Readme.txt for the Xilinx PERL script xplorer.pl PURPOSE: The purpose for the xplorer.

pl script is find the maximum performance for any cl ock in a design by running various combinations of implementation tool options k nown to give good performance results. DESCRIPTION: The xplorer.pl script runs several iterations of the tools adjusting the timing constraints for a specified clock (using the clk) if an EDF or NGC file is provid ed. Note: if no clock is provided (-clk not used) xplorer.pl will run using exi sting UCF provided. The UCF constraints will not be adjusted. If not -clk or U CF is provide xplorer.pl will run non timing driven which will give inferior res ults to timing driven runs. Use the freq switch to specific a starting frequency to use as a starting point f or testing. Specifying a starting frequency can reduce the number of iterations required to find the maximum frequency reducing run time. SUPPORTED ARCHITECTURES: All Xilinx FPGA Architectures are supported by the xplorer.pl script. USAGE: The xplorer.pl script is written in PERL. Xilinx includes a version of PERL ins talled with each software release called XILPERL.exe located in the $XILINX\bin\ nt area. For PC users the xplorer.pl script can be run from the command prompt by typing: xilperl xplorer.pl (This will output the usage message below). Usage: $XILINX\bin\nt\xilperl.exe xplorer.pl <design name> [-clk <clkname>] [-pa rt <partname>] FPGA Xplorer (tm) Version 2.30 Where: <design name> is the name of the top level edif/ngc/ngd file. -clk <clkname> to specify the name of the clock net you want to optimize. If the -clk option is omitted the script will use the timespecs defined in ucf file. -p <partname> specify the complete Xilinx part name. Default value is the part specified in the input design. Results: Results of all the runs are summarized in the xplorer.rpt file. The best run is identified at the end of the report file. Advanced Options (Optional): -wd <dir name> : specify where the output of runs will be stored. Default value is the current dir.

-sd <dir name> : specify a list of paths for directories containing the design files. The directories in the path list are separated by a : The first entry is the path is the location of the top level design. Default value is the current dir. -freq <value in Mhz> : specify the first attempted frequency. The starting value will impact the number of runs. Without this option the script will automatically figure out a good starting value. -uc <ucf file> : UCF constraints file name. Default value is <design name>.ucf. -max_runs <number> : limit the maximum number of runs for the design. Limiting the number of runs may adversely affect the final achieved frequency. -no_retiming : disable retiming in map. Default value is to perform retiming. For xilperl PATH. to be recognized as a command $XILINX\bin\nt must be included in the $

A companion batch file named xplorer.bat is available to reduce your typing and ma ke the xplorer.pl script available from any directory. SUPPORTED ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES PCT_ESTIMATED_MINPERIOD_FACTOR Factor used in determining initial target frequen cy. The initial target period is the product of PCT_ESTIMATED_MINPERIOD_FACTOR a nd the minimum estimated period from the initial mapped input netlist. Default v alue is 1.0. PCT_FAILED_BADLY Factor used to derate the initial target frequency. If the targ et frequency is more than the best achieved frequency by a factor exceeding PCT_ FAILED_BADLY, then derate target frequency. PCT_INC_FREQ Factor used to determine target frequency for succeeding run if cur rent run has met the current target. Default value is 1.05. PCT_ROLL_BACK_FREQ Factor used to determine target frequency for succeeding run if current run has failed to meet the current target. Default value is 0.95