Intel® High Level Synthesis Compiler Pro Edition: Reference Manual

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Date 10/02/2023
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Reference Manual 2. Compiler 3. C Language and Library Support 4. Component Interfaces 5. Component Memories (Memory Attributes) 6. Loops in Components 7. Component Concurrency 8. Arbitrary Precision Math Support 9. Component Target Frequency 10. Systems of Tasks 11. Libraries 12. Advanced Hardware Synthesis Controls 13. Intel® High Level Synthesis Compiler Pro Edition Reference Summary A. Advanced Math Source Code Libraries B. Supported Math Functions C. Cyclone® V Restrictions D. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Reference Manual Archives E. Document Revision History of the Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Reference Manual
1. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Reference Manual x
1.1. Pending Deprecation of the Intel® HLS Compiler
2. Compiler x
2.1. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Command Options 2.2. Using Libraries in Your Component 2.3. Compiler Interoperability 2.4. Intel® HLS Compiler Hardware Model
2.3. Compiler Interoperability x
2.3.1. Compiling Your Testbench and Component Separately
3. C Language and Library Support x
3.1. Supported C and C++ Subset for Component Synthesis 3.2. C and C++ Libraries 3.3. Templated and Overloaded Functions 3.4. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Compiler-Defined Preprocessor Macros
3.3. Templated and Overloaded Functions x
3.3.1. Templated Functions 3.3.2. Overloaded Functions 3.3.3. Function Name Mapping
4. Component Interfaces x
4.1. Component Invocation Interface 4.2. Avalon® Streaming Interfaces 4.3. Pipes 4.4. Avalon® Memory-Mapped Host Interfaces 4.5. Agent Interfaces 4.6. Stable Component Parameters 4.7. Global Variables 4.8. Structs in Component Interfaces 4.9. Reset Behavior
4.1. Component Invocation Interface x
4.1.1. Scalar Parameters 4.1.2. Pointer and Reference Parameters 4.1.3. Interface Definition Example: Component Invocation Interface Control Attributes 4.1.4. Interface Definition Example: Component with Both Scalar and Pointer Arguments
4.3. Pipes x
4.3.1. The pipe Class and Its Use
4.4. Avalon® Memory-Mapped Host Interfaces x
4.4.1. Memory-Mapped Host Testbench Constructor 4.4.2. Implicit and Explicit Examples of Describing a Memory Interface 4.4.3. Avalon® Memory-Mapped Host Interfaces and Load-Store Units
4.4.3. Avalon® Memory-Mapped Host Interfaces and Load-Store Units x
4.4.3.1. Load-Store Unit Types 4.4.3.2. Memory-Access Coalescing and Load-Store Units
4.5. Agent Interfaces x
4.5.1. Control and Status Register (CSR) Agent 4.5.2. Agent Memories
5. Component Memories (Memory Attributes) x
5.1. Static Variables
6. Loops in Components x
6.1. Loop Initiation Interval (ii Pragma) 6.2. Loop-Carried Dependencies (ivdep Pragma) 6.3. Loop Coalescing (loop_coalesce Pragma) 6.4. Loop Unrolling (unroll Pragma) 6.5. Loop Concurrency (max_concurrency Pragma) 6.6. Loop Iteration Speculation (speculated_iterations Pragma) 6.7. Loop Pipelining Control (disable_loop_pipelining Pragma) 6.8. Loop Interleaving Control (max_interleaving Pragma) 6.9. Loop Fusion
6.9. Loop Fusion x
6.9.1. Loop Fusion Control (loop_fuse Pragma) 6.9.2. Loop Fusion Exemption (nofusion pragma)
7. Component Concurrency x
7.1. Serial Equivalence within a Memory Space or I/O 7.2. Concurrency Control (hls_max_concurrency Attribute) 7.3. Component Pipelining Control (hls_disable_component_pipelining Attribute)
8. Arbitrary Precision Math Support x
8.1. Declaring ac_int Data Types 8.2. Declaring ac_fixed Data Types 8.3. Declaring ac_complex Data Types 8.4. AC Data Types and Native Compilers 8.5. Declaring hls_float Data Types
8.1. Declaring ac_int Data Types x
8.1.1. Important Usage Information on the ac_int Data Type 8.1.2. Integer Promotion and ac_int Data Types 8.1.3. Debugging Your Use of the ac_int Data Type
8.2. Declaring ac_fixed Data Types x
8.2.1. Arbitrary Precision Fixed-Point Literals in Operations
8.5. Declaring hls_float Data Types x
8.5.1. Operators and Return Types Supported by the hls_float Data Type 8.5.2. Additional Data Types Provided By hls_float.h
9. Component Target Frequency x
9.1. Effects of Specifying Target II and Target fMAX
10. Systems of Tasks x
10.1. Task Functions 10.2. Internal Streams 10.3. System of Tasks Simulation
11. Libraries x
11.1. Static-Object Libraries 11.2. Creating a Static-Object Library 11.3. Creating Objects From HLS Code 11.4. Creating Objects From RTL Code 11.5. Packaging Object Files Into a Library
11.3. Creating Objects From HLS Code x
11.3.1. Creating an Object File From HLS Code 11.3.2. Supported OpenCL* Language Constructs
11.4. Creating Objects From RTL Code x
11.4.1. RTL Modules and the HLS Pipeline 11.4.2. Creating a Static-Object File from an RTL Module
11.4.1. RTL Modules and the HLS Pipeline x
11.4.1.1. Integration of an RTL Module into the HLS Pipeline 11.4.1.2. RTL Module Interfaces 11.4.1.3. RTL Reset and Clock Signals 11.4.1.4. Object Manifest File Syntax 11.4.1.5. Mapping HLS Data Types to RTL Signals 11.4.1.6. HLS Emulation Models for RTL-Based Functions 11.4.1.7. Potential Incompatibility between RTL Modules and Partial Reconfiguration 11.4.1.8. Stall-Free RTL 11.4.1.9. RTL Module Restrictions and Limitations for HLS Libraries
11.4.1.2. RTL Module Interfaces x
11.4.1.2.1. RTL Module Interface Signals
11.4.1.3. RTL Reset and Clock Signals x
11.4.1.3.1. Intel Agilex® 7 and Intel® Stratix® 10 Design-Specific Reset Requirements for Stall-Free and Stallable RTL Modules
11.4.1.4. Object Manifest File Syntax x
11.4.1.4.1. XML Elements for ATTRIBUTES 11.4.1.4.2. XML Elements for INTERFACE 11.4.1.4.3. XML Elements for RESOURCES
11.4.1.4.1. XML Elements for ATTRIBUTES x
11.4.1.4.1.1. Interaction Between ALLOW_MERGINGand HAS_SIDE_EFFECTS Elements
12. Advanced Hardware Synthesis Controls x
12.1. Hardware Implementation Control for Math Functions 12.2. The hls_fpga_reg() Function
12.1. Hardware Implementation Control for Math Functions x
12.1.1. Math Function Hardware Implementation Summary 12.1.2. The --dsp-mode Command Option 12.1.3. The ihc::math_dsp_control Function
13. Intel® High Level Synthesis Compiler Pro Edition Reference Summary x
13.1. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition i++ Command-Line Arguments 13.2. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Header Files 13.3. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Compiler-Defined Preprocessor Macros 13.4. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Keywords 13.5. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Simulation API (Testbench Only) 13.6. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Component Memory Attributes 13.7. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Loop Pragmas 13.8. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Scope Pragmas 13.9. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Component Attributes 13.10. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Component Default Interfaces 13.11. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Component Invocation Interface Control Attributes 13.12. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Component Macros 13.13. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Systems of Tasks API 13.14. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Pipes API 13.15. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Streaming Input Interfaces 13.16. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Streaming Output Interfaces 13.17. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Memory-Mapped Interfaces 13.18. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Load-Store Unit Control 13.19. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Arbitrary Precision Data Types
13.13. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Systems of Tasks API x
13.13.1. ihc::stream Class
A. Advanced Math Source Code Libraries x
A.1. Random Number Generator Library A.2. Matrix Multiplication Library A.3. Cholesky Decomposition Library
B. Supported Math Functions x
B.1. Math Functions Provided by the math.h Header File B.2. Math Functions Provided by the extendedmath.h Header File B.3. Math Functions Provided by the ac_fixed_math.h Header File B.4. Math Functions Provided by the hls_float.h Header File B.5. Math Functions Provided by the hls_float_math.h Header File B.6. Default Rounding Schemes and Subnormal Number Support
1. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Reference Manual
2. Compiler
3. C Language and Library Support
4. Component Interfaces
5. Component Memories (Memory Attributes)
6. Loops in Components
7. Component Concurrency
8. Arbitrary Precision Math Support
9. Component Target Frequency
10. Systems of Tasks
11. Libraries
12. Advanced Hardware Synthesis Controls
13. Intel® High Level Synthesis Compiler Pro Edition Reference Summary
A. Advanced Math Source Code Libraries
B. Supported Math Functions
C. Cyclone® V Restrictions
D. Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Reference Manual Archives
E. Document Revision History of the Intel® HLS Compiler Pro Edition Reference Manual

12.2. The hls_fpga_reg() Function

In some cases, explicitly asking the compiler to insert a register stage between the operand and the return value of the function call can help improve the performance of your component. Use the hls_fpga_reg() function to insert at least one register between the operand and return value of the function call.

Typically, you do not need to use this function to achieve the performance from your component that you want.

To use the hls_fpga_reg() function effectively, you must know about how portions of the data path are placed on FPGA devices, and you typically use the hls_fpga_reg() function for the following purposes:
  • Breaking the critical paths between spatially distant portions of a data path, such as between processing elements of a large systolic array.
  • Reducing the pressure on placement and routing efforts caused by spatially distinct portions of the component implementation.
The Intel® HLS Compiler does not provide feedback about where you should add hls_fpga_reg() function calls. Use Intel® Quartus® Prime software to determine where you should insert the calls to address specific aspects of component performance.
You can learn more about the hls_fpga_reg() function by reviewing the tutorial available in the following location: 
<quartus_installdir>/hls/examples/tutorials/best_practices/fpga_reg
Syntax 
T hls_fpga_reg(T op)

where T can be any sized type.

Description

The hls_fpga_reg() function directs the Intel® HLS Compiler to insert at least one hardware pipelining register on the signal path that assigns the operand to the return value. This built-in function operates as an assignment, where the operand is assigned to the return value. The assignment has no implicit semantic or functional meaning beyond a standard assignment.

Usage Notes
You can nest hls_fpga_reg() function calls to increase the minimum number of registers that are inserted on the assignment path. Because each function call guarantees the insertion of at least one register stage, the number of nested calls provides a lower limit on the number of registers.
For example, the following code snippet tells the compiler to insert at least two registers on the assignment path. 
int out=hls_fpga_reg(hls_fpga_reg(in));
The compiler inserts two or more registers on the path.
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