Virtex-4 FX12 EMAC with ISE WebPack

First, thank you xilinx for moving the functionality previously
available in Base-X to the free WebPack. I was somewhat confused by the
literature on the website, but a call to support confirmed that the ISE
8.1 WebPack will support all Base-X devices, including the Virtex-4
FX12.

However, no one I talked to could confirm if it was possible to use the
Virtex-4 hard EMAC primitive without coregen (which is unavailable in
WebPack); I have managed to instantiate the "EMAC" in my VHDL design
and get synthesis to run, but since I don't have silicon in front of me
yet I can't "test" my design.

So, is it possible to just use the EMAC primitive like that, without
coregen at all? I also can't simulate the part, as the SWIFT simulation
models require an advanced ($$$) simulator, but that's a restriction
I'm willing to live with. 

...Eric

CoreGen (as I know) will be available in ISE WebPack 8.1i.

A+
Mehdi

The ISE feature doc http://www.xilinx.com/ise/devsys_feature_guide.pdf 
appears to show that Coregen and FPGA Editor are now in Webpack as from 
revision 8.1. A lot of our customers will be pleased if this document is 
correct.

John Adair
Enterpoint Ltd. - Home of Raggedstone1. The Low Cost Spartan3 PCI 
Development Board.
http://www.enterpoint.co.uk


<acetylcholinerd@gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:1136498960.043093.161570@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> First, thank you xilinx for moving the functionality previously
> available in Base-X to the free WebPack. I was somewhat confused by the
> literature on the website, but a call to support confirmed that the ISE
> 8.1 WebPack will support all Base-X devices, including the Virtex-4
> FX12.
>
> However, no one I talked to could confirm if it was possible to use the
> Virtex-4 hard EMAC primitive without coregen (which is unavailable in
> WebPack); I have managed to instantiate the "EMAC" in my VHDL design
> and get synthesis to run, but since I don't have silicon in front of me
> yet I can't "test" my design.
>
> So, is it possible to just use the EMAC primitive like that, without
> coregen at all? I also can't simulate the part, as the SWIFT simulation
> models require an advanced ($$$) simulator, but that's a restriction
> I'm willing to live with.
>
> ...Eric
> 

The ISE feature doc http://www.xilinx.com/ise/devsys_feature_guide.pdf
appears to show that Coregen and FPGA Editor are now in Webpack as from
revision 8.1. A lot of our customers will be pleased if this document is
correct.

John Adair
Enterpoint Ltd. - Home of Raggedstone1. The Low Cost Spartan3 PCI
Development Board.
http://www.enterpoint.co.uk

<acetylcholinerd@gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:1136498960.043093.161570@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> First, thank you xilinx for moving the functionality previously
> available in Base-X to the free WebPack. I was somewhat confused by the
> literature on the website, but a call to support confirmed that the ISE
> 8.1 WebPack will support all Base-X devices, including the Virtex-4
> FX12.
>
> However, no one I talked to could confirm if it was possible to use the
> Virtex-4 hard EMAC primitive without coregen (which is unavailable in
> WebPack); I have managed to instantiate the "EMAC" in my VHDL design
> and get synthesis to run, but since I don't have silicon in front of me
> yet I can't "test" my design.
>
> So, is it possible to just use the EMAC primitive like that, without
> coregen at all? I also can't simulate the part, as the SWIFT simulation
> models require an advanced ($$$) simulator, but that's a restriction
> I'm willing to live with.
>
> ...Eric
>