Error Compiling FPGA: "ERROR:Portability:3 - This Xilinx application has run..."

[MClemens]

Hello,

I am trying to compile a FPGA program and have got the error message:

"ERROR:Portability:3 - This Xilinx application has run out of memory or has encountered a memory conflict.  Current memory usage is 2091272 kb.  Memory problems may require a simple increase in available system memory, or possibly a fix to the software or a special workaround.  To troubleshoot or remedy the problem, first:  Try increasing your system's RAM.  Alternatively, you may try increasing your system's virtual memory or swap space.  If this does not fix the problem, please try the following:  Search the Answers Database at support.xilinx.com to locate information on this error message.  If neither of the above resources produces an available solution, please use Web Support to open a case with Xilinx Technical Support off of support.xilinx.com.  As it is likely that this may be an unforeseen problem, please be prepared to submit relevant design files if necessary.
ERROR:Xflow - Program xst returned error code 19. Aborting flow execution..."

The program that I am trying to compile, was originally designed in LV 8.2 and in this version the compiler present no problems, the error occur just in the LV 8.5 version.

In my oppinion hasn´t problem with program code, because if compile small parts of code in LV 8.5, the compiler works fine!

I increase the system virtual memory and enable the Physical Address Extension up to 4GB including the tag /PAE in the "boot.ini" file but had no effect!

Thanks

[Murilo Oliveira]

Hi MClemens

This error can also be encountered if your computer system does not meet the minimum requirements for running the LabVIEW FPGA Module and associated Xilinx compiler. The LabVIEW FPGA Module requires 512 MB of RAM in order to function properly. If your system does not meet this requirement then performing a simple RAM upgrade may solve the problem.

Other alternative, short term solutions may include:

Increase the system's available virtual memory or swap space

Remove overly complex logic (multiple embedded Case Structures for instance) from the VI.

Regards

[MClemens]

Hello Murilo

Thanks fo reply, my system use 2 GB of RAM and the virtual memory was increased, but had not effect!

Bye bye

[Stijn_Schacht]

Hi you all,

I am experiencing the same problem. I am using the LabVIEW 2009 Xilinx compiler to try to compile a rather large FPGA VI for a LX115 target. The compiler always succeeds to map all the code on the FPGA and during the compilation the Xilinx log shows the device utilization. However when it starts the place and route job, it throws exactly the same error stating it ran out of memory.

The funny thing is that I am using an HP Proliant server as compile server, the system has 2Gb of RAM, 4Gb of Page Files so in total 6Gb of virtual memory, yet the compiler states it runs out of RAM. Is this a bug in the xilinx compile server that it is unable to use pagefiles and can only use RAM? If so, I can foresee that I will create VI's that are always unable to compile, even if I put 8Gb of RAM in the machine.

I am now trying to compile on a Vista 4Gb RAM machine to find out if it will succeed this time. It is sad though that it takes more then 2 hours to get to the point that the compiler throws the out of memory error and does not use a single page file(!)

If that does not help me either, I will try to compile the project on the compiler of LabVIEW FPGA 8.6.1.

Does anybody has an opinion about this? Could it be that the compiler optional settings (optimization effort high, compile for area instead of speed etc...) actually leave the xilinx compiler in a buggy mode? Could the selected target be responsible for this error? I am trying to compile the same VI for another target (and hope it fits) and after this I will also try to recompile for the LX115 target but with the default compiler settings. I will post my findings on this topic.

best regards

[Stijn_Schacht]

For your information,

I spend the last 4 hours trying to find out what was going on and found out a couple of interesting sites that I would like to share. Mayby NI could make a nice article about this:

Memory requirements per target/PC bitwidth (32/64)/OS: http://www.xilinx.com/ise/products/memory.htm

I was trying to compile for a NI-9118 device, which is a XC5VLX110 device.

The above site clearly states that 1,7Gb of RAM is required. Since there is 2Gb installed, this should not be an issue right?

Now the tricky thing is to actually allocate 1,7Gb of RAM for the xilinx compiler, since windows will allocate and lock some portion of the RAM to run.

I stumbled on another interesting paper on the web;

http://www.kcswug.com/documents/3gb_switch_part_one,_two,_&_three.pdf

this explains first of all that the xilinx compiler will never be able to get more RAM then windows is allowing it to get and that it is hard to allocate more then half of the available RAM on a windows machine for one particular application.

In that same context I came upon the following xilinx report

http://www.xilinx.com/support/answers/14932.htm

for people that are trying to use a 32-bit machine to access more then 2Gb RAM (ofcourse, you can only use 4Gb of RAM for 32 bit).

No-one can blame NI for not mentioning this, since they actually do: they warn the users to install the compiler on a 64 bit Windows Vista machine with 4Gb:

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/F89C3D88819B8DE68625744800815537

So there you go, I have some shoppings to do...

best regards

[Emmanuelol]

Hi I have the same problem, but my problem is a little bit more unusual, i have project for the compactRIO 9024, i have previously compiled this project before successfully, even if the compilation process take it a lot of time, all this project was compiled in LabVIEW 2009 and 2010, but now I already install the 2011 version and when I compile the project i have this error, and now I don't have idea how make it work again my project, about the usage of RAM memory isn't trouble I run labview compile in a workstation Dell precision that have 16 GB of RAM