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

ID 683243
Date 10/04/2021
Public

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1.1.10.2. Time Borrowing with Latches

The Intel® Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer treats level-sensitive latches similar to registers. The Timing Analyzer treats the latch enable pin as a clock pin, while modifying the clock relationship appropriately.

You can run Reports > Constraint Diagnostics > Check Timing in the Timing Analyzer Tasks pane to view a list of the level-sensitive latches in your design.

Implementation of latch time borrowing requires that you enable Dynamic borrowing mode (update_timing_netlist -dynamic_borrow). Otherwise, the Timing Analyzer calculates zero time borrowing for latches. In Dynamic mode, the Timing Analyzer simply reports the amount of time borrowing that would physically happen in the circuit, given the clock frequencies you specify in SDC constraints, and does not actually optimize borrowing in any way.

For latches, the setup relationship is to the opening edge of the latch, which allows time borrowing. The hold relationship is to the closing edge of the latch. For example, a path from a positive register to another positive register has a default setup clock relationship of one clock period. A path from a positive register to a positive (open-high), level-sensitive latch has a default setup clock relationship of zero clock periods, plus any time borrow value.

The Timing Analyzer treats paths to and from a latch as two separate paths. For example, in a positive register--> positive latch--> negative register transfer, the Timing Analyzer does not analyze the overall register-->register transfer, even though you expect the latch to be transparent for the entire duration of the transfer. The Timing Analyzer analyzes and reports the paths to and from the latch separately.

The Timing Analyzer automatically computes the maximum amount of time borrowing available for each latch. Typically, the maximum amount of time borrowing available is roughly equivalent to half the clock period. The exact amount of time borrowing available is based on:

  • The timing of opening and closing latch edges
  • Physical latch implementation (closing-edge µtSU of the latch)
  • Clock uncertainty and other effects

The time borrowing never exceeds the maximum borrow value. However, you can specify a smaller maximum borrow time with the set_max_time_borrow SDC constraint. For example:

#Borrow at most 3ns at all "lat*" latches: 
set_max_time_borrow 3 [get_registers lat*]

Specifying a clock with a negative borrow window can result in negative maximum borrowable time, which is equivalent to a minimum pulse width violation. For example, this condition can occur if half the clock period is smaller than the closing-edge µtSU of the latch. If such a violation occurs, a warning indicates that the design cannot pass timing.

Note: Whether you use time borrowing or not, do not rely on the timing analysis Fmax Summary report for any clock domains with latches. The Fmax Summary values for such clock domains include no borrowing, and are therefore significantly pessimistic.