Lattice Mach CPLD - Leonardo Spectrum vs. Synplify

D

David Brown

Guest
I'm using the downloadable version of ispLever for a verilog project on a
Lattice Mach 4 CPLD chip. The software has both Synplify and Leonardo
Spectrum available for synthesis. I can build the code (so far, anyway)
with either tool. Is there any reason why I should choose one over the
other?

--
David

"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past."
Douglas Adams
 
I bought the ISPLever product which comes with both synplify and Leonardo,
in used to use Leonardo most of the time as a prefered
the layout of it.
However when i got errors in my code i would use both as the majority of the
time they would word the cause of the error
differently.

We now have a full license for Leonardo whcih does alot more than synplify,
so i use Leonardo all the time.

Regards,
Matt

"David Brown" <david@no.westcontrol.spam.com> wrote in message
news:bn0j25$91g$1@news.netpower.no...
I'm using the downloadable version of ispLever for a verilog project on a
Lattice Mach 4 CPLD chip. The software has both Synplify and Leonardo
Spectrum available for synthesis. I can build the code (so far, anyway)
with either tool. Is there any reason why I should choose one over the
other?

--
David

"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past."
Douglas Adams
Click to expand...
 
"David Brown" <david@no.westcontrol.spam.com> wrote in message news:<bn0j25$91g$1@news.netpower.no>...
I'm using the downloadable version of ispLever for a verilog project on a
Lattice Mach 4 CPLD chip. The software has both Synplify and Leonardo
Spectrum available for synthesis. I can build the code (so far, anyway)
with either tool. Is there any reason why I should choose one over the
other?
Click to expand...
Well, the full-up version of Leonardo lets you set Verilog parameters
from the GUI or from a TCL script, whereas Synplify does not. This
makes parameterized designs impossible in Synplify, so that tool's
disqualified until that very important feature is added. (Ummmm,
haven't parameters been a part of the language since the beginning???)

Leonardo does not (and will never) support Verilog 2001 whereas
Synplify does. If this matters to you, then your choice is obvious.

Mentor Graphics is replacing Leonardo with their new Precision
Synthesis tool, which does have V-2001 support, but it's not clear if
a "lite" version will be offered via the FPGA vendors.

-a
 
On 22 Oct 2003 10:24:06 -0700, Bassman59a@yahoo.com (Andy Peters)
wrote:

"David Brown" <david@no.westcontrol.spam.com> wrote in message news:<bn0j25$91g$1@news.netpower.no>...
I'm using the downloadable version of ispLever for a verilog project on a
Lattice Mach 4 CPLD chip. The software has both Synplify and Leonardo
Spectrum available for synthesis. I can build the code (so far, anyway)
with either tool. Is there any reason why I should choose one over the
other?

Well, the full-up version of Leonardo lets you set Verilog parameters
from the GUI or from a TCL script, whereas Synplify does not. This
makes parameterized designs impossible in Synplify, so that tool's
disqualified until that very important feature is added. (Ummmm,
haven't parameters been a part of the language since the beginning???)
Click to expand...
Yes, and you have been able to set them (along with VHDL generics) in
Synplify since version 7.3.

Regards,
Allan.
 
"David Brown" <david@no.westcontrol.spam.com> wrote in message
news:bn0j25$91g$1@news.netpower.no...
I'm using the downloadable version of ispLever for a verilog project on a
Lattice Mach 4 CPLD chip. The software has both Synplify and Leonardo
Spectrum available for synthesis. I can build the code (so far, anyway)
with either tool. Is there any reason why I should choose one over the
other?
Click to expand...
Judging from the answers, I guess there isn't much of a difference for a
small user using the free versions of the tools.

Thanks anyway.

David
 
Allan Herriman <allan.herriman.hates.spam@ctam.com.au.invalid> wrote in message news:<219epvsvimu881ldkou9r98n7htdrc4guu@4ax.com>...
On 22 Oct 2003 10:24:06 -0700, Bassman59a@yahoo.com (Andy Peters)
wrote:

Well, the full-up version of Leonardo lets you set Verilog parameters
from the GUI or from a TCL script, whereas Synplify does not. This
makes parameterized designs impossible in Synplify, so that tool's
disqualified until that very important feature is added. (Ummmm,
haven't parameters been a part of the language since the beginning???)

Yes, and you have been able to set them (along with VHDL generics) in
Synplify since version 7.3.
Click to expand...
I know that Synplify has supported VHDL generics for ages -- it did
when I bought a license in 2000 (whatever version that was).

So, I guess I'll have to bug the FPGA vendor (QuickLogic) and find out
when I can expect them to ship the Lite version of 7.3.x, since the
current version is 7.2.1 (almost a year old, too).

I'd use Leondardo Level 3 for the design, but for the life of me I
cannot get the design to meet timing with it, whereas the Synplify
Lite seems to have no problem.

--a
 
Allan Herriman <allan.herriman.hates.spam@ctam.com.au.invalid> wrote in message news:<219epvsvimu881ldkou9r98n7htdrc4guu@4ax.com>...
On 22 Oct 2003 10:24:06 -0700, Bassman59a@yahoo.com (Andy Peters)
wrote:

"David Brown" <david@no.westcontrol.spam.com> wrote in message news:<bn0j25$91g$1@news.netpower.no>...
I'm using the downloadable version of ispLever for a verilog project on a
Lattice Mach 4 CPLD chip. The software has both Synplify and Leonardo
Spectrum available for synthesis. I can build the code (so far, anyway)
with either tool. Is there any reason why I should choose one over the
other?

Well, the full-up version of Leonardo lets you set Verilog parameters
from the GUI or from a TCL script, whereas Synplify does not. This
makes parameterized designs impossible in Synplify, so that tool's
disqualified until that very important feature is added. (Ummmm,
haven't parameters been a part of the language since the beginning???)

Yes, and you have been able to set them (along with VHDL generics) in
Synplify since version 7.3.
Click to expand...
Ah!

So I sent a quick note to QuickLogic asking them when they were going
to release a 7.3.x version of Synplify Lite, and I got a note back
right away saying, "You can ftp it from [ftp site address]." So I did
and it works.

So, I take back what I said! It also lets one set `defines from the
GUI, too.

--a
 
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