Forum Discussion
Honored Contributor# Invalid time string specified: in ModelSim
I'm using ModelSim Altera Starter Edition 6.6 for simulating some very simple designs. I started a new project, compiled and everything was ok. But when I had wanted to start simulation, I have opened the wave window and all I get is:# Invalid time string specified: and the wave window is just a big grey window.
Even an other project that I had already simulated stopped working. I tried deleting some configuration files and nothing. I reinstalled the whole software and still nothing. Searching on google and on the forums I even found some threads of people with similar problems, but none got a solution. And I wanted also to ask why Altera changed the simulator integrated in Quartus II 9.1 for ModelSim. I used the 9.1 version for a while and it was so much easier to simulate. What does ModelSim offer that Quartus couldn't handle? Thanks, Daniel K. Franch18 Replies
Altera_Forum--- Quote Start --- Sounds like it. When you get a grey wave window, do you get the time string error? --- Quote End --- Yes. They both come always together. And show up when I go on View>Wave.- Altera_Forum
Look at the sim.tcl script, and implement each step manually. eg., vcom, then vsim, and then type 'add wave *' to add all the waveforms to the wave window.
Does that work? Cheers, Dave - Altera_Forum
I wen through sim.tcl step by step. All worked fine, until I the vsim command. It instantly opens the wave window and I get that same old error. I try to close the window and start typing the commands on example_tb.do but on the first one (quietly WaveActivateNextPane {} 0) it tries to open wave window again and I get the error once more.
Is this a problem with vsim? --- Edit: I tried closing the wave window everytime it appeared after a command, but that doesn't seem to help. I can't see anything this way. It seems to be something specific to the wave window. - Altera_Forum--- Quote Start --- I wen through sim.tcl step by step. All worked fine, until I the vsim command. It instantly opens the wave window --- Quote End --- I've never seen the wave window open up when using the vsim command. Perhaps there is come configuration file that has been screwed up - is there a modelsim.ini file in your local directory? Delete it. --- Quote Start --- I try to close the window and start typing the commands on example_tb.do but on the first one (quietly WaveActivateNextPane {} 0) it tries to open wave window again and I get the error once more. --- Quote End --- Look at the script again, the procedure example_tb just runs a couple of commands, i.e., essentially
You don't type in the contents of the example_tb.do file, you just source it, and it will open the wave window. Take a screen shot of what you are seeing and post it. Cheers, Davevsim -novopt -gWIDTH=$WIDTH example_tb do scripts/example_tb.do run -a - Altera_Forum
Wave window shouldn't appear automatically? Awkward. It does. This way:
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/1697/invalidtimestringspecif.png I tried just sourcing example_tb.do also, but got the same result. I searched for a modelsim.ini but I haven't found it. I will try looking for something like that on the ModelSim folder. --- Edit: I am now on my Linux partition. I will try installing Quartus and ModelSim here to see what I get. - Altera_Forum
Well... I tried installing ModelSim in my Linux partition but that was even worse. I couldn't even run it. I guess that's because I'm running on a 64-bit processor and ModelSim doesn't have a 64-bit version for Linux.
So I tried uninstalling everything related to Altera in Windows, and then reinstalling Quartus II and ModelSim, everything updated to the last version. And I still get the same thing. I have absolutely no idea about what's going on. I'm just trying to get a hang on the basics of FPGAs and VHDL and the tools associated with them, but I'm getting a real bad headache with ModelSim. I'm kind of losing hope about using it. What is a good substitute for it (I guess there is some alternative to it)? --- Edit: oh, I found the modelsim.ini in my folder, but that didn't change anything too. - Altera_Forum--- Quote Start --- I'm getting a real bad headache with ModelSim. I'm kind of losing hope about using it. --- Quote End --- I've never had a problem with Modelsim under Linux or Windows. How about this; 1) Download and install VirtualBox 2) Download and install Ubuntu 11.10 VirtualBox. I prefer the older Gnome interface, so follow this: http://www.virtualhelp.me/linux/470-install-gnome-in-ubuntu-1110-oneiric-ocelot 3) Install Quartus and then Modelsim Altera-Starter-Edition Just to be on the safe side, start with a 32-bit OS and 32-bit versions of the tools. Cheers, Dave
- Altera_Forum
I got the same error with version 10.c. Deleting the Registry did not work for me. But I could solve it by going to the GUI, Simulate>start Simulation, and changing the resolution to anything other than "default". Then restart ModelSim and it should work.
