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I am new to FPGA, I need guidance to understand difference between UCF andXDC

Started by mekjayk 7 years ago●2 replies●latest reply 7 years ago●810 views
Summary A beginner FPGA user seeks clarification on the differences between UCF and XDC constraint files after finding both formats in the documentation for a Kintex-7 development kit.

A beginner FPGA user seeks clarification on the differences between UCF and XDC constraint files after finding both formats in the documentation for a Kintex-7 development kit. The discussion clarifies that the choice of file format depends on whether the user is employing legacy Xilinx tools or the modern Vivado Design Suite.

  • UCF (User Constraint File) is the legacy format used for older Xilinx tools like ISE.
  • XDC (Xilinx Design Constraints) is the current standard for Vivado and is based on the industry-standard Synopsys Design Constraints (SDC).
  • Users can find documentation and specific guides to help convert older UCF files into the XDC format for modern projects.
Xilinx VivadoFPGA ConstraintsUCF vs XDC

Hello everyone,

I have kintex-7 based kit https://www.avnet.com/shop/us/products/xilinx/ek-k... . I started learning about FPGA using udemy courses. where pin placement is done using xdc file.But when I downloaded board files of the kit I have. I got both xdc and ucf files of the kit. hence started the confusion, kindly help me with understanding the difference between ucf and xdc file. Any particular dcoument regarding the same would help. Thanks again for entertaining novice.

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Reply by rajkeerthy18●July 17, 2019

UCF is the pre-VIvado style of specifying constraint for Xilinx FPGA tools. XDC is the format similar to Synopsys design constraints used with Vivado tools. Please follow user guides on this from Xilinx. There is some guide here to convert between two formats https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-convert-from-UCF-to-XDC-file/

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Reply by mekjayk●July 17, 2019

Thank you so much for your kind reply.