SPLASH2 Design Helps


License Server Problems

When you run xnf2bit it runs ppr which needs a license server to be running on newt. A common problem is for ppr to fail due to duplicate license servers running on newt. We currently don't understand the problem. The fix is to log on to newt and kill all processes with the names lmgrd and XXACTD. You may need super-user privilieges to do this. When you return to run xnf2bit the proper servers will started.

Because these servers then cause problems with others trying to run, for now we suggest that you go back to newt and kill them when you are done. Seems stupid but right now we don't have another fix.


Processing Designs with XBLOX

If you use XBLOX elements in your designs, you should process the designs using xmake, a Xilinx XACT program. So, for instance, if your design was memaddr.xnf or memaddr.sxnf, you would execute the following instead of xnf2bit at the command line :
   xmake memaddr
Assuming all went well with executing xmake, you should have a .bit bitstream file. Next, you must execute the script splashprep to prepare the design for use with Splash 2. Like xmake, splashprep must be run on the HP workstations. For example, if memaddr were the design you were processing, you would type:
   splashprep memaddr
Essentially this script reruns makebits appropriately and creates the symbol table required for execution on Splash 2. Executing splashprep will create a memaddr.sym for you. Normally, this is done by xnf2bit, but xnf2bit cannot be used with XBLOX design elements. After processing the design with xmake and splashprep, you should execute symtobsym on splash as usual.
Last modified: Mon Jul 6 14:37:00 MDT 1998
Brent Nelson
nelson@ee.byu.edu