1. Getting Started with SpaceStudio#

1.1. Introduction#

Space Codesign technology is a powerful set of tools aiming at efficient end-to-end automated hardware/software co-design. It provides a fully integrated environment guiding you though the creation, simulation, debugging, monitoring, and implementation of a system on an FPGA.

Space Codesign environment consists of the following components :

  • SpaceStudio an Eclipse-based development/debugging environment which accelerates the design of embedded systems through the use of hardware/software co-design and high-level synthesis

  • SpaceLib a library enabling the implementation of C/C++ or SystemC applications along with their architecture, in preparation for creating of an FPGA

  • Monitoring infrastructure that enables non-intrusive performance analysis of SpaceLib designed systems

  • Architecture Implementation that synthesizes your system for your preferred Electronic Design Automation (EDA) implementation tool

The purpose of this guide is to help users properly install the Space Codesign environment and get it up and running.

1.1.1. Workstation Requirements#

  • The workstations must run one of the following:

    • Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit with at least the build version 18305.

    • Ubuntu 20.04.x LTS

  • Dual-core processor, 10 GB of available disk space and 4 GB of RAM.

  • Screen resolution of at least 1024x768 and must not be high-dpi (4K).

1.1.2. Installing SpaceStudio#

Run the installation program to install SpaceStudio. The installation’s target directory must meet the following requirements:

  • Its name must not contain any whitespace

  • It must be readable, writeable and executable by the user performing the installation

  • It must be readable and executable by the user(s) that will run SpaceStudio

  • Installer must be executed with elevated rights

Unattended installation is done with the following command:

<spacestudio_installer> --al --am -c install

1.1.3. Licensing SpaceStudio#

SpaceStudio uses Flexera Software’s FlexNet Publisher technology for license management. SpaceStudio’s licensing model is based on floating licenses, where licenses are bound to and managed by a license server. During operation of SpaceStudio, the user’s workstation must be able to establish and maintain a TCP/IP connection with the license server.

A FlexNet Publisher-based license server is composed of two components:

  • Flexera Software’s license server manager (lmadmin or lmgrd)

  • A vendor-specific daemon

SpaceStudio requires lmadmin or lmgrd version 11.13.1.3 or higher to be installed on the license server. Please contact your Space Codesign representative to obtain these license server managers, as well as the related documentation and utilities referenced below.

SpaceStudio’s vendor daemon (spacecod) must then be installed in your license server manager. Please refer to Flexera Software’s “FlexNet Publisher License Administration Guide” for more information on how to install a vendor daemon.

SpaceStudio’s vendor daemon must then be configured with a license file bound to your license server’s host ID (typically, a MAC address). To obtain your license server’s host ID, install Flexera Software’s lmutil on your license server and execute the following command line:

lmutil lmhostid

Send your desired license server’s host ID to your Space Codesign Systems representative in order to request a license file for that host ID. If necessary, you may edit the license file in order to modify the license server’s DNS host name or the vendor daemon’s TCP port. However, any other modification to the license file (in particular, but not limited to, the license server’s host ID, the license’s features, start date or expiry date) is forbidden. Please refer to Flexera Software’s “FlexNet Publisher License Administration Guide” for more information on how to install a license file on a vendor daemon.

Installation and operation of SpaceStudio’s vendor daemon is currently supported on the following operating systems:

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008, 64-bit

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2012, 64-bit

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, 64-bit

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, 64-bit

Technical close-up

If you are installing SpaceStudio’s vendor daemon on a Linux-based license server, make sure that the redhat-lsb package is installed on your license server.

Once your license server and SpaceStudio’s vendor daemon are properly installed and configured, the last step is to configure SpaceStudio to use your license server. To do so, you must configure the SPACECOD_LICENSE_FILE or LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable on your workstation to include your license server in SpaceStudio’s license search path. For more information on how to configure these environment variables, please refer to Flexera Software’s “FlexNet Publisher License Administration Guide”.

1.1.4. Uninstalling SpaceStudio#

Unattended uninstallation is done with the following command:

%installation_folder%/uninstall -c pr