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30 changes: 16 additions & 14 deletions getting-started.md
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Introductory tutorial and example starter project, building towards a basic mechanical keyboard macropad.

The overall workflow is:
1. Write HDL code to define a top-level design, using library blocks.
2. Compile the design to generate a netlist and BoM data.
3. Load the netlist into KiCad PCB Editor for layout and routing.
4. Optionally, iterate without losing layout progress.

### Reference Document
While this getting started guide is meant to be self-contained, you may also find the [reference document](reference.md) helpful, especially as you build designs outside this tutorial.

## Goals
The main goal of this HDL are:
Expand All @@ -12,6 +20,13 @@ The main goal of this HDL are:

These capabilities will be shown throughout this tutorial.

## Setup

```
pip install edg
```

On first run, the system will automatically download a compatible Java runtime for the core compiler.

## Core concepts
The core abstraction is the hierarchical block diagram, shown here using an example design of a microcontroller driving an LED.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -50,25 +65,12 @@ You can also write custom links and ports, though this will be unnecessary for m

</details>


### Setup

```
pip install edg
```

On first run, the system will automatically download a compatible Java runtime for the core compiler.

### Reference Document
While this getting started guide is meant to be self-contained, you may also find the [reference document](reference.md) helpful, especially as you build designs outside this tutorial.


### Hardware Description Language (HDL)
To support user-defined computation of parameters and generator blocks, the design system is implemented as a _hardware description language_ (HDL).
That is, blocks are "placed" or instantiated, and their ports are connected, through lines in code instead of GUI actions in a graphical schematic.


### Optional Integrated Development Environment (IDE) with Graphical Editor
### Optional PyCharm IDE with Graphical Editor
We have also built a basic IDE (as a PyCharm plugin, must be compiled locally) that provides some basic graphical integrations for working with HDL.
Specifically, it:
- generates a block diagram visualization of the design
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