Software Installation

Required Software

The following versions of software are required to perform this tutorial:

• Mentor Graphics Version B.1 or later, including Mentor Design Manger, Design Architect, QuickSim, QuickPath, as well as the programs needed to read and write EDIF netlists (ENRead and ENWrite), which require special licensing
  
  
• Xilinx/Mentor Graphics Interface Version M1
  
  
• Xilinx Development System Version M1
  
  

Before Beginning the Tutorial

Before beginning the tutorial, set-up your workstation to use Mentor Graphics and XACT Development System software as follows:

1. Verify that your system is properly configured. Consult the release notes that came with your software package for more information.
   
   
2. Install the following sets of software:
   
   
   • Xilinx Development System Version M1
     
     
   • Xilinx/Mentor Graphics Interface Version M1
     
     
   • Mentor Graphics Version B.1 or later, including Mentor Design Manger, Design Architect, QuickSim, QuickPath, as well as the programs needed to read and write EDIF netlists (ENRead and ENWrite), which require special licensing
     
     
3. Verify the installation, using the “Configuring Your System” section of the “Getting Started” chapter as a guide.
   
   
4. Add a reference to $XILINX_TUTORIAL to your MGC_LOCATION_MAP file.
   
   Every symbol and schematic in your design contains references which indicate where design objects reside on your disk or network. The tutorial designs use variables in their reference definitions so they can be easily relocated. All of the tutorial designs use the variable $XILINX_TUTORIAL in their path references. $XILINX_TUTORIAL must be defined in the file pointed to by $MGC_LOCATION_MAP. For example, the design object seg7dec in the $XILINX/mentor/tutorial/calc_sch directory uses the path reference $XILINX_TUTORIAL/calc_sch/seg7dec to define where it is located in the directory structure. If the tutorial directories were copied to the path /home/bclinton/mentor/xtutorial, the following two lines must be added to the file pointed to by $MGC_LOCATION_MAP:
   
   $XILINX_TUTORIAL
   /home/bclinton/mentor/xtutorial
   
   If you make a query to determine where the design object “$XILINX_TUTORIAL/calc_sch/stack” is located, the Mentor Graphics tools use this definition to determine that stack is at /home/bclinton/mentor/xtutorial/calc_sch/stack.
   
   With this definition added to the location map as defined in the “Getting Started” chapter, the complete location-map file should, at a minimum, look like:
   
   MGC_LOCATION_MAP_1
   (empty line)
   $MGC_GENLIB
   (empty line)
   $LCA
   (empty line)
   $SIMPRIMS
   (empty line)
   $XILINX_TUTORIAL
   /home/bclinton/mentor/xtutorial
   
   Refer to the Mentor Graphics documentation for more information on location maps.
   
   

Installing the Tutorial

You can optionally install the tutorial files when you install the Xilinx/Mentor Graphics interface software. If you have already installed the software, but are not sure whether you specified tutorial installation, check your software installation for a $XILINX/mentor/tutorial directory. This directory contains the tutorial files.

Standard Directory Structure

When you create a design object in Mentor Graphics, a directory is created in the project directory with the same name as the design object. This directory contains a schematic directory, symbol files, viewpoint files, and part interfaces. The directory is identified as a design object by the file, design_name.mgc_component.attr, that resides at the same level as the directory which has the name. For example, if you create a schematic named calc, a calc directory is created, and at the same level the file, calc.mgc_component.attr, is created. The calc directory contains all the files that describe calc.

NOTE

In this tutorial, file names and directory names are in lower case and the design example is referred to as Calc.

Tutorial Directory and Files

You will complete the Calc design in this tutorial. During the tutorial installation, the $XILINX/mentor/tutorial directory is created; design object directories are created; and the tutorial files needed to complete the design are copied to the calc_sch directory. Some of the files you need to complete the tutorial design are not copied, because you create these files in the tutorial. However, solutions directories with all input and output files are provided. They are located in the $XILINX/mentor/tutorial directory and are listed in the following table.

Table 9_1 Tutorial Design Directories

The solution directories contain the design files for the completed tutorial, including schematics, intermediate files, and the bitstream file. Different intermediate files are created for different device families. Do not overwrite any files in the solutions directories.

The calc_sch directory contains the incomplete copy of the tutorial design. The installation program copies a few intermediate files to the calc_sch tutorial directory, and you create the remaining files when you perform the tutorial. As described in a later step, you copy the calc_sch directory to another area and perform the tutorial in this new area. The following table lists and describes the directories and files in the calc_4ke solution directory.

Table 9_2 Tutorial Directories/Files in the Calc_4ke Directory

In addition to the files listed above, there is a file called filename.mgc_component.attr associated with each design component directory. This file identifies the corresponding directory as a Mentor Graphics design component.