to learn the concepts of hardware description languages
• Those who want to design with a hardware mindset, even without access to Verilog
• Those who want to experiment with circuits using the flexibility of Python

Installation

Installation from PyPI

pip install hdlproto

Install development version

git clone https://github.com/shntn/hdlproto.git
cd hdlproto
pip install -e .

Run without installation

git clone https://github.com/shntn/hdlproto.git
cd hdlproto
PYTHONPATH=. python3 example/ex_sap1.py

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or higher

Design Rules (Important)

• @always_ff((Edge.POS, 'clk'), ...): Only non-blocking assignments to Reg (writes via .r) are valid. Describes sequential logic sensitive to specified signal edges.
• @always_comb: Only writes to Wire/Output (via .w) are valid. Writing to Reg will raise an exception.
• Simulator.clock() drives the clock signal specified in SimConfig. The clock signal must be received as an Input in the top module and defined as a Wire in the TestBench.
• Reset is treated as an input signal. Asynchronous reset is implemented by adding the reset signal to the @always_ff trigger list (e.g., @always_ff((Edge.POS, 'clk'), (Edge.POS, 'reset'))). Synchronous reset is described by writing the reset condition inside an always_ff block that only triggers on the clock edge.
• Convergence loop: @always_comb is re-evaluated until signals stabilize. Non-convergence raises an exception.

Included Samples

• example/ex_module.py: A slightly richer introductory example.
• example/ex_sap1.py: A SAP-1 implementation, ideal for pre-RTL exercises.
• example/ex_exception.py: Scripts to reproduce exceptions (rule violations, conflicts).

License

• License: MIT License