Answers Database

How to re-target a different Xilinx device family with Viewlogic's Altran


Record #1225

Product Family:  Software

Product Line:  ViewLogic

Problem Title:
How to re-target a different Xilinx device family with Viewlogic's
Altran



Problem Description:
The following are steps on how to change a Viewlogic schematic to target a
different Xilinx device family.  This applies to all Viewlogic schematic
entry tools on both PC and UNIX platforms.  Similar steps can be perfomed on
different design entry tools.  This particular example converts from an
XC4000 device to an XC5200 but these families may be interchanged with any
other Xilinx device family.


Solution 1:

*** If you purchased PROseries from Xilinx, there is a	Windows-based
    graphical utility called Xaltran which will perform the steps below.
    You can execute this program either by changing families from the
    PROflow interface or double-clicking xaltran.exe located in the PROSER
    directory from File Manager.

1. Change the library that the schematic components are pointing to by
   running Altran on the design.  This can be done either from Windows
   (PROseries will automatically run this program when changing families)
   or can run it from a command line (UNIX and DOS).  The syntax is:

   altran -l primary xc4000=xc5200

   Note:  Altran is a Viewlogic program and must only be used with
   Viewlogic schematics.  This example takes schematic components aliased
   to the xc4000 library and redirects it to the xc5200 library.

2. Remove the xc4000 library form the library search path and add the 5200.
   In ViewLogic this is done by editing the viewdraw.ini file located in the
   project directory.  Workview Office users will make this change in the
   Project Manager.  The easiest way to make this change is to change the
   existing library path that is pointing to the xc4000 library to point to
   the xc5200 library and change the alias to say xc5200.

3. Verify that design translated corectly by viewing schematic, running
   check on the project (from command line type : check -l primary), and
   performing a functional simulation on design (optional).  Be careful that
   device specific primatives/macros (such as wide-edge decoders) are
   replaced with the equivelent primatives/macros from the re-targeted
   device library.

   Note:  All components that exist in the original design but do not exist
   in the target family will have to be replaced by hand.  For example, if
   your xc4000 design is translated to the xc5200 family, any RAM components
   will not be found because they are not supported by the xc5200.  Any
   situations like this must be dealt with manually by the user.

4. Once verified, you can reprocess design retargeting to the desired target
   device.  (This is usually done in either Design Manager, XDM, or from
   command line with xmake)

5. Re-verify design by performing a timing simulation.

If the origional design was done on pre-5.0 XACT with the "non-unified" librarie
s more caution needs to be maintained.	Pre-unified libraries have different nam
es and functionality for a lot of the macros in the different family groups.  Un
ified library replacement names for the 4000 are located
in the libraries guide on pages 2-52 to 2-67.

Please refer to the Libraries Guide for more information on Library components.



End of Record #1225