Getting Started: CLAyTools
Welcome to the CLAyTools tutorial and setup page. This page will help you
through the steps necessary to gain access to the National Semiconductor
Configurable Logic Array (Clay) Viewlogic libraries as well as the associated
CLAyTools. Because the Clay device tools are compiled for Sun workstations,
you must have an account on one of the Sun machines in the lab in
order to use device specific tools. You may design with Clay libraries
in Viewlogic, however, from any workstation.
These instructions assume that you are familiar with the
Viewlogic digital design tools.
Creating a Clay Project Directory
Designing with Clay requires the integration of both the Viewlogic and
the National Semiconductor CLAyTool design environments. In order to
use both tools successfully, a strict directory heirarchy must be maintained.
Both Viewlogic and CLAyTools organize designs around a project - a project
is a unique directory that contains specific environmental settings,
library search paths, and contain several designs.
Enter 'Powerview' to create a unique project for your Clay designs.
Select the Project -> Create menu.
Select project type as Viewdraw and enter the directory of your Clay
project (~/cli in this example) in the Project Pathname box.
The screen should look
like this.
Press ACCEPT to create the project directory.
Adding Clay Libraries to Viewlogic Project
Before building Clay designs with Viewlogic, the Clay design libraries must
be added to the Viewlogic project just created. In 'Powerview',
select the Project -> SearchOrder
menu.
Enter the following libraries into the project search order:
<![CDATA[
/fpga1/clay/lib/macro climacro
/fpga1/clay/lib/prim cliprim
]]>
Your window should look like this.
Press ACCEPT to add the libraries to your project path. You now have
to the Clay libraries in Viewlogic.
Clay Design: Directory Organization
Your project directory must contain two important files used for
tool default settings:
- cli.ini: contains the list of current designs, the default settings
for interact editor, the mouse settings,
the default device type, and the default device package.
- design.cfg: contains design specific settings such as library directories,
netlist conversion options, and bitstream generation options.
Copy these files from the Clay archive into your project directory:
<![CDATA[
cp /splish_data/clay/1.10/etc/cli.ini ~/cli
cp /splish_data/clay/1.10/etc/design.cfg ~/cli
]]>
Creating a Clay Design
Each Clay design within the project must have its own directory.
Everytime you start a new Clay design, create a unique directory within your
Clay project directory. In addition, each design must have its own 'design.cfg'
file within its directory.
Create a directory called 'counter'
for a tutorial design within your cli project directory. In addition, copy
the default design.cfg file into this new directory:
<![CDATA[
mkdir ~/cli/counter
cp ~/cli/design.cfg ~/cli/counter
]]>
In addition, each design within the project must be specified within the
cli.ini
file in the project directory. The [ProjectDefinitions] section of this file
lists all known projects and indicates the active project with an asterix (*).
<![CDATA[
; This is a Sample CLI INI file
[ProjectDefinitions]
;Project directory followed by the design name
;Active project is indicated by an asterisk
*./mydesign
]]>
The sample cli.ini file in the project directory lists a
single design (./mydesign)
and indicates it as active with *.
Since we do not have a design called mydesign,
we can remove it from the file and replace it with an entry indicated our
new 'counter' design. Remove the line specifying the 'mydesign'
design and replace it
with a line specifying the 'counter' design as follows:
<![CDATA[
; This is a Sample CLI INI file
[ProjectDefinitions]
;Project directory followed by the design name
;Active project is indicated by an asterisk
*./counter
]]>
Every time you add a new design to your project, add it to the cli.ini file as
follows:
<![CDATA[
; This is a Sample CLI INI file
[ProjectDefinitions]
;Project directory followed by the design name
;Active project is indicated by an asterisk
./counter
*./design2
]]>
With a Clay project directory, an counter design directory, and a modified
cli.ini file, you are ready to access the Clay tools. While logged in a Sun
workstation, open the CLAyTools from the Clay project directory:
<![CDATA[
cd ~/cli
ct &
]]>
If your setup is correct, you will enter the
CLAyTools design manager. You are now
ready to design with Clay.
Last Modified: 24 February 1995
Please send comments to:
grahamp@salt.ee.byu.edu
