Simulation is critical in verifying your design behavior. Simulation of designs written in HDL using a simulator and testbench is a proven technique to verify large designs. The Quartus® II design suite includes the Quartus II Simulator and supports all the popular industry simulation tools (Mentor Graphics® ModelSim®, ModelSim-Altera®, Cadence NC-Sim, and Synopsys VCS). Altera offers complete solutions to enable both functional and timing simulation of your design at any stage of your design flow.
Altera has several resources for you to quickly learn simulation methodologies with third-party simulation tools and the Quartus II Simulator:
- Simulation support documentation
- Simulation design examples
- Simulation demonstrations and training courses
- Simulation troubleshooters
- Other simulation resources
Tables 1 through 5 provide resources to guide you through the set-up process and help you get your simulation environment up and running. Altera's documentation provides hands-on design examples, making it easy for you to perform timing simulation of your designs with third-party simulation tools.
| Table 1. Simulation Support Documentation | |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Quartus II Simulator (PDF) | This detailed chapter in the Quartus II Handbook explains Quartus II Simulator features and simulation flows for functional and timing simulation. |
| Mentor Graphics ModelSim Support (PDF) | These comprehensive chapters from the Quartus II Handbook provides step-by-step instructions for performing functional register transfer level (RTL), functional post-synthesis, and post-fitting timing simulations with third-party simulation tools. |
| Simulating Altera IP in Third-Party Simulation Tools (PDF) | Altera intellectual property (IP) provides a quick way to build your design without spending time on writing your own RTL for different components of the design. All Altera IP supports simulation in VHDL and Verilog. This chapter explains how to perform functional and gate-level simulation of Altera IP with third-party simulation tools. |
| AN 351: Simulating Nios II Embedded Processor Designs (PDF) | This application note describes the process of setting up and running an RTL simulation in the ModelSim simulator using Nios® II design examples, SOPC Builder, and the Nios II integrated development environment (IDE). |
| Quartus II Installation & Licensing for PCs Manual (PDF)
Quartus II Installation & Licensing for UNIX and Linux Workstations (PDF) |
These manuals provide instructions for installing the ModelSim-Altera software. The installation manual for UNIX also includes steps for using the NativeLink® feature in the Quartus II software, which allows you to run third-party simulation tools from the Quartus II software. |
| ModelSim Command Reference (PDF) | This command reference manual, developed by Mentor Graphics®, describes all ModelSim commands. |
| Table 2. Simulation Design Examples | |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Altera Memory Behavioral Simulation for Modelsim (ZIP) | This script demonstrates how to perform simulation using Altera memory files, including RAM Initialization Files (.rif) and Hexadecimal (Intel-format) Files (.hex). |
| PLL Post-Fit Timing Simulation for ModelSim (ZIP) | This script demonstrates how to perform a phase-locked loop (PLL) timing simulation using the +transport_int_delays and +transport_path_delays options. |
| Table 3. Simulation Demonstrations and Training Courses | |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| ModelSim Online Demonstration | The ModelSim online video demonstration provides a quick overview of using the ModelSim-Altera simulator with the Quartus II software. |
| Modelsim Tutorial (PDF) | This tutorial, developed by Mentor Graphics, provides lessons on using the ModelSim simulator. |
| Analyzing Designs Using Mentor Graphic's ModelSim-Altera Simulation Tool (Instructor-Led) | This class teaches you how to perform design verification with Mentor Graphic’s ModelSim-Altera simulation tool. |
| Using the Quartus II Software: Simulation (Online Course) | This online course teaches you how to use the Quartus II Simulator to perform functional and timing simulation. |
| Table 4. Simulation Troubleshooters | |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Modelsim-Altera Software Licensing Troubleshooter | This troubleshooter helps you solve licensing problems related to the ModelSim -Altera software. |
| Simulating Altera Designs with the ModelSim Software | This troubleshooter is designed to help you with your ModelSim-Altera and ModelSim simulation issues. |
| Table 5. Other Simulation Resources | |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Library Set-Up Script (Verilog HDL) for Modelsim SE/PE (Tcl) | These scripts demonstrate how to setup Altera libraries for the ModelSim SE or PE simulator using behavioral simulation library files available in the Quartus II software. These scripts are not intended for use with the ModelSim-Altera software. |
| Using the ModelSim Software With the Quartus II Software | This web page provides detailed step-by-step procedures to perform functional and timing simulations with ModelSim-Altera and ModelSim simulators. |
| Using the NativeLink Feature With Other EDA Tools | This web page provides a series of detailed step-by-step procedures to run third-party tools, including the ModelSim software from the Quartus II software on a PC or UNIX platform. |
