That one of the file names must match the name of the project. When you save it, you have to have the module name and file name match up.
Once a new file is created, you are able to enter your code into it. Now that you have created your project, you can start coding. The simulation Tool Name should be ModelSim-Altera and Format is Verilog HDL. The next page asks to specify which tools you will be using.
Be sure to use this device otherwise your area and timing numbers will be incorrect. After you have selected the files to add (if any), press Next.ĭesigning hardware relies on the capability of each FPGA. The next screen allows you to add files to the project is already created on your computer. In this screenshot, the project name is fibonacci_calculatorīecause there will be a fibonacci_calculator.v file in the project. The name of the project has to match the name of one of the files in the project.
If you have a directory for this class, there should be sub-folders for each project. You cannot have multiple projects in the same directory. Select a directory where you want your project to be saved. You will be asked to select a working directory for the project.
If you are starting a new project, click on Create a New Project. You will be greeted by the following welcome screen. SystemVerilog can be thought of as a "superset" of Verilog with a number of enhancements. In this class, we will be using SystemVerilog (which is just an extended version of Verilog)
This will run your simulation for 100 nanoseconds.Once you have installed the Quartus Prime Verilog/SystemVerilog compilerĪnd the ModelSim logic simulator software from the To run the simulation, click the Icon with a little piece of paper and a down arrow next to the 100 ns time. All of the test bench signals have been added as signals your can monitor. You can also click and drag signals to the waveform window from other windows in Modelsim. To do this, right click on and_gate_tb in the sim window and click Add Wave. In this example, we will monitor all of the signals in the test bench. The next figure shows you what your waveform view looks like, but first you need to add some signals to monitor. It shows how your module reacts to different stimulus. The waveform view contains waves (binary 0's and 1's, hexadecimal digits, binary digits, enumerated types, etc) for all of the signals in your design. Now, the majority of the time that you use Modelsim will be spent looking at the waveform view. Modelsim Simulation Window - Simulation ReadyĪlmost there! The simulation is ready and waiting. You are greeted with a window that looks like this Copy the code below to and_gate.vhd and the testbench to and_gate_tb.vhd. The VHDL code creates a simple And Gate and provides some inputs to it via a test bench. The actual code is not important, so if you are learning Verilog that's OK! You don't need to know VHDL for this tutorial. The code that we will be simulating is the VHDL design below.
Clicking on an existing license request link from your browser bookmark or from a link posted on the web will not work. At the end of the installation you must select Finish and a browser window will open with the License Request form. Note that you will need to request a license from Mentor Graphics. Perform the installation with the default parameters. Let's get started.ĭo you have Modelsim downloaded and installed on your computer? Get it here. Did you forget an if statement somewhere? Did you remember to give every possible case statement assignment? These are the types of errors that are very easy to make when you do not simulate your design. A great simulation will exercise all possible states of the design to ensure that all input scenarios will be handled appropriately. Simulation allows the designer to stimulate his or her design and see how the code that they wrote reacts to the stimulus.
Simulation is a critical step of designing FPGAs and ASICs.
This tutorial explains first why simulation is important, then shows how you can acquire Modelsim Student Edition for free for your personal use. It is the most widely use simulation program in business and education. Modelsim is a program created by Mentor Graphics used for simulating your VHDL and Verilog designs. Tutorial - Using Modelsim for Simulation, for Beginners.