XFLOW Options

This section describes the xflow options. These options can be used with any of the flow types and their arguments.

-ed (Copy Files to Export Directory)

-ed export_directory

This option copies files specified in the export section of a flow file to the export_directory. The default is the working directory. See the
“Flow Files” section for a description of the export section of the flow file.

If you use the -ed export_directory option with the -wd working_directory option and do not specify an absolute pathname for the export_directory, the directory is placed underneath the working_directory. For example,

xflow -p xcv100bg256-5 -implement balanced[.opt] -wd sub3 -ed export3 testclk.edf

The export3 directory is created if it does not already exist underneath the sub3 directory.

If you do not want the export directory to be a subdirectory of the working directory, enter an absolute pathname. For example,

xflow -p xcv100bg256-5 -implement balanced.opt -wd sub3 -ed /usr/export3 testclk.edf

-h (Help)

The -h option displays a list of valid options with brief descriptions.

-norun (Creates a Script File)

By default, XFLOW begins executing programs that are enabled in the flow file. If you do not want program execution to begin, specify the -norun option. XFLOW then creates test flow and option files listing the command lines for all the enabled program and then stops.

The following example shows how to use the -norun option to create the initial flow and options files in the working directory and then stop.

xflow -p xcv100bg256-5 -implement balanced.[opt]
-norun testclk.edf

This example copies the balanced.opt and fpga.flw files to the current directory. The example command also creates the following script file:

###########################################

# Script file to run the flow 

# 

###########################################

#

# Command line for ngdbuild

#

ngdbuild -p xcv100bg256-5 -nt timestamp /home/xflow_test/testclk.edf testclk.ngd 

#

# Command line for map

#

map -o testclk_map.ncd testclk.ngd testclk.pcf 

#

# Command line for par

#

par -w -ol 2 -d 0 testclk_map.ncd testclk.ncd testclk.pcf 

#

# Command line for post_par_trce

#

trce -e 3 -o testclk.twr testclk.ncd testclk.pcf 

-o (Change Output File Name)

-o output_filename

This option allows you to change the output file base name. If you do not specify this option, the output file name will have the base name of the input file.

The following example show how to use the -o option to change the base name of output files.

xflow -p xcv100bg256-5 -implement balanced[.opt] -o newname testclk.edf

All output files have the base name “newname” instead of “testclk”.

-p (Enter a Part Name)

-p partname

The -p option allows you to specify a device. For a list of valid options, see the “Part Numbers in Commands” section of the “Introduction” chapter.

For FPGA part types, you must designate a part name with a package name. If you do not, XFLOW halts at map indicating that a package needs to be specified. (You can obtain package names for installed devices using the PARTGEN command with the -i option.)

If the -p option is not specified, one of the following occurs:

• XFLOW searches for the part name in the input design file. If XFLOW finds a part number, it uses that number as the target device for the design.
  
  
• If XFLOW does not find a part number in the design input file, it prints an error message indicating that a part number is missing.
  
  

  Note: If the design is a CPLD, either the part number or the family name can be specified.

The following example show how to use the -p option for a Virtex design.

xflow -p xcv100bg256-5 -implement high_effort.opt testclk.edf

-rd (Copy Report Files)

-rd report_directory

The -rd option copies the reports specified in the report section of the of the flow file to the report_directory. The default report_directory is the working directory.

If you use the -rd report_directory option with the -wd working_directory option and do not specify an absolute pathname for the report_directory, the directory is placed underneath the working_directory. For example,

xflow -p xcv100bg256-5 -implement balanced.opt -wd sub3 -rd report3 testclk.edf

The report3 directory is created, if it does not already exist, underneath the sub3 directory.

If you do want the report directory to be a subdirectory of the working directory, enter an absolute pathname. For example,

xflow -p xcv100bg256-5 -implement balanced.opt -wd sub3 -rd /usr/report3 testclk.edf

Refer to the following for a list of FPGA and CPLD report files:

• “FPGA Programming Data” table
  
  
• “CPLD Programming Data” table
  
  

-wd (Specify a Working Directory)

-wd working_directory

The -wd option defines a working directory. The default is the current directory. If no path is specified for the working_directory, then the directory is created, if it does not already exist, in the current working directory and all generated files are placed in the new directory. For example, assume that your current working directory is named “project”, your design name is “test_clock.edif” and you enter the following command:

xflow -p xcv100bg256-5 -fsim generic_edif.opt -wd sub1 testclk.edf

The directory sub1 is created, if it does not already exist, and all the files generated from XFLOW are placed in the sub1 directory. Following is a list of the files for the example.

• fsim.flw
  
  
• netlist.lst
  
  
• test_clock.ngo
  
  
• func_sim.edn
  
  
• test_clock.bld
  
  
• xflow.log
  
  
• generic_edif.opt
  
  
• test_clock.ngd
  
  
• xflow.scr
  
  

You can also enter an absolute path for a working_directory. Following is an example for an existing directory, /usr/project1.

xflow -p xcv100bg256-5 -fsim generic_edif.opt -wd /usr/project1 testclk.edf

In this example, all generated files are placed in /usr/project1.