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Copyright

All the contents of this document are protected by the copyright law. They may not be disclosed to third parties or copied or duplicated in any form without the written consent of NanoXplore.

Introduction

This document is intended to guide users of NanoXplore NXmap software through all the steps involved in the design flow and the options available to perform floorplanning exploration. This document is an addition to the NXmap User manual which focus exclusively on the NXmap graphical interface.

Package description

The provided NXmap archive contains the following directories:

  • bin       folder contains binary files for each supported Linux distribution

  • doc      folder contains documentation files in pdf format

  • example folder contains several examples of different projects with design sources in VHDL

  • lib64 folder contains dynamic libraries and Python modules for each supported Linux distribution and associated Python version

  • share folder contains additional files (vhdl libraries, simulation libraries, etc...)

Installation

To install NXmap, the user needs to unpack nxmap-VERSION.tar.gz file into the installation directory (e.g. /opt/NanoXplore) using the following command:

$> tar xzf nxmap-VERSION.tar.gz -C /opt/NanoXplore

To set the license, it is required to export the following shell variable:

$> export LM_LICENSE_FILE=27000@servername

Where servername is the hostname of the server running the license daemon and 27000 is the port the daemon listens to.

Run Nxmap

To run nxmap, use the following command:

$> /opt/NanoXplore/nxmap/VERSION/bin/nxmap

NXmap graphical exploration

Main window

Launching NXmap opens the main window of the tool within the graphical interface (following figure).

This new interface at start is organized around:

  • a horizontal Menu presenting rolling options managed by File, Tools, Report, View & Help buttons

  • a horizontal Toolbar which allows to export several options from the menu to have direct access through a dedicated graphical icon

Menu

The horizontal menu presents:

  • File for creating and editing the current project

  • Tools for setting, editing and validating various constraints of the project

  • Report for printing various reports concerning the project

  • View to enable or mask widgets for dedicated section of the horizontal toolbar

  • Help to edit NXmap default setting and check release and license features information

File

File rolling menu disposes classic actions for management of the current project:

  • New project → action also possible through a dedicated New project clic button in the main window

  • Open project → action also possible through a dedicated Load project clic button in the main window

  • Close project

  • Edit project → allows to modify infrastructure elements of the current project such as the path directory used, the choice of the FPGA variant, which HDL source files are to be compiled, setting or not a sdc file, define HDL parameters

  • Save project → save a database version of the project at .nym format

  • Export bitstream → generate a bitstream file at .nxb format

  • Export placement constraint → allows to export placement constraints in a dedicated python file, useful to generate constrainModule() python command lines based on regions created or edited through NXmap graphical interface

  • Quit

Tools

Tools rolling menu

Tools rolling menu allows to edit certain constraints for the implementation of the project:

  • Configure ring provides options to configure bank & IO parameters (voltage, location, Standard, Drive, Weak Termination, SlewRate, Termination, Turbo, etc…)

→ Configure ring can only be edited before launching Place 1/5 step (Prepare); after Prepare step is done, the IO & bank mapping cannot be modified

  • Synthesis constraints allows to check the constraints declared for the project by script (new constraints cannot be declared through the graphical interface)

  • Apply constraints validates every constraint change (such as creation of a new region, coordinate change of a region) performed through the graphical interface in order to be taken into account by NXmap during the flow execution

  • Run static timing analysis launches a STA run

Report

This rolling menu provides select reporting generation options.

  • Report instances prints in the prompted terminal where NXmap has been launched an array of the resources used to map the design

  • Report ports prints in the prompted terminal where NXmap has been launched an array of the ports used to map the inputs & outputs of the design

  • Report regions prints in the prompted terminal where NXmap has been launched an array of the resources used to map the design for every region constrain created and used by the tool

  • Report registers command lists a summary of all registers implemented in the HDL hierarchy of the design

  • Report domains, which can be launched once the definitive placement of design elements is finished, provides a reporting of existing group paths based on existing clock constraints

View

This section of the menu provides various options masked or showed in the horizontal toolbar given user preferences.

Toolbar

through six categories of widgets:

  • File :

  • Tools

  • Display

  • Zoom

  • Scroll

  • Docks

  • Docks widgets are dedicated to graphical exploration & edition of the floorplan: Interpreter, Dashboard, Selection & Regions

  • Interpreter widget allows to write and execute python methods in command lines

  • Dashboard widget shows a reduction of the global floorplan view to easily zoom in and out of the design

  • Selection widget opens a pop up tab in which is reported all elements bound by Select nets, Select instances, Select Edges & Select paths commands with associated filter options

Select paths provides STA information on the selected paths

Select instances provides:

Hierarchy level, Region and Module information

Source file and TILE/CGB location

Input/output net name

Configuration information

Dynamic setSite management is available at Place 1/5 step through Locking button

  • Regions widget

Shows all Regions and Modules with utilization details

Creates/Resizes/Deletes Region dynamically

Assigns Module to a new Region dynamically

Clipboards and generates python file with all Region/Module/SetSIte/(DSP/RAM) Location

  • Information given by NXmap can be copy/paste from the GUI

  • Command updates

Select paths improvements:

Longest/Shortest path selection

New clock domain selection

Detail STA report on selected path

  • Floorplanning overview (Prepared):

Refresh fabric element dispatch after Region/Module modification in order to visualized new floorplanning

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