NoTcl: Replace Tcl scripting with Python

Many software tools, especially in VLSI and digital circuit design, expose their functionality through a custom Tcl interpreter. In order to automate those programs, users are expected to write Tcl scripts. With growing complexity, such Tcl scripts often become difficult to maintain and do not integrate well into larger software systems. NoTcl allows Tcl-based tools to be automated using Python instead of Tcl. It wraps each tool in a Python interface, turning it into a library that can be imported, tested, and integrated like any other Python package.

To get started, see Usage for installation and basic examples, or Applications & Examples for ready-to-use interfaces to common tools like Yosys and Vivado. The Background section explains the advantages of Python-based automation and how NoTcl differs from other Tcl-Python bridges. The API Reference documents the complete API, while Under the Hood covers implementation details. Known limitations are listed in Known Issues, and information about running tests is available in Tests.

This software was developed during my doctoral studies at the Mixed Signal Circuit Design group, TU Berlin.

Contents:

• Usage
  • Quick Start with Predefined Tools
  • Declaring a Custom TclTool
  • Running a TclTool
  • Calling Tcl Commands
  • Working with Return Values
  • Error Handling
• Applications & Examples
  • Yosys
  • Xilinx Vivado
  • Questa logic simulator
  • Synopsys Design Tools
  • Not Supported
• Background
  • Why replace Tcl with Python?
  • How NoTcl differs from other approaches
• API Reference
  • TclTool
  • TclToolInterface
  • TclRemoteObjRef
  • TclError
  • ChildProcessEarlyExit
• Under the Hood
  • Process architecture
  • Communication protocol
  • Message format
  • Child process monitoring
  • Return value preservation
• Tests
  • Running the tests
  • Test requirements
  • Test coverage
• Known Issues

Indices and tables

• Index

• Module Index

• Search Page