Integrated Development Environment VLAM (VLAM IDE)

During year 2010 and 2011, as a result of VLAM project, we developed integrated development environment (IDE) for design of small embedded systems for education in our virtual laboratory VLAM (or even locally on your PC). IDE is based on Eclipse 3.6.2 (Helios) and it supports HW/SW codesign. There is a support for FITkit educational platform and partially for Flexis kit (both created at FIT, BUT Brno). This VLAM IDE is freeware package of plug-ins (feature) for Eclipse 3.6 under BUT Freeware license. Our first public version provides:

• Component-based Design Editor for FITkit platform (with small Xilinx FPGA) with several components to use such as PicoBlaze procesor, LCD display, Matrix keyboard etc.
• Generates VHDL based on the design in GUI editor
• Assembly Language Editor for soft-core processor PicoBlaze-3
• Integration with QDevkKit for programming of FITkit platform
• Integration of PicoBlaze C Compiler
• Several additional features provided by other projects such as:
  • VHDL Editor with syntax highlighting and code completion

VLAM supports the work on PBCC. Virtual Laboratory of Microprocessor Technology Application (VLAM) is a research project founded by Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The project has been approved under National research program II with number MSMT 2C06008. The main goal is to introduce and implement new ways of the education in the embedded system topics.

• Eclipse 3.6.1 (you need Java Runtime Environment, see Instalation guide)
  • Eclipse 3.7 and newer (Indigo, Juno etc.) are not fully supported (some optional plugins and some GUI features are not working)

By download and/or installation of this software, you agree with BUT Freeware license (Czech version). You can use update site for Eclipse platform (see menu Help –> Install New Software…):

• http://www.vlam.cz/updateSite

As the development is continuously in progress, check frequently for new updates including user guide.

• Version 1.0.1.201208091853 (GUI for automatic inference of component connections)
• Version 1.0.0.201110302129 (first public release)

• Xilinx PicoBlaze-3 Assembler
• Small Device C Compiler with PicoBlaze port (binary included in the package)

• FITkit (QDevKit)

• VLAM IDE User Manual (in Czech, version 2012-08-10) - this user guide describes VLAM IDE Feature for Eclipse 3.6.1 version 1.0.1
  • History:
    • VLAM IDE User Manual (in Czech, version 2011-08-01) - this user guide describes VLAM IDE Feature for Eclipse 3.6.1 version 1.0.0
• Eclipse User Help for version 3.6 (Helios)

• We are working on fixing several bugs. Stay tuned.
• Multi-cores of PicoBlaze NOT supported yet (just one with PSM or C control source code).
• PBAsm and PBPsm editor is not working in Eclipse 3.7 and newer
• Highlighting ports during the selection for Algorithm Tool is not working in Eclipse 3.7 and newer

Most of the examples require PicoBlaze C Compiler v2, picoasm, QDevKit 1.2.4 and library of components for FITkit.

• Blinking LED on FITkit board:
  • Exported project from VLAM IDE 1.0.0.20111030xxxx
• Simple output on LCD display:
  • Exported project from VLAM IDE 1.0.0.20111030xxxx

• VLAM license is Brno University of Technology Freeware license

• Zbyněk Křivka (Corresponding author, see homepage)
  • Feel free to contact me, if you have some suggestions or problems with documented features.
• Ota Jirák, Nela Olšarová, Zdeněk Vašíček