vivado-sim

Vivado timing simulation requires SDF back-annotation to apply actual synthesized delays to the netlist. You run a post-implementation or post-synthesis simulation where the Standard Delay Format file provides gate-level timing data for accurate functional and timing verification.

For Vivado power analysis, you collect switching activity data by generating SAIF or VCD files during an xsim simulation run. You then load this activity data using the read_saif command before executing report_power to estimate dynamic power consumption accurately.

Yes, Vivado supports integration with third-party simulators including Questa, ModelSim, VCS, Xcelium, Riviera, and ActiveHDL. You can configure scripted flows to compile your design and testbench, then launch simulations externally instead of relying on the default xsim engine.

Behavioral RTL simulation verifies the logical functionality of your original source code before synthesis. Post-synthesis simulation checks the functional netlist after synthesis, ensuring the synthesized logic matches the intended RTL behavior before moving to timing verification.

Yes, Vivado simulation supports both Project Mode for GUI-driven management and scripted flows for automation. The xsim workflow can be executed using command-line scripts with xvlog, xvhdl, xelab, and xsim, or launched directly within the Vivado Project Mode environment.