FPGA Central

I am using the Lattice tools which include the Active HDL simulator.
I understand a lot of things about VHDL and FPGAs and all sorts of
electronics. But I can stumble over very trivial things in a tool.

Right now I have a project set up and have simulated it and produced
bit files which load into the device and run (more or less). But it
seems that every time I exit the simulator and re-enter, it forgets
where the source files are. When I add files to a project it seems to
want to make a copy in the ../work/src directory. Then any changes I
make to the originals have to be copied to this directory. Obviously
this is a PITA.

I figured out that I can use the original location for the files by
unselecting a check box that says (make local copy). If I do that and
re-open the tool, it shows no source files. It seems to be looking in
the ../work/src directory.

Does anyone out there use the Lattice tools with Active HDL? This is
the $900 version of ispLever and the simulator is the version that
comes with the Lattice package.

I was getting some good support from an FAE, but I haven't heard from
him in a day or so and I need to figure this out.

I really get tired of fighting the tools. I much prefer to get work
done.

Rick

rickman wrote:
> I am using the Lattice tools which include the Active HDL simulator.
> I understand a lot of things about VHDL and FPGAs and all sorts of
> electronics. But I can stumble over very trivial things in a tool.
>
> Right now I have a project set up and have simulated it and produced
> bit files which load into the device and run (more or less). But it
> seems that every time I exit the simulator and re-enter, it forgets
> where the source files are. When I add files to a project it seems to
> want to make a copy in the ../work/src directory. Then any changes I
> make to the originals have to be copied to this directory. Obviously
> this is a PITA.
>
> I figured out that I can use the original location for the files by
> unselecting a check box that says (make local copy). If I do that and
> re-open the tool, it shows no source files. It seems to be looking in
> the ../work/src directory.
>
> Does anyone out there use the Lattice tools with Active HDL? This is
> the $900 version of ispLever and the simulator is the version that
> comes with the Lattice package.
>
> I was getting some good support from an FAE, but I haven't heard from
> him in a day or so and I need to figure this out.
>
> I really get tired of fighting the tools. I much prefer to get work
> done.
>
> Rick
I've never understood why tools want to make local copies of the source.
Maybe some people desire this, but I don't know why anybody would want
multiple copies of the source floating around. I also hate tools that
don't remember where I'm working. Microsoft Word is always certain that
I'll want to save documents in "My Documents", though I have never once
used that folder. -Kevin

rickman wrote:

> Does anyone out there use the Lattice tools with Active HDL? This is
> the $900 version of ispLever and the simulator is the version that
> comes with the Lattice package.

Consider using the command-line interface if there is one.
I use my editor, svn and scripts to define projects.

-- Mike Treseler