Answers Database

Retargeting a design in Mentor Design Architect (Convert Design)


Record #798

Product Family:  Software

Product Line:  Mentor

Problem Title:
Retargeting a design in Mentor Design Architect (Convert Design)


Problem Description:
Keywords: Convert Design, retargeting

Urgency: Standard

General Description:

(Note: if you are having difficulty with Convert Design, refer (Xilinx
Solution 822).)

How do I retarget a Xilinx schematic in Design Architect to a new device
family?


Solution 1:

Although pre-1997 versions of the Mentor Graphics Interface/Tutorial Guide
say to use the Change References utility in Mentor's Design Manager to do
this, the later versions of the Mentor interface (5.2.x as well as M1.x)
offer a more thorough and robust utility for retargeting a Xilinx schematic
to a new family: Convert Design.

Note: The first few times you use Convert Design, you may want to make a
copy of the schematic you wish to retarget, to make sure you have a feel for
what this utility does before modifying your design permanently.

Open the schematic in PLD_DA.  On DA's desktop background (i.e., outside of
any schematic or symbol windows), call up the Session pop-up menu with the
right mouse button and select Convert Design.  In the resulting dialog box
you will see several fields, the following of which are the most relevant:

* Select a group of designs from a list file?  Whether you answer "yes" or
  "no" to this question affect the following field.

* Enter Design name (List file = no).  The name of the design to retarget.
  Versions of Convert Design before and including XACT M1.3 did not
  traverse the hierarchy of this schematic.  Convert Design, starting with
  M1.4, now traverses hierarchy during its library retargeting process.

* Enter list file name (List file = yes).  A file which lists designs, one
  per line, to retarget.  This is useful, especially in pre-M1.4 versions
  of XACT, if your design has many lower-level schematics.  (Tip: you can
  easily create a list file with the following command:

     ls *.mgc_component.attr | sed s/.mgc_component.attr//g > listfile

  The ls lists all MGC components within a single directory while the sed
  strips off the .mgc_component.attr trailer.  The result is redirected to
  listfile.)

* Schematic name.  The name of the schematic model.  This is usually
  "schematic" (the default).

* Check & Save switch.	Because all schematic sheets in Convert Design are
  literally redrawn in Design Architect, each sheet needs to be Checked and
  Saved.  This switch controls whether or not to do this automatically.  By
  default, this switch is turned off, meaning that you must check each sheet
  manually; this is the safer setting and allows you to spot Xilinx
  components that did not convert properly.  It is recommended you use the
  "off" setting when you are still getting a feel for how Convert Design
  works.  If you are comfortable with how Convert Design works, and if you
  are certain that all Xilinx components will convert properly, you may use
  the "on" setting.

* From Technology.  The device family from which you are converting (e.g.,
  xc3000, xc4000, xc4000e, xc4000x, xc5200, etc.).

* To Technology.  The device family to which you are converting.

After filling out the fields in the dialog box and selecting "OK," you will
see Convert Design doing its job directly in Design Architect.



End of Record #798