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Timsim8 ends with return code 100 (XNFBA error 256) on non-Mentor XBLOX design


Record #1441

Product Family:  Software

Product Line:  Mentor

Problem Title:
Timsim8 ends with return code 100 (XNFBA error 256) on non-Mentor XBLOX
design



Problem Description:
If you are running Timsim8 -g on an LCA file whose origins are outside of
the Mentor Graphics framework (e.g., Synopsys), and the design contains
XBLOX components (recognized by DEF=BLOX or DEF=XBLOX attributes in the XFF
file), you may get the following error at runtime:

   xnfba notfromconc.xff notfromconc_tim.xnf -o notfromconc_tim.xbf
   Errors found while running xnfba.
   Timsim8 ended with return code  100

In the timsim8.log file, you would see one or more errors like this:

   ERROR 256: The pre-route XNF file contains un-back-annotatible symbol
   COUNTER NOTHING/ADDED.

Note that XNFBA has been run using the .xff file as the pre-routed netlist.
If a design contains XBLOX modules, XNFBA should be run using the .xg file,
in which the XBLOX modules have been synthesized into (back-annotatable)
gates.

Normally, when a Mentor design is translated into XNF, the EDIF2XNF
translator detects the presence of XBLOX modules and, if XBLOX modules
exist, creates a zero-length <design_name>.bmf ("BLOX Module Flag") file.
Timsim8 checks the presence of this file to determine whether it uses the
XFF or XG file as the pre-routed netlist.  In the case of a non-Mentor
XBLOX design, EDIF2XNF is never run, and the BMF file is never created.
Thus, Timsim8 erroneously uses the XBLOX-laiden XFF file as the pre-routed
netlist, leading to Error 256.


Solution 1:

Create a <design_name>.bmf file in the design directory.  It does not
matter what, if anything, is contained in the file.  It is only important
that the file exists.  For example:

   echo > notfromconc.bmf

Rerun Timsim8 -g and it should run fine.



End of Record #1441