Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Block-Based Design

ID 683247
Date 12/16/2019
Public

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Document Table of Contents

1.2.1.1. Design Block Reuse Examples

Core Partition Reuse Example

In a typical core partition reuse example, a Developer exports a core partition that already meets design requirements. The Developer optimizes and exports the block, and then the Consumer can simply reuse the block without requiring re-optimization in the Consumer project that targets the same device family.

Figure 1. Core Partition Reuse Example

You can export a core block with unique characteristics that you want to retain, and then replicate that functionality or physical implementation in other projects. In the following figure, a Developer reuses the red-colored partition in the floorplan in another project shown in green in the floorplan on the right.

Figure 2. IP Replication and Physical Implementation

Root Partition Reuse Example

In a typical root partition reuse example, a Developer defines a root partition that includes periphery and core resources that are appropriate for reuse in other projects. An example of this scenario is reuse of the periphery for a development kit that can be reused by multiple Developers and projects.

Figure 3. Root Partition Reuse Example

In root partition reuse, each project must target the same Intel® FPGA device, must have the same interfaces, and use the same version of the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software. The following example shows reuse of an optimized root partition that contains various periphery interfaces. Only the reserved core partition that contains custom logic changes between Consumer projects.

Figure 4. Root Partition Reuse Example

You can reuse the root partition with multiple other boards. The root partition Developer creates a design that meets expected design requirements with all the required resources, while also reserving a region (the reserved core) for Consumer development. The Developer then exports the root partition as a .qdb file and passes the .qdb to the Consumers of the partition.

The Consumer reuses the root partition, and adds their own RTL for the reserved core. This flow allows for development on several different boards with a common root partition. Reusing the root partition saves the Consumer development time, because the root partition is pre-optimized by the Developer.