Active-HDL 6.3 SE User Guide
Active-HDL 6.3 SE User Guide
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 3
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................................ 3
INSTALLATION ........................................................................................................................... 3
ACTIVE-HDL 6.3 STUDENT EDITION LIMITATIONS................................................................. 9
USING THE ON-LINE DOCUMENTATION ............................................................................... 10
AUTOMATED FPGA DESIGN FLOW MANAGER..................................................................... 15
INSTALLATION – MODIFICATION OF PREVIOUS INSTALLS ................................................ 19
EXPORT/IMPORT OF ACTIVE-HDL PREFERENCES ............................................................. 19
ACTIVE-HDL PREFERENCES MANAGER OPTIONS.............................................................. 20
CONTACTING SUPPORT......................................................................................................... 21
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INTRODUCTION
Active-HDL offers a completely integrated design entry and verification environment for HDL, C
and C++ designs. The product supports C/C++, SystemC, VHDL and Verilog designs, as well as
mixed SystemC/VHDL/Verilog and EDIF simulation. This Quick Start Guide was created to
better acquaint users with the software’s installation process, using the online help files and the
toolbars that are included within the product.
License
The Student Edition of Active-HDL 6.3, does not require any keylock or license file.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Active-HDL requires:
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A Pentium PC or Higher/Compatible
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128 MB Physical Memory (256 MB Recommended)
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Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 6, Windows 2000® with Service Pack 3
(recommended) or Windows XP® with Service Pack 1 (recommended)
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Microsoft Internet Explorer™ version 4.0 or higher (see notes)
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Hard Disk Drive with at least 360 MB of free space (for Vendor Independent Edition)
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Monitor resolution 1280x1024 (recommended)
NOTES:
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The amount of available physical memory limits the maximum size of the design that can be
simulated in Active-HDL.
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If you want to install Active-HDL 6.3 on Windows NT with Service pack 6, Internet Explorer
ver. 4.0 or higher is required. Otherwise, Active-HDL will be not installed.
•
For full functionality, it is recommended to install Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 or
higher. If Microsoft Internet Explorer is not available the following system components will be
no available:
- Dataflow Window
- Query window in Block Diagram
- On-line documentation
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If you have a browser other than Internet Explorer installed on your system, you can
continue to use it without any problems. Internet Explorer can be installed as a non-default
browser and be used only by Active-HDL.
INSTALLATION
When you receive your copy of Active-HDL, insert the CD-ROM into your machine’s CD-ROM
drive. Active-HDL is equipped with an “Auto-Run” feature that will start the set-up process
without having to locate the setup.exe file. At this point you have the option to read the release
notes on the product or begin the installation process.
NOTE:
The regular version of Active-HDL 6.3 and the Student Edition cannot be installed on the
same computer. Only the latest installation will work correctly
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After reading the release notes or selecting the Next button, you will be asked to read the
software’s licensing agreement. Read this section carefully and when finished, choose the
Accept button.
Note: The release notes may be accessed at any time once the software is installed by opening
the on-line documentation.
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Next, you will need to fill in the user information for the software and choose whether or not
anyone else will be allowed to access the software from the machine it is installed on. Select
Next to continue.
The installation program of Active-HDL Student Edition allows users to install different libraries
that are copied during the installation. Dialog below allows installing Verilog, VHDL, as well as
both types of libraries.
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In the next stage of the installation process, you will need to choose which pre-installed IC
vendor libraries you will require for your designs. All libraries are based on the latest files
provided to Aldec at the time the software was produced. Please check with the appropriate IC
vendor for the latest library resources.
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After you designate the necessary libraries and click the Next button, you must choose the
destination path for the Active-HDL software to be installed on your machine. By default, Active-
HDL already has a path selected and will create the required folders on your system’s “C” drive.
If you wish to select a new destination, choose the Browse button and locate space for both the
software’s program files as well as any projects you will create with Active-HDL.
The next step is to select the file types you wish to register to
Active-HDL. For each file selected, Active-HDL will be the default program associated when
working with these files. By default, each file is checked for use with Active-HDL. Click Next to
continue with the installation.
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You may wish to check the information listed in this screen to verify that all paths and
associations are correct. If not, you may click the Back button to return to the appropriate stage
of the installation setup and make any changes. Choose Install when you are ready to begin
copying files to your system.
You are able to watch as files are transferred to your system. Setup is complete when all files
are copied to your designated location.
When the installation is complete, you have the option to immediately register your copy with
Aldec to ensure you receive the latest updates and product information. Choose Register Now
and fill out the simple form or click Finish to conclude the installation process.
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ACTIVE-HDL 6.3 STUDENT EDITION LIMITATIONS
This edition provides the following limitations in comparison to the functionality of a regular
version:
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The network installation is not available
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The new design names are restricted to Design0 ... Design10
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The mixed VHDL-Verilog simulation is not supported
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The off-line simulation (Post Simulation Debug) is disabled
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The co-simulation of SystemC modules is disabled
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The co-simulation of Handel-C blocks is disabled
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The maximum size of a compiled VHDL/Verilog source file is 20kB
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The maximum amount of memory allocated during simulation is 20MB
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The simulation of EDIF netlists is disabled
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The compilation of Verilog sources by using the averilog command is not support
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The Batch mode (VSimSA) is not available
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The Edit mode is disabled in the Standard Waveform Editor window
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The testbench generation based on standard waveform files (*.awf) is disabled
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The testbench generation with results comparison in VHDL and Verilog is disabled
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The testbench generation for VHDL and Verilog state machines is disabled
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The block diagram can contain up to 20 symbols/fubs
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The state diagram can contain up to 20 states
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The comparison of simulation results saved in AWF files is disabled in the GUI and the
command line
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The import of Active-CAD projects is disabled
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The import of Viewlogic projects is disabled
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The 'Export to HTML' option allows exporting block and state diagram that contain up to
20 symbols/fubs and 20 states as well as source files that contain up to 200 lines of a
source code.
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Protecting and refreshing a library is disabled
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Xilinx schematic libraries are not installed
Additionally, the following tools are not available:
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Accelerated Waveform Viewer
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Advanced Dataflow
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C Code Debug
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Code and Toggle Coverage
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Code2Graphics Conversion Wizard
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Design Profiler
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Memory Viewer
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PLI/VHPI Wizard
Third-party interfaces:
- Denali Memory Interface
- Debussy Interface
- Simulink Interface
- Cover and DVM Interface
- Source Revision Control Interface
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- SWIFT Interface
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VHDL Signal Agent
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Xtrace
USING THE ON-LINE DOCUMENTATION
As you begin to familiarize yourself with the software, there are some useful resources available
to help use the tool effectively. Aldec has developed the in-depth on-line documentation and
tutorials for those who are new to HDL design or just new to Active-HDL.
Locating the On-line Help
From the Help menu on the tool bar of Active-HDL, select the On-line Documentation option.
This will open a new window with the complete on-line resources. It is highly recommended that
you spend some time exploring the on-line resources, as they can be very valuable tools.
Tutorials and Reference Guides
The Tutorials located in Active-HDL’s on-line documentation include a variety of information.
From the main menu of the on-line Help, highlight the Tutorials section by left clicking once on
the appropriate button.
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Tutorial Topics Include:
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VHDL Entry and Simulation Tutorial
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Verilog Entry and Simulation Tutorial
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Mixed VHDL/Verilog Entry and Simulation
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HDL Design Entry and Simulation Tutorial
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State Machine Entry and Debugging Tutorial
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Mixed VHDL/Verilog / EDIF Entry and Simulation
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VHDL Testbench Tutorial
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Code Coverage Tutorial
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Post Simulation Debug Tutorial
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Server Farm Installation Tutorial
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Using Server Farm Tutorial
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VHDL Configurations Tutorial
The Reference Guides are educational resources that can be accessed and used in the same
manner as the tutorials covering the following topics:
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Reference Guide Topics Include:
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Active-HDL Interfaces – Defines interfaces with Debussy, Denali, SWIFT, VHPI, DVM,
CoVer, Simulink®, SystemC, and SWIFT™ SmartModels Library Interface
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VHDL Language Reference Guide – Defines terminology and gives examples of the
topics contained within the language
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Verilog Language Reference Guide – Defines terminology and gives examples of the
topics contained within the language
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PLI Reference Guide – Defines all components of PLI
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VHPI Reference Guide – Defines all components of VHPI
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Handel-C Reference Guide – Defines all components of Handel-C
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VSIMSA – Defines internal and external commands
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Sax Basic Language Help - The Sax Basic Language provides the core language
definition. It is Visual Basic for Applications™ compatible.
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Tcl/Tk Reference Manual – Provides the Tool Command Language definition and
variables.
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Perl for Win32 – Describes the Perl language and OLE and Win32 extensions
Searching for Help on a Specific Topic
Searching for help on a specific topic is easy and can be important for saving time spent
contacting Aldec support. There are multiple ways to search the on-line help:
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Locate Help from the Contents Hierarchy
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Find Help by Titles in the Index
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Search for Help with Keywords
Search from Contents Hierarchy
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Select the Contents tab on the left side of this window. Click on the hierarchy on the left of this
window; find the topic you are looking for. Click the topic to display the information in the window
on the right side.
Index Search
By typing in a few letters of a topic in the field below the Index tab, the search displays all help
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titles starting with those letters. Double click a topic to display the information in the window on
the right side.
Search for Help by Keyword Phrase
Select the Search tab and type in the subject of the information you are seeking in the field
below the tabs. The on-line help will locate the titles matching your description by the keywords
you enter.
Sample Designs
Active-HDL comes with a series of sample designs that allow users to open a small design and
practice using the software on real world applications. Users are encouraged to load a sample
design and experiment with all of the tool’s features before beginning a new project.
These designs can be accessed by clicking File on the main tool bar and selecting Open
Workspace/Design Explorer.
The Workspace/Design Explorer window will then open and you can select Schematic, Verilog
or VHDL designs. When you select a folder in the left window, all sample designs in that folder
will be displayed in the window on the right.
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Double clicking on the design will automatically open the design files in the design browser.
Note: It is recommended that you refer to the On-line Help after you have opened a design for
Tutorials and Documentation on some of the features of Active-HDL.
AUTOMATED FPGA DESIGN FLOW MANAGER
Active-HDL offers complete design flow integration for all leading EDA vendors with its Tcl-
based flow selection. The Design Flow Manager supports designs regardless of vendor tools or
type of chip. This independence is of most benefit to system designers because third party EDA
tools can all be invoked from a single location and designers can have one common tool to use
in all designs.
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Synthesis Vendors Supported:
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Altera Quartus™ II 4.1 SP2 Synthesis & Implementation
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Celoxica™ DK3
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Magma Palace 2.4
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Cypress Warp® 6.3 SP1 Synthesis & Implementation
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Exemplar Leonardo 2004a_30
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Synopsys
FPGA Express 3.6
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Synopsys
FPGA Compiler II 3.8.2
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Synplicity
Synplify 7.7
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Synplicity
Synplify Pro 7.7
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XST VHDL/ISE 5.x XST VHDL
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XST Verilog/ISE 5.x XST Verilog
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XST Verilog/ISE 6.x XST VHDL/Verilog
Implementation Tools Supported:
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Actel Designer™ R 6.0 SP1
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Altera MAX+plusII
10.2
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Altera Quartus™ II 4.1 SP2 (incl. Web Edition)
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Atmel Figaro IDS 7.5
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Cypress Warp
6.3 SP1
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Lattice ispLever™ v.4.1 SP1
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Quicklogic™ Quickworks 9.6
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Triscend FastChip™ 3.0
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Xilinx
Alliance 3.3/4.x
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Xilinx
Foundation 3.3/4.x
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Xilinx
ISE 4.x/5.x
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Xilinx
ISE 6.x (incl. Web Edition)
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Xilinx
Web Pack 3.3/4.x/5.x
All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
If using a vendor-specific edition of Active-HDL, only those tools that support the specific silicon
will be supported in the Design Flow Manager.
Note: If you are seeking an alternate vendor flow or an updated version, check the Aldec
website at www.aldec.com or contact support@aldec.com for availability.
Setting the Design Flow Manager
The Design Flow Manager supports all industry-leading synthesis and implementation tools. The
Design Flow Manager is fully configurable and can be adjusted to all FPGA vendor-supplied
synthesis and implementation tools so that users can freely switch between Actel, Altera,
Cypress, Xilinx, Lattice, Quicklogic and other vendor tools.
Once The Flow Settings feature is invoked, users can specify the synthesis and implementation
tool that they will be using for this design. With the Tcl based flows, designers can customize the
flows and add additional tools that may be required during the verification process. This adds
flexibility to the design process and allows the instant addition of user-approved tools.
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The Design Flow Manager will now invoke the specified tools and complete automation of the
FPGA design flow is now available.
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Specifics on the Design Flow Manager
The Design Flow Manager simplifies the network configuration process for IT departments
because the end user's machine can be customized to support only those licenses and systems
that are available to that specific PC. This licensing customization feature prevents restricted
licenses of synthesis and implementation tools to be mistakenly called upon during the design
process.
The flow was made to provide maximum flexibility for the entire design process. It enables
designers to disable certain parts of the design flow so that they can concentrate on the specific
areas of the design cycle that they are currently working on. The flow also permits designers to
edit the list of tools supported so that only those that a designer uses most frequently will be
invoked.
Project Control
When synthesis and implementation are run in batch mode, the FPGA
Design Flow Manager back-annotates the results directly into the Active-HDL environment so
that system designers do not have to manually transfer the results. This allows tracking the
design progress from one centralized location. Since all files are managed through a single
project manager, the users are able to quickly run gate level and timing simulations with the
same stimuli files.
INSTALLATION – MODIFICATION OF PREVIOUS INSTALLS
With Active-HDL already installed in your computer you cannot add previously omitted
components at any time. To do this you need to run the installation software again.
Note: User projects are not removed during uninstall and will be visible in the new version of
Active-HDL.
EXPORT/IMPORT OF ACTIVE-HDL PREFERENCES
Active-HDL enables you to export the current preferences to an external file. The preferences
stored in such a file may be applied to any copy of Active-HDL that supports the import feature.
The export function as well as the import function of preferences is realized by the Active-HDL
Preferences Manager. To invoke this tool, execute the prefman.exe file located in the \Bin sub-
directory of Active-HDL installation folder. The tool may run in two modes: the command line
mode or the GUI mode.
NOTES:
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The Active-HDL Preferences Manager cannot be used as long as any copy of Active-
HDL is running. If the tool detects a copy of Active-HDL running, it displays the error
message and shuts itself down.
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The following settings are treated as user-specific and do not take a part in the
export/import process:
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User name, e-mail address, company name (Tools | Preferences | Environment)
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My Designs folder (Tools | Preferences | Environment)
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Recent files/workspaces settings
GUI mode
To run the Active-HDL Preferences Manager in the GUI mode, execute the prefman.exe
program without any additional switches (only the –v switch is allowed). As a result, the Active-
HDL Preferences Manager dialog box will start. The Active-HDL Preferences Manager running
in the GUI mode allows you to perform all the operations that are available in the command line
mode.
ACTIVE-HDL PREFERENCES MANAGER OPTIONS
Available versions
Lists Active-HDL installations available on the current computer.
Export
Starts the export of the preferences from the Active-HDL installation (specified in the Available
versions list box) by invoking the Save Active-HDL preferences dialog box. This dialog box
allows you to specify the Active-HDL preferences dump file (*.dmp) that will be used to store the
preferences.
Import
Starts the import of the preferences to the Active-HDL installation (specified in the Available
versions list box) by invoking the Apply Active-HDL preferences dialog box. This dialog box
let you specify the Active-HDL preferences dump file from which the preferences will be
imported to the specified Active-HDL installation.
Set Defaults
Restores the default settings of the Active-HDL installation specified in the
Available versions list box.
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Exit
Closes the Active-HDL Preferences Manager.
CONTACTING SUPPORT
If you have any problems with the software or questions on the functionality, please check the
on-line help before contacting Aldec support. Many of the common questions and problems are
addressed within this structure.
If you still require assistance, you may contact the Aldec Support Team at:
Aldec Support
2260 Corporate Circle
Henderson, NV 89074
Tel: 702-990-4400
Fax: 702-990-4414
Email:
support@aldec.com