Output Files - 2021.2 English

Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Using the Vivado IDE (UG893)

Document ID

UG893

Release Date

2021-11-16

Version

2021.2 English

By default, the Vivado IDE stores report output files as follows:

Outputs from Tcl commands are written to the start-in directory, from which the Vivado IDE was launched.
Outputs from the GUI are written to the project directory by default.
When running synthesis or implementation, the output files are written to the run directories for the project.
The default location of the journal and log files depend on the operating system:

Windows

Start menu

%APPDATA%\Xilinx\Vivado

Command Prompt

Directory from which Vivado IDE is opened.

Linux

Directory from which Vivado IDE is opened.

Note: When the Vivado IDE is launched, backup versions of the journal file (vivado_<id>.backup.jou) and log file (vivado_<id>.backup.log) are written to save the details of the previous run. The <id> is a unique identifier that enables the tools to create and store multiple backup versions of the log and journal files. For more information on the journal and log file, see this link in the Vivado Design Suite Tcl Command Reference Guide (UG835).

Recommended: You can open the Vivado IDE from any directory. However, Xilinx recommends running the Vivado IDE from a project directory, because the log and journal files are written to the launch directory. When running from a command prompt, launch the Vivado IDE from the project directory, or use the vivado -log and -journal options to specify a location. When using a Windows shortcut, you must modify the Start in folder, which is a Property of the shortcut. Alternatively, you can launch the Vivado IDE by double-clicking the project file (.xpr extension) to ensure that the log and journal files are written to the project directory.

The following table lists the Vivado IDE output files, including files types and descriptions.

Table 1. Vivado IDE Output Files
Output File	File Type	Description
I/O Pin Assignment	CSV	I/O pin assignments are stored in a CSV format file that contains the I/O port assignment and relative package pin information. This file is used for port definition without RTL header definition and PCB schematic symbol generation.
I/O Pin Assignment	RTL Verilog VHDL	Verilog or VHDL format file contains the I/O port assignments defined as ports in the file header in a legal language format. This file is used for RTL port header definition.
Log File	vivado.log vivado_<id>.backup.log	The log file (vivado.log) captures the contents of the messages created from running Vivado IDE commands. To view the file, select File > Project > Open Log File from the main menu.
Journal File	vivado.jou vivado_<id>.backup.jou	The journal file (vivado.jou) captures the Tcl commands from a session. To view the file, select File > Project > Open Journal File from the main menu. You can replay the journal file to reproduce the commands of the previous session. You can create Tcl scripts by copying commands from the journal file for later replay. It might be necessary to edit the journal file to remove any erroneous commands or commands from multiple sessions prior to replay. Not every action logs a Tcl command into the journal file.
Journal File	vivado.jou vivado_<id>.backup.jou	The journal file (vivado.jou) captures the Tcl commands from a session. To view the file, select File > Project > Open Journal File from the main menu. You can replay the journal file to reproduce the commands of the previous session. You can create Tcl scripts by copying commands from the journal file for later replay. It might be necessary to edit the journal file to remove any erroneous commands or commands from multiple sessions prior to replay. Not every action logs a Tcl command into the journal file.
Error Log Files	vivado_pid<id>.debug hs_err_pid<id>.log vivado_pid<id>.str vivado_pid<id>.zip	The error files can provide valuable information for debugging the Vivado IDE in the event of an unexpected interrupt. The steps to reproduce (STR) file provides useful information about the actions taken in the Vivado IDE prior to the error. If the Vivado IDE issues a dialog box that warns of an internal exception error, the error files are stored. These files contain no design data. When you open a case with Xilinx Technical Support, include the archive file (vivado_pid<id>.zip). If the archive file does not exist, include the following files instead: Journal file (vivado.jou) Log file (vivado.log) Error log debug file (vivado_pid<id>.debug) Error log file (hs_err_pid<id>.log) Error log steps to reproduce file (vivado_pid<id>.str)
DRC Results	User-Defined	Each time Design Rule Checks (DRC) is run, the results can be written to a file.
Table Data	Excel File	Most data displayed in a table format can be exported to a spreadsheet format file. To export the data, select Export to Spreadsheet from the popup menu in any window that displays data in table form.
SSN Analysis Report	HTML, CSV	The results from Simultaneous Switching Noise (SSN) analysis can be exported to a CSV or HTML report file by specifying a file name and location in the Report Noise dialog box.
Strategy Files	PSG	The /Strategy directory contains files with your specified default command line options. You can apply a strategy to any given run. You can either create strategies or copy a supplied strategy.