Specifications

Embedded System Tools Guide (EDK 6.2i) www.xilinx.com 37
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Project Management
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Features
XPS has the following features
x Adding cores, editing core parameters, and making bus and signal connections to
generate a Microprocessor Hardware Specification (MHS)
x Generation and modification of the Microprocessor Software Specification (MSS)
x Support for all the tools described in Table 2-1.
x Graphical Block Diagram View and Editor.
x Multiple User Software Applications support
x Project management
x Process and tool flow dependency management
Project Management
Project information is saved in a Xilinx Microprocessor Project (XMP) file. An XMP file
consists of the location of the MHS file, the MSS file, and the C source and header files that
need to be compiled into an executable for a processor. The project also includes the FPGA
architecture family and the device type for which the hardware tool flow needs to be run.
Creating A New Project
A New Project is created using the New Project menu option in the Project submenu of
the main menu. The
Base System Builder Wizard in the New Project menu can be used
to invoke the wizard to create a basic system. Please refer to Chapter 3, “Base System
Builder” for more information. The
Platform Studio option can be used to create a new
project using XPS. The
New Project toolbar button can also be used.
For creating a new project, users need to specify the location of the xmp file. The name of
the xmp file is take to be the project name and the directory where the xmp file resides is
considered to be the project directory. All tools are invoked from the project directory. All
relative paths are assumed to be relative to the project directory. Optionally, users can also
specify an MHS file to be used for the project if the project is created using Platform Studio.
If the specified MHS file does not exist in the project directory or does not have same name
as the project name, XPS copies it into the project directory with same base name as the
project name. XPS always modifies the local copy of the MHS and never refers to the
original MHS.
The target architecture must be set before running any tool. However, choosing the device
size, the package and the speed grade can be defered till implementation of the design.
These options can also be set/changed later in the
Set Project Options dialog box in
Options o Project Options menu.
Users must specify all
Search Path directories before loading the project if
XMD Opens an XMD terminal for the user for on-board
debug.
XMD Documentation
Project Navigator Export
and Import
Export and Import design to Project Navigator for
synthesis and implementation of design.
Flow is an alternative to the
XFlow mechanism in XPS.
Table 2-1: Tools supported in XPS
Tool Function Reference/Notes