Why do we need ipx file when we can specify IP search path in settings?

Question

The purpose of ipx file is to specify IP search paths inside a file. However, it is already possible to specify IP search paths in Quartus. Qsys(Tools &gt; Options) or in Quartus software (Tools &gt; Options &gt; IP Catalog Search Locations). What is the purpose of ipx file in this case?
Also, how is path to ipx file specified? The ipx file specifies relative paths rather than absolute paths. This make the ipx file quite useless actually.

sstrell · Answer

I don't use it much, but a single .ipx can be used to point to many IP.  That way you don't have to add paths to each individual IP in the tool.  You just point to the .ipx file.  The IP built into Quartus and Platform Designer uses .ipx files in this way.  If you have a library of your own custom IP, you can make a single .ipx, updating it as needed, and point to just that one file in all your projects.

gyuunyuu · Answer

I have a situation like this. There are two repositories. Each repository contains a third repository which is shared across the two. This is because files in the third repository are used across both the repositories.
Now if I create an IPX file, does it have to be one IPX file for all three repositories or an IPX file per repository?
There is also the problem in that the way the IP search paths are specified in Qsys, they are always looking into the first repository submodule. This creates trouble when I want to run simulation tests from the simulation directory of the submodule of the second repository.
I think the IPX files can help in some way but don't know how many to create and how to tell Qsys to use them.

richardt_altera · Answer

The IP Index File (.ipx) automatically searches and identifies IP components in the IP search path. So if the file path and name is correctly indicated then I believe one IPX file should be good enough to find all the IP components. 
Based on the User Guide, you may define IP search locations as below to finds the IP components and index files in any subdirectory of the /ip subdirectory of the Intel Quartus Prime project directory. 
PROJECT_DIR/ip/**/*

gyuunyuu · Answer

In my current project directory structure, it is the case that the .qsys files and thus the result from Qsys generate are all present outside the Quartus folder directory. I had assumed that if the IPX file exists next to the .qsys file, then when Qsys starts up, it will automatically identify the IPX file. However, from my experience so far, this did not seem to be the case.
Is the Quartus project folder ip directory the only place where we are to put the ipx file? Please clarify.
I am running into another problem on another machine that I have where, when I add IP search paths manually into Qsys and then close and open it, the IP search paths are gone. I am thinking about uninstalling and reinstalling the program to see if this annoying problem goes away or not.

richardt_altera · Answer

Hi @gyuunyuu

Sorry for the delay in response. 
You can place the ipx file anywhere you want, as long as you have added the IP search path in the Platform Designer.
Go to Tools &gt; Option and add the IP search path in which the ipx file located.

Best Regards,Richard Tanp/s: If any answer from the community or Intel support are helpful, please feel free to give Kudos.

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Why do we need ipx file when we can specify IP search path in settings?

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