Active-HDL 8.1

Active-HDL 8.1 User Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS...............................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................................3
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS........................................................................................................................3
INSTALLATION...........................................................................................................................................5
USING THE ON-LINE DOCUMENTATION............................................................................................13
SEARCH FOR HELP BY KEYWORD PHRASE .....................................................................................17
AUTOMATED FPGA DESIGN FLOW MANAGER................................................................................19
LICENSING INFORMATION....................................................................................................................22
IMPORTANT NETWORK LICENSING INFORMATION......................................................................26
EXPORT/IMPORT OF ACTIVE-HDL PREFERENCES..........................................................................32
ACTIVE-HDL PREFERENCES MANAGER OPTIONS..........................................................................33
HOW TO REACH TECHNICAL SUPPORT.............................................................................................34
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INTRODUCTION
Active-HDL offers a completely integrated design entry and verification environment for HDL, C and
C++ designs. The product supports C/C++, SystemC, VHDL, Verilog and SystemVerilog designs, OVA,
PSL, SVA assertions as well as mixed SystemC/VHDL/Verilog and EDIF simulation.
This Quick Start Guide was created to better acquaint users with the software’s installation process, using
the on-line help files and the toolbars that are included within the product.
NOTES:
1. In order to start working with Active-HDL 8.1, you need to have a valid license file. Users who have
a valid maintenance contract will be able to use newer versions of Active-HDL.
2. If you are using the software for evaluation purposes, it does not require a license. It can be
immediately used for the 20-day evaluation period. Please see the Licensing Section for more details.
The on-line help and tutorials are valuable resources for users at all stages of HDL and C design
experience. In the beginning stages of using the tool, the online help will explain the functionality and
features of the product. As your familiarity with the product grows, the help files can be used as a source
of information on utilizing Active-HDL’s advanced features in your designs.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Active-HDL requires:
• A Pentium PC or Higher/Compatible
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256 MB Physical Memory (512 MB Recommended)
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Microsoft Windows NT 4.0® with Service Pack 6, Windows 2000® with Service Pack 3
(recommended) or higher, Windows XP® with Service Pack 1 (recommended) or higher, Windows
XP Professional x64 Edition, or Windows Server 2003® with Service Pack, Windows Vista™.
Microsoft Internet Explorer™ version 4.0 or higher (see notes)
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Hard disk drive with at least 560MB of free space for minimal installation including only standard
VHDL and Verilog libraries (3GB for full installation including the Active-CAD Import feature,
SystemC libraries, all available system/vendor libraries, and sample designs)
Monitor resolution 1280x1024 (recommended)
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NOTES:
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The hard disk drive requirements calculated by the installation program are approximate and
depend on both your operating system and chosen file system.
The amount of available physical memory limits the maximum size of the design that can be
simulated in Active-HDL. By default, the Windows operating systems allow allocating up to 2GB
of operating memory. The latest improvements made to the entire environment and the simulator
in particular allow handling a 3GB flat virtual address space and the simulation of designs that
require up to 3GB of memory to run. The following Microsoft Windows operating systems
provide applications with a 3GB flat virtual address space:
- Windows XP Professional x64 Edition,
- Windows XP,
- Windows Server 2003,
- Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition,
- Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition,
- Windows 2000 Advanced Server,
- Windows 2000 Datacenter Server,
- Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition,
- Windows Vista™.
The additional information on how to enable the operating system capability and use the extended
memory resources is available on the following Microsoft web page:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx
For full functionality, it is recommended to install the Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 or
higher. Active-HDL 8.1 requires the Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 or higher to be
installed on your system. If not, the following system components will not be available:
• Dataflow window
• Query window in Block Diagram Editor
• On-line documentation
If you have a different Internet browser (other than Internet Explorer) installed on your system,
you can continue to use it without any problems. Internet Explorer can be installed as a nondefault browser and be used only by Active-HDL.
If you want to install Active-HDL 8.1 on Windows NT with Service Pack 6, Internet Explorer ver.
4.0 or higher is required. Otherwise, Active-HDL will not be installed.
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INSTALLATION
When you receive your copy of Active-HDL, insert the DVD-ROM into your machine’s DVD-ROM
drive. Active-HDL is equipped with an “Auto-Run” feature that will start the set-up process without
having to locate the setup.exe file. At this point you have the option to read the release notes on the
product or begin the installation process.
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After reading the release notes or selecting the Next button, you will be asked to read the software’s
licensing agreement. Read this section carefully and when finished, choose the Accept button.
Note: The release notes may be accessed at any time once the software is installed by opening the on-line
documentation.
Next, you will need to fill in the user information for the software and choose whether or not anyone else
will be allowed to access the software from the machine it is installed on. Select Next to continue.
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The installation program of Active-HDL allows you to select components that will be copied or set up
during the installation. You can also choose whether to install both VHDL, Verilog, or mixed
VHDL-Verilog libraries. The selection results in the installation of different system and vendor libraries
that are copied during the installation.
The optional components and libraries can be selected in the Active-HDL Setup Program - Setup Type
dialog box shown below:
This dialog provides the following options:
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Active-CAD Import
Enabling this option, you can install Active-CAD executables and auxiliary files necessary to
import Active-CAD designs to Active-HDL environment. Active-CAD files are copied to the
\Active subfolder of the Active-HDL installation directory. If this feature is not selected, the
subfolder is not created during the installation.
SystemC Libraries
If this check box is selected, the installation program will install SystemC Class Library files. The
files are copied to the \SystemC subfolder of the Active-HDL installation directory. If this feature
is not selected, the subfolder is not created during the installation.
Run Simulink Interface Setup (required MATLAB installation)
This option allows automatic installation and setup of the Active-HDL Co-simulation Interface to
Simulink directly in the MATLAB environment. (The interface is required to start Active-HDLSimulink co-simulation. Prior to running the Active-HDL installation, the MATLAB software
must be installed first.)
The configuration process of the co-simulation interface is started during the Active-HDL
installation. In the Simulink Interface Setup dialog box, you will be asked to enter the path to the
$matlabroot/bin/win32/matlab.exe file. Clicking on the Next button adds the Active-HDL Blockset
block to the Simulink Library Browser and installs the on-line documentation in MATLAB help
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system. If this option is disabled, you will still be able to setup the interface in MATLAB after the
process of the Active-HDL installation is finished.
The interface files are stored in the \Simulink subfolder of the Active-HDL installation directory
regardless of whether the Run Simulink Interface Setup (required MATLAB installation)
option is checked or not during the Active-HDL installation.
Vendor HDL Libraries
Checking this option enables the selection of the type of stimulation libraries. The following
options are available:
 MIX
This option allows installing a dual-language set of simulation libraries.

VERILOG
If this option is selected, only Verilog simulation/schematic libraries will be installed.

VHDL
If this option is selected, only VHDL simulation/schematic libraries will be installed.
Regardless of the selected set of simulation libraries, the functionality and supported features depend
ultimately on the purchased license only. Active-HDL 8.1 delivers the updated on-line documentation that
is not limited and it provides the help system for all features.
MANUAL INSTALLATION OF VENDOR LIBRARIES
The installation program of Active-HDL provides additional programs that allow users to (re)install
individual vendor-specific libraries after the installation of Active-HDL. The libraries are stored in the
\Verilog and \VHDL subfolders (\Install). The \Sch subfolder contains the installation program of the
Xilinx Schematic Libraries. To install a library, start the setup.exe program in an appropriate language
and vendor subfolder and follow on-screen instructions.
In the next stage of the installation process, you will need to choose which pre-installed IC vendor
libraries you will require for your designs. All libraries are based on the latest files provided to Aldec
at the time the software was produced. Please check with the appropriate IC vendor for the latest library
resources.
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NOTE: If you chose to install Xilinx schematic libraries, there will be a subsequent screen prompting you
to select which library you wish to install.
DESTINATION LOCATIONS
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After you designate the necessary libraries and click the Next button, you should choose the destination
path for the Active-HDL software to be installed on your machine. By default, Active-HDL already has a
path selected and will create the required folders on your system’s “C” drive.
If you wish to select a new destination, choose the Browse button and locate space for both the software’s
program files as well as any projects you will create with Active-HDL.
LICENSE ENVIRONMENT
The next step is to specify the license environment for Active-HDL. During the installation procedure of
Active-HDL 8.1, you can select the license environment that will be used to protect the program. The
license environment settings should be related to the type of the license you have purchased. The
following settings are available in the Choose License Environment window:
Evaluation license
This option allows you to use Active-HDL 8.1 in the evaluation mode for 20 days without any additional
license. The evaluation version features the full functionality of a registered copy with some limitations.
You can switch from the evaluation license to the full functional product by applying a license file.
The license file will use the Ethernet card number as the license hostid. During the installation
procedure, the ALDEC_LICENSE_FILE variable is set. This variable should point to the location of the
license.dat file. By default, ALDEC_LICENSE_FILE is set to C:\Program Files\Aldec\Active-HDL
8.1\DAT\license.dat.
FLEXid keylock (USB) based license
This license method uses the FLEXid keylock attached to the USB port of your computer. Before you
choose this type of licensing, make sure if your workstation supports the USB standard and that the USB
keylock is disconnected from the USB port of your computer while installing Active-HDL. The
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installation program will automatically copy and install all required drivers in your computer. This type of
the license also requires the license file. The license file will use the FLEXid keylock number as the
license hostid. The ALDEC_LICENSE_FILE variable is set during the installation and it points to the
default location of the license.dat file.
This option is unavailable when you are installing Active-HDL on Windows NT 4.0 and requires manual
installation (change) of USB keylock drivers (FLEXid=9) after Active-HDL is installed. The installation
program that installs files required for Windows NT 4.0 (aksnt4usb.exe) can be found in the
\License\Drivers\usb4nt\ subdirectory of the Active-HDL installation DVD.
Network floating license
This option allows you to start Active-HDL 8.1 that is protected by the network license server manager.
The floating license also requires the license file. During the installation of Active-HDL, the
ALDEC_LICENSE_FILE variable is set. This variable should point to the location of the license.dat
file or the license server. If you specify the license server, you can use either of notation:
<TCP-port>@<host_computer_name>
or
<TCP-port>@<host_computer_address>
FILE ASSOCIATIONS
The next step is to select the file types you wish to register to Active-HDL. For each file selected,
Active-HDL will be the default program associated when working with these files.
By default, each file is checked for use with Active-HDL.
Click Next to continue with the installation.
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You may wish to check the information listed in this screen to verify that all paths and associations are
correct. If not, you may click the Back button to return to the appropriate stage of the installation setup
and make any changes. Choose Install when you are ready to begin copying files to your system.
When the installation is complete, you have the option to immediately register your copy with Aldec to
ensure you receive the latest updates and product information. Choose Register Now and fill out the
simple form or click Finish to conclude the installation process.
ON-LINE RESOURCES ACCESS
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Active-HDL 8.1 enables a new option in the Help menu. The Aldec on the Web option provides
links to the Aldec web site that gives users access to the Active-HDL-related on-line resources
such as:
- Active-HDL Home Page;
- On-Line Support Request Page;
- Download Active-HDL Updates Page;
- Knowledge Base;
- Aldec Home Page.
The Active-HDL check for updates option has been implemented. The option allows ActiveHDL to automatically check the Aldec web site for available updates. Users can set the check
intervals to be done once a month, week, day, or disabled. If checking for updates is enabled, the
Download Active-HDL Updates window is displayed when Active-HDL starts.
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The window allows changing the default time interval. If the automatic check is disabled, it can
always be run manually by choosing the Download Active-HDL Updates option from
the Help | Aldec on the Web menu.
USING THE ON-LINE DOCUMENTATION
As you begin to familiarize yourself with the software, there are some useful resources available to help
use the tool effectively. Aldec has developed the in-depth on-line documentation and tutorials for those
who are new to HDL design or just new to Active-HDL.
Locating the On-line Help
From the Help menu on the tool bar of Active-HDL, select the On-line Documentation option.
This will open a new window with the complete on-line resources. It is highly recommended that you
spend some time exploring the on-line resources, as they can be very valuable tools.
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TUTORIALS AND REFERENCE GUIDES
The Tutorials located in Active-HDL’s on-line documentation include a variety of information. From the
main menu of the on-line Help, highlight the Tutorials section by left clicking once on the appropriate
button.
Tutorial Topics Include:
• VHDL Entry and Simulation Tutorial
• Verilog Entry and Simulation Tutorial
• Mixed VHDL/Verilog Entry and Simulation
• HDL Design Entry and Simulation Tutorial
• State Machine Entry and Debugging Tutorial
• Mixed VHDL/Verilog / EDIF Entry and Simulation
• VHDL Testbench Tutorial
• Code Coverage Tutorial
• Post Simulation Debug Tutorial
• Server Farm Installation Tutorial
• Using Server Farm Tutorial
• VHDL Configurations Tutorial
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The Reference Guides are educational resources that can be accessed and used in the same manner as the
tutorials covering the following topics:
Reference Guide Topics Include:
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Active-HDL Interfaces – Defines interfaces with Debussy, Denali, SWIFT, VHPI, DVM, CoVer,
Simulink®, SystemC and SWIFT™ SmartModels Library Interface
VHDL Language Reference Guide – Defines terminology and gives examples of the topics
contained within the language
Verilog Language Reference Guide – Defines terminology and gives examples of the topics
contained within the language
PLI Reference Guide – Defines all components of PLI
VHPI Reference Guide – Defines all components of VHPI
OVA Reference Guide - Defines all components of OVA
PSL Reference Guide – Defines all components of PSL
SystemVerilog Reference Guide – Defines all components of SystemVerilog
Handel-C Reference Guide – Defines all components of Handel-C
VSIMSA – Defines internal and external commands
Tcl/Tk Reference Manual – Provides the Tool Command Language definition and variables.
Perl for Win32 – Describes the Perl language and OLE and Win32 extensions
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SEARCHING FOR HELP ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC
Searching for help on a specific topic is easy and can be important for saving time spent contacting Aldec
support. There are multiple ways to search the on-line help:
• Locate Help from the Contents Hierarchy
• Find Help by Titles in the Index
• Search for Help with Keywords
SEARCH FROM CONTENTS HIERARCHY
Select the Contents tab on the left side of this window. Click on the hierarchy on the left of this window;
find the topic you are looking for. Click the topic to display the information in the window
on the right side.
INDEX SEARCH
By typing in a few letters of a topic in the field below the Index tab, the search displays all help titles
starting with those letters.
Double click a topic to display the information in the window on the right-hand side.
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SEARCH FOR HELP BY KEYWORD PHRASE
Select the Search tab and type in the subject of the information you are seeking in the field below the tabs.
The on-line help will locate the titles matching your description by the keywords you enter.
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SAMPLE DESIGNS
Active-HDL comes with a series of sample designs that allow users to open a small design and practice
using the software on real world applications. Users are encouraged to load a sample design and
experiment with all of the tool’s features before beginning a new project.
These designs can be accessed by clicking File on the main tool bar and selecting Open
Workspace/Design Explorer.
The Workspace/Design Explorer window will then open and you can select Schematic, Verilog, VHDL,
Assertions, Matlab, SystemC, SystemVerilog and mixed language designs.
When you select a folder in the left window, all sample designs in that folder will be displayed in the
window on the right.
Double clicking on the design will automatically open the design files in the design browser.
NOTE:
It is recommended that you refer to the On-line Help after you have opened a design for Tutorials and
Documentation on some of the features of Active-HDL.
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AUTOMATED FPGA DESIGN FLOW MANAGER
Active-HDL offers complete design flow integration for all leading EDA vendors with its Tcl-based flow
selection. The Design Flow Manager supports designs regardless of vendor tools or type of chip. This
independence is of most benefit to system designers because third party EDA tools can all be invoked
from a single location and designers can have one common tool to use in all designs.
NOTE:
If you are seeking an alternate vendor flow or an updated version, check the Aldec website at
www.aldec.com or submit your support request via the Aldec Technical Support web site at
http://support.aldec.com/ContactSupport/
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SETTING UP THE DESIGN FLOW MANAGER
The Design Flow Manager supports all industry-leading synthesis and implementation tools. The Design
Flow Manager is fully configurable and can be adjusted to all FPGA vendor-supplied synthesis and
implementation tools so that users can freely switch between Actel, Altera, Xilinx, Lattice, QuickLogic
and other vendor tools.
GLOBAL FLOWCHART SETTINGS
The configuration of the Design Flow Manager has changed in Active-HDL 8.1. The global settings for
the Design Flow Manager are now specified in the Preferences dialog box (Flows category). The
flowchart configuration is also enabled while creating a new design in the New Design Wizard. If the
Design Flow Manager is disabled in Active-HDL, it is still possible to specify the default target
technology and family used e.g. in a design targeted to the Xilinx technology (based on schematic block
diagrams). The settings for the active design can be customized in the Design Settings dialog box
(General category).
DESIGN FLOWCHART SETTINGS
Once the Flow Settings feature is invoked, users can specify the synthesis and implementation tools that
they will be using for this design. With the Tcl based flows, designers can customize the flows and add
additional tools that may be required during the verification process. This adds flexibility to the design
process and allows the instant addition of user-approved tools.
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The Design Flow Manager will now invoke specified tools and complete automation of the FPGA design
flow is now available.
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SPECIFICS OF THE DESIGN FLOW MANAGER
The Design Flow Manager simplifies the network configuration process for IT departments because the
end user's machine can be customized to support only those licenses and systems that are available to that
specific PC. This licensing customization feature prevents restricted licenses of synthesis and
implementation tools to be mistakenly called upon during the design process.
The flow was made to provide maximum flexibility for the entire design process. It enables designers to
disable certain parts of the design flow so that they can concentrate on the specific areas of the design
cycle that they are currently working on. The flow also permits designers to edit the list of tools supported
so that only those that a designer uses most frequently will be invoked.
PROJECT CONTROL
When synthesis and implementation are running in batch mode, the FPGA
Design Flow Manager back-annotates the results directly into the Active-HDL environment so that
system designers do not have to manually transfer the results. This allows tracking the design progress
from one centralized location. Since all files are managed through a single project manager, the users are
able to quickly run gate level and timing simulations with the same stimuli files.
LICENSING INFORMATION
EVALUATION VERSION–20 DAY WITHOUT LICENSE
The evaluation version provides full functionality of a registered copy with the following limitations
• Expires 20 days after installation
• Export of design and workspace resources to the HTML and PDF format is disabled
• Printing is disabled
• The maximum simulation time is 10 us
• The maximum amount of memory allocated per VHDL, Verilog or mixed VHDL-Verilog design
is 5MB. This limitation decreases to 2 MB for any designs employing EDIF-based design units
• Block diagrams containing more than 15 fubs and/or symbols cannot be saved
Apart from Active-HDL, you can also run VSimSA in the 20-days evaluation mode. The evaluation
limitations of VSimSA are as follows:
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The number of processes in the simulated model is limited to 1000
Simulation time is limited to 10us
Code Coverage and Design Profiler are disabled
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FULL EVALUATION VERSION–20 DAY ALONG WITH LICENSE
If you feel that the evaluation version is too restrictive and you have an Ethernet adapter on your
computer, you may apply for a 20-day unlimited license. You can fill out a request form by visiting:
http://www.aldec.com/registration/evals.htm
or by contacting Aldec or an authorized distributor at:
http://www.aldec.com/contact/
Your 20-day fully functioning license will be sent to you within 24 hours, via e-mail, and will expire 20
days from creation, not installation.
FULL VERSION
In order to continue working with an unlimited version of Active-HDL 8.1, the software requires a
license file. Active-HDL can be protected by using either a local or network floating license
configuration, which means that the license file can use hostid of your machine or on a remote computer
(license server) running on the Windows, Linux, or UNIX platform.
LICENSE HOSTID
The FLEXnet License hostid can be either the number of the Ethernet card or the FLEXid number of the
USB keylock/dongle.
LOCAL LICENSE (NODE-LOCKED)
The local license (also referred to as a single-user configuration) is tied to a specific machine and requires
a license file. In this type of licensing, the hostid form the Ethernet card or connected USB keylock must
match the hostid specified in the license file.
Keylock drivers are installed on your computer during the installation of Active-HDL. If you need to
reinstall the keylock drivers, you can use the setup programs available in the \Drivers subfolder of the
Active-HDL installation folder or the \License\Drivers\ subdirectory of the Active-HDL installation
DVD.
NOTE:
You must plug the keylock into the USB port of your computer before you start Active-HDL.
NETWORK FLOATING LICENSE
The network floating configuration (multiple users) is based on a license started on a remote machine
(license server) running on the Windows, Linux or UNIX platform.
The floating license also requires the license file. The license contained in the license file can use the
hostid of server's Ethernet card number or the FLEXid number of the USB keylock connected to the
USB port of the remote computer (except for UNIX machines).
Active-HDL supports multiple configurations of the network license. If you have purchased the multiple
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user installation with network licensing that contains several license types, you will be able to switch
among them each time you start Active-HDL. If you have purchased a network license with several
products enabled in the license file, you can choose your working configuration while starting ActiveHDL in the License Configuration window.
Otherwise, when you have the possibility to use only one given configuration, the License Configuration
window can be omitted during the Active-HDL start-up. To do so, clear the Show License Configuration
dialog box on Active-HDL startup check box in the Diagnose License window. The Diagnose License
program is a tool that allows you to check Active-HDL options/features available in your license
regardless of the purchased licensing configuration. You can run the tool from the Help menu by selecting
the License Information option or by executing the diagnose.exe program in the \Bin subfolder of the
Active-HDL installation directory, e.g. if you want to check the available features in the license for
VsimSA.
If you have purchased a multiple-user installation with network licensing, you will need to:
Install Active-HDL on all workstations (also called license clients)
Install a license server on your network server (or any other computer permanently connected to the
network). Re-configure workstations to use network licensing.
All products enabled in your license file can be seen in the last dialog box after you scan your license with
Diagnose License. All program files required for setting up a license server are available in the \License
directory of the Active-HDL installation DVD.
NOTES:
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Only hardware keylocks attached to the USB port can be used (FLEXid=9).
•
You must plug the keylock into the USB port of your license server before you start the ActiveHDL network license server manager.
•
Active-HDL 8.1 provides an additional program that users can use to setup the license server on
the Windows platform. The Aldec FLEXnet License Server (setup.exe) program can be run from
the \License\Windows\Aldec_License_Server subfolder of the installation DVD. The \License
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folder also provides files required to run the license server on other platforms.
For more information on setting up the Active-HDL license server, refer to the readme_first.txt
and setup_license_server.txt files.
Active-HDL 8.1 requires FLEXnet ver. 11.5
LICENSE MAINTENANCE
In order to start working with Active-HDL, you need to have a valid license file. Starting from ActiveHDL 7.1 SP1 (BUILD 1583.SP1.23, 03/08/2006), only users who have a valid maintenance contract will
be able to use newer versions of Active-HDL. Users who have a maintenance contract that expired should
install neither updates nor service packs for newer versions of Active-HDL as it will not run with their
existing license and report the following error:
Your license file does not support this version of Active-HDL.
or
(FLEXlm error = -5) You do not have valid license to run Acteve-HDL.
or
(FLEXlm error = -18) License server system does not support this feature.
Review the License chapter in the Active-HDL Release Notes to check requirements for software
licensing.
Contact Aldec for ordering information - [email protected]
In order to find out whether your license allows using a newer version of Active-HDL or applying a
service pack for a recently released version of the software, check out your current license file.
In the header section of the license.dat file, there is a line that determines the Maintenance Expiration
Date. If your maintenance has expired you are not eligible to install a newer build or its update (e.g.
service pack). The image below presents the example of the license header with the explicitly specified
Maintenance Expiration Date.
#--------- ALDEC floating license --------#
# Generator build: 2.0.60206.0
# License number: 80142
# Configuration: AEE-DL(2)
# Generated: 3/28/2006
# Expires: 12/31/2008
# Maintenance Expires: 12/31/2008
#
You can also find out whether you have a valid maintenance by checking the contents of your license
file. It contains a number of lines with a string of information (keyword FEATURE) that define the
license features. The license features indicate how long and which version of Active-HDL will run with
the license, e.g.:
FEATURE ACTIVEHDL_LIC_NUMBER ALDEC 2008.1231 31-dec-2008 uncounted \
The argument 2008.1231 (which refers to December 31, 2008) indicates the Maintenance Expiration
Date. If your current maintenance contract is valid, you are entitled to the new license with the updated
maintenance date. If your maintenance contract has lapsed, you can run versions of Active-HDL released
before your maintenance expired or you can renew your maintenance by contacting Aldec at
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[email protected].
MODIFICATION OF PREVIOUS INSTALLS
With Active-HDL already installed in your computer you cannot add previously omitted components at
any time. To do this you need to run the installation software again.
NOTE:
User projects are not removed during uninstall and will be visible in the new version of
Active-HDL.
IMPORTANT NETWORK LICENSING INFORMATION
Setting up the license server gives you the benefit of being able to run the software on any platform.
This provides design teams the ability to utilize different platforms without having to purchase
multiple versions of the same software. Licenses are available anywhere on the network, instead of
being tied to specific machines.
For more information on setting up the Active-HDL license server, refer to the readme_first.txt and
setup_license_server.txt files.
HOW TO CONFIGURE LICENSE CLIENTS
Active-HDL 8.1 stores its settings in the Windows registry. The default setting for the license file location
is the DAT subfolder of your Active-HDL installation (C:\Program Files\Aldec\Active-HDL 8.1\Dat), if
you accepted the defaults during the installation.
If you change the default location of the LICENSE.DAT file, you need to update the system environment
settings. As it is mentioned above, the system variable pointing to the location of the LICENSE.DAT file
must be specified to run Active-HDL. The Diagnose.exe application located in the BIN subfolder of the
Active-HDL installation may be helpful to verify the current settings. To start the application:
Double click its name in Windows Explorer. The Diagnose License window should be displayed.
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Click the Next button:
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The Aldec License Environment Variable fields display the current license environment settings. The
path to the license file displayed in the Value field should be the same as the one specified in the system
environment settings window (System Properties | Advanced (Windows 2000, XP, VISTA) or System
Properties | Environment (Windows NT)).
•
Click the Next button:
This dialog is used to check the validity of the license. If you encounter problems you will see an error
message.
NOTE:
• The ALDEC_LICENSE_FILE variable, by default set during the Active-HDL installation,
points to the same location that is displayed by the Diagnose License program.
• To run Active-HDL 8.1 on your workstation you must set a system variable pointing to the
location of the LICENSE.DAT file. There are two predefined system variables used for checking
licensed features:
o ALDEC_LICENSE_FILE
o LM_LICENSE_FILE
If the first one, considered as the default variable set during the Active-HDL installation, cannot
be found in your system, the standard LM_LICENSE_FILE variable is searched for. In case when
neither ALDEC_LICENSE_FILE nor the LM_LICENSE_FILE variable is accessible, ActiveHDL starts in the evaluation mode if the evaluation license is not expired. If your LICENSE.DAT
file is stored in a different location, the path to it can be specified only by changing the
ALDEC_LICENSE_FILE or LM_LICENSE_FILE variables.
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•
Active-HDL provides a new tool that allows users to check the license. The Diagnose License
program (\Bin\diagnose.exe) can be also started after clicking the License Information option in
the License Configuration dialog or from the Help menu.
CHECKING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LICENSE CLIENT AND LICENSE
SERVER
If your Active-HDL network license server is running without problems (no errors reported, all features
from the LICENSE.DAT file listed as available in the log file) but Active-HDL reports that you do not
have valid license, it is possible that you are experiencing problems with communication between license
client and license server.
In this case, you should try LMTOOLS diagnostic program, located in the \Bin subfolder of the ActiveHDL installation directory folder.
The latest version of LMTOOLS is available at the Macrovision Corporation website:
http://www.macrovision.com/
Please follow these steps to diagnose problem:
•
•
•
Start lmtools.exe on the machine where Active-HDL cannot start.
Select the Configuration using License File button, then click Browse and select the same
license.dat file Active-HDL is using.
The selected license file path should be displayed in the text box next to the Browse button as it is
shown in the figure.
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•
Click Server Diagnostics tab in the LMTOOLS window, then click Perform Diagnostics.
List of all features listed in the license file and available on the license server should be displayed in the
LMTOOLS window. If there are any problems with checking out the features, they will be listed in the
LMTOOLS window.
•
If diagnostics did not clarify the situation, click the Server Status tab in the LMTOOLS window,
then click Perform Status Enquiry.
A list of all license servers running on the server specified in the license file will be listed, sorted by the
TCP/IP port number. Active-HDL license server should have correct license file path listed and ALDEC
vendor daemon status ‘UP’.
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NETWORK CLIENT INSTALLATION
Active-HDL 8.1 supports network client installation. In the client-server configuration, Active-HDL 8.1 is
installed on a network server and network users run the program directly from the server. Each user must
have the Active-HDL Network Client installed locally on the computer. The Active-HDL Network Client
Setup copies the minimum set of files required locally on the user's computer and remotely registers the
files from the server. The performance of Active-HDL clients depends strictly on the network
performance as well as the number of clients running at the same time. The Active-HDL copy installed on
the server must have a network license for the appropriate number of users.
The procedure for installing Active-HDL 8.1 on a network server is the same as installing the full version
on a workstation. The only limitation is that the path to the installation folder on the server cannot contain
spaces. Once Active-HDL has been installed on a server, client versions can be installed on workstations.
THE PROCEDURE OF INSTALLING ACTIVE-HDL 8.1 NETWORK CLIENT IS
AS FOLLOWS:
1. Check whether the folder, where the Active-HDL 8.1 Network. Server is installed, is visible and
shared (in read-only mode) for all users.
2. Map the directory (a parent directory of the Active-HDL installation folder; by default,
the \Aldec directory is set) or the server drive on which Active-HDL has been installed.
It is very important that you do not remove or modify this mapping because Active-HDL
files residing on the server are registered remotely on each user computer. Any change
to the mapped network drive will make the client installation unusable.
3. Using the Windows Explorer, find the \Netsetup folder on the mapped network drive which is a
subfolder of the Active-HDL 8.1 installation folder. The \Netsetup folder contains the setup.exe
file. Run this file.
4. Follow the Active-HDL 8.1 Network Client Setup Wizard's instructions.
NOTES:
1. The user account on which a network client is installed must have administrative privileges. Also,
the setup program requires restarting the machine to complete the installation. After the restart,
you must log on the same user account from which you have started the installation.
2. The system libraries are stored on the server.
• The minimum set of executable files required locally for Active-HDL 8.1 to work.
• Language Assistant templates.
3. If you want to use any sample designs, you must copy them manually from the server onto your
workstation.
4. The Active-HDL 8.1 copy installed on the server must have a network license that meets the
required number of client users intended to operate simultaneously.
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EXPORT/IMPORT OF ACTIVE-HDL PREFERENCES
Active-HDL enables you to export the current preferences to an external file. The preferences stored in
such a file may be applied to any copy of Active-HDL that supports the import feature. The export
function as well as the import function of preferences is performed by the Active-HDL Preferences
Manager. To invoke this tool, execute the prefman.exe file located in the \Bin sub-directory of ActiveHDL installation folder. The tool may run in two modes: the command line mode or the GUI mode.
NOTES:
• The Active-HDL Preferences Manager cannot be used as long as any copy of Active-HDL is
running. If the tool detects a copy of Active-HDL running, it displays an error message and shuts
itself down.
• The following settings are treated as user-specific and do not take a part in the export/import
process:
o User name, e-mail address, company name (Tools | Preferences | Environment)
o My Designs folder (Tools | Preferences | Environment)
o Recent files/workspaces settings
GUI MODE
To run the Active-HDL Preferences Manager in the GUI mode, execute the prefman.exe program without
any additional switches (only the –v switch is allowed). As a result, the Active-HDL Preferences Manager
dialog box will start. The Active-HDL Preferences Manager running in the GUI mode allows you to
perform all the operations that are available in the command line mode.
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ACTIVE-HDL PREFERENCES MANAGER OPTIONS
Available versions
Lists Active-HDL installations available on the current computer.
Export
Start the export of the preferences from the Active-HDL installation (specified in the Available versions
list box) by invoking the Save Active-HDL Preferences as dialog box. This dialog box allows you to
specify the Active-HDL preferences dump file (*.dmp) that will be used to store the preferences.
Import
Starts the import of the preferences to the Active-HDL installation (specified in the Available versions
list box) by invoking the Import Active-HDL Preferences File dialog box. This dialog box let you
specify the Active-HDL preferences dump file from which the preferences will be imported to the
specified Active-HDL installation.
Set Defaults
Restores the default settings of the Active-HDL installation specified in the
Available versions list box.
Exit
Closes the Active-HDL Preferences Manager.
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HOW TO REACH TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Contacting Aldec's Support Team
Aldec's Support Team can be reached at:
Aldec Support
2260 Corporate Circle
Henderson, NV 89074
Tel: +1 702 990 4400
Fax: +1 702 990 4414
Toll free: +1 800 487 8743
website: http://support.aldec.com/ContactSupport/
email: [email protected]
Remember to include the following information:
* Your name, company name, phone/fax number, e-mail address
* The license server log file
* The license file
* Detailed description of the problem
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