> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/tiny-tpu-v2/tiny-tpu/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Development environment setup

> Set up your development environment for Tiny TPU on MacOS or Ubuntu/Linux

This guide will walk you through setting up your development environment for Tiny TPU. The project uses cocotb for testing, iverilog for simulation, and GTKwave for viewing waveforms.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

* Python 3.7 or later
* Git (for version control)
* A package manager (Homebrew for MacOS, apt for Ubuntu/Linux)

## Platform-specific setup

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash MacOS theme={null}
  # Create and activate a virtual environment
  python3 -m venv venv
  source venv/bin/activate

  # Install cocotb
  pip install cocotb

  # Install iverilog using Homebrew
  brew install iverilog
  ```

  ```bash Ubuntu/Linux theme={null}
  # Create and activate a virtual environment
  python3 -m venv venv
  source venv/bin/activate

  # Install cocotb
  pip install cocotb

  # Install GTKwave
  sudo apt install gtkwave

  # Install iverilog
  sudo apt install iverilog
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## GTKwave installation

<Warning>
  On MacOS, you must build GTKwave from source. Other installation methods (like Homebrew) do not currently work correctly.
</Warning>

### Building GTKwave from source (MacOS only)

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download GTKwave source">
    Visit the [GTKwave website](http://gtkwave.sourceforge.net/) or GitHub repository to download the latest source code.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build and install">
    Follow the build instructions provided in the GTKwave source distribution.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify installation">
    ```bash theme={null}
    gtkwave --version
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Installing GTKwave (Ubuntu/Linux)

On Ubuntu/Linux, GTKwave can be installed directly from the package manager:

```bash theme={null}
sudo apt install gtkwave
```

## Verify your installation

After completing the setup, verify that all tools are installed correctly:

```bash theme={null}
# Check cocotb
python -c "import cocotb; print(cocotb.__version__)"

# Check iverilog
iverilog -v

# Check GTKwave
gtkwave --version
```

## Project structure

Once your environment is set up, familiarize yourself with the project structure:

* `src/` - SystemVerilog source files for all modules
* `test/` - Cocotb test files and dump modules
* `waveforms/` - Generated VCD waveform files
* `sim_build/` - Simulation build artifacts
* `Makefile` - Build and test automation

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Adding modules" icon="plus" href="/development/adding-modules">
    Learn how to add new modules to the Tiny TPU
  </Card>

  <Card title="Testing" icon="flask" href="/development/testing">
    Understand the testing framework and workflow
  </Card>

  <Card title="Waveforms" icon="wave-square" href="/development/waveforms">
    View and analyze waveforms with GTKwave
  </Card>
</CardGroup>