Configuring for Powerview

This section contains information about the required Powerview software, installing the software, setting up your project libraries, and setting up to use LogiBLOX.

Required Software

To run Powerview, you need the following versions of the development software.

• Powerview release 6.0 or later
  
  
• Xilinx/Viewlogic Interface and Libraries version M1 or later
  
  
• Xilinx Development System Software version M1 or later
  
  

Installing the Software

The following instructions assume that you already installed and configured Powerview software. Please consult the Viewlogic documentation for details about installing and configuring Powerview.

1. Install Xilinx's M1 Development System and the Xilinx-Viewlogic Interface Tools and Libraries. Ensure that your .cshrc or .login file sets the XILINX environment variable to point to the root of the Xilinx software tree and that your path contains the appropriate platform bin directory. Consult the Xilinx Alliance Release Document for instructions about setting up your machine to run the Xilinx software.
   
   
2. Define the WDIR environment variable for Powerview in your .cshrc or .login file. To integrate Xilinx LogiBLOX with Powerview, you must add the following directory to the beginning of your WDIR variable (separated from the existing path by a colon).
   
   $XILINX/viewlog/data/logiblox/standard
   
   For example, if Powerview is in /tools/powerview, enter the following.
   
   setenv WDIR $XILINX/viewlog/data/logiblox/standard:/tools/powerview/standard
   
   This command adds this Xilinx directory to the WDIR variable so that ViewDraw can locate the ViewScript customizations for LogiBLOX. You can place this directory anywhere in your WDIR search path, provided that the Xilinx directory is the first (or only) one that contains a vdrawus.vs file (this file contains customizations to ViewDraw). If you have other customizations in a vdrawus.vs file elsewhere in your WDIR search path, you can merge the Xilinx customizations into your existing vdrawus.vs file. Add the following line to the end of that file.
   
   load( “logiblox.vs” );
   
   

Setting Up Your Project Libraries

Powerview uses the viewdraw.ini file to set up the ViewDraw environment. You modify the viewdraw.ini file manually.

The viewdraw.ini file contains the path and directory search order for your libraries. You must keep a copy of the viewdraw.ini file in each project directory so you can customize the library search order for each project.

The library search order format allows you to specify an unlimited number of directories, with only one primary directory, as well as the library directories search order. The order of the list of directories at the end of the viewdraw.ini file determines the search order.

Viewdraw.ini File Syntax

Use the following syntax when adding libraries to the viewdraw.ini file.

DIR [type] path (alias)

• Path is the full path specification of the library. Specifying a period (.) as the path name for the primary ([p]) directory causes ViewDraw to use the directory where the file resides as the base directory for all new schematics, user-generated symbols, netlists, and related simulation files.
  
  
• Alias is the library name associated with each component that you place in your schematic.
  
  
• Type indicates one of the following library directory formats.
  
  
  • [p] denotes the primary or project directory. All symbols and schematics that you create are saved here.
    
    
  • [w] indicates a read-write directory.
    
    
  • [r] indicates a read-only directory.
    
    
  • [m] indicates a library compressed into a megafile format. Megafiles are read-only by default.
    
    

Adding Xilinx Libraries

Use the following table to determine which library to use for each particular Xilinx family member.

Table 2_2 Xilinx Family Libraries

NOTE

The xc4000ex library changed in M1.4. Any design using the xc4000xl or xc4000xv family uses the xc4000x library.

Upgrading to M1.x for Existing M1.3 Designs

For existing M1.3 designs that use the xc4000x library, you must make the following modifications when upgrading to M1.x. Taking these steps enables both the old (xc4000ex) and the new (xc4000x) aliases to refer to the new library.

• Follow the library setup instructions required for the xc4000x library.
  
  
• Duplicate the xc4000 library, modifying the alias to xc4000ex. Ensure both of the following lines exist in your viewdraw.ini.
  
  

DIR [m] /xilinx_path/viewlog/data/xc4000x (xc4000x)

DIR [m] /xilinx_path/viewlog/data/xc4000x(xc4000ex)

NOTE

You cannot mix different family libraries in the same project directory. Specify libraries from exactly one Xilinx family for each project directory.

Adding Simprims, Builtin, and Xbuiltin Libraries

The Xilinx Viewlogic library package includes the builtin library, a simplified version of the complete builtin library sold by Viewlogic. Use only the Xilinx-supplied builtin library (/xilinx_path/viewlog/data/builtin) in any Xilinx project directory.

You must add the simprims, builtin, and xbuiltin libraries (the Viewlogic simulation model libraries) to the viewdraw.ini file.

NOTE

You cannot use the simprims, builtin, or xbuiltin libraries to capture your design.

Adding Library Aliases

When specifying the library search order, you must also add a library alias to each library directory. A library alias is a name that identifies a specific library directory along with the parts that it contains. The alias distinguishes identically named components from different libraries. You must specify, in parenthesis, in the viewdraw.ini file the aliases for each Xilinx library for proper netlist translation.

Specifying the Library Search Order

Library directories should conform to the search order shown in the following table.

Table 2_3 Xilinx Libraries and Aliases

Include the library alias names under the Library column. You must enter these aliases exactly as shown.

You can add user-defined libraries, but you must add them after the primary directory.

XC4000XL/XV Library Search Order Example

For a new XC4000XL/XV design on a workstation, ensure the library definition section looks like this.

DIR [p] .(primary)
DIR [m] /xilinx_path/viewlog/data/xc4000x (xc4000x)
DIR [r] /xilinx_path/viewlog/data/logiblox (logiblox)
DIR [m] /xilinx_path/viewlog/data/simprims (simprims)
DIR [m] /xilinx_path/viewlog/data/builtin (builtin)
DIR [m] /xilinx_path/viewlog/data/xbuiltin (xbuiltin)

Setting Up To Use LogiBLOX

Using the LogiBLOX Module Selector requires a few additional setup steps, depending on which type of simulation model you want LogiBLOX to create. This section outlines these steps.

Only the FPGA families support LogiBLOX modules. Do not use LogiBLOX Modules in CPLD (xc9500/F) designs.

NOTE

When you use LogiBLOX for the first time in a new project, it checks your setup, allowing you to correct any setup problems at that time. If you want to have LogiBLOX do the setup for you, you need only review the “Choosing Between VHDL and EDIF Models” section.

1. Ensure that your viewdraw.ini search order includes both the “logiblox” library and the “simprims” library, each with the appropriate alias. See the“Specifying the Library Search Order” section for details about this.
   
   
2. Decide which type of simulation model you want LogiBLOX to create, either behavioral VHDL or gate-level EDIF. See the “Choosing Between VHDL and EDIF Models” section.
   
   
3. If you want LogiBLOX to create VHDL models, you need to complete the following steps.
   
   
   1. Locate the Vantage library that contains the LogiBLOX VHDL source provided by Xilinx. If this library has not already been analyzed at your site, you need to run the Vantage analyzer. Ensure your vsslib.ini file contains the path to the analyzed library. See the “Analyzing the LogiBLOX VHDL Library” section.
      
      
   2. Create a Vantage working library in your current project directory to contain analyzed LogiBLOX models. Your vsslib.ini file designates this as the working library. See the “Creating a Vantage Library for the Project” section.
      
      
   3. Create a vsslib.ini initialization file, required by LogiBLOX and by the Fusion simulator. See the “Creating the vsslib.ini Library List File” section.
      
      

Choosing Between VHDL and EDIF Models

For functional simulation purposes, LogiBLOX can create either behavioral VHDL models or gate-level EDIF models. Which type you choose depends on which VIEWlogic simulator you have available, as described in this section.

To use VHDL models, you must have a license for the FusionHDL or Fusion/Speedwave simulation engine (also known as Vantage). This simulation flow takes advantage of the mixed gate-VHDL capability of Fusion, modelling LogiBLOX modules in VHDL, the remainder of the schematic design modelled in gates.

If you do not have a Fusion/Speedwave license, use LogiBLOX to create EDIF models. These gate-level models translate into VIEWlogic WIR files, simulated by the standard Viewsim gate simulator.

Because VHDL model creation is faster that EDIF model creation in LogiBLOX, use VHDL models if your VIEWlogic environment supports it.

Specify the simulation model type in the LogiBLOX Setup dialog, as described in “Adding LogiBLOX Components” section of the “Design Entry” chapter.

Analyzing the LogiBLOX VHDL Library

The VHDL models created by LogiBLOX use some standard functions defined in the LogiBLOX VHDL library. Xilinx provides the VHDL source files for this library. Find these VHDL source files in the standard Xilinx installation area. You must analyze this library for Vantage. Make the analyzed library available at the time you create individual LogiBLOX modules.

You do not need to re-analyze the LogiBLOX library for every new project. However, a Vantage library is specific to the platform and operating system under which it was analyzed, so you must ensure that the library you use is correct for your environment.

To analyze the LogiBLOX VHDL library for Vantage, run the following command from the UNIX prompt.

vaninit parent_directory

This Xilinx-provided script creates a new logiblox.lib Vantage library directory under the parent_directory that you specify.

If you want to analyze the LogiBLOX library manually, follow these steps.

1. Ensure that the Vantage analysis tools are properly configured. Define the VANTAGE_VSS environment variable and place the Vantage analysis tools in the system path. Consult the VIEWlogic documentation for details about this.
   
   
2. Change to the directory where you want to create the Vantage library for LogiBLOX. The Vantage tools create a directory called “logiblox.lib” below the current one. Run the remaining steps from this directory.
   
   
3. Run the following command to create a new Vantage library for the LogiBLOX VHDL source.
   
   vanlibcreate logiblox.lib LOGIBLOX
   
   The symbolic name of the new library is the last argument to this command, LOGIBLOX. Do not substitute any other name, as the LogiBLOX-generated VHDL models reference the library by this name.
   
   
4. Run the following commands to analyze the LogiBLOX VHDL source files.
   
   analyze -src $XILINX/vhdl/src/logiblox/mvlutil.vhd -lib logiblox.lib -libieee
   
   analyze -src $XILINX/vhdl/src/logiblox/mvlarith.vhd -lib logiblox.lib -libieee
   
   analyze -src $XILINX/vhdl/src/logiblox/logiblox.vhd -lib logiblox.lib -libieee
   
   Analyze the three VHDL source files in the order shown above.
   
   

Your vsslib.ini file for each project using LogiBlox specifies the Vantage library created here. You can find more information about the vsslib.ini file in the “Creating the vsslib.ini Library List File” section.

Creating a Vantage Library for the Project

LogiBLOX creates and then analyzes a VHDL simulation model into the current working Vantage library. Typically, you want this working library to reside under the VIEWlogic project directory. This section describes how to create a new Vantage library for this purpose. The following section describes how to designate this new library as the working library in vsslib.ini.

To create a new Vantage library under the project directory, move to the project directory and run the following command.

vanlibcreate logiview.lib LOGIVIEW

You can choose a different directory name and symbolic name for this library.

Creating the vsslib.ini Library List File

The vsslib.ini file tells the Vantage analysis tools (run from LogiBLOX) where to find the current working library, the analyzed LogiBLOX VHDL library, and the standard IEEE library.

The vsslib.ini file, a simple text file, lists the path to each Vantage library directory on a separate line. The first directory listed is considered the working library during analysis of LogiBLOX models. The order of directories is otherwise irrelevant.

The vsslib.ini file specifies the following directories.

1. The Vantage library into which LogiBLOX models analyze. Make this the first directory listed in vsslib.ini because it is considered the working directory.
   
   
2. The analyzed version of the LogiBLOX VHDL library.
   
   
3. The standard IEEE library provided with the Vantage tools.
   
   

The following example shows a complete vsslib.ini file.

/proj/designs/memmap/logiview.lib
/proj/vanlibs/xilinx/logiblox.lib
/tools/powerview/standard/van_vss/pgm/libs/ieee.lib

In this example, “logiview.lib” is the working library.