Using Advanced Design System after Windows Installation

To get you started using ADS on a PC running Windows, this section includes some basics along with useful tips for resolving problems that might occur after you have installed ADS.

Running Advanced Design System

Your FLEXnet license file must be properly configured and installed before you can run ADS. To set up your license file, follow the instructions in Setting Up Licenses.

To run ADS, from the Start menu
Select Programs > Advanced Design System 2008

The choices available are:

Running ADS in Verbose Mode

ADS can be started in verbose (debug) mode to display more information about what is happening as ADS runs. This extra information can be very useful to debug a problem with ADS both at startup and in general operation. In verbose mode, ADS writes a log file to the root folder of your PC's system disk. Typically, this is:

C:\ads_daemon.log

The ads_daemon.log file can be sent by e-mail to Agilent EEsof EDA Technical Support for assistance.

To start ADS in verbose mode, do the following:

  1. Open your Windows Explorer.
  2. Navigate to the bin folder in the ADS installation folder. For example,
    C:\ADS2006U\bin
  3. Double click on the ads_verbose.bat file.
    This will start ADS. You will notice some extra message windows as ADS starts. Just click OK on each of the windows. Run ADS until the problem you are trying to debug occurs, then take a look at the ads_daemon.log file for errors.
    If you can't locate the trouble based on the contents of ads_daemon.log, please contact Agilent EEsof EDA Technical Support and e-mail the ads_daemon.log file to the support engineer working with you.

Running ADS from a Network-based Installation

You can install ADS on your network and run it from any PC connected to your network.

  1. Install ADS selecting the Complete installation option on at least one PC (the file server).
  2. Share the Advanced Design System installation directory with the users on your network.
  3. Run the configuration script on each PC client (see Running the Configuration Script). This step does not apply to versions of ADS prior to ADS 2008.
  4. Create a batch file to set the environment variables and to start ADS (see Creating a Batch File to Set the Environment and Start ADS).

Running the Configuration Script

On each PC client, you need to run a small setup.exe configuration program. The ADS file server contains 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the configuration program.

If desired, the configuration program can be run in silent mode on the PC client. Use the path shown above (depending on 32-bit or 64-bit) and replace setup.exe with the following:

msiexec /q /i "%HPEESOF_DIR\install\32bit\ADS_MM_Setup.msi"

Note
Running the configuration program in silent mode successfully depends on careful placement of the double-quotes (").

Creating a Batch File to Set the Environment and Start ADS

Using a text editor, create a batch file on the each PC client. The name of this file is not as important as giving it the .bat file extension. The file can be located anywhere on the PC client. For added convenience, you can create a Windows shortcut to the batch file.

The following is an example of a Windows .bat file that sets the environment variables and starts ADS 2008. The exact path name and location for the HPEESOF_DIR, HOME, and AGILEESOFD_LICENSE_FILE environment variables will vary depending on your version of ADS, your home directory location, and your particular license configuration. Check with your system administrator for details.

set HPEESOF_DIR=c:\ADS2008

set AGILEESOFD_LICENSE_FILE=27001@<your server>

set PATH = %HPEESOF_DIR%\bin;%PATH%

REM For 2008 and newer releases
set DOCS_DIR=%HPEESOF_DIR%\doc

REM for releases prior to 2008
REM set DOCS_DIR=%HPEESOF_DIR%

set HOME=C:\users\default

cd %HOME%

%HPEESOF_DIR%\bin\ads.exe
Note
If you try to run this batch file to launch a network copy of ADS 2008 or later versions and you have NOT run the required setup.exe configuration program, you will get an error message similar to the following: 
<prompt> .\ads.exe  The application has failed to start 
because its side-by-side configuration is incorrect. Please 
see the application event log for more detail.

Using the ADS RF Designer Suite

You need to purchase a specific product license to access ADS's RF Designer product, which is the lowest-cost ADS suite for RF design.

If you select RF Designer from the Startup menu and you don't have this license installed, an error message will appear. If you want to purchase this product suite, contact your Agilent EEsof Sales Representative. If you have purchased this suite and are encountering the same problem, check your license.lic file to make sure it is properly set up. Follow instructions in Setting Up Licenses, for details on licensing procedures.

Common Problems

Following are descriptions and possible solutions to common problems encountered when running ADS.

Some problems that occur regard the FLEXnet licensing setup for ADS. For details on using FLEXnet and lmtools, refer to the Macrovision website at:

http://www.macrovision.com/

Choose Products > FLEXnet

ADS Does Not Start

It is possible to install programs or options for which you have not purchased licenses. Although the icons and features will appear in the software, you cannot access the applications without a license. Contact your Agilent EEsof EDA sales representative to obtain additional licenses.

If your ADS applications will not start:

If you cannot find the problem, run ADS in verbose (debug) mode and contact Technical Support to help pinpoint the problem.

ADS Does Not Run After Starting the License Server

If the following error message appears when you run ADS, license bundle selection may be required:

No such feature exists
Feature: ads_schematic
License path: 
$HPEESOF_DIR/licenses/license.lic;$HPEESOF_DIR/licenses/licenses.dat
FLEXlm error: -5,357

This error can appear if your license.lic file contains license bundles and you have not run the Agilent License Preference Tool to select a license bundle. You must select a license bundle using the License Preference Tool, so ADS will know to use it. See Using the Agilent License Preference Tool.

Licenses Stop Working

The FLEXnet software must be able to read the ethernet address of your LAN card for your licenses to work properly. If you only have the TCP/IP protocol loaded on your PC, then FLEXnet will be unable to read the ethernet address and ADS will not work.

You must have the NWLink IPX/SPX protocol loaded in addition to the TCP/IP protocol.

To load the NWLink IPX/SPX protocol in Windows, do the following:

  1. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel.
  2. In the Control Panel, double-click Network.
  3. In the Network dialog box, select the Protocols tab.
  4. Click the Add button.
  5. Select NWLink IPX/SPX Compatible Transport from the list that appears and click OK.
  6. The protocol will be loaded. Once it is complete, select OK until out of the Network dialog box.
  7. To complete this procedure, reboot your PC.

Losing Licenses When Opening Help

On network configurations, such as a VPN (virtual private network), where ADS and its licenses are accessed through a web browser, opening an ADS help topic may break the connection to the network. To avoid this situation, set the following Internet Explorer option so ADS help opens in a new browser window:

  1. In Internet Explorer, select Tools > Internet Options.
  2. On the Advanced tab, in the Browsing section, disable (uncheck) Reuse windows for launching shortcuts.

ADS Projects Cannot be Opened After System Restore

System Restore returns your Windows system to a previous point in time. The problem is that System Restore targets and deletes any .DSN and .CFG files that were created after the desired system restore point. Any ADS project and design files created after the restore point are stripped of their configuration files, design files, and empty directories. Therefore, ADS cannot open these projects.

If System Restore was recently used, you can recover the lost design files and repair the corrupted ADS project directories by selecting Undo my last restoration from System Restore.

After System Restore is reversed and your PC is rebooted, your ADS projects are restored to working order and all design files are recovered.

If System Restore must be done for whatever reason, you should first protect any ADS projects that contain recent work.

Hardware key 8-xxxxxxx is not recognized

On Windows XP, if the Agilent License Information tool reports that the Hardware key 8-xxxxxxx is not recognized, do the following:

First make sure that the FLEXid drivers were correctly installed. The ADS PC Setup disk contains the installer for the FLEXid drivers (D:\flexinstaller.exe, where D is your DVD).

Open the Agilent License Information tool to confirm that the drivers were loaded properly: select Start > Programs > Advanced Design System > ADS Tools > License Information Tool.

If the Environment tab doesn't show an ID for the hardware key, do the following:

  1. Check that the hardware key is properly attached to the parallel port.
  2. Double-click the file C:\Program Files\Macrovision\Macrovision FLEXid Drivers\FLEXid6-7\WIN_NT\setupx86.exe to open the Rainbow Technologies Sentinel user interface.
  3. Select Function > Configure Sentinel Driver to open the Sentinel Diver window.
  4. Check that the port has a port number and is set to ECP or bi-directional, then close both Sentinel windows.
  5. Remove and reinstall the drivers by running the file C:\Program Files\Macrovision Corporation\Macrovision FLEXid Drivers\flexid8\setup.exe. From the setup window, first remove the drivers and then install them to force the operating system to load them properly.
  6. Restart the PC, then select Start > Programs > Advanced Design System > ADS Tools > License Information Tool to check that the environment tab now shows an ID for the hardware key.

How Do I...

Following are some frequently asked questions about installation of ADS programs on the PC.

Install Over Multiple Hard Disks

To install ADS applications over multiple hard disks, you need to re-run the Setup program as many times as necessary, installing selected installation items to a different destination each time.

Check the Nodelock ID of My Hardware Key

You need the nodelock ID of your hardware security key to get codewords from Agilent EEsof. It might also be useful to access this information when you place a call to Technical Support. There are two ways to check this:

Add and Remove ADS Files

The InstallShield Wizard used to install ADS, can be used to modify or remove the ADS installation with these options:

Note
The Repair option that appears in the InstallShield Wizard's Welcome screen cannot be used with ADS. To repair your ADS installation, uninstall ADS using the instructions below. Then, re-install ADS using the instructions in Installing Advanced Design System.

Agilent EEsof does not recommend using the Add/Remove Programs feature available on the Control Panel.

To add ADS items to an existing ADS installation (requires the ADS installation DVD):

  1. Close all ADS applications, and all Windows programs. Insert ADS installation DVD into your DVD drive. The Setup program will start automatically. If it doesn't, choose Start > Run and enter D:\setup, where D: is the drive letter of your DVD drive.
  2. At the Welcome screen, select Modify (default), then choose Next.
  3. At the Select System Components to Install screen, check the items to install, then choose Next.
  4. At the Check Setup Information screen, confirm the Current Settings, then choose Next to begin installing the items. The Setup Status screen appears showing the installation progress.
  5. Click Finish when the installation is complete.

To uninstall ADS (does not require the ADS installation DVD):

Note
Be sure you have exited all applications before running the Uninstaller program. If you have not, it is possible you will get errors upon re-installing ADS. If these errors occur, reboot your computer and start the new installation again, or search for and end any lingering processes using the Task Manager and start the new installation again.

The uninstaller will not remove all files in the ADS folder. Files that have been added or modified since the previous ADS installation are not removed.

Be sure to retain the license.lic file to use if you re-install ADS.

  1. Close all ADS applications, and all Windows programs.
  2. Select Start > Programs > Advanced Design System 2008 > Uninstall ADS.
  3. At the Welcome screen, choose Remove, then choose Next.
  4. At the Confirm Uninstall dialog, click OK to proceed with the uninstallation. This immediately begins the uninstall process.
  5. When the uninstall process is complete, choose Finish.

Change the Home Directory

To change your ADS home directory:

  1. Select Start > Run.
    Type regedit.exe
    Click OK.
    Caution
    Use extreme care when editing the system registry. The computer may not function properly if the registry contains an error. You should backup the registry as a precaution. For more information, see the Registry Editor's online Help.
  2. Inside the registry editor, find the folder or window titled HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine. Select Software > Agilent > ADS > 3.30 > eeenv. You will see a registry entry called
    HOME: C:\users\default.
    (This is only true if you accepted the default startup folder during installation.)
  3. Double-click this entry to open the string editor. Change it to reflect the path of your new home directory.
  4. Change the Start directory of the ADS Main window's file browser. Select the following:
    Start > Settings > Taskbar > Start Menu Programs > Advanced.
    This opens the Explorer window.
  5. On the right side of the Explorer window, double-click the Programs icon.
  6. Open the Agilent Advanced Design System icon. This displays the shortcuts to ADS executable.
  7. Right-click the Advanced Design System icon and choose Properties.
  8. Choose the Shortcut tab.
  9. Change the field Start in: to reflect the path of your new home directory.

Using IC-CAP 2006 with ADS

ADS 2008 includes a program named iccapinterface that enables IC-CAP 2006 to launch the ADS simulator. To enable IC-CAP to link to the ADS simulator, do the following:

  1. Change the following entry in your IC-CAP usersimulators file from:
    hpeesofsim hpeesofsim $ICCAP_ROOT/bin/hpeesofsim_start "" CAN_PIPE
    to
    hpeesfosim hpeesofsim $ADS_DIR/bin/iccapinterface "" CAN_PIPE
  2. Set the environment variable ADS_DIR to point at the ADS installation directory.

Agilent EEsof Technical Support

Agilent EEsof worldwide technical support is available Monday through Friday. The toll-free North America hotline is open 6:00 am to 5:00 pm PT. Throughout Europe, the localized Online Technical Support Centers are open during business hours, typically 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, local time; throughout Asia, the localized Customer Response Centers are open during business hours, typically 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, local time.

The e-mail addresses for the various regions are listed below. However, for both the regional e-mail addresses and local telephone numbers for more than 25 countries, please refer to the Agilent EEsof EDA Support Web site at

http://www.agilent.com/find/eesof-supportcontact

North America

Phone: 1 800 47 EEsof (473-3763)
Fax: 707-577-3511
e-mail: eesof_support@agilent.com

Europe : e-mail: eesof-europe_support@agilent.com
Japan : e-mail: eesof-japan_support@agilent.com
Korea : e-mail: eesof_korea@agilent.com
Asia: e-mail: eesof-asia_support@agilent.com

 

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