Product Documentation
VHDL In for Virtuoso Design Environment User Guide and Reference
Product Version IC23.1, June 2023

1

VHDL In Standalone Options

The chapter discusses the following:

Introduction

This appendix describes the options you can use in VHDL In standalone mode. You can use any of these options with additional options except the -help and -version options. Use the -help or -version option alone.

The syntax for using these options at a UNIX command prompt is

vhdlin -param param_file <option> <VHDL source files>

where

vhdlin

Specifies the command to start VHDL In in the standalone mode.

-param

Indicates that a parameter file will be read.

param_file

Specifies the vhdl import parameter file.

<option>

Specifies name of the option you want to use.

<VHDL source files>

Specifies the VHDL source files you want to import, using the options you specified.

Getting Help on a VHDL In Command

For more information on a VHDL In command, use the -help option.

The syntax is

vhdlin -help <VHDL In command>

where

vhdlin

Specifies the command to start VHDL In.

-help

Specifies the option you use to request help.

The output of this option is similar to the following:

@(#)$CDS: vhdlin version 4.4.1 11/22/96 09:44 (darbari) $: (c) Copyright 1994-1995. Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Usage: vhdlin -param <paramFileName> -f <fileName> <vhdlSourceFileNames>
Options are:
   -HELP                --Prints this message
   -VERSION             --Prints the version number
   -NOCOPYRIGHT         --Suppress printing of copyright banner
   +NOXTRSCH            --Do not extract
   -CDSLIB <arg>        --Name of the cdslib file
   -COMPILE             --Compile the functional cellviews
   -WORK <arg>          --Specifies the VHDL WORK library
   -SPEEDUP             --Speeds up VHDL In runtime; use only if entity source
                          files precede architecture files.
   -IGNOREEXTRAPINS     --Ignore extra pins to pick reference symbols
   -PARAM <arg>         --Name of the schematic parameter file
   -F <arg>            --Use to specify multiple VHDL source files.

Displaying the Version Number of VHDL In

When you want to the current version number of VHDL In displayed, use the -version option.

The syntax is

vhdlin -version

where

-version

Specifies the version of VHDL In available to you.

The output of this command is similar to the following:

@(#)$CDS: vhdlin_nc.exe version 6.1.2 09/26/2007 14:50 (cic612lnx)$

Suppressing Printing of the Copyright Banner

When you do not want to see the copyright banner, use the -nocopyright option.

The syntax is 

vhdlin -nocopyright

An example use of this option is

vhdlin -nocopyright -help

Hiding the Display of Schematic Extraction Errors

If you do not want the schematic of your design to display extraction errors such as floating nets or shorted outputs, enter the +noxtrsch option at the command prompt.

The syntax is 

vhdlin -param param_file +noxtrsch entity_file.vhd architecture_file.vhd

For example, to suppress the display of extraction errors when you import files for the full adder design (used in Chapter 1, “Importing a Simple VHDL Design”), use this command:

vhdlin -param_file -+noxtrsch full_adder.e.vhd full_adder.a.vhd half_adder.e.vhd half_adder.a.vhd or_gate.e.vhd or_gate.a.vhd

Specifying a cds.lib File

When you want to specify a cds.lib file for VHDL In to read, use the -cdslib option.

The syntax is 

vhdlin -cdslib <your cds.lib file>

An example use of this option is

vhdlin -cdslib <path>/cds.lib -param_file test.vhd

Compiling Functional Cellviews

When you want to compile functional (textual) cellview, use the -compile option.

The syntax is 

vhdlin -compile

An example use of this command is

vhdlin -param param_file test.vhd -compile

Use this option to prepare functional cellviews for simulation. In this process, imported designs are analyzed in a target library (library of imported designs), whether or not the target library is managed by TDM.

Specifying the VHDL WORK Library

When you want to specify the name of the VHDL WORK library, use the -work option.

The syntax is 

vhdlin -work <work library>

An example use of this option is

vhdlin -param param_file -work lib test.vhd

Ignore Extra Pins on Symbols

This controls the selection of symbols from the reference libraries. If you specify this and VHDL In finds a reference symbol with the same name as specified in the VHDL design, the symbol will be picked up. The pins not referred will remain unconnected in the schematic.

The symbol will be picked up even if all its pins are not used.

Speeding Up Run Time

When you want to import several VHDL source files at one time for a large, complex design, you can speed up run time by using the -speedUp option. You must import the entity files before the architecture files.

The syntax is 

vhdlin -param_file param_file -speedUp entity_file.vhd     architecture_file.vhd...

For example, if you want to import the following entity and architecture files for a top-level design: 

block_entity.vhd
block_arch.vhd
top_entity.vhd
top_arch.vhd

using the -speedUp option, use the command

vhdlin -param_file -speedUp block_entity.vhd block_arch.vhd top_entity.vhd top_arch.vhd

where

block_entity.vhd

Specifies the entity file for the block design.

block_arch.vhd

Specifies the architecture file for the block design.

top_entity.vhd

Specifies the entity file for the top design.

top_arch.vhd

Specifies the architecture file for the top design.

Notice how each entity file is listed before its corresponding architecture file. This restriction is not applicable if you are running VHDL In without the -speedUp option.

Specifying a Schematic Parameter File

When you want to specify the name of a schematic parameter file, use the -param option.

The syntax is

vhdlin -param param_file

where

param_file

It is the schematic parameter file.

An example use of this option is

vhdlin -param param_file top_entity.vhd top_arch.vhd

where

top_entity.vhd

It is the entity file for the top design.

top_arch.vhd

It is the architecture file for the top design.

Specifying Multiple VHDL Source Files

When you want to import several VHDL source files at one time for a large, complex design, use the -f option.

The syntax is

vhdlin -f <filename>

where

<filename>

is the name of the file containing the source file names.

    You must import the entity files before the architecture files.

For example, if you want to import four files at the same time, use the command

vhdlin -param param_file -f file

where the contents of f_file are

block_entity.vhd

block_arch.vhd

top_entity.vhd

top_arch.vhd

TDM and Imported VHDL Design Libraries

If you collaborate with a team in the development of VHDL design libraries, you can manage the process of updating these libraries with Team Design Manager (TDM). TDM is useful whether you manage your libraries for a single release or throughout multiple releases.

The Team Design Manager User Guide gives more detailed information about the process of managing libraries with TDM.

You can also use TDM to manage the libraries you import into VHDL In. When started, VHDL In first determines whether an import library is managed by TDM.

VHDL In operation in TDM Mode

VHDL In calls the ncvhdl parser to parse the VHDL source files. By default, VHDL In uses the target library as the parsing area.

In TDM operation, specify a work area other than VHDL In import library so that parsed intermediate data does not get checked in along with the design data created by VHDL In.

Checking a Library into TDM

To check a VHDL design library into TDM

Enabling VHDL93 features

VHDL In calls the ncvhdl parser to parse the input VHDL files. When you want the parser to support the features of VHDL93, use the -v93 option in the VHDL In command line or specify the following information in the hdl.var file:

DEFINE NCVHDLOPTS -v93


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