How to automatically simulate the top-level VHDL entity with ModelSim? - vhdl

Question

When calling the vsim command, how can I make ModelSim automatically use the top-level VHDL entity (or entities)? I'm writing a generic script for running VHDL simulations.
Currently I'm doing the following to compile and simulate:
vcom design.vhd testbench.vhd
vsim -c -do "onElabError resume; run -all; exit" MY_TB
How can I make it so that ModelSim automatically simulates MY_TB without explicitly specifying it.
Automatically using the top-level module(s) is possible with Verilog:
vlog -writetoplevels my.tops design.v testbench.v
vsim -c -do "onElabError resume; run -all; exit" -f my.tops

Answer 1

My way was to create a script in Ruby. It's very easy to find the entity/architecture names and then invoke Modelsim. The outline of the solution is:
Open the VHDL file:
file_contents = File.read(file_name)
Use a regular expression to find the entity and architecture names:
match = file_contents.match(/entity (.*) is/)
entity = match && match[1]
match = file_contents.match(/architecture (.*) of/)
architecture = match && match[1]
Invoke Modelsim in command-line mode:
vsim -do {run -all; quit} -lib /temp/work -c entity_name(architecture_name)
I've included my entire script below for reference. I think its highlights are:
vhdl -m → "make" project by compiling all VHDL files in the directory
vhdl -f text → find text in VHDL files
vhdl -s filename → simulate filename
# vhdl.rb: Swiss army knife for VHDL-related tasks.
# vhdl --compile file_name # Compile file with ModelSim
# vhdl --simulate file_name # Simulate file with ModelSim
# vhdl --find text # Find text in VHDL source files
# vhdl --make dir # Compile all files in dir
require 'optparse'
require 'pathname'
begin
gem 'colorize' # gem install colorize
require 'colorize'
rescue Gem::LoadError
puts "Gem 'colorize' is not installed. You can install it by typing:\ngem install colorize"
end
WORK = Pathname.new("/temp/work")
def ensure_library_work_exists
if WORK.exist?
puts "Found library work at #{WORK.expand_path}"
else
puts "Creating library work at #{WORK.expand_path}..."
system('mkdir \temp\work')
system('vlib /temp/work')
end
end
def compile(file_name)
ensure_library_work_exists
puts "Compiling #{file_name}..."
puts cmd_line = "vcom -2008 -work #{WORK} #{file_name}"
system(cmd_line)
end
def simulate(file_name)
ensure_library_work_exists
puts "Simulating #{file_name}..."
compile(file_name)
entity, architecture = find_entity_architecture(file_name)
if entity && architecture
cmd_line = "vsim -lib #{WORK} -c #{$entity || entity}(#{$architecture || architecture}) -do \"run -all; quit\""
system(cmd_line)
end
end
def find_entity_architecture(file_name)
file_contents = File.read(file_name)
match = file_contents.match(/entity (.*) is/)
entity = match && match[1]
match = file_contents.match(/architecture (.*) of/)
architecture = match && match[1]
[ entity, architecture ]
end
def find_text(text)
puts cmd_line = "findstr /sni /C:\"#{text}\" *.vhd *.vhdl"
system(cmd_line)
end
$before_context = 1
$after_context = 3
def find_filenames(path)
filenames = Dir["#{path}/**/*.vhd"]
puts "Found #{filenames.count} VHDL files"
filenames
end
def grep_text(text)
filenames = find_filenames(".")
filenames.each do |filename|
output = `grep #{text} #{filename} --recursive --line-number --before-context=#{$before_context} --after-context=#{$after_context}`
last_output_was_blank = true
if output.empty?
print ".".green
last_output_was_blank = true
else
puts() if last_output_was_blank
puts filename.green, output
last_output_was_blank = false
end
end
end
def compile_vhdl_file(file_name)
vcom_output = `vcom -2008 -work #{WORK} #{file_name}`
if vcom_output.match(/\*\* Error/)
error_message = vcom_output[/(\*\* Error.*$)/m]
raise error_message
end
puts vcom_output
end
def make(path)
ensure_library_work_exists
filenames = Dir["#{path}/**/*.vhd"]
puts "Found #{filenames.count} VHDL files:"
puts filenames.join(" ").green
pass_number = 0
failed_filenames = []
begin
pending_files_count = filenames.count - failed_filenames.count
puts ">>> Starting pass #{pass_number} -- pending #{pending_files_count}, failed #{failed_filenames.count}".yellow
previously_failed_filenames = failed_filenames.dup
failed_filenames.clear
filenames.each do |filename|
begin
compile_vhdl_file(filename)
rescue
puts "#{$!}".red
failed_filenames << filename
end
end
pass_number += 1
end while failed_filenames.any? and (failed_filenames != previously_failed_filenames)
if failed_filenames.any?
puts "*** Error: Failed to compile:".red
puts failed_filenames.join("\n").red
exit
end
end
OptionParser.new do |o|
o.on('-e', '--ent entity_name') { |entity| $entity = entity }
o.on('-a', '--arch architecture_name') { |architecture| $architecture = architecture }
o.on('-c', '--compile file') { |file| compile(file) }
o.on('-s', '--simulate file') { |file| simulate(file) }
o.on('-f', '--find text') { |text| find_text(text) }
o.on('-b', '--before-context before_context') { |lines_count| $before_context = lines_count }
o.on('-t', '--after-context after_context') { |lines_count| $after_context = lines_count }
o.on('-g', '--grep text') { |text| grep_text(text) }
o.on('-m', '--make [dir]') { |dir| make(dir || '.') }
o.parse!
end