---
name: "iverilog-vpi"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "iverilog"
version: "13.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/iverilog-vpi"
---

# iverilog-vpi(1)

Compile front end for VPI modules

## NAME

iverilog-vpi - Compile front end for VPI modules

## SYNOPSIS

**iverilog-vpi** \[options\] *sourcefile*...

## DESCRIPTION

*iverilog-vpi* is a tool to simplify the compilation of VPI modules for use with Icarus Verilog. It takes on the command line a list of C or C++ source files, and generates as output a linked VPI module. See the [**vvp**(1)](/vvp/1.md) man page for a description of how the linked module is loaded by a simulation.

By default the output is named after the first source file. For example, if the first source file is named *foo.c*, the output becomes *foo.vpi*.

## OPTIONS

*iverilog-vpi* accepts the following options:

- **-l*library***

  Include the named library in the link of the VPI module. This allows VPI modules to further reference external libraries.

- **-L*directory***

  Add *directory* to the list of directories that will be searched for library files.

- **-I*directory***

  Add *directory* to the list of directories that will be searched for header files.

- **-D*define***

  Define a macro named *define*.

- **--name=*name***

  Normally, the output VPI module will be named after the first source file passed to the command. This flag sets the name (without the .vpi suffix) of the output vpi module.

## PC-ONLY OPTIONS

When built as a native Windows program (using the MinGW toolchain), by default *iverilog-vpi* will attempt to locate the MinGW tools needed to compile a VPI module on the system path (as set by the PATH environment variable). As an alternative, the user may specify the location of the MinGW tools via the following option.

- **-mingw=*path***

  Tell the program the root of the MinGW compiler tool suite. The **vvp** runtime is compiled with this compiler, and this is the compiler that *iverilog-vpi* expects to use to compile your source code. If this option accompanies a list of files, it will apply to the current build only. If this option is provided on its own, *iverilog-vpi* will save the *path* in the registry and use that path in preference to the system path for subsequent operations, avoiding the need to specify it on the command line every time.

## INFORMATIONAL OPTIONS

*iverilog-vpi* includes additional flags to let Makefile gurus peek at the configuration of the *iverilog* installation.  This way, Makefiles can be written that handle complex VPI builds natively, and without hard-coding values that depend on the system and installation. If used at all, these options must be used one at a time, and without any other options or directives.

- **--install-dir**

  Print the install directory for VPI modules.

- **--cflags**

  Print the compiler flags (CFLAGS or CXXFLAGS) needed to compile source code destined for a VPI module.

- **--ldflags**

  Print the linker flags (LDFLAGS) needed to link a VPI module.

- **--ldlibs**

  Print the libraries (LDLIBS) needed to link a VPI module.

Example GNU makefile that takes advantage of these flags:

-

  CFLAGS = -Wall -O $(CFLAGS\_$@)\
   VPI\_CFLAGS := $(shell iverilog-vpi --cflags)\
   CFLAGS\_messagev.o = $(VPI\_CFLAGS)\
   CFLAGS\_fifo.o = $(VPI\_CFLAGS)\
   messagev.o fifo.o: transport.h\
   messagev.vpi: messagev.o fifo.o\
  \
   	iverilog-vpi $^

## AUTHOR

```
Steve Williams (steve@icarus.com)
```

## SEE ALSO

[iverilog(1)](/iverilog/1.md), [vvp(1)](/vvp/1.md), **\<https://steveicarus.github.io/iverilog/\>**, **\<http://mingw-w64.yaxm.org/\>**,

## COPYRIGHT

```
Copyright ©  2002-2026 Stephen Williams
This document can be freely redistributed according to the terms of the
GNU General Public License version 2.0
```