Perform an RTL Functional Simulation (Verilog)

  1. To verify that pre-existing libraries are not attached in the Active-HDL software:
    1. Click View > Library Manager.The Library Manager window appears.
    2. Browse to <Active-HDL installation directory>/vlib/altera_mf.
    3. If simulation libraries are present for your version of the Quartus® Prime software, you can skip to step 5. Otherwise you can download the appropriate version library files from the Aldec website or create them manually with steps 2 through 4.
  2. To create a workspace and compile simulation libraries in the Active-HDL software:
    1. Click File > New > Design. The New Design Wizard appears.
    2. Select Create an Empty Design and keep the Create New Workspace option selected.
    3. Click Next. The Property page appears. Click Property > Next.
    4. Type the name in the Design name and Library name fields, for example, altera_mf_ver or lpm_ver. Select the location of your design in the Design folder field, and click Next. Intel recommends to use same name for the design and the library.
    5. Click Finish to complete the wizard.
    6. Click Design > Add files to Design.
    7. Browse to < Quartus® Prime installation directory>/eda/sim_lib and add the necessary simulation model files. For example, compile the altera_mf_.v model files into the altera_mf_ver library, and compile the 220model.v model files into the lpm_ver library.
    8. Select Design > Compile All to compile all the files and add them to the design library, for example, altera_mf.v.
    9. Click File > Close Workspace.
  3. Map the created library in the Active-HDL software. To register simulation libraries:
    1. Click View > Library Manager. The Library Manager window appears.
    2. Click Library > Attach Library .
    3. Locate the .lib file, for example, altera_mf_ver.lib, from the design directory you created in the previous steps, and click Open.
  4. To create a workspace in the Active-HDL software and compile your testbench and design files into the work library:
    1. Click File > New > Design. The New Design Wizard appears.
    2. Select Create an Empty Design and keep the Create New Workspace option selected.
    3. Click Next. The Property page appears. In the Property page, click Next to proceed to the Design name and Library name fields.
    4. Type work for the design name and select the location of your design. Intel recommends that you use same name for your the design and the library.
    5. Click Finish to complete the wizard.
    6. Click Design > Add files to Design.
    7. Browse to the RTL design directory and add the testbench and RTL design files.
    8. Your design may require simulation libraries that you created previously to compile successfully. For example, the altera_mf_ver library is required for compiling designs that use Intel FPGA IP Cores. If your design requires these simulation libraries, perform the following steps:
      1. Click Design > Settings. The Design Settings dialog box appears. Expand the Compilation category and click Verilog.
      2. To add the Verilog Library settings, click the Add library icon and click OK to insert the required Verilog simulation libraries.
      Note: These simulation libraries are the simulation libraries that you compiled or installed previously (for example, altera_mf_ver and lpm_ver, altera_ver).
    9. Browse to the testbench directory and add the testbench file.
    10. Click Design > Compile All to compile the testbench and RTL design files.
      Important: Resolve compile-time errors before proceeding to the following steps.
  5. To add your testbench files in the Active-HDL software, in the Design Browser, click the Top-level Selection list. Select the top-level module, which is your testbench.
  6. To add the required simulation library in the Active-HDL software, click Design > Settings . The Design Settings dialog box appears.
    1. Expand the Simulation category and click Verilog.
    2. In the Verilog Libraries window, click the Add library icon and click OK to insert the required Verilog simulation libraries, for example, altera_mf_ver, lpm_ver and altera_ver.
  7. In the Design Settings dialog box, expand the Simulation category and click Access to Design Objects. Turn on Read (+r) to view waveforms in the Waveform window.
  8. To initialize simulation in the Active-HDL software, click Simulation > Initialize Simulation. This loads the simulation. The Design Browser automatically switches to the Structure tab and displays the design tree.
  9. To perform the simulation in the Active-HDL software:
    1. Click File > New > Waveform.
    2. Drag signals of interest from the Structure tab of the Design Browser to the Waveform window.
    3. Click Simulation > Run Until.
    4. In the pop-up window, specify how long you want your simulation to run, for example, 500 ns.