Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Timing Analyzer

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ID 683243
Date 10/04/2021
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. Timing Analysis Introduction 2. Using the Intel® Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer A. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides
1. Timing Analysis Introduction x
1.1. Timing Analysis Basic Concepts 1.2. Timing Analysis Overview Document Revision History
1.1. Timing Analysis Basic Concepts x
1.1.1. Timing Path and Clock Analysis 1.1.2. Clock Setup Analysis 1.1.3. Clock Hold Analysis 1.1.4. Recovery and Removal Analysis 1.1.5. Multicycle Path Analysis 1.1.6. Metastability Analysis 1.1.7. Timing Pessimism 1.1.8. Clock-As-Data Analysis 1.1.9. Multicorner Timing Analysis 1.1.10. Time Borrowing
1.1.1. Timing Path and Clock Analysis x
1.1.1.1. The Timing Netlist 1.1.1.2. Timing Paths 1.1.1.3. Data and Clock Arrival Times 1.1.1.4. Launch and Latch Edges
1.1.5. Multicycle Path Analysis x
1.1.5.1. Multicycle Clock Hold 1.1.5.2. Multicycle Clock Setup
1.1.10. Time Borrowing x
1.1.10.1. Time Borrowing Limitations 1.1.10.2. Time Borrowing with Latches
2. Using the Intel® Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer x
2.1. Timing Analysis Flow 2.2. Step 1: Specify Timing Analyzer Settings 2.3. Step 2: Specify Timing Constraints 2.4. Step 3: Run the Timing Analyzer 2.5. Step 4: Analyze Timing Reports 2.6. Applying Timing Constraints 2.7. Timing Analyzer Tcl Commands 2.8. Timing Analysis of Imported Compilation Results 2.9. Using the Intel® Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer Document Revision History 2.10. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Timing Analyzer Archive
2.4. Step 3: Run the Timing Analyzer x
2.4.1. Setting the Operating Conditions 2.4.2. Enabling Time Borrowing Optimization
2.5. Step 4: Analyze Timing Reports x
2.5.1. Generating Timing Reports 2.5.2. Cross-Probing with Design Assistant 2.5.3. Launching Design Assistant from Timing Analyzer 2.5.4. Locating Timing Paths in Other Tools 2.5.5. Correlating Constraints to the Timing Report
2.5.1. Generating Timing Reports x
2.5.1.1. Report Fmax Summary 2.5.1.2. Report Timing 2.5.1.3. Report Data Delay 2.5.1.4. Report Clocks and Clock Networks 2.5.1.5. Report Clock Transfers 2.5.1.6. Report Logic Depth 2.5.1.7. Report Neighbor Paths 2.5.1.8. Report Register Spread 2.5.1.9. Report Route Net of Interest 2.5.1.10. Report Retiming Restrictions 2.5.1.11. Report Reset Statistics 2.5.1.12. Report Pipelining Information 2.5.1.13. Report Asynchronous CDC 2.5.1.14. Report CDC Viewer 2.5.1.15. Report Time Borrowing Data 2.5.1.16. Report Exceptions and Exceptions Reachability
2.5.1.8. Report Register Spread x
2.5.1.8.1. Registers with High Timing Path Endpoint Tension 2.5.1.8.2. Registers with High Immediate Fan-Out Tension
2.5.2. Cross-Probing with Design Assistant x
2.5.2.1. Cross-Probing from Design Assistant to Timing Analyzer
2.6. Applying Timing Constraints x
2.6.1. Recommended Initial SDC Constraints 2.6.2. SDC File Precedence 2.6.3. Modifying Iterative Constraints 2.6.4. Using Entity-bound SDC Files 2.6.5. Creating Clocks and Clock Constraints 2.6.6. Creating I/O Constraints 2.6.7. Creating Delay and Skew Constraints 2.6.8. Creating Timing Exceptions 2.6.9. Using Fitter Overconstraints 2.6.10. Example Circuit and SDC File
2.6.1. Recommended Initial SDC Constraints x
2.6.1.1. Create Clock (create_clock) 2.6.1.2. Derive PLL Clocks (derive_pll_clocks) 2.6.1.3. Derive Clock Uncertainty (derive_clock_uncertainty) 2.6.1.4. Set Clock Groups (set_clock_groups)
2.6.4. Using Entity-bound SDC Files x
2.6.4.1. Entity-bound Constraint Scope 2.6.4.2. Entity-bound Constraint Examples
2.6.5. Creating Clocks and Clock Constraints x
2.6.5.1. Creating Base Clocks 2.6.5.2. Creating Virtual Clocks 2.6.5.3. Creating Generated Clocks (create_generated_clock) 2.6.5.4. Deriving PLL Clocks 2.6.5.5. Creating Clock Groups (set_clock_groups) 2.6.5.6. Accounting for Clock Effect Characteristics 2.6.5.7. Constraining CDC Paths
2.6.5.1. Creating Base Clocks x
2.6.5.1.1. Automatic Clock Detection and Constraint Creation
2.6.5.2. Creating Virtual Clocks x
2.6.5.2.1. Specifying I/O Interface Uncertainty 2.6.5.2.2. I/O Interface Clock Uncertainty Example
2.6.5.3. Creating Generated Clocks (create_generated_clock) x
2.6.5.3.1. Clock Divider Example (-divide_by) 2.6.5.3.2. Clock Multiplexer Example
2.6.5.5. Creating Clock Groups (set_clock_groups) x
2.6.5.5.1. Exclusive Clock Groups (-logically_exclusive or -physically_exclusive) 2.6.5.5.2. Asynchronous Clock Groups (-asynchronous) 2.6.5.5.3. set_clock_groups Constraint Tips
2.6.5.6. Accounting for Clock Effect Characteristics x
2.6.5.6.1. Set Clock Latency (set_clock_latency) 2.6.5.6.2. Clock Uncertainty
2.6.6. Creating I/O Constraints x
2.6.6.1. Input Constraints (set_input_delay) 2.6.6.2. Output Constraints (set_output_delay)
2.6.7. Creating Delay and Skew Constraints x
2.6.7.1. Advanced I/O Timing and Board Trace Model Delay 2.6.7.2. Maximum Skew (set_max_skew) 2.6.7.3. Net Delay (set_net_delay)
2.6.8. Creating Timing Exceptions x
2.6.8.1. Timing Exception Precedence 2.6.8.2. False Paths (set_false_path) 2.6.8.3. Minimum and Maximum Delays 2.6.8.4. Multicycle Paths 2.6.8.5. Multicycle Exception Examples 2.6.8.6. Delay Annotation 2.6.8.7. Constraining Design Partition Ports
2.6.8.4. Multicycle Paths x
2.6.8.4.1. Common Multicycle Applications 2.6.8.4.2. Relaxing Setup with Multicycle (set_multicyle_path) 2.6.8.4.3. Accounting for a Phase Shift (-phase)
2.6.8.5. Multicycle Exception Examples x
2.6.8.5.1. Default Multicycle Analysis 2.6.8.5.2. End Multicycle Setup = 2 and End Multicycle Hold = 0 2.6.8.5.3. End Multicycle Setup = 2 and End Multicycle Hold = 1 2.6.8.5.4. Same Frequency Clocks with Destination Clock Offset 2.6.8.5.5. Destination Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Source Clock Frequency 2.6.8.5.6. Destination Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Source Clock Frequency with an Offset 2.6.8.5.7. Source Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Destination Clock Frequency 2.6.8.5.8. Source Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Destination Clock Frequency with an Offset
2.7. Timing Analyzer Tcl Commands x
2.7.1. The quartus_sta Executable 2.7.2. Collection Commands
2.7.2. Collection Commands x
2.7.2.1. Wildcard Characters 2.7.2.2. Adding and Removing Collection Items 2.7.2.3. Query of Collections 2.7.2.4. Using the get_pins Command
1. Timing Analysis Introduction
2. Using the Intel® Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer
A. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides

1.1.10.1. Time Borrowing Limitations

Time borrowing optimization, which occurs in the Fitter (Finalize) stage, cannot occur for the following registers. For these registers, the time borrowing optimization is zero, and the maximum operating frequency in the Fmax Summary reports include zero time borrowing:
  • Any register that is the source of a cross-clock transfer
  • Any register that is the source of a set_max_skew or set_max_delay assignment
  • Any register in a clock domain with one or more level-sensitive latch

Furthermore, registers that are destinations of cross-clock transfers, set_max_skew or set_max_delay constraints do not have borrowing values that are optimized for such transfers (but may still have non-zero borrowing from other transfers).

If any such registers are on the critical timing path, you can possibly report better performance by enabling Dynamic time borrowing mode, which reports time borrowing for all borrow-capable registers. Dynamic time borrowing mode can then provide a more accurate (less pessimistic) analysis, but only at a specific set of clock frequencies that you specify in the .sdc.

To view time borrowing results for such registers:

  1. Set the clock frequency in the .sdc file to a value higher than the clock frequency that Fmax Summary reports.
  2. Reset your design and re-read the SDC file in the Timing Analyzer.
  3. Run the update_timing_netlist -dynamic_borrow command.
  4. View the results in Slack Summary reports (Reports > Slack to determine if timing passes. The Fmax Summary report does not reflect any gains from dynamic borrowing.
Note: Time borrowing is similar to the beneficial clock skew technique, whereby you delay the clock to a given register, giving more time to the incoming paths at the expense of the outgoing paths. However, time borrowing and beneficial clock skew have the following important differences:
  • Time borrowing offers more flexibility than clock skew in distributing setup slack. Skewing is typically limited to fixed increments. You can use borrowing to shift any amount of slack (however small) from one side of the register to the other, as long as the amounts fit within the available borrow window. Furthermore, borrow amounts calculate separately for each operating condition, making it possible to shift the optimum amount of slack for each operating condition. This type of shifting is not possible with skewing.
  • You can use beneficial clock skew to increase Hold slack on outgoing paths from the register where the clock is skewed. Time borrowing does not offer this benefit.
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