CERN has published a VHDL library called “colibri,” containing more than 100 components, functions, and procedures to accelerate FPGA projects. Offered under the CERN Open Hardware Licence, the library was tested on platforms from different manufacturers; it includes self-checking testbenches and formal verification for some sections. The library, hosted on GitLab, also includes SPI and i2c support.
Why it matters
This release provides a common foundation that teams developing FPGAs can turn to when working across platforms from different manufacturers. The availability of testing and verification infrastructure alongside ready-made components allows developers to focus not only on adding functionality but also on checking that the design works as expected. While the open hardware licence increases the library’s accessibility, the build, review, and development processes on GitLab make it easier to track. SPI and i2c support also broadens the library’s usability for designs that communicate with hardware components. However, the available information does not answer the extent to which the components will be adopted in different projects or how the library’s long-term maintenance will be sustained.
Background
VHDL is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we published a news article mentioning the name in the last 90 days; that article is dated 15 September 2026.