Create and Build AI Engine Component - 2025.1 English - UG1702

The Vitis Unified IDE supports Python APIs to create and build an AI Engine component. You can either create and build the component through the GUI (see Creating an AI Engine Component in the AI Engine Tools and Flows User Guide (UG1076)) or using Python APIs. Some of the Python APIs that are required to create and build AI Engine components are shared in the following table. For details of all Vitis supported Python APIs, refer to the link: <vitis_install_path>cli/api_docs/build/html/vitis.html. Multiple config files are not supported in the Vitis IDE to create the component. If you would like to use a custom config file to create the component, remove the config file generated by the Vitis tool (default) as shown below:

1. Remove the tool generated configuration file using the Python command:

   remove_cfg_file('<config_file.cfg>')

2. Add the custom configuration file using the Python command:

   add_cfg_file('<custom_config_file.cfg>')

The Python script to create an AI Engine component and build for target=Hardware is described below:

# Add package: Vitis Python CLI
import vitis

# Create a Vitis client object -
client = vitis.create_client()

# Set Vitis Workspace
client.set_workspace(path=<workspace_location>)

# Create aie component.
aie_test_comp = client.create_aie_component(name = comp_name, platform = <absolute path of platform>, template = "empty_aie_component")

# Import source files to the component
aie_test_comp.import_files(from_loc = <absolute path of source folder>, files = ['file1.cpp', 'file2.h', 'file3.h', 'kernel1.cc', 'kernel2.cc'])

# Set top file from the imported source
aie_test_comp.update_top_level_file(top_level_file = 'main_graph.cpp')

# Build component on target Hardware
aie_test_comp.build(target="hw")

# Print component information
aie_test_comp.report()