Introduction to Intel® FPGA IP Cores

ID 683102
Date 4/03/2023
Public
Document Table of Contents

1.9.4.1. Generating a Combined Simulator Setup Script

You can run the Generate Simulator Setup Script for IP command to generate a combined simulator setup script.

You can then source this combined script from a top-level simulation script. Click Tools > Generate Simulator Setup Script for IP (or use of the ip-setup-simulation utility at the command-line) to generate or update the combined scripts, after any of the following occur:

  • IP core initial generation or regeneration with new parameters
  • Intel® Quartus® Prime software version upgrade
  • IP core version upgrade
ip-setup-simulation Utility
Utility Syntax
ip-setup-simulation generates a combined, version-independent simulation script for all Intel® FPGA IP cores in your project. The command also automates regeneration of the script after upgrading software or IP versions. Use the compile-to-work option to compile all simulation files into a single work library if your simulation environment requires. Use the --use-relative-paths option to use relative paths whenever possible.
ip-setup-simulation
 --quartus-project=<my proj>
 --output-directory=<my_dir>
 --use-relative-paths
 --compile-to-work

--use-relative-paths and --compile-to-work are optional. For command-line help listing all options for these executables, type: <utility name> --help.

To generate a combined simulator setup script for all project IP cores for each simulator:3
  1. Click Tools > Generate Simulator Setup Script for IP (or run the ip-setup-simulation utility). Specify the Output Directory and library compilation options. Click OK to generate the file. By default, the files generate into the /<project directory>/<simulator>/ directory using relative paths.
    Note: For designs with F-tile IP, do not turn on the Use top-level entity names from Quartus project option.
    Figure 18. Generate Simulator Setup Script for IP Dialog Box


  2. To incorporate the generated simulator setup script into your top-level simulation script, refer to the template section in the generated simulator setup script as a guide to creating a top-level script:
    1. Copy the specified template sections from the simulator-specific generated scripts and paste them into a new top-level file.
    2. Remove the comments at the beginning of each line from the copied template sections.
    3. Specify the customizations you require to match your design simulation requirements, for example:
      • Specify the TOP_LEVEL_NAME variable to the design’s simulation top-level file. The top-level entity of your simulation is often a testbench that instantiates your design. Then, your design instantiates IP cores or Platform Designer systems. Set the value of TOP_LEVEL_NAME to the top-level entity.
      • If necessary, set the QSYS_SIMDIR variable to point to the location of the generated IP simulation files.
      • Specify any other changes, such as using the grep command-line utility to search a transcript file for error signatures, or e-mail a report.
  3. Re-run Tools > Generate Simulator Setup Script for IP (or ip-setup-simulation) after regeneration of an IP variation.
3 If your design contains one or more F-tile IPs, you must first perform Start Analysis & Elaboration and then Support-Logic Generation before performing these steps.