Some of the fastest tools in programmable logic have gotten even faster. Xilinx® ISE™ 7.1i software includes new technology, new device support, and new speed files that get you through the design flow faster, with the highest device performance possible.

ISE 7.1i software includes the new Virtex™-4 -12 speed grade, making the industry’s leading-edge Virtex-4 FPGAbased designs even faster. ISE 7.1i software, in combination with Virtex-4 devices, can deliver up to 70% faster design performance than the nearest competing solution.

More high-performance technology is packed directly into ISE software than any other design offering, including core capabilities like “timing-driven mapping,” global optimization, design re-timing, and FPGA physical synthesis. Together, this ProActive Timing Closure technology leads to higher overall design performance, with timing closure reached faster and less time spent in the overall design flow.

PlanAhead Extends Performance Advantages
If you need even more design performance, the PlanAhead™ hierarchical floorplanner from Xilinx can help. PlanAhead software is a separately purchased tool option to ISE software that is ideal for high-density Virtex-4 or Spartan™-3E designs.

PlanAhead implements a block-based hierarchical design approach that can analyze, detect, and correct potential implementation problems earlier in the design cycle, leading to greater consistency, faster place and route cycles, fewer design iterations, tighter utilization control, and quicker incremental design changes. Customer-based benchmarks confirm that PlanAhead software can as much as double your out-of-the-box ISE design performance.

You can also lock placement results for individual blocks that already meet timing so that subsequent place and route iterations only affect the blocks that need to change, thus delivering faster reimplementation compile times. PlanAhead wraps area groups, incremental design, and modular design into a single ASIC-strength floorplanner. See the article “Control Your Designs with the PlanAhead Hierarchical and Design Analysis Tool” in this issue of Xcell for more detailed information.

Ease-of-Use Slashes Design Time
ISE 7.1i software includes a host of new tools and capabilities that you can’t find anywhere else, including Technology Viewer, Message Filtering, Design Summary, ISE Simulator, and ModelSim Xilinx Edition-III. In addition to the advanced spectrum of ISE implementation tools, this collection of new technology slashes design times, getting you through even advanced, high-density design flows faster and cutting project time and costs.

New, More Powerful HDL Simulation Choices
Two new advanced HDL simulation offerings are now available with ISE 7.1i software: ISE Simulator and ModelSim Xilinx Edition-III. These state-of-the-art HDL simulation tools give you more performance and design capacity than previous versions of ISE software, and include new integration into the design flow.

ISE Simulator is a new, full-featured HDL simulator integrated within ISE software. It offers you the ability to simulate directly from the ISE Project Navigator process window; test benches and stimulus can be generated automatically, and graphing is direct in the ISE Project Navigator display window, as shown in Figure 1. ISE Simulator supports VHDL and Verilog and functional and timing simulation. ISE Simulator is also licensed through the existing Xilinx software registration ID process.

Two different versions of ISE Simulator are available. ISE Simulator Lite comes included with ISE BaseX and ISE Foundation™ software at no charge. The full ISE Simulator is a design option that you can purchase as an upgrade to your existing ISE Foundation seat or purchase as a part of a new ISE Foundation seat.

Xilinx and Mentor Graphics recently announced an extended OEM agreement that has led to the release of the new ModelSim Xilinx Edition-III HDL simulator. The free MXE-III starter now offers designers a 50% faster HDL simulation environment and 20 times more design capacity than the previous version.

For larger designs, you can order the MXE-III full version, which provides five times the design capacity and 30% faster performance than the MXE-III starter. MXE-III enables you to simulate devices with up to 2 million system gates (depending on coding). Built on the industry-leading ModelSim 6.0a HDL simulation environment, MXE-III has enhanced GUIs that give designers easy access to capabilities and faster debugging. With the MXEIII full version, you now have the option to license your software with a USB dongle as well as the traditional methods of parallel and Ethernet ID.

Technology Viewer
ISE 7.1i software now includes the new Technology Viewer, which lets you view your post-synthesis HDLbased design at the block level (in a schematic-like display) to get an early picture of how your design will be represented during the implementation flow. Technology Viewer is built on the same graphic interface as RTL Viewer, so there are no new tools or menus to learn. Full hierarchy is represented, so you can easily push down into the design as far as necessary, highlighting and identifying critical elements in your design by pin, net, or instance name.

ISE software gives you more ways to view the progress of HDL-based design implementation as you move through the programmable design flow. RTL Viewer displays pre-synthesis design elaboration, while Technology Viewer shows the postsynthesis block-level design. FPGA Editor lets you see and edit post-place and route FPGA results.

Display Summary and Message Filtering
ISE Project Navigator includes a new Design Summary view that takes the most commonly sought-after design information and places it in one easy-touse automated display, eliminating the need to search through multiple tool reports and outputs to find exactly what you need. Upon starting a new project, Design Summary shows you the key core information about your project, such as project location and target device. As you proceed through the design flow, Design Summary adds and updates more information, like logic utilization, performance summary, and design constraint results (Figure 2). Design Summary also contains a list of links that take you to more detailed implementation reports so that you can easily jump to more information. And Design Summary is right up front in ISE software, easily accessible as a selectable tab in the Project Navigator display window.

Message Filtering is a new ISE option that works with design reporting tools to capture the information that is exactly right for your design project. Message Filtering lets you select the report information that you deem non-critical to your design and suppress it from future reports. Message Filtering lets you get more streamlined and pertinent reports and quickly see the data necessary to your project, making debug and verification quicker and easier.

Lower Project Costs
ISE 7.1i software also offers new cost-savings options including new Spartan-3E device support; Virtex-4 device support in ISE WebPACK™ software and ISE BaseX; expanded Linux operating system support; and new electronic software delivery.

Expanded Device Support
Spartan-3E devices are the newest low-cost FPGA offerings from Xilinx, further reducing price points for FPGAs; they are now supported in ISE 7.1i software. Spartan-3E devices extend the reach of FPGAs into production volumes by reducing costs, while preserving the low NRE and high flexibility of programmable logic. Mainstream applications using Spartan-3E FPGAs and ISE 7.1i design tools will see lower ASIC crossover points and lower total project costs.

Virtex-4 FPGAs are now supported in more configurations of ISE 7.1i software as well. ISE WebPACK software adds Virtex-4 LX15 and LX25 support, while ISE BaseX now includes Virtex-4 LX15, LX25, SX25, and FX12 devices. You can choose the Xilinx device and ISE configuration that best fits your budget and design demands.

ISE 7.1i software also expands Linux operating system support. ISE Foundation software is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit Red Hat Enterprise 3 versions; both CDs are included in product update shipments. ISE WebPACK software also now runs on Linux Red Hat Enterprise 3, letting you use free, downloadable ISE software on the platform that best fits your needs.

Electronic Software Delivery
Xilinx is also now offering ISE Foundation software and ISE BaseX via electronic download to all in-maintenance customers. ESD gives you the option of getting your update ISE copy by the traditional box shipment or downloading from our secure delivery system. ISE 7.1i software became available via download just six days after its product announcement, so if you need your product shipment, you no longer have to wait for the box to arrive.

ESD also offers a cleaner delivery and registration system. Because your registration data is obtained and confirmed upon login, no product ID step is required. Product downloads and registration keys are available together online in a speedy and secure environment. Your ISE update can now be on your system and running faster than ever before. Xilinx is one of the only PLD vendors offering all of their logic design tools through electronic download.

Conclusion
ISE software sets the programmable design bar even higher with the release of 7.1i design tools. With faster performance, new design tools, advanced HDL simulation, expanded device and operating system support, and electronic download, we believe no competitor offers you more, whether you’re making the next handheld CPLD-based PDA or highspeed serial, high-density FPGA-based blade server.

From logic development with ISE Foundation software, ISE BaseX, or ISE WebPACK software, embedded design with Platform Studio, system design with System Generator for DSP, real-time verification with ChipScope™ Pro analyzer, or floorplanning with PlanAhead design tools, Xilinx and ISE software have your project covered.

All ISE configurations, ChipScope Pro analyzer, PlanAhead software, MXE-III, and ISE Simulator are available for purchase from the Xilinx online store, Xilinx distributors, or by calling 1-800-888-FPGA (3742).

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