Product category:
Design and Development Software
News Release from: Synplicity | Subject: Identify 1.2
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 30 June 2003
Enhanced RTL debug software supports
more devices
Identify is the industry's only software tool that allows FPGA prototyping designers to functionally debug their hardware directly in their RTL source code.
Identify is the industry's only software tool that allows FPGA prototyping designers to functionally debug their hardware directly in their RTL source code This provides the benefits of full-speed in-circuit verification, which is several orders of magnitude faster than an RTL simulator
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 16 Apr 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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In addition, the Identify software enables designers to directly select signals and conditions in their RTL source code for debugging and view the results from the FPGA directly in the RTL source code or save the results in a standard VCD format and used with a waveform display.
The Identify 1.2 software adds support for Xilinx Virtex-II Pro FPGAs, Actel ProASIC and ProASIC Plus FPGAs and Agilent Technologies' traceport cable.
The software also provides support for Altera Apex, Apex-II and Stratix FPGAs; and Xilinx Spartan II, Spartan II-E, Virtex, Virtex-E and Virtex-II FPGAs.
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"Verifying the functionality of today's complex FPGA designs can be extremely difficult", said Brian Caslis, Director of Product Marketing at Synplicity.
"Traditional verification methods are too slow for FPGA designs that provide ASIC-like functionality.
In addition, previous verification methods do not allow for in-circuit testing, which is critical for system designs that require testing in the field.
With the Identify software, we deliver an in-circuit, full-speed RTL debugging solution that allows designers to view captured data directly in the RTL source code.
We believe this enables designers to isolate functional problems very quickly and reduce the time needed to fix bugs potentially from months or weeks down to days".
"Designers using our ProASIC and ProASIC Plus FPGAs will greatly benefit from the ability to internally view their target system at full speed", said Saloni Howard-Sarin, Tools Marketing Director at Actel Corp.
"For mission critical designs, creating artificial stimulus to emulate the real world is time consuming and typically not very accurate.
Support of our flash-based devices by the Identify software will enable our customers to see how their systems work in a real-world context".
Using the Identify software, designers can add triggers to their RTL design and specify signals to be watched.
The software enables triggers on both the datapath (signal values) and the control path ("case" and "if" statements).
The Identify software supports Verilog, VHDL or mixed designs and is capable of exporting VCD or VHDL models to waveform viewers.
The Identify version 1.2 is available now.
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