Step 1: Creating an Implementation Project

The Design Implementation Tools are organized under a single program called the Design Manager. The Design Manager helps you manage the design flow process by keeping track of design versions as well as the implementation revisions within each version. The Design Manager also provides access to the entire suite of Xilinx implementation tools you need to complete a design.

1. To begin this tutorial, change directories to the area containing your copy of the design files.
   
   
2. On a workstation, enter the following at the command line prompt to start the Design Manager.
   
   xilinx &
   
   You can also start the Design Manager with the following command.
   
   dsgnmgr &
   
   On a PC, start the Design Manager by entering.
   
   Start Programs Xilinx Design Manager
   
   
3. When running the Design Manager for the first time, there are no projects available. To create a new implementation project for this tutorial design, enter the following.
   
   Select File New Project
   
   The New Project dialog box appears containing fields to specify the input design, working directory, and a design comment. The input design is the top level netlist file that contains the design's definition. The working directory is the area that will be used by the tools to store the implementation data created as you compile your design. Use the comment field to enter a brief notation about the design being processed.
   
   
4. Click on the Browse button to the right of the Input Design Field to specify the input design.
   
   The Browse dialog box is displayed with the default file type set to EDIF Files. The design for this tutorial was created by Synopsys FPGA Express, which outputs an XNF file.
   
   
5. Click on the List Files of Type pull-down list box and select XNF Files (*.xnf, *.xtf, *.sxnf) to change the file filter to the desired file type.
   
   
6. Select the count8.xnf file and click on OK to accept the input netlist.
   
   

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   NOTE

   You may need to change directories to the area containing the copied design files.

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   The Browse dialog box is closed and the New Project dialog box is updated to include the specified input netlist. By default, the Work Directory is set to the directory containing the input design. If you prefer, you can set this to another directory. Because the files were previously copied into the Count directory, this same directory is used to hold the implementation project and resulting output files.
   
   
7. Place the cursor in the Comment field and enter the following.
   
   -tutorial
   
   
8. Click OK to close the New Project dialog box and to update the Design Manager with the specified project, as shown in the following figure.
   
   

Figure 3.1 Count8.xpj Project in Design Manager

NOTE

The toolbox buttons on the right side of the Design Manager are inactive. To use these tools, you must first create a design version and an implementation revision.