Answers Database
Floorplanner: General Design Flows
Record #4692
Product Family: Software
Product Line: Merged Core
Product Part: Floorplanner
Product Version: 1.5
Problem Title:
Floorplanner: General Design Flows
Problem Description:
Urgency: Standard
General Description: This solution record will outline
the three recommended flows using the Floorplanner.
1- Floorplanning on a Current Revision.
2- Floorplanning on a New Revision.
3- Floorplanning on a New Version.
All of these flows are described using the Design
Manager. Foundation customers will need to open the
Design Manager standalone for these solutions to apply.
Note: All physical constraints in the design or
.ucf file are written to the .ngd file. When the
Floorplanner reads the .ngd file it applies those
constraints to the floorplan. When the floorplan is
saved all constraints are written to the .mfp file.
When MAP is run with the -fp option all physical
constraints not written in the .mfp file are ignored
by MAP.
Solution 1:
1- Floorplanning on a Current Revision.
- Run the design through Translate, MAP,
and PAR (optional).
- Select the revision just completed, click
on the Floorplanner Icon. This will load the
floorplanner using the .ngd and .ncd files
from the selected revision.
- Floorplan the design, Save, and Exit. The
Save option writes two files, design.fnf and
design.mfp. The .mfp file contains the
constraints created in the floorplanner.
The .fnf file contains the configuration
information about the floorplan. This file
must be saved if the user wishs to open that
floorplan again.
- Select the revision just floorplanned.
Click on the Flow Engine Icon.
- Back up the Flow Engine to Translate
Complete using the back arrow button.
- Click on the (Run) forward arrow button.
- Map will automatically run with the -fp
option when there is a .mfp file in the
revision directory. This behavior is similar
to that of the .ucf file, which is also
automatically picked up and used during
implementation as long as it resides in the
current directory.
Solution 2:
3- Floorplanning on a New Version.
- If the designer runs MAP -fp using .mfp
file from a previous version on a new version
MAP will error. This explains the how to use
previous flooplans on a new version.
- Utilizing a previously floorplanned version
to guide a new version. This is useful when
making small design changes without having to
re-floorplan the entire design.
- Run the new version of the design through
Translate and Map.
- Select the new version->revision. Click on
the Floorplanner Icon.
- In the Floorplanner select 'File->New'. Specify
the current version->revision .ngd and .ncd files.
From the previously version->revision, select the
floorplanned .fnf file. Click on Ok. This should
load the Floorplanner and apply all of the previously
floorplanned BEL's to the new version.
- Floorplan any additional logic. Save the floorplan
and Exit. This will create a new .fnf and .mfp file
in the new version->revision directory.
- In the Design Manager, select the new version and
revision, click on the Flow Engine Icon.
- Click on the forward button.
- Map will automatically run with the -fp option when
there is a .mfp file in the revision directory. This
behavior is similar to the .ucf file.
Solution 3:
2- Floorplanning on a New Revision.
- Run the design through Translate, MAP,
and PAR (optional).
- Select the revision just completed, click
on the Floorplanner Icon. This will load
the floorplanner using the .ngd and .ncd
files from the selected revision.
- Floorplan the design, Save, and Exit. The
Save option writes two files, design.fnf and
design.mfp. The .mfp file contains the constraints
created in the floorplanner. The .fnf file
contains the configuration information about
the floorplan. This file must be saved if the
user wishs to open that floorplan again.
Back in the Design Manager
- Select 'Design -> New Revision'.
- Select 'Design -> Set Floorplan File(s)',
select the ver->rev floorplanned.
- Make sure the New Revision is still selected.
Click on the Flow Engine Icon.
- Click on the (Run) forward button.
- Map will automatically use the Floorplan files
specified.
Note: When using the Set -> Floorplan File(s),
these settings apply for all future design runs.
It is recommend that you change the setting for
each run, especially when changing versions.
End of Record #4692 - Last Modified: 07/13/99 08:41 |
