OpenVADL

The Vienna Architecture Description Language (VADL) is a Processor Description Language (PDL) for the complete formal specification of processor architectures. It also allows defining generator behavior to produce various artifacts from a processor specification. From a single VADL description, the system can automatically generate an assembler, compiler, linker, functional ISS, CAS, synthesizable HDL, test cases, and documentation.

VADL cleanly separates the ISA and MiA specifications. The ISA is required by all generators, while the MiA is used by HDL and CAS generators and for compiler instruction scheduling. One ISA can be implemented by multiple MiA specifications. An additional ABI specification defines the programming model and is used by the compiler generator.

OpenVADL is a free and open-source implementation of VADL. Currently, it supports generating an Instruction Set Simulator (ISS), an LLVM compiler backend, an assembler, and a linker. A detailed table of supported features per generator is available on Github.

As OpenVADL is under active development, breaking changes are to be expected. Until version 1.0.0, minor version updates may introduce breaking changes to allow rapid evolution toward a stable release.

Installation

To install OpenVADl on your machine, follow the installation guide that fits your operating system and computer architecture.

• Linux x86-64 OpenVADL provides prebuilt binaries for each version for Linux x86-64 on the Github Releases page.
  To download the latest version, run the following commands:

  curl -L -o openvadl-0.1.0-linux-x64.tar.gz https://github.com/openvadl/openvadl/releases/download/v0.1.0/openvadl-0.1.0-linux-x64.tar.gz
  tar -xzf openvadl-0.1.0-linux-x64.tar.gz
  cd openvadl-0.1.0-linux-x64

  Place the openvadl executable somewhere on the PATH.

• MacOS arm64 OpenVADL provides prebuilt binaries for each version for MacOS arm64 on the Github Releases page.
  To download the latest version, run the following commands:

  curl -L -o openvadl-0.1.0-macOS-arm64.tar.gz https://github.com/openvadl/openvadl/releases/download/v0.1.0/openvadl-0.1.0-macOS-arm64.tar.gz
  tar -xzf openvadl-0.1.0-macOS-arm64.tar.gz
  cd openvadl-0.1.0-macOS-arm64

  Place the openvadl executable somewhere on the PATH.

• Java Distribution OpenVADL offers a prebuilt Java application accompanied by an execution script for each version on the Github Releases page.
  To download the latest version, run the following commands:

  curl -L -o openvadl-0.1.0.tar https://github.com/openvadl/openvadl/releases/download/v0.1.0/openvadl-0.1.0.tar
  tar -xzf openvadl-0.1.0.tar

  Extracting the archive creates an openvadl directory containing the following structure:

  • bin/openvadl: Execution script for Unix-based systems.
  • bin/openvadl.bat: Execution script for Windows systems.
  • lib/: Directory containing the OpenVADL JAR file and all its dependencies.

  Place the openvadl directory in a suitable location, such as ~/.local/openvadl and add the bin directory to your PATH to enable execution of OpenVADL from any terminal session.

  Note: Your $JAVA_HOME must point to a JDK 21 installation.

• Build From Source Alternatively you may build OpenVADL from source. Your $JAVA_HOME must point to a JDK 21 (or higher) installation.

  git clone git@github.com:OpenVADL/openvadl.git
  cd openvadl
  ./gradlew installDist 

  This will create an executable script at: vadl-cli/build/install/openvadl/bin/openvadl.

  To build a GraalVM Native Image you first need to set $JAVA_HOME to point to your GraalVM installation. With that you can run:

  ./gradlew nativeCompile

  Which will create an executable at: vadl-cli/build/native/nativeCompile/openvadl

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