AR #33423 - ISE Simulator (ISim) - Error "Simulator is abnormally terminated"

AR#	33423
Part	SW-ISE Simulator
Last Modified	2009-10-30 00:00:00.0
Status	Active
Keywords	simulator termination

Solution 1

This error can occur if there were syntax errors or problems while running the simulator executable.

For more details, review the ISim log (isim.log) available in the project directory (or working directory, if launching simulation in batch mode).

This issue is currently under investigation to better address this condition in a future release of the ISE Simulator.

If the information contained in the log file does not help you address the problem, open a WebCase with Xilinx Technical Support for further assistance:
http://www.xilinx.com/support/clearexpress/websupport.htm

Solution 2

This error can also occur if the simulator engine cannot allocate sufficient memory during elaboration of a large design. This is particularly applicable to Post-Route simulations due to the large structural netlist and timing back-annotation. Additionally, this issue occurs mostly on Windows 32-bit machines as the 32-bit kernal can only allocate 2 GB per process; refer to (Xilinx Answer 14932).

To resolve this issue:
1. Run the simulation on a Linux 32-bit system; as the Linux 32-bit kernel can allocate up to 4 GB of memory.
2. Run the simulation on a Windows 64-bit system.
3. Follow the instructions in (Xilinx Answer 14932) to enable 3 GB application support (Windows XP only).

This issue is currently under investigation to better address this condition in a future release of the ISE Simulator.