June 2008

Synthesis Handshaking Improved in ispLEVER 7.1

New design flow improves handshaking between the ispLEVER Project Navigator and the synthesis back end.

One of the most important improvements in the recently-released ispLEVER 7.1 is one that might not jump out at you, but it can make a dramatic impact on the way you work. We’ve improved the way ispLEVER interfaces with 3rd party synthesis tools with a new “interactive synthesis flow”. This new design flow essentially improves handshaking between the Project Navigator and the synthesis back end.

What's New?

Traditionally, ispLEVER depended on a rudimentary “batch” interface with synthesis run in the back end through scripts. Synthesis options were accessed from properties of the Project Navigator user interface.

The new ispLEVER 7.1 interactive synthesis flow provides an option to bypass the traditional “batch” interface to synthesis tools integrated with Project Navigator, allowing you to operate within the native systhesis tool interface.

How Does It Work?

In ispLEVER 7.1, if you request Synplify Pro or Precision RTL from the toolbar, the environment will open, and the file list is automatically handed off to the synthesis back end. Now you can manage, interact and take advantage of all the capabilities of the tool.

The interactive synthesis flow provides a way for designers to leverage features such as constraints editing, HDL analysis, and optimization controls that are only available from the synthesis GUI.

By using a shared synthesis project, the Project Navigator supplies a file list and allows you to reference the output post-synthesis netlist. When you run the design in synthesis, an output EDIF netlist is generated.

When you save the project, return to the Project Navigator and request the Build Database stage. This skips the synthesis steps (normal batch interface is suppressed!) and picks up the EDIF that was generated by the synthesis interface.

The synthesis project will persist, so the next time you run it, it will be automatically re-loaded and options set during the last run are restored. The file list is refreshed to make sure the project is in synch with the Project Navigator.

To Learn More

For more information on the interactive synthesis flow, see the “Synthesis Design Flows” topic of the ispLEVER 7.1 software help.