Answers Database

Foundation: How to use both XACT6-based and M1-based flows with Foundation


Record #2599

Product Family:  Software

Product Line:  Aldec

Problem Title:
Foundation:  How to use both XACT6-based and M1-based flows with
Foundation



Problem Description:
Keywords:  XACT6, M1

Urgency:  Standard

General Description:

It is not possible to install 2 different versions of
Foundation on the same O/S, due to the fact that the INI file
(SUSIE.INI) is located in the Windows directory.  Therefore,
how is it possible to continue working on designs which target
families only supported in the XACT6 flow (2K, 3K, 5K), as well
as those families supported in the M1 flow (4KE, 4KEX, 4KXL,
7K, 9K)?


Solution 1:


The new Foundation F1.3 tools support both M1-based flows, as
well as XACT6-based flows.  As long as the XACTStep6
Implementation Tools, and the M1/F1 Implementation Tools both
reside on the system, and the environment variables are
appropriately set, both flows will be available.  The XACTStep6
tools are by default installed to the C:\XACT directory, and
the M1 tools are by default installed to the C:\XILINX
directory.  These 2 sets of tools must be kept in separate
directories.  Be aware that the XACTStep6 Implementation tools
were never officially tested under Win95 or WinNT.  For more
details on issues associated with these O/S's please see
(Xilinx Solution 910).

The Foundation F1.3 Project Manager has the ability to modify
its menus and flows depending on the Project Type.  If the
Project Type is "XACTStep6", then the menus will revert back to
the XACT6 flow (ie, the XACT6 Design Manager will be invoked
upon hitting the XACTStep button, and the netlist created will
be in XNF format.)  If the Project Type is "XACTStep M1", then
the Project Manager will invoke the M1 Design Manager, the new
features such as State Editor and Logiblox will be available,
and the netlist created will be in EDIF format.

When you open an existing Foundation project which was created
with the Foundation 6.x tools, Foundation F1.3 will ask if you
wish to enable the XACTStep6 flow or Convert the design to M1.
If the design is targetted to a family which is not
supported in the M1-based tools, click "Enable XACTStep6", and
the XACT6 flow will be enabled.  If the design is targetted to
a family which is supported in the M1-based tools, you should
click "Convert," and the Project Manager will reflect the
M1-based flow and the libraries will be replaced with the new
M1 libraries.

If the older libraries are no longer present in the install
directory, they can either be copied over from the Foundation
6.0.1 CDROM, or they may be downloaded from the Xilinx FTP
site.  See (Xilinx Solution 2600) for details on doing this.

If the XACTStep6 flow is not listed as an available project
type (File -> Project Type in Project Manager), and you wish to
create a new project targetting either a 2K, 3K or 5K device,
add the following lines to the bottom of the SUSIE.INI file.
The SUSIE.INI file is located in the Windows directory, but it
may also be accessed through the Foundation Project Manager by
selecting File -> Configuration -> View INI File.

[Flow_26]
XILINX6=ON

The Project Type can always be switched between the XACTStep6
and XACTStepM1 flows by selecting File -> Project Type from the
Project Manager.





End of Record #2599