Technical data

VHDL SmartModel interface
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Logic Modeling Library and Hardware Modeler ModelSim EE/PLUS Reference Manual
VHDL SmartModel interface
The interface to a SmartModel Library model (
SML model
for short) is no
different than any other model in the VHDL design; that is, the interface is through
an entity declaration. The key difference is that the architecture for a SML model
is a foreign architecture. That means that the architecture is not described in
VHDL, but instead is an executable binary. You need not be concerned about
linking this binary to VSIM; the SmartModel Library and VSIM cooperate at run-
time to automatically load only the needed binaries.
There are two Model Technology software components that provide access to the
SmartModel Library:
•
SM_ENTITY
This is a tool that queries a SML model and creates the corresponding VHDL
entity and foreign architecture.
•
libsm.sl
This is the dynamic link library that implements the interface between VSIM
and the SWIFT-based SmartModel Library.
If any SML models are present in a design, VSIM automatically loads
libsm.sl
,
which in turn loads Logic Modeling's SWIFT interface dynamic link library. The
locations of these libraries are set by entries in the Model
Sim
project file,
modelsim.ini
. VSIM and SM_ENTITY depend on these entries. For example:
[lmc]
; ModelSim’s interface to SWIFT software
libsm = $MODEL_TECH/libsm.sl
; Logic Modeling’s SmartModel SWIFT software (HP 9000 Series 700)
;libswift = $LMC_HOME/lib/hp700.lib/libswift.sl
; Logic Modeling's SmartModel SWIFT software (IBM RISC System/6000)
;libswift = $LMC_HOME/lib/ibmrs.lib/swift.o
; Logic Modeling's SmartModel SWIFT software (Sun4 Solaris 2.x)
;libswift = $LMC_HOME/lib/sun4Solaris.lib/libswift.so
VSIM's default project file already has the
libsm
entry set correctly, and you do
not need to change it (the MODEL_TECH environment variable is automatically
set when VSIM or SM_ENTITY is invoked); however, you do need to set the
libswift
entry for the platform you are using (see above). Uncomment the
appropriate entry. The LMC_HOME environment variable must point to the root
of the SmartModel Library installation directory. Consult the SmartModel Library
installation guide for details.
With SunOS 4.1.3, there is an additional step; see "SPARCstation note" (p507).