Area Plot

X-HEEP offers the possibility to visualize post-synthesis area reports using the area_plot Python package. The tool, based on plotly treemap graphics, provides an interactive interface for hierarchical design exploration, making it easier to analyze the relative area contributions of various submodules and their impact on the overall design.

The tool can generate output in multiple formats: (.png, .svg, .html). The html format allows for full interactivity and can be opened in any web browser.

Note: Currently, only Synopsys Design Compiler area report format is fully supported.

How to Use

After running synthesis and generating an area report, you can obtain your area plot by running:

make area-plot

kaleido requires a compatible version of Chrome (or Chromium) installed to save the output image. If you don’t have it in your system, don’t worry, plotly will provide it, just follow the prompt and paste on your terminal:

plotly_get_chrome

You can also customize the input report path, output directory, and top-level module for the plot (which may differ from X-HEEP’s main top-level) by providing additional arguments. For example:

make area-plot AREA_PLOT_RPT=./build/area.rpt AREA_PLOT_OUTDIR=./util/area-plot/ AREA_PLOT_TOP=u_core_v_mini_mcu

For more advanced options, run:

area-plot --help

Viewing the Area Plot

To navigate the generated plot interactively, open the html file in a web browser. For example:

firefox util/area-plot/u_core_v_mini_muc_treemap.html

While navigating the plot, hovering over a module will display detailed information, such as its absolute area and the percentage it occupies within its parent module.