= XPS to PlanAhead Project Conversion =

The following process describes how to create a PlanAhead project from an existing XPS project. This process has been tested in ISE 14.4 and 14.7. It is likely that this flow is different or broken in earlier versions of the Xilinx tools.

== Overview ==
The steps below use a few placeholder names:
 * {{{<src_xps_proj>}}}: root of your existing XPS project. This is the folder containing your {{{system.xmp}}} and {{{system.mhs}}} files.
 * {{{<pa_proj_dir>}}}: root of your new PlanAhead project. This folder should be empty before creating the PlanAhead project.
 * '''PA_PROJ''': name of your new PlanAhead project

== Creating the PlanAhead Project ==
 1. Launch Xilinx PlanAhead
 1. Select '''Create New Project''', click Next
 1. Enter your choice of project name. We'll refer to this as '''PA_PROJ''' below
 1. Enter a project location. We'll refer to this as {{{<pa_proj_dir>}}} below
 1. Click Next
 1. Select '''RTL Project''' and check '''Do not specify sources at this time'''
 1. Click Next, then select your FPGA device ('''xc6vlx240tff1156-2''' for WARP v3 projects)
 1. Click Next then Finish

You should now see the PlanAhead workspace. 

== Creating the PlanAhead XPS Source ==
 1. Start in the PlanAhead workspace and find the '''Sources''' tab, probably in the upper-left of the Project Manager sub-pane.
 1. Right-click and select '''Add Sources'''
 1. Select '''Add or Create Embedded Sources''' then click Next
 1. Click Create Sub-Design
 1. Enter a top-level module name. We'll use '''xps_top''' here.
 1. Click Ok, then Finish
 1. XPS will launch on top of the PlanAhead workspace. You should see a dialog box asking: "This project appears to be a blank project. Do you want to create a Base System using the BSB Wizard?". Click '''No'''.
 1. You should now see a blank XPS project:
[[Image(xps_blank_proj.png)]]
 1. Minimize the XPS window but do '''not''' close XPS

At this point you have two XPS projects. The XPS project inside the PlanAhead project is blank and must be updated with the hardware design from your original XPS project.

 1. Navigate to {{{<pa_proj_dir>/PA_PROJ.srcs/sources_1/edk/xps_top}}}. This is the root of your new XPS project.
 1. From your source XPS project folder, copy the following into the new XPS project folder:
  * The contents of the {{{pcores}}}, {{{drivers}}} and {{{sw_services}}} folders (if they exist)
  * Any {{{data/*.prj}}} files, such as {{{data/DDR3_SODIMM_mig_saved.prj}}} in Mango reference designs
  * Do '''not''' copy any UCF files from your old project. These will be handled below
 1. Copy and paste the contents of the old MHS file into the new MHS file
  * Copy from {{{<src_xps_proj>/system.mhs}}}
  * Paste into {{{<pa_proj_dir>/PA_PROJ.srcs/sources_1/edk/xps_top/xps_top.mhs}}}
 1. Save the modified {{{xps_top.mhs}}}, then close XPS.

If XPS throws an error,  you probably forgot to copy cores/code from the old XPS project. Also double check that your edk_user_repository is up to date and that the edk_user_repository is in the Global Peripheral Repository Search Path in the XPS preferences (see [wiki:edk_user_repository for more]).

At this point your PlanAhead project has one source, the XPS project. You must now add a constraints file to the PlanAhead Project.

 1. In the PlanAhead workspace Sources tab, right-click and select ''''Add Sources'''
 1. Select '''Add or Create Constraints''' then click Next