Hello,
let me first say a little bit of my backround...
I have very shallow knowledge and experience with VHDL and PLD stuff. I'd like to learn more about CPLDs (and maybe FPGAs). But I have some trouble, which I cannot overcome now, with the Quartus evil.
Some time ago (year or so), I have made a few simple projects on Xilinx PLDs, simple combinatorial logic and some Moore FSMs. I have done that in some older version of Xilinx ISE, which was available for me at that time. In the Xilinx ISE, I was able to make logic and timing simulation very easily. Just created the VHDL testbench file, run the simulator, simulated. Piece of cake.
But for whatever reason, I have chosen to continue my projects with Altera devices (I like them, at least for the good availability for me and also the lower pricepoint). So I have downloaded Altera Quartus II (64bit version 13.0 SP1 I think). It works fine, the enviroment looks friendly nice and clean. I am able to compile some VHDL code, programm it into a CPLD and it works. But when it goes to simulations... F***K. I can't simply get it working.
I have found, that I need Altera Modelsim. So fine, downloaded that and successfully installed. (There was a bit of magic with setting the correct path to the tool, but finaly it seems it is fine now).
The question:Can somebody please explain me, how to do simulation in Quartus? I'd like to make a VHDL test bench and the simulate the timing of the result.
Yes, there is a fuckton of step-by instruction manuals how to do that, but none worked. Most of them also involve writing some scripts into some evil command line, involve tens of things to click on there or elsewhere. Crazy rubbish. Am I doing it wrong, or the Quartus evil really cannot make life simple, as was in Xilinx ISE? Just a few clicks and simulation was going...
Can you please point me to some instructable, how to make (timing) simulations in Quartus "the easy way"? (if such way exists) Without the need for preparing ton of scripts, writing tens of commands each time you make a new project? Or really is the Quartus user required to have at least page long step-by-step manual where to click, what command to write in and so to be able to simulate a trivial design?
Maybe I am missing some basic facts, but I am really stuck now. I have succesfully forced the ModelSim to produce some output once... but that was not timing, only logic function sim... and only once.
Thank you for any help
Yan