Simulation
Because XACTstep 6.0.1 was developed before Workview Office was available, there is no automated tool for simulation like the PROflow utility. The following steps will help get you running for both functional and timing simulations.
Functional Simulation
To functionally simulate a design that is comprised only of design elements from the target family library (xc4000e, for example) and primary libraries, the flow is simple. This means the design has no XBLOX or XABEL modules, no CLB primitives, no XNF files instantiated; just primitives and macros along with user-defined hierarchy. Select Tools->Create Digital Netlist within ViewDraw; this will compile the VSM netlist, launch ViewSim and ViewTrace, and even run a command file.
If your design has elements that need to be compiled, like XBLOX or the others previously mentioned, you will have to run XSimMake. Within Windows, there is a program in the XACTstep toolset called Simulation Utility that will run this DOS program. Select the top level schematic, family, parttype, and functional flow for Viewlogic, then press OK. This will create a new simulation schematic with the name sdesign.
Note: sdesign refers to the top-level name of your design prepended with the letter "s".
XSimMake will also create a new directory of the same name and add this path to your VIEWDRAW.INI. However, because XSimMake is not aware of the Workview Office Project Manager, the libraries listed in the Project Manager will not be updated. You must do this by hand, but it only needs to be done once. First, close all Workview Office tools. Then open the Project Manager and select Project->Libraries. Create a new library with the following information:
Path: .\sdesign
Alias: sdesign
Type: Writeable
Click on Add, then select this library and click on the Move Up button to place it second on the list, just below the Primary library. Click OK, then save this project.
Now you will be able to enter ViewDraw and open the SDESIGN.1 schematic (it's in the SDESIGN library). Use this schematic to view simulation annotation. You can launch ViewSim by hand or use Create Digital Netlist here. It does not matter if we recreate the VSM file, as this will be a unit-delay model simulation.
Timing Simulation
The first thing you will need to do is place and route your design using the Xilinx Design Manager. When you do so, be check the following option within the Flow Engine. Select Setup->Options and check the "Produce Timing Simulation Data" box.
Then after the design has been placed, routed and timed, you will go back to the Simulation Utility and run this again, but this time you will select the Timing Simulation flow. If you did not run this tool for the Functional Simulation, you must do so now, immediately followed by the Timing flow. The XSimMake timing flow requires things that the functional flow sets up, like the Sdesign schematic and the original SDESIGN.VSM file. You do not need to actually run the functional simulation, just run the utility to create the necessary files and directories.
Next, open the SDESIGN.1 in ViewDraw, but this time do NOT use the Create Digital Netlist option. Instead, open ViewSim via its icon and use the Tools->Load VSM Netlist option to bring in SDESIGN.VSM. Run your command file just like you did with the functional simulation. If you do not see your values annotated to the SDESIGN in Viewdraw, run this command in ViewSim:
SCHEMNAM sdesign
You can put this command in your simulation command file. This command should only be necessary for Workview Office 7.2 and the XSIMMAKE.XFW patch. It is required whenever the name within the .VSM file does not match the name of the schematic that you are trying to annotate.
For more information...
If you run into problems, have questions, or need more information, the Xilinx Answers Database is a great place to start. If your questions are not answered here, the Xilinx Technical Support Hotline would be the next place to check. The number is 800-255-7778, and operating hours are Monday through Friday, 6:30am to 5:00pm PST (except Thursday when we close at 4:00pm).
