OVERVIEW

The main tool for generic FPGA design from Xilinx is the Ingegrated Software Environment, or ISE. This is actually a GUI wrapper around a host of useful design tools: HDL text and schematic entry, access to simulation and vector generation, RTL viewer, Xilinx Synthesis Technology (XST), floorplanning and routing, and JTAG programming access. Because a number of these tools are called by the EDK system design tool used for Virtex Pro design, ISE must first be installed before any other tools.

ISE INSTALLATION

ISE releases are frequent, with usually three service pack releases in between on six week intervals. Because the Embedded Design Kit must work with ISE, you should only load ISE versions which match the available EDK, for example, if EDK6.3 is available, acquire ISE6.3 for proper operation regardless of which verison of ISE is the latest. Some on the web forums advise to forgo the latest releases and only install after at least one service pack has been released.

1. After obtaining an suitable machine and OS, go to the Xilinx website and download the appropriate version of ISE, currently 6.3i, and save to a temporary directory. Follow the instructions provided for installation.

   If a shared, exported environment is anticipated, install the tools using a generic management account so that no user can overwrite any files. Locally we have set up a cadmgr account that is the only account with write permissions on the central executables.

   Install the software to separate accounts each upgrade, for example, on our local fileserver in directory /home/cad/Xilinx is the ISE directory: ISE63SP1. Later, when installing service pack 2, save a copy, upgrade the original and rename it ISE63SP2, and rename the original copy ISE63SP1.

   During the installation procedure, if the install tool detects an existing verision in place, it will offer a backup. It has been my experience that the backup will be unusable if you elect to uninstall.

   Install the software to directories (and all above or in the path) which do not contain any spaces, for example, a directory named "Xilinx ISE63SP1" will break some scripts even under Windows, whereas "Xilinx_ISE63SP1" will work reliabily in all cases.

2. Write a cshrc script to add the executables to your path (will need to be run before EDK, also)

   A useful addition is LD_KERNEL_ASSUME to circumvent certain incompatability issues with Linux; it is safe to use even if unneeded.

   TODO List...
   

   (Provide sample file)

   (troubleshoot if LD wrong)

   (windu error)

   (installation of modelsim, libs, compile...)

   (versions of LD_KERNEL_ASSUME)