How to run logic simulations online!

Need to run Verilog or VHDL simulations but don't have the right software installed?
Simulations running a little too slowly?

With Plunify's online simulation service (and in future, synthesis and implementation), now all you need are:

• An Internet connection and any major web browser.
• The ability to run a Perl script on your PC (see detailed requirements below).
• A user configuration file telling us about your simulation (see sample below).
• Verilog or VHDL source files.

Here's a VHDL example:

1. Download the sample:
   - a Perl script (platypus.pl),
   - the sample user configuration file (adder.cfg); and
   - source code (adder.zip).
   
   
2. Extract adder.zip into a local folder.
   
   
3. Edit the username, password, source_folder fields in adder.cfg
   (First-time users need to check email and click on an activation link before viewing results).
   
   
4. Run the script: perl platypus.pl --cfg adder.cfg
   If it is successful, you should see the following message:
   
   
   
   (see below under "Requirements" if you hit errors for missing Perl modules)
   
   
5. Log on at https://www.plunify.com/login.php
   Go to Results

That's it.

If the job submission is successful, you will get a notification email after 2-3 minutes.
It takes a little longer to run the first simulation job, but subsequent ones will be faster.

Requirements:

• A working installation of Perl and the CPAN modules:
  Getopt::Long
  Archive::Zip
  LWP::UserAgent
  
  Do use mechanisms like the CPAN shell (In Linux, perl -MCPAN -e shell, install Archive::Zip) to install modules.

How it works:

• The configuration file contains your details
  
  username = email address as a user name to log on to Plunify
  password = user password (> 5 characters), in plain text
  jobtype = type of job (currently 'SIM' is the only valid type)
  language = Verilog or VHDL (Icarus Verilog or GHDL, pending mixed language support)
  source_folder = root folder of directory tree containing source files
  toplevel = top level module name
  apicode = PLATYPUS, for our internal use
  

The script sends both your configuration file and your source files to Plunify via a secure connection, and runs your simulation.

Let us know what you think and how we can improve it.