Programming VHDL on Linux?

Question

Anyone knows good environment to program VHDL and simulate it (don't matter Xilinx or Altera) using Linux?

Solution 1

You're stuck with either vendors tools, which are spotty at best on Linux (though my experience with Alteras utilities are somewhat better than with ISE).

However, if all you want to do is run your testbed, not actually synthesize anything, ghdl will be of use.

Solution 2

As mentioned by Arpan (almost) every VHDL simulator is supported by Linux, but they are usually very expensive. Your best shot would be to use one of the following:

• Altera DS Web edition (Linux support has just been added) which comes with a free version of ModelSim.
• Symphony EDA Sonata 3.1 is available as a free version with limited support.
• Xilinx ISE which comes with Xilinxs own simulator: ISim.

Solution 3

Just to add an update to this: Xilinx Vivado has now been released with Linux support for ubuntu/debian and (I believe) redhat/centos.

The software is free for a range of the smaller devices and more common IP cores and includes a mostly decent simulator that is integrated into the tools and is also free.

It has a pretty steep learning curve, as do most of these tools, but as far as software in this industry goes, they've really done a good job with it.

Solution 4

If you prefer open source tools, look into http://www.cliftonlabs.com/vhdl/savant.html - vhdl does not have too many options in the FOSS space currently. If you are opting for vendor tools, all vendors would do Linux version of their simulators. Modelsim is a personal favorite due to the easy-to-debug features that it sports.

For a coding environment, I usually use VIM with vhdl syntax checkers turned on. Sigasi apparently has a commercial IDE with fancy stuff as automatic code completion, on the fly syntax check etc.

Let us know if you have further questions.

Arpan

Solution 5

For coding vhdl, Emacs with vhdl-mode is a must. You can use advanced edition functions, view the structure of designs, manage architectures and configurations. You can setup for multiple simulators.

I use the modelsim from Altera's Quartus web edition. Beware if you use a 64 bits Linux, this version of modelsim is 32 bits only.

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Comments

[stanri]

@JHBonarius That is correct, however it is not listed in any of the answers to this question, which was posted in 2010. I added it for users who stumble upon this question on google, like myself.