Tcl Export

VisualApplets allows you to export VisualApplets designs as Tcl script (*.tcl).

You can use the script format for the following purposes:

  • revision control

  • comparing versions automatically (by creating "diffs")

However, some information is lost during export to Tcl script. Therefore, you should always save your design in *.va format. The Tcl file is not qualified to be used as the primary data format.

[Warning] Save Design in *.va Format

Use the *.va file format as primary data format for your VisualApplets designs.

The Tcl script does not contain the full design information.

Exporting to Tcl

The following information is lost during export to Tcl script:

  • The local modifications you made in a user library element instance (to adapt the instance to the surrounding design) are lost. If you re-import a Tcl script into VisualApplets, the instance is inserted as a fresh copy of the user library element. The content of the instance in your design has not been saved in Tcl.

  • The content of info boxes is kept in Tcl format. However, the formatting of info boxes is lost.

You should always save your design in *.va format, too. The Tcl file is not qualified to be used as the primary data format.

To export your design to a Tcl file (*.tcl):

  1. From the menu, select File → Export → Design to Script....

    Exporting a Design

    Figure 175. Exporting a Design


  2. Select a location for the *.tcl file containing your design, and click on Save.

Now you can check in the Tcl file into your version control system, or find differences between different versions of the design using a "diff" tool.

Importing from Tcl

To import your *.tcl design file into VisualApplets:

  1. From the menu, select File → Import → Design from Script....

    Importing a Design

    Figure 176. Importing a Design


  2. Browse to the location of the *.tcl file containing your design, and select the *.tcl file.

  3. Click on Open.

Now your design is opened in VisualApplets, and you can

  • continue editing your design within VisualApplets,

  • save your design file as *.va file.

[Warning] Always use *.va File Format as Primary Data Format

Always use the *.va file format as primary data format for your VisualApplets designs.

Never use the Tcl script format as primary data format, as the Tcl script does not contain the full design information.

Tcl Import/Export Command Reference

In the generated Tcl source file the following VisualApplets-specific commands are used.

[Important] Syntax

Optional parameters: The notation of optional parameters follows the Wirth Syntax Notation (brackets).

Parameter FullModuleName: Hierarchical path starting at process level. The hierarchies are separated by a slash.

Command

Parameters

Description

Creating, Loading, and Saving Designs

CreateDesign

Name

Platform

Command for creating a new design with the name "Name" for a hardware platform "Platform". For specifying the target platform of the design, you can either use

  • the VisualApplets library name for the platform (e.g., "mE4VQ4-GE"), or

  • the full name of the platform (e.g., "microEnable IV VQ4-GE").

Using capitals in the names has no effect.

SetDesignProperty

Key Value

Use this command to enter design properties. There are tree values you can use as key:

  • ProjectName (the name you want the project to give)

  • Version (version of the design)

  • >Description (description of the project).

SetDesignClock

NewFrequency

Command for setting the basic clock frequency of the FPGA (in MHz).

Setting up a Design

CreateProcess

-

Creates a new process

CreateModule

OperatorType

FullModuleName

[ InPortMultiplicity

[ OutPortMultiplicity

{NamedPortMultiplicity}

] ]

xPos

yPos

Creates an instance (Module) of an operator (OperatorType).

The position of the module in the design window you define via parameters xPos and yPos.

With FullModuleName you define the module's hierarchical position within the design and it's name after instantiation (e.g., Process0/branch).

Optionally, you can use the value pair InPortMultiplicity and OutPortMultiplicity to specify the multiplicity of the vector inputs and vector outputs of the module.

If you use this value pair, you define the number of ports (in operators with variable port numbers, like BRANCH) for the module (which is a specific instance of an operator).

In addition, you can specify the multiplicity of individual vector ports (NamedPortMultiplicity). You can use NamedPortMultiplicity multiple times in one command line.

The format is PortGroup:Number.

Example: CreateModule BRANCH Process0/branch 0 0 O:3 100 100

ConnectModules

FromModule

FromModulePort

ToModule

ToModulePort

[ x1 [y2 x3] ]

Command for connecting modules. For FromModule and ToModule, use hierarchical names (names containing the hierarchical position of a module within a design plus actual module name, e.g., (e.g., Process0/branch).

Nodes within hierarchical boxes are identified via the prefix "INBOUND#" or "OUTBOUND#". Example: "OUTBOUND#O001".

The optional parameters x1, y2 and x3 you use to define the geometry of the connecting polygon (horizontal line from FromModuleOutputPort to x1, vertical line to y2, horizontal line to x3, vertical line up to the height of ToModulePort, horizontal line to ToModulePort).

CreateComment

FullModuleName

Text

xPos

yPos

The content of Text can contain Unicode characters. If you use characters that are not part of ASCII, use the according Tcl syntax to represent Unicode, for example:

[encoding convert from utf-8 "A-Umlaut: \xc3\x84"]

SetParamInt

FullModuleName

ParameterName

Value

Command for setting an integer parameter.

SetParamFloat

FullModuleName

ParameterName

Value

Command for setting a floating point parameter.

SetParamEnum

FullModuleName

ParameterName

Value

Command for setting an addressed enum parameter. Value is the string of the enum value.

Example: Process0/module1 (SetSignalStatus), "SetParamEnum Process0/module1 Mode High" sets parameter Mode to High.

SetParamString

FullModuleName

ParameterName

Value

Command for setting a string parameter.

SetParamIntField

FullModuleName

ParameterName

Index

Value1

{OtherValues}

Command for setting integer field entries starting with index "Index" for the following values.

SetParamFloatField

FullModuleName

ParameterName

Index

Value

{OtherValues}

Command for setting float field entries starting with index "Index" for the following values.

SetParamStatic

FullModuleName

ParameterName

If a parameter can be static as well as dynamic, in the vast majority of cases the parameter is set to dynamic per default. Use this command to set such a parameter to static.

SetParamDynamic

FullModuleName

ParameterName

You can use this function to set a parameter to dynamic (if the parameter can be can be dynamic at all).

SetLinkParam

FullModuleName

PortName

ParameterName

Value

{ OtherParameterName

OtherParameterValue }

Command for configuring links. The connection is identified via the connection node of a module.

SetResourceMapping

FullModuleName

ResourceName

[Index]

NewMapping

Command for changing the mapping of resources to a module. The resource ResourceName will be mapped to the new index NewMapping. In case the module allocates multiple resources of the same type, use the optional parameter Index for selecting the resource.

Further Editing Commands

Move

FullModuleName

[HierNodeName]

PosX

PosY

Command for re-positioning a module, a H-Box node, a comment box, or a simulation module to a new position within the design window.

Use parameter [HierNodeName] only for selecting an H-Box node. Nodes within hierarchical boxes are identified via the prefix "INBOUND#" or "OUTBOUND#"(like you do when using command ConnectModules), for example, "INBOUND#I000".

CreateSimSource

FullSimModuleName

xPos

yPos

Command for creating a simulation source on the indicated position.

CreateSimProbe

FullSimModuleName

xPos

yPos

Command for creating a simulation probe on the indicated position.

ConnectSimModule

FullSimModuleName

TargetModuleName

TargetModulePortName

[ xPos yPos ]

Command for connecting a simulation module with a link. The connection is identified via the specified module (TargetModuleName) and port (TargetModulePortName). TargetModuleName must be located in the same hierarchy as FullSimModuleName. Optionally, you can define the position of the connection on the link via the parameters xPos and yPos.

SetSimModuleProperty

FullSimModuleName

Key

Value

{OtherValue}

Command for configuring a simulation module. The following parameters can be set (in the list below, the key word Key is followed by the parameter values Value):

PixelAligmentOffset BITS

ImageFileSubPixels NUMBER

ImageFilePixelBits BITS

ImageFileNormalize CHOICE

where CHOICE = "1" | "0" | "yes" | "no" | "on" | "off" | "true" | "false"

CropRect [imageNr] X Y WIDTH HEIGHT

CurrentImage INDEX

AddImage

FullSimSourceName

ImageFileName1

{OtherImageFileName}

[ImageLibrary]

Command for adding an image to a simulation source. If the number of kernel elements on the link is > 1, you need to specify as many images as there are kernel elements on the link. Optionally, you can specify the image library you want to be used ( ImageLibrary = "Native" | "ImageMagick").

User Libraries

InstUserLibOperator

LibName

OperatorName

FullModuleName

XPos

YPos

Command for instantiating a user library element.

Custom Library Handling

InstCustomLibOperator

LibName

OperatorName

FullModuleName

XPos

YPos

Command for instantiating a custom library element.

Table 13. Commands for Creating and Editing a VA Design in Tcl


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