Re: [myhdl-list] Migen logic design toolbox - now with simulator

[Bob C. <fl...@gm...>]

On 03/12/2012 02:53 PM, Jan Decaluwe wrote:
> On 03/12/2012 10:23 PM, Thomas Heller wrote:
>> Am 12.03.2012 16:10, schrieb David Greenberg:
>>> I like hearing about progress in the Python HDL front, whomever is
>>> doing it. I don't think it makes sense to fracture these already tiny
>>> communities.
>> +1 from me too.
>>
>> Thomas
>>
> What do you both mean? Obviously Migen "fractures"
> the community. Also, obviously they think they are making
> progress. Do you want to hear about it or not?

 From my perspective as an HDL newbie (but a 30+ year engineering veteran otherwise), major feature development in MyHDL appears to have stalled, and Migen provides important capabilities MyHDL either lacks or can implement only with cumbersome and fragile kluges or work-arounds.  (At least, that's what they look like to me, with my newbie eyes and brain.)

MyHDL is more powerful overall, but Migen has attacked some specific problems is was designed to solve.  Problems, IIRC, that were prompted by perceived weaknesses in MyHDL.  As I understand it, Migen started as a rejected patch to MyHDL that was forced to find a life of its own.

I believe Sébastien continues to post here not to diminish MyHDL or its use in any way, but instead to show at least one way to more easily do things that are difficult in MyHDL.  If you look at his many non-Migen posts, you will see Sébastien has proven himself to be a very capable contributor to this list.

My personal hope is that MyHDL and Migen will evolve toward one another, and eventually find ways to inter-operate, share features, or even merge capabilities.  I fully expect MyHDL may one day make Migen obsolete, but that day does not seem to be coming any time soon.

Until the parties involved agree to work together toward shared goals, it may be best for Migen to start its own list.  When Sébastien gets his list going, he should be permitted to post sign-up instructions here.

However, I hope a separate list won't be necessary:  When Sébastien has referred to his own Migen posts in other forums (such as MilkyMist), he has referred people to *this* *list*.  If anything, he has actively worked to increase MyHDL awareness, not to diminish it, or compete with it, or fracture it.

To clear the air, perhaps we could have a Migen-MyHDL shoot-out, where Sébastien posts some of what Migen does best, and the MyHDL pros can show us how best to do it in MyHDL.  The posts should be in the form of modules that can be integrated into other projects (MyHDL or Verilog or VHDL) for testing and comparison.  I know it would prove to be extremely educational for me, and may serve us all to better understand the underlying issues.

Sébastien/Migen has to be doing something right: It got Jan back on this list!  Yay!!!


-BobC