diff --git a/ipbb/cli/repo.py b/ipbb/cli/repo.py
index f5484ec8..35e6fefc 100644
--- a/ipbb/cli/repo.py
+++ b/ipbb/cli/repo.py
@@ -72,11 +72,15 @@ def git(env, repo, branch, dest):
     # Maybe not necessary
 
     lUrl = urlparse(repo)
-    # Strip '.git' at the end
-    lRepoName = splitext(basename(lUrl.path))[0] if dest is None else dest
+    # Strip '.git' at the end if it exists, this supports git in a folder
+    if 'git' in lUrl.path:
+        lRepoName = splitext(basename(lUrl.path))[0] if dest is None else dest
+    else:
+        lRepoName = lUrl.path if dest is None else dest
+
     lRepoLocalPath = join(env.work.path, kSourceDir, lRepoName)
 
-    # Check for 
+    # Check for
     if exists(lRepoLocalPath):
         raise click.ClickException(
             'Repository already exists \'%s\'' % lRepoLocalPath
@@ -122,7 +126,7 @@ def git(env, repo, branch, dest):
     if dest is not None:
         lArgs += [dest]
 
-    sh.git(*lArgs, _out=sys.stdout, _cwd=env.srcdir)
+    sh.git(*lArgs)#glein: , _out=sys.stdout, _cwd=env.srcdir)
 
     if branch is not None:
 
@@ -402,4 +406,4 @@ def status(env):
 @srcs.command('find', short_help="Find src files.")
 @click.pass_obj
 def find(env):
-    sh.find(env.srcdir,'-name', '*.vhd', _out=sys.stdout)
\ No newline at end of file
+    sh.find(env.srcdir,'-name', '*.vhd', _out=sys.stdout)
diff --git a/ipbb/cli/vivado.py b/ipbb/cli/vivado.py
index 6a1b4f2c..3669cde3 100644
--- a/ipbb/cli/vivado.py
+++ b/ipbb/cli/vivado.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 import sys
 import sh
 import time
+import re
+import hashlib
 
 # Elements
 from os.path import join, split, exists, splitext, abspath, basename
@@ -20,6 +22,8 @@
 from ..depparser.VivadoProjectMaker import VivadoProjectMaker
 from ..tools.xilinx import VivadoOpen, VivadoConsoleError, VivadoSnoozer
 
+# Debugging and testing
+#import pdb; pdb.set_trace()
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 def ensureVivado(env):
@@ -259,6 +263,91 @@ def synth(env, jobs):
     secho("\n{}: Synthesis completed successfully.\n".format(env.currentproj.name), fg='green')
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def getIPCoresCompiled(aConsole, proj):
+	lVivProjPath = proj.path
+	print(lVivProjPath)
+	lIPCoresPath = join(lVivProjPath, 'top', 'top.srcs', 'sources_1', 'ip')
+	for folder in next(os.walk(lIPCoresPath))[1]:
+		if not os.path.isdir(join(lIPCoresPath, folder, 'sim')):
+			secho("Simulation directory does not exist for %s. Compiling the ip-core."%(folder), fg='yellow')
+			aConsole('generate_target all [get_files %s/top/top.srcs/sources_1/ip/%s/%s.xci]' % (lVivProjPath, folder, folder))
+			aConsole('export_ip_user_files -of_objects [get_files %s/top/top.srcs/sources_1/ip/%s/%s.xci] -no_script -sync -force -quiet' % (lVivProjPath,folder,folder))
+			aConsole('export_simulation -of_objects [get_files %s/top/top.srcs/sources_1/ip/%s/%s.xci] -directory %s/top/top.ip_user_files/sim_scripts -ip_user_files_dir %s/top/top.ip_user_files -ipstatic_source_dir %s/top/top.ip_user_files/ipstatic -lib_map_path [list {modelsim=%s/top/top.cache/compile_simlib/modelsim} {questa=%s/top/top.cache/compile_simlib/questa} {ies=%s/top/top.cache/compile_simlib/ies} {xcelium=%s/top/top.cache/compile_simlib/xcelium} {vcs=%s/top/top.cache/compile_simlib/vcs} {riviera=%s/top/top.cache/compile_simlib/riviera}] -use_ip_compiled_libs -force -quiet' %(lVivProjPath, folder, folder, lVivProjPath, lVivProjPath, lVivProjPath, lVivProjPath, lVivProjPath, lVivProjPath, lVivProjPath, lVivProjPath, lVivProjPath))
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+@vivado.command('sim', short_help='Run the simulation step on the specified dependency.')
+@click.option('-rf', '--run-for', metavar='<time> <unit>',type=(int, str), default=(0,'us'), help = "Specify the duration of the simulation of <time> <unit> in addition to the default 1 us.")
+@click.option('-g', '--GUI-mode', is_flag=True, help = "Show simulation in Vivado interface.")
+@click.option('-c', '--iocheck', is_flag=True, help = "Compare simulation output text to the golden output in golden_hash.txt")
+@click.pass_obj
+def sim(env, run_for, gui_mode, iocheck):
+
+	lSessionId = 'sim'
+
+	# Check
+	lVivProjPath = join(env.currentproj.path, 'top', 'top.xpr')
+	if not exists(lVivProjPath):
+		raise click.ClickException("Vivado project %s does not exist" % lVivProjPath, fg='red')
+
+	ensureVivado(env)
+
+	#find the test bench name
+	proj_file = open(lVivProjPath, 'r')
+	proj_file_text = proj_file.read()
+	tb_path = re.search('[^/]+/tb_.+\.',proj_file_text).group(0)
+
+	tb_path = tb_path[0:len(tb_path) - 1].split('/')
+	board = tb_path[0]
+	tb_file = tb_path[1]
+
+	proj_file.close()
+
+	from ..tools.xilinx import VivadoOpen, VivadoConsoleError
+	try: #prepare and run simulation
+		with VivadoOpen(lSessionId, echo=env.vivadoEcho) as lConsole:
+			lConsole('open_project {}'.format(lVivProjPath)) #open the project in Vivado
+			lConsole('set_property top {} [get_filesets sim_1]'.format(tb_file)) #set the top file
+			lConsole('set_property source_mgmt_mode All [current_project]')
+			lConsole('update_compile_order -fileset sources_1') #update compile order
+			
+			getIPCoresCompiled(lConsole, env.currentproj)
+			
+            #commented for testing
+			lConsole(["launch_simulation"]) #run the simulation in Vivado for 1000ns
+			if run_for[0] != 0:
+				lConsole('run {}{}'.format(run_for[0],run_for[1])) #extend simulation for time specified
+			lConsole("start_gui" if gui_mode else "") #start GUI when specified
+
+	except VivadoConsoleError as lExc:
+		echoVivadoConsoleError(lExc)
+		raise click.Abort()
+
+	if iocheck: #perform check on the textio output and golden output
+		md5 = hashlib.md5()
+		with open("../../src/fpga/framework/hdl/tb/{}/golden_hash.txt".format(board), 'r') as g:
+			f = open("../../src/fpga/framework/hdl/tb/{}/output_text.txt".format(board), 'r')
+			md5.update(f.read()) #feed file to md5sum
+			hash_key = md5.hexdigest()
+			hash_key_check = False
+			for line in g.readlines():
+				if line[0] != '#': #ignore comments in golden_hash.txt
+					vals = line.split(',')
+					if vals[1] == hash_key: #catch matching hash
+						hash_key_check = True
+						print("Output matched golden output! Calculated hash is: {}".format(hash_key))
+						break
+
+			if hash_key_check != True:
+				raise click.ClickException(click.style("Simulation output does not match any golden output. Calculated hash is: {}".format(hash_key),fg='red'))
+
+		# except Exception as error:
+		# 	print("Error: golden_hash.txt not found")
+		# 	raise click.Abort()
+
+	secho("\n{}: Simulation completed successfully.\n".format(env.currentproj.name), fg='green')
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 @vivado.command('impl', short_help='Run the implementation step on the current project.')
diff --git a/ipbb/depparser/VivadoProjectMaker.py b/ipbb/depparser/VivadoProjectMaker.py
index 81b99845..ce6969e3 100644
--- a/ipbb/depparser/VivadoProjectMaker.py
+++ b/ipbb/depparser/VivadoProjectMaker.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import time
 import os
 import collections
+import glob
+import subprocess
 
 from string import Template as tmpl
 
@@ -24,7 +26,9 @@ class VivadoProjectMaker(object):
         '.xci': 'sources_1',
         '.ngc': 'sources_1',
         '.edn': 'sources_1',
-        '.edf': 'sources_1'
+        '.edf': 'sources_1',
+        '.bd': 'sources_1',
+        '.dat': 'sources_1'
         # Legacy ISE files
         # '.ucf': 'ise_1',
         # '.xco': 'ise_1',
@@ -60,6 +64,21 @@ def write(self, aTarget, aScriptVariables, aComponentPaths, aCommandList, aLibs,
             )
         )
 
+        # for block designs of development boards
+        if 'board_part' not in aScriptVariables:
+            pass
+        else:
+            write(
+            'set_property BOARD_PART {board_part} [current_project]'.format(
+                **aScriptVariables
+            )
+        )
+
+        write(
+            'if {[string equal [get_filesets -quiet constrs_1] ""]} {create_fileset -constrset constrs_1}')
+        write(
+            'if {[string equal [get_filesets -quiet sources_1] ""]} {create_fileset -srcset sources_1}')
+
         # Add ip repositories to the project variable
         write('set_property ip_repo_paths {{{}}} [current_project]'.format(
             ' '.join(map( lambda c: c.FilePath, aCommandList['iprepo']))
@@ -98,6 +117,23 @@ def write(self, aTarget, aScriptVariables, aComponentPaths, aCommandList, aLibs,
 
                 lXciBasenames.append(lName)
                 lXciTargetFiles.append(lTargetFile)
+
+            # Support block designs
+            elif lExt == '.bd': # import pdb; pdb.set_trace()
+                
+                fl=glob.glob(lPath+'/*') # delete build artefacts to include recursive submodules
+                fl.remove(lPath+'/'+lBasename) # do not delete the design
+                if os.path.exists(lPath+'/hdl'): # do not delete hdl file if it exists
+                    fl.remove(lPath+'/hdl')
+                for file in fl:
+                    subprocess.Popen(['rm', '-rf', file])
+
+                # hard write to add, open, and close board design
+                write(str('add_files -fileset sources_1 {'+lPath+'/'+lBasename+'}'))
+                write(str('open_bd_design {'+lPath+'/'+lBasename+'}')) # open design to add all submodules
+                write('close_bd_design [current_bd_design]')
+                write(str('generate_target all [get_files '+lPath+'/'+lBasename+']')) # get all submodules
+
             else:
                 if src.Include:
 
diff --git a/ipbb/scripts/programmer.py b/ipbb/scripts/programmer.py
index 521b9f79..4bd95449 100755
--- a/ipbb/scripts/programmer.py
+++ b/ipbb/scripts/programmer.py
@@ -124,9 +124,10 @@ def _validateDevice(ctx, param, value):
 @vivado.command('program')
 @click.argument('deviceid', callback=_validateDevice)
 @click.argument('bitfile', type=click.Path(exists=True))
-@click.option('-v/-q', 'aVerbosity', default=False)
+@click.option('-p', '--probe', type=click.File(), default=None, help="Probe file")
+@click.option('-v/-q', 'aVerbosity', default=False, help="Turns verbosity on/off. Default is -q (quiet).")
 @click.pass_obj
-def program(obj, deviceid, bitfile, aVerbosity):
+def program(obj, deviceid, bitfile, probe, aVerbosity):
 
     target, device = deviceid
 
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@ def program(obj, deviceid, bitfile, aVerbosity):
 
         if click.confirm(style("Bitfile {0} will be loaded on {1}.\nDo you want to continue?".format(bitfile, lTarget), fg='yellow')):
             echo("Programming {}".format(lTarget))
-            v.programDevice(device, bitfile)
+            v.programDevice(device, bitfile, probe.name if probe else None)
             echo("Done.")
             secho("{} successfully programmed on {}".format(bitfile, lTarget), fg='green')
         else:
diff --git a/ipbb/tools/xilinx.py b/ipbb/tools/xilinx.py
index 31ac5408..1fce701e 100644
--- a/ipbb/tools/xilinx.py
+++ b/ipbb/tools/xilinx.py
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ def getHwDevices(self):
     # --------------------------------------------------------------
 
     # --------------------------------------------------------------
-    def programDevice(self, device, bitfile):
+    def programDevice(self, device, bitfile, probe):
         from os.path import abspath, normpath
 
         bitpath = abspath(normpath(bitfile))
@@ -517,9 +517,9 @@ def programDevice(self, device, bitfile):
 
         self.execute('current_hw_device {0}'.format(device))
         self.execute(
-            'refresh_hw_device -update_hw_probes false [current_hw_device]'
+            'refresh_hw_device -update_hw_probes {} [current_hw_device]'.format("True" if probe else "False")
         )
-        self.execute('set_property PROBES.FILE {{}} [current_hw_device]')
+        self.execute('set_property PROBES.FILE {{{0}}} [current_hw_device]'.format(probe if probe else ""))
         self.execute(
             'set_property PROGRAM.FILE {{{0}}} [current_hw_device]'.format(bitpath)
         )