Software Tools

Exsedia Nimbus^TM

Nimbus is a tool set for the graphical capture of models for digital systems using the Algorithmic State Machine (ASM) notation.  It is developed and marketed by Exsedia Sdn. Bhd., a company located in Asia.  We use this tool set and the ASM method to explore the design space for architecture and detailed design of digital systems.  It is our intent to have this tool set replace the aging flowHDL tools we have been using to date in our classes.

Nimbus supports the same Executable ASM notation we have been using with flowHDL (with some minor exceptions in the current release of Nimbus).

Some Documentation

Here's a brief tutorial on getting started with Nimbus in following a model-driven architecture paradigm for digital systems design and development.  The tutorial links Nimbus-generated VHDL code to the synthesis of circuits using Synopsys FPGA Compiler II.  Nimbus-Synopsys Tutorial (HTML).  Nimbus-Synopsys Tutorial (PDF).

If you're new to running Nimbus, check out this instructional web page for how to set up your own Nimbus directory and install it for CSCE 491 or CSCE 611.

Here are links to the Users Guide (PDF) and Tutorial (PDF) for Nimbus.  You should be able to find things like error codes, etc., in the manual.  If there's something you are looking for that is not here, please check the link to the older flowHDL Reference Manual, which is still compatible with the Nimbus feature/function set (particularly in regards to error codes, use of the ASM expression syntax, and the list of supported macro-function definitions).

New 2/15/05! Here's a link to the Nimbus Reference Manual, draft version (PDF).  If you are using Nimbus, and find any errors in this manual, please let me know.