Is it valid to describe a design whose lower level are not all ip-xact components using ipxact:design?

[Justin Huang]

Hi,

Suppose we have an IP, e.g., IP_A, which instantiates a few sub-IPs, e.g., SUB_IP_X/Y/Z (which have ipxact component xml), and a few sub-modules which are not packaged in IP-XACT component XML. 

I'd like to track all the sub-IPs used by IP_A, but am not sure if ipxact:design is the right choice to describe the design hierarchy as the sub-level of IP_A includes both sub-IPs described using IP-XACT and sub-units that are not packaged using IP-XACT.

 

Thanks,

Justin

[kock]

Hi Justin,

A design describes the instances and configuration of the sub-IPs and their interconnect. As you mention, these sub-IPs need to be described in IP-XACT. So this is not an appropriate way to handle sub-IPs not described in IP-XACT.

I think the answer to your question depends on what you mean with "track". If you just want to track files of sub-IPs you can describe them in file sets of IP_A. Or you can describe sub-IPs in XML containing file sets only. So you can explain your goal a bit more?

Thanks,
Erwin

[Justin Huang]

Hi Erwin,

I'd like to know the VLNV of sub IPs, i.e., SUB_IP_X/Y/Z used in IP_A. 

As some sub-modules in IP_A have no IP-XACT component XML description, if I write a design xml for IP_A, then we cannot reconstruct RTL of IP_A using the ipxact:componentInstance and the ipxact:interconnection/adHocConnection info in the ipxact:design description. It seems IP-XACT spec does not define if it is valid to use a design xml in which the design has sub-modules with no IP-XACT component xml description.

• Or you can describe sub-IPs in XML containing file sets only.

SUB_IP_X/Y/Z already have its own component XML, but the component xml of IP_A does not have element to specify the VLNV of sub-IPs SUB_IP_X/Y/Z.

Thanks,

Justin

[kock]

Hi Justin,

Sorry for my delayed response. The IP-XACT IEEE 1685-2014 contains Semantic Consistency Rule 1.2 (anyVLNVRefMustExist): Any VLNV in an IP-XACT document used to reference another IP-XACT document shall precisely match the identifying VLNV of an existing IP-XACT document. In the schema, such references always use the attribute group versionedIdentifier. So the standard defines that the component XML files of your sub-modules must exist if your instantiate them in a design.

If you are only interested in managing the VLNVs, you can also consider using an IP-XACT catalog (new in IEEE 1685-2014).

Best regards,
Erwin