- •Contents
- •Preface
- •About This Manual
- •Other Information Sources
- •Syntax Conventions
- •Text Command Syntax
- •About the Graphical User Interface
- •Using Menus
- •Using Forms
- •Introduction to Ambit BuildGates Synthesis
- •Separately Licensed Software Products
- •Low Power Synthesis
- •Physically Knowledgeable Synthesis
- •Datapath Synthesis
- •AC_Shell / DC_Shell Equivalencies
- •Getting Started
- •Invoking Ambit BuildGates Synthesis
- •Exiting Ambit BuildGates Synthesis
- •Files Used in Ambit BuildGates Synthesis Software
- •Key Bindings and Mouse Operations
- •Using the GUI
- •Main Menu Functions
- •File Menu Options
- •Edit Menu Options
- •View Menu Options
- •Commands Menu Options
- •Reports Menu Options
- •Window Menu Options
- •Help Menu Options
- •The Tool Bar
- •The Browsers
- •The Module Browser
- •The Variable Browser
- •Work Area Tools
- •HDL and Tcl Editors
- •Constraints Tool
- •The Schematic Viewer
- •Distributed Processing
- •Update Mode
- •The ac_shell Console
- •The Status Bar
- •Flow Procedures
- •Typical Synthesis Flow
- •Read the Libraries
- •Read the Design Data
- •Build Generic Netlist
- •Set Constraints
- •Optimize the Design
- •Generate Reports
- •Save Final Netlist
- •Viewing the Schematic Design
- •How to Use the Schematic Viewer
- •Keyboard Shortcuts
- •Mouse Operations
- •Objects in the Schematic Database
- •Accessing Context-Sensitive Pop-Up Menus
- •Highlighting Path Between Pins
- •Viewing Bus Properties
- •The Schematic Tool Bar
- •The Module Title Bar
- •Searching for an Object
- •Grouping Instances
- •Dissolving Instances
- •Creating a Unique Module
- •Displaying Logic Cones
- •Extracting Logic Cones
- •Displaying Port Constraints
- •Printing a Schematic
- •Setting Constraints
- •Setting a Hierarchical Context
- •Units in Constraints
- •Timing Constraints
- •Timing Analysis
- •Setting up Timing Context
- •Clock Insertion Delay Time
- •Data Arrival Time
- •External Delay
- •Multicycle Paths
- •Setting Drive Cell for Input Ports
- •Setting Drive Resistance
- •Slew Related Commands
- •Technology and Design Rule Constraints
- •Operating Conditions
- •Estimating Capacitance and Resistance
- •Port Capacitance
- •Capacitance Limit
- •Fanout
- •Fanout Limit
- •External Sources and Sinks
- •Wire Capacitance
- •Wire Resistance
- •Wire Load Model Selection
- •Optimizing Before Place and Route
- •Running do_optimize Command
- •Top-Down Optimization
- •Bottom-Up Optimization
- •Deriving Constraints from Context
- •Time Budgeting
- •Preserving Module Contents
- •Uniquifying Instances
- •Collapsing Hierarchy
- •Incremental Optimization
- •Applying Timing Corrections
- •Optimizing with Logic Transforms
- •Introduction to Transforms
- •Logic Optimization Steps
- •Optimizing Generic Logic
- •Mapping and Unmapping of Generic Logic
- •Constraint-Driven Optimizing
- •Summary Listing of Transform Commands
- •Optimizing After Place and Route
- •Timing Analysis
- •Backannotating
- •A Script Showing the Backannotation of a Design
- •Reading SDF Data
- •Optimizing to Correct Late and Early Slack
- •Report Generation
- •Report Header
- •Timing Reports
- •Area Reports
- •Sample Area Report
- •Library Reports
- •Hierarchy Reports
- •Sample Hierarchy Report
- •Design Rule Violations Reports
- •Sample Design Rule Violations Report
- •VHDL Library Reports
- •Sample VHDL Library Report
- •End Point Slack and Path Histogram Reports
- •Fanin and Fanout Reports
- •Sample Fanin Report
- •Finite State Machine Reports
- •Sample FSM Report
- •Customizing Report Column Width
- •Using Tcl within ac_shell and pks_shell
- •The Tcl Language
- •Procedures
- •Tcl Variables and Control Structures
- •Variables
- •Syntax
- •Tcl Commands
- •get_names Command
- •Abbreviating Commands
- •Searching for Commands
- •Accessing Environment Variables
- •Returning Unix Command Values
- •Error Handling
- •Quick Reference
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Ambit BuildGates Synthesis User Guide |
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Preface |
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[ ] |
Brackets denote optional arguments. When used with OR-bars, |
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they enclose a list of choices from which you can choose one. |
{ } |
Braces are used to indicate that a choice is required from the list |
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of arguments separated by OR-bars. You must choose one from |
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the list. |
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{ argument1 | argument2 | argument3 } |
{ } |
Bold braces are used in Tcl commands to indicate that the |
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braces must be typed in literally. |
... |
Three dots (...) indicate that you can repeat the previous |
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argument. If the three dots are used with brackets (that is, |
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[argument]...), you can specify zero or more arguments. If |
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the three dots are used without brackets (argument...), you |
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must specify at least one argument, but can specify more. |
# |
The pound sign precedes comments in command files. |
About the Graphical User Interface
This section describes the conventions used for the BuildGates synthesis graphical user interface (GUI) commands and describes how to use the menus and forms in the BuildGates synthesis software.
Using Menus
The GUI commands are located on menus at the top of the window. They can take one of three forms.
CommandName |
A command name with no dots or arrow executes immediately. |
CommandName… |
A command name with three dots displays a form for choosing |
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options. |
CommandName -> |
A command name with a right arrow displays an additional menu |
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with more commands. Multiple layers of menus and commands |
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are presented in what are called command sequences, for |
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example: File – Import – LEF. In this example, you go to the File |
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menu, then the Import submenu, and, finally, the LEF command. |
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Ambit BuildGates Synthesis User Guide |
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Preface |
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Using Forms |
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… |
A menu button that contains only three dots provides browsing |
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capability. When you select the browse button, a list of choices |
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appears. |
Ok |
The Ok button executes the command and closes the form. |
Cancel |
The Cancel button cancels the command and closes the form. |
Defaults |
The Defaults button displays default values for options on the |
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form. |
Apply |
The Apply button executes the command but does not close the |
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form. |
Help |
The Help button provides information about the command. |
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Product Version 4.0 |