This documentation is for Altair Engineering, Inc.'s visualization tool RTLvision PRO. It is a netlist visualization tool for debugging, verification and documentation. A list of key features is below. Please start reading the Quickstart Guide.

Document Index

Document Description

Quickstart

This document describes the basic features of RTLvision PRO and provides an overview of the most important GUI functions.

Installation Notes

These notes describe how to unpack and install the software (and the FlexNet based license mechanism) on UNIX or Windows platforms.

Changelog

This list documents the most important of changes and bug fixes between the releases.

Reference Manual

This manual describes the features and usage of the RTLvision PRO GUI. Please note: all dialog windows provide a help button ("?") to display the appropriate section of this manual in a separate help window. The File Open chapter describes how to read digital design files. The Export Schematic chapter describes the schematic export features to schematic entry tools.

API Doc

The API documentation describes the RTLvision PRO Tcl/Tk-based Application Programming Interface.

Tutorials

The Command Line Tools Tutorial demonstrates the usage of the command line tools.
The Symlib Tutorial explains how to use custom symbol shapes.
If you plan to use the Clock Domain Analyzer then see the Clock Domain Analyzer Tutorial for more information.
For using the Tcl API please read the API Tutorial.
The GUI Customization Tutorial describes how to perform common GUI customization tasks such as extending the main menu, extending the popup menu, and adding your own custom widgets.

Symutils

The Symbol Library Utilities (Symutils) documentation.

Platforms

This is a list of supported Operating Systems and Hardware Platforms.

Glossary

This glossary defines several terms (words and phrases) that are used within this documentation and on the GUI (graphical user interface) of RTLvision PRO.

Third-Party Licenses

Licensing information about third-party software.

Key Features

  • Read RTL-level System-Verilog, Verilog and VHDL files

  • Read gate-level Verilog and EDIF files

  • Automatic cone extraction

  • Generate easy-to-read schematics from circuit netlists

  • Incremental schematic navigation for big designs

  • Save/restore/exchange schematic fragments (Snapshot feature of the "Cone" window)

  • Binfile support to "compile" big designs

  • Drag & Drop between different views

  • APIs: Full database API - and GUI API - both to extend RTLvision PRO

Overview of the File Names

The main graphical user interface and main tool is RTLvision PRO. It can be invoked using the executable name rtlvisionpro (rtlvisionpro.exe on Windows) and requires at least the following FlexNet features:

  • rtlvision2pro

  • gv-veri2zdb

  • gv-gate2zdb

  • gv-wave

Batch Tools and Tcl Commands

The RTLvision PRO download package also contains batch tools for command line compilation of design data. The FlexNet features required to run these tools are listed in the table below.

Another option to read design files are the Tcl commands either available on the Console window of RTLvision PRO or from within a Userware script. Using the Tcl command in the Console window of RTLvision PRO does not require a separate FlexNet feature. The parser is already licensed by the RTLvision PRO master feature.

The RTLvision PRO package also contains an interactive shell named zdbsh (= the 'ZDB Shell') that provides a method of running scripts in a GUI-less mode.

Batch Tool Name Required License Feature Tcl Command Brief Description

rtl2zdb

gv-veri2zdb

zrtl

Read RTL files (Verilog, SystemVerilog, VHDL) and create a ZDB binfile.

vhdl2vdb

gv-veri2zdb

zvdb

Read VHDL files and compile them into a binary format that is required by rtl2zdb to access VHDL libraries.

verilog2zdb

gv-gate2zdb

zverilog

Read structural Verilog files (netlist) and create a ZDB binfile.

edif2zdb

gv-gate2zdb

zedif

Read EDIF files and create a ZDB binfile.

lef2zdb

gv-gate2zdb

zlef

Read LEF files and create a ZDB binfile.

def2zdb

gv-gate2zdb

zdef

Read DEF files and create a ZDB binfile.

vcdcompile

gv-wave

vcd read

Read a VCD file and compile it into Altair Engineering, Inc.'s compressed format.

liberty2zdb

gv-gate2zdb

zliberty

Read Liberty files and create either a ZDB binlib or a symbol library.

sym2zdb

-

-

Read Altair Engineering, Inc.'s symbol library format (.sym) and create a ZDB binlib.

zdb2sym

-

-

Open a ZDB binfile and write out a symbol library.