Flow Navigator - 2024.1 English

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

Document ID
UG893
Release Date
2024-05-30
Version
2024.1 English

The Flow Navigator provides access to commands and tools to take your design from design entry to bitstream creation. As you run these commands and tools, the design data, graphical windows, and results windows update. The different sections in the Flow Navigator enable you to do the following:

Project Manager
Change settings, add or create sources, view language templates, and open the Vivado IP catalog. For information on adding sources, see the Vivado Design Suite User Guide: System-Level Design Entry (UG895). For information on language templates, see Using Language Templates. For information on the IP catalog, see the Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Designing with IP (UG896).
IP Integrator
Create, open, or generate a block design. For information on the Vivado IP integrator, see the Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Designing IP Subsystems Using IP Integrator (UG994).
Simulation
Change simulation settings or simulate the active design. For information on simulation, see the Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Logic Simulation (UG900)
RTL Analysis
Open an elaborated design, run design rule checks (DRCs), generate an RTL schematic, and run Linter. The Run Linter is a new feature added in 2023.1 that analyzes the RTL design code and provides a detailed report for the violations. When Run Linter is clicked, Vivado automatically checks and compiles the RTL source files and provides a detailed report by opening the Linter window. For information on the Schematic window, see Using the Schematic Window. For information on elaborating the RTL design, see the Vivado Design Suite User Guide: System-Level Design Entry (UG895).
Synthesis
Change synthesis settings, synthesize the active design, or open the synthesized design. You can right-click Open Synthesized Design, and select New Synthesized Design to load a second design. You can also right-click and select Open Netlist in New Window to compare the designs side by side. For information on synthesis, see the Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Synthesis (UG901).
Implementation
Change implementation settings, implement the active design, or open the implemented design. For information on implementation, see the Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Implementation (UG904).
Program and Debug
Change bitstream settings, generate a bitstream file, open a hardware session in the Vivado IDE, and launch the Vivado logic analyzer. For information on programming and debugging, see Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Programming and Debugging (UG908).
Tip: Right-click a Run command to see available commands. For information on run management, see Design Runs Window Commands.

After opening a design, the section displays in bold to show that a design is loaded into memory. In addition, the Open command changes. For example, Open Synthesized Design changes to Synthesized Design. If you have multiple stages of the design loaded, you can click the sections in the Flow Navigator to switch between design stages (for example, RTL Analysis or Synthesis).

To make more screen space available for other windows during design analysis, you can hide the Flow Navigator by doing on of the following:

  • Select View > Hide Flow Navigator.
  • Press Ctrl+Q on your keyboard.
  • In the upper right corner of the Flow Navigator, click the Hide Flow Navigator button .
Note: To show the Flow Navigator, select View > Show Flow Navigator, press Ctrl+Q, or click Flow Navigator on the left edge of the Vivado IDE.