CE_INSTALL

Owned by Bill OLeary
Last updated: Dec 13, 2022 by Erik AVersion comment
5 min read

Installing CeHDL 

The CE_INSTALL tool must be run at least once to integrate the CeHDL tool into the AllegroHDL environment.

On a windows platform, the ce_install tool is located in the CE_ROOT_DIR/tools/CE_INSTALL/ce_install.exe.

On a linux platform, the ce_install tool is located at CE_ROOT_DIR/bin/ce_install



Buttons:

(1) Create Missing CE_TOOL Directories

The "Create Missing CE_TOOL Directories" checkbox will create directories pointed to by the entered filepaths if they do not exist.

(2) Add/Update CE Env Vars

The "Add/Update CE Env Vars" checkbox builds a batch file for windows or a .sh and .bash file for Linux installations. If the operating system is Windows, it will run the batch file. Linux users will need to alternatively run these files. The script files contain commands to set the following environment variables which can be used by the tool.

(3) Create Win StartMenu Shortcuts

This checkbox will generate shortcuts for multiple CadEnhance tools, saving them in the Start Menu folder located in LocalData (%appdata%). This way, all apps are findable through the Windows Start search bar. Users are encouraged to pin the folder that these shortcuts are placed in for easy access.



(4) Request Demo License

Opens the menu to fill out the License Request form, which allows access into CadEnhance tools.

(5) Test License

Attempts to check the validity of your license, printing status messages into the Status Window.

(6) Copy cdssetup 

The "Copy cdssetup" Button allows the user to the important files from an existing cddssetup directory to a new directory which can then be modified and updated by the ce_install tool

(7) Restore cdssetup

The "Restore cdssetup" Button allows the user to restore the cdssetup files from an existing cdssetup directory. The cdssetup_backups directory or the original cadence installation can be used.

(8) Add cadEnhance to AllegroHDL (cdssetup) 

This Button is used to Add a CadEhance Menu to the AllegroHDL tool providing easy access to PartBuilder, NetBom, SchChk and configures the tool to properly run CE-HDL

It touches several AllegroHDL specific setup files in the selected cdssetup/concept directory including:

  1. ceHdl_concepthdl.scr   This file is created by the ce_install utility and enables the startup of the ceHdl tools when the ceHdl command is issued.

  2. concepthdl.scr                ce_install inserts the ceHdl_concepthdl.scr file into this file 

  3. concepthdl_cmd.txt        ce_install inserts the necessary cadEnhance commands into this file

  4. concepthdl_menu.txt     ce_install inserts the cadEnhance tools menu into this file

  5. concepthdl_menu_win.txt ce_install inserts the cadEnhance tools menu into this file

  6. concepthdl_key.txt         ce_install does not touch this file at the moment, this is where shortcut keys are defined.  The user may add a shortcut using the builtin tool in AllegroHDL if desired



It also creates files in the cdssetup/fet/skill/context directory including:

  1. ceHdl_Config.il

  2. ceHdl_env.il

  3. stdAccess.il (note that stdAccess.il will not be overwritten)

Before touching the files in the selected cdssdetup directories, ce_install creates a backup copy of the files in the cdssetup_backups directory which can be used with the Restore cdssetup button #Restore cdssetup

The user can browse to find the appropriate cdssetup directory using the CDS_SETUP_DIR entry. This value will default to the CDS_SITE directory.

(9) Enable Skill Debug (Will only be present on a windows host)

If you enable this option the ceHDL tool will be installed with the skill debug console enabled which can be helpful to debug startup issues

(10) Finish Install

By clicking on this button, the options selected with checkboxes 1-3 will be applied, and the installation will be completed.

It will update your System Enviornment Variables to the values selected in the GUI window, and add the Windows Start Menu ShortCuts if enabled.



Env Var

Description

Env Var

Description

CE_ROOT_DIR

This is the base directory where the cadEnhance tools are installed. The ce_install tool defaults this to wherever it get started from

CE_SITE_DIR

This is the directory where global site settings (CSETS) can be stored. 

It defaults to CE_ROOT_DIR/site, but should probably be pointed to a shrared drive on the users network 

CE_LICENSE_DIR

This is the directory where the LICENSE File is stored.

It defaults to CE_ROOT_DIR/site, but can be pointed to a local directory or to the flexera license server host/port

CE_TEMP_DIR

This is the directory where the cadEnhance tools will use to create temporary files



More on StartMenu Shortcuts

The shortcuts use the %CE_ROOT_DIR% Environment Variable in the path to the tools. This allows the user to easily change tool versions by changing CE_ROOT_DIR to point to a different installation

Windows 10 Short Cuts:

The windows 10 shortcuts allow the user to search for The CadEnhance tools like PartBuilder, NetBom, CeHdl, SchChk and CeInstall

It also creates a CadEnhance Folder that you can browse to and open to see all of the Tool Shortcuts 

The user can manually right click on the shortcuts in the CadEnhance Shortcut Folder and select 'pin to start' to add the larger tiles to the start menu as shown below

Windows 11 Short Cuts:

Once the Finish Install button (10) has been clicked, and you press the Windows key on your keyboard, you may see some of the new shortcuts under the Recommended section. This means that the shortcuts have successfully been added.

Additionally, you will see this line in the Status Window on the CE Install tool:

 

By double-clicking this line, you can view the folder which holds every shortcut generated. Optionally, we encourage you to pin these shortcuts, simply by selecting one of the following buttons after right-clicking on the folder: