Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture High-Performance Design Handbook

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ID 683353
Date 12/08/2023
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
Answers to Top FAQs 1. Intel® Hyperflex™ FPGA Architecture Introduction 2. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture RTL Design Guidelines 3. Compiling Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture Designs 4. Design Example Walk-Through 5. Retiming Restrictions and Workarounds 6. Optimization Example 7. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture Porting Guidelines 8. Appendices 9. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture High-Performance Design Handbook Archive 10. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture High-Performance Design Handbook Revision History
1. Intel® Hyperflex™ FPGA Architecture Introduction x
1.1. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture Design Concepts
2. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture RTL Design Guidelines x
2.1. High-Speed Design Methodology 2.2. Hyper-Retiming (Facilitate Register Movement) 2.3. Hyper-Pipelining (Add Pipeline Registers) 2.4. Hyper-Optimization (Optimize RTL)
2.1. High-Speed Design Methodology x
2.1.1. Set a High-Speed Target 2.1.2. Experiment and Iterate 2.1.3. Compile Components Independently 2.1.4. Optimize Sub-Modules 2.1.5. Avoid Broadcast Signals
2.1.1. Set a High-Speed Target x
2.1.1.1. Speed and Timing Closure 2.1.1.2. Speed and Latency
2.2. Hyper-Retiming (Facilitate Register Movement) x
2.2.1. Reset Strategies 2.2.2. Clock Enable Strategies 2.2.3. Preserving Registers During Synthesis 2.2.4. Timing Constraint Considerations 2.2.5. Clock Synchronization Strategies 2.2.6. Metastability Synchronizers 2.2.7. Initial Power-Up Conditions 2.2.8. Retiming through RAMs and DSPs
2.2.1. Reset Strategies x
2.2.1.1. Removing Asynchronous Resets 2.2.1.2. Synchronous Resets on Global Clock Trees 2.2.1.3. Synchronous Resets on I/O Ports 2.2.1.4. Duplicate and Pipeline Synchronous Resets
2.2.2. Clock Enable Strategies x
2.2.2.1. Localized Clock Enable 2.2.2.2. High Fan-Out Clock Enable 2.2.2.3. Clock Enable with Timing Exceptions
2.2.4. Timing Constraint Considerations x
2.2.4.1. Optimize Multicycle Paths 2.2.4.2. Overconstraints
2.2.5. Clock Synchronization Strategies x
2.2.5.1. Clock Domain Crossing Constraint Guidelines
2.2.7. Initial Power-Up Conditions x
2.2.7.1. Specifying Initial Memory Conditions 2.2.7.2. Initial Conditions and Retiming 2.2.7.3. Initial Conditions and Hyper-Registers 2.2.7.4. Retiming Reset Sequences
2.2.7.3. Initial Conditions and Hyper-Registers x
2.2.7.3.1. Implementing Clock Gating 2.2.7.3.2. Intel® Quartus® Prime Settings for Initial Conditions
2.3. Hyper-Pipelining (Add Pipeline Registers) x
2.3.1. Conventional Versus Hyper-Pipelining 2.3.2. Pipelining and Latency 2.3.3. Use Registers Instead of Multicycle Exceptions
2.3.2. Pipelining and Latency x
2.3.2.1. Pipelining at Variable Latency Locations 2.3.2.2. Automatic Pipeline Insertion
2.3.2.1. Pipelining at Variable Latency Locations x
2.3.2.1.1. Specifying a Latency-Insensitive False Path
2.3.2.2. Automatic Pipeline Insertion x
2.3.2.2.1. Step 1: Create the Variable Latency Module 2.3.2.2.2. Step 2: Instantiate the Variable Latency Module 2.3.2.2.3. Step 3: Verify Automatic Pipeline Insertion Option 2.3.2.2.4. (Optional) Auto-Pipeline Insertion without a Variable Latency Module
2.4. Hyper-Optimization (Optimize RTL) x
2.4.1. General Optimization Techniques 2.4.2. Optimizing Specific Design Structures
2.4.1. General Optimization Techniques x
2.4.1.1. Shannon’s Decomposition 2.4.1.2. Time Domain Multiplexing 2.4.1.3. Loop Unrolling 2.4.1.4. Loop Pipelining 2.4.1.5. Precomputation
2.4.1.1. Shannon’s Decomposition x
2.4.1.1.1. Shannon’s Decomposition Example 2.4.1.1.2. Identifying Circuits for Shannon’s Decomposition
2.4.1.4. Loop Pipelining x
2.4.1.4.1. Loop Pipelining Theory 2.4.1.4.2. Loop Pipelining Demonstration 2.4.1.4.3. Loop Pipelining and Synthesis Optimization
2.4.2. Optimizing Specific Design Structures x
2.4.2.1. High-Speed Clock Domains 2.4.2.2. Restructuring Loops 2.4.2.3. Control Signal Backpressure 2.4.2.4. Flow Control with FIFO Status Signals 2.4.2.5. Flow Control with Skid Buffers Skid Buffer Example (Single Clock) Skid Buffer Example (Dual Clock) 2.4.2.6. Read-Modify-Write Memory 2.4.2.7. Counters and Accumulators 2.4.2.8. State Machines 2.4.2.9. Memory 2.4.2.10. DSP Blocks 2.4.2.11. General Logic 2.4.2.12. Modulus and Division 2.4.2.13. Resets 2.4.2.14. Hardware Re-use 2.4.2.15. Algorithmic Requirements 2.4.2.16. FIFOs 2.4.2.17. Ternary Adders
2.4.2.1. High-Speed Clock Domains x
2.4.2.1.1. Visualizing Clock Networks 2.4.2.1.2. Viewing Clock Networks in the Fitter Report 2.4.2.1.3. Viewing Clocks in the Timing Analyzer
2.4.2.9. Memory x
2.4.2.9.1. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture True Dual-Port Memory 2.4.2.9.2. Use Simple Dual-Port Memories 2.4.2.9.3. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture Simple Dual-Port Memory Example 2.4.2.9.4. Memory Mixed Port Width Ratio Limits 2.4.2.9.5. Unregistered RAM Outputs
3. Compiling Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture Designs x
3.1. Compiling Submodules Independently 3.2. Design Assistant Design Rule Checking
3.2. Design Assistant Design Rule Checking x
3.2.1. Running Design Assistant During Compilation 3.2.2. Running Design Assistant in Analysis Mode
3.2.2. Running Design Assistant in Analysis Mode x
3.2.2.1. Cross-Probing from Design Assistant to Visualization Tools 3.2.2.2. Launching Design Assistant from Chip Planner 3.2.2.3. Launching Design Assistant from Timing Analyzer
4. Design Example Walk-Through x
4.1. Median Filter Design Example
4.1. Median Filter Design Example x
4.1.1. Step 1: Compile the Base Design 4.1.2. Step 2: Add Pipeline Stages and Remove Asynchronous Resets 4.1.3. Step 3: Add More Pipeline Stages and Remove All Asynchronous Resets 4.1.4. Step 4: Optimize Short Path and Long Path Conditions
5. Retiming Restrictions and Workarounds x
5.1. Setting the dont_merge Synthesis Attribute 5.2. Interpreting Critical Chain Reports
5.2. Interpreting Critical Chain Reports x
5.2.1. Insufficient Registers 5.2.2. Short Path/Long Path 5.2.3. Fast Forward Limit 5.2.4. Loops 5.2.5. One Critical Chain per Clock Domain 5.2.6. Critical Chains in Related Clock Groups 5.2.7. Complex Critical Chains 5.2.8. Extend to locatable node 5.2.9. Domain Boundary Entry and Domain Boundary Exit 5.2.10. Critical Chains with Dual Clock Memories 5.2.11. Critical Chain Bits and Buses 5.2.12. Delay Lines
5.2.1. Insufficient Registers x
5.2.1.1. Insufficient Registers Example 5.2.1.2. Optimizing Insufficient Registers 5.2.1.3. Critical Chains with Dual Clock Memories
5.2.2. Short Path/Long Path x
5.2.2.1. Hyper-Register Locations Not Available 5.2.2.2. Example for Hold Optimization 5.2.2.3. Optimizing Short Path/Long Path 5.2.2.4. Add Registers 5.2.2.5. Duplicate Common Nodes 5.2.2.6. Data and Control Plane
5.2.3. Fast Forward Limit x
5.2.3.1. Optimizing Path Limit
5.2.4. Loops x
5.2.4.1. Example of Loops Limiting the Critical Chain
6. Optimization Example x
6.1. Round Robin Scheduler
7. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture Porting Guidelines x
7.1. Design Migration and Performance Exploration 7.2. Top-Level Design Considerations
7.1. Design Migration and Performance Exploration x
7.1.1. Black-boxing Verilog HDL Modules 7.1.2. Black-boxing VHDL Modules 7.1.3. Clock Management 7.1.4. Pin Assignments 7.1.5. Transceiver Control Logic 7.1.6. Upgrade Outdated IP Cores
8. Appendices x
8.1. Appendix A: Parameterizable Pipeline Modules 8.2. Appendix B: Clock Enables and Resets
8.2. Appendix B: Clock Enables and Resets x
8.2.1. Synchronous Resets and Limitations 8.2.2. Retiming with Clock Enables 8.2.3. Resolving Short Paths
8.2.1. Synchronous Resets and Limitations x
8.2.1.1. Synchronous Resets Summary
8.2.2. Retiming with Clock Enables x
8.2.2.1. Example for Broadcast Control Signals
Answers to Top FAQs
1. Intel® Hyperflex™ FPGA Architecture Introduction
2. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture RTL Design Guidelines
3. Compiling Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture Designs
4. Design Example Walk-Through
5. Retiming Restrictions and Workarounds
6. Optimization Example
7. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture Porting Guidelines
8. Appendices
9. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture High-Performance Design Handbook Archive
10. Intel® Hyperflex™ Architecture High-Performance Design Handbook Revision History

2.4.2.5. Flow Control with Skid Buffers

You can use skid buffers to pipeline a FIFO. If necessary, you can cascade skid buffers. When you insert skid buffers, they unroll the loop that includes the FIFO control signals. The skid buffers do not eliminate the loop in the flow control logic, but the loop transforms into a series of shorter loops. In general, switch to almost empty and almost full signals instead of using skid buffers when possible.
Figure 67.  FIFO Flow Control Loop with Two Skid Buffers in a Read Control Loop

If you have loops involving FIFO control signals, and they are broadcast to many destinations for flow control, consider whether you can eliminate the broadcast signals. Pipeline broadcast control signals, and use almost full and almost empty status bits from FIFOs.

Skid Buffer Example (Single Clock)

/ synopsys translate_off
//`timescale 1 ps / 1 ps
// synopsys translate_on

module  singleclock_fifo_lowell
#(

    parameter DATA_WIDTH      = 8,
    parameter FIFO_DEPTH      = 16,
    parameter SHOWAHEAD       = "ON",   // "ON" = showahead mode ('pop' is an acknowledgement); /
         "OFF" = normal mode ('pop' is a request).
    parameter RAM_TYPE        = "AUTO", // "AUTO" or "MLAB" or "M20K".
    // Derived                
    parameter ADDR_WIDTH      = $clog2(FIFO_DEPTH) + 1  // e.g. clog2(64) = 6, but 7 bits /
         needed to store 64 value
) 
(
    input  wire                   clk,
    input  wire                   rst,
    input  wire  [DATA_WIDTH-1:0] in_data,    // write data
    input  wire                   pop,        // rd request
    input  wire                   push,       // wr request
    output wire                   out_valid,  // not empty
    output wire                   in_ready,   // not full
    output wire [DATA_WIDTH-1:0]  out_data,   // rd data
    output wire [ADDR_WIDTH-1:0]  fill_level
);  
    wire                      scfifo_empty;
    wire                      scfifo_full;
    wire [DATA_WIDTH-1:0]     scfifo_data_out;
    wire [ADDR_WIDTH-1:0]       scfifo_usedw;

    logic [DATA_WIDTH-1:0] out_data_1q;
    logic [DATA_WIDTH-1:0] out_data_2q;
    logic                  out_empty_1q;
    logic                  out_empty_2q;
    logic                  e_pop_1;
    logic                  e_pop_2;
    logic                  e_pop_qual;
    
    assign out_valid         = ~out_empty_2q; 
    assign in_ready          = ~scfifo_full;
    assign out_data          = out_data_2q; 
    assign fill_level        = scfifo_usedw + !out_empty_1q + !out_empty_2q;

// add output pipe 
    assign e_pop_1      = out_empty_1q || e_pop_2; 
    assign e_pop_2      = out_empty_2q || pop; 
    assign e_pop_qual = !scfifo_empty && e_pop_1;
    always_ff@(posedge clk)
    begin
      if(rst == 1'b1) 
      begin
        out_empty_1q <= 1'b1;  // empty is 1 by default
        out_empty_2q <= 1'b1;  // empty is 1 by default
      end 
      else begin 
        if(e_pop_1) 
        begin
          out_empty_1q <= scfifo_empty; 
        end 
        if(e_pop_2) 
        begin
          out_empty_2q <= out_empty_1q; 
        end 
      end 
    end 
    always_ff@(posedge clk)
    begin
      if(e_pop_1) 
        out_data_1q  <= scfifo_data_out; 
      if(e_pop_2) 
        out_data_2q   <= out_data_1q;
    end 

    scfifo scfifo_component 
    (
        .clock        (clk),
        .data         (in_data),

        .rdreq        (e_pop_qual),
        .wrreq        (push),

        .empty        (scfifo_empty),
        .full         (scfifo_full),
        .q            (scfifo_data_out),
        .usedw        (scfifo_usedw),
//        .aclr         (rst),
        .aclr         (1'b0),
        .almost_empty (),
        .almost_full  (),
        .eccstatus    (),
        //.sclr         (1'b0)
        .sclr         (rst)  // switch to sync reset
    );
    defparam
        scfifo_component.add_ram_output_register  = "ON",
        scfifo_component.enable_ecc               = "FALSE",
        scfifo_component.intended_device_family   = "Stratix",
        scfifo_component.lpm_hint                 = (RAM_TYPE == "MLAB") ? "RAM_BLOCK_TYPE=MLAB" : /
             ((RAM_TYPE == "M20K") ? "RAM_BLOCK_TYPE=M20K" : ""),
        scfifo_component.lpm_numwords             = FIFO_DEPTH,
        scfifo_component.lpm_showahead            = SHOWAHEAD,
        scfifo_component.lpm_type                 = "scfifo",
        scfifo_component.lpm_width                = DATA_WIDTH,
        scfifo_component.lpm_widthu               = ADDR_WIDTH,
        scfifo_component.overflow_checking        = "ON",
        scfifo_component.underflow_checking       = "ON",
        scfifo_component.use_eab                  = "ON";


endmodule

Skid Buffer Example (Dual Clock)

// synopsys translate_off
//`timescale 1 ps / 1 ps
// synopsys translate_on

module  skid_dualclock_fifo
#(

    parameter DATA_WIDTH      = 8,
    parameter FIFO_DEPTH      = 16,
    parameter SHOWAHEAD       = "ON",   
    parameter RAM_TYPE        = "AUTO", // "AUTO" or "MLAB" or "M20K".
    // Derived                
    parameter ADDR_WIDTH      = $clog2(FIFO_DEPTH) + 1  
) 
(
    input  wire                   rd_clk,
    input wire                    wr_clk,
    input  wire                   rst,
    input  wire  [DATA_WIDTH-1:0] in_data,    // write data
    input  wire                   pop,        // rd request
    input  wire                   push,       // wr request
    output wire                   out_valid,  // not empty
    output wire                   in_ready,   // not full
    output wire [DATA_WIDTH-1:0]  out_data,   // rd data
    output wire [ADDR_WIDTH-1:0]  fill_level
);  
    wire                      scfifo_empty;
    wire                      scfifo_full;
    wire [DATA_WIDTH-1:0]     scfifo_data_out;
    wire [ADDR_WIDTH-1:0]       scfifo_usedw;

    logic [DATA_WIDTH-1:0] out_data_1q;
    logic [DATA_WIDTH-1:0] out_data_2q;
    logic                  out_empty_1q;
    logic                  out_empty_2q;
    logic                  e_pop_1;
    logic                  e_pop_2;
    logic                  e_pop_qual;
    
    assign out_valid         = ~out_empty_2q; 
    assign in_ready          = ~scfifo_full;
    assign out_data          = out_data_2q; 
    assign fill_level        = scfifo_usedw + !out_empty_1q + !out_empty_2q;

// add output pipe 
    assign e_pop_1      = out_empty_1q || e_pop_2; 
    assign e_pop_2      = out_empty_2q || pop; 
    assign e_pop_qual = !scfifo_empty && e_pop_1;
    always_ff@(posedge rd_clk)
    begin
      if(rst == 1'b1) 
      begin
        out_empty_1q <= 1'b1;  // empty is 1 by default
        out_empty_2q <= 1'b1;  // empty is 1 by default
      end 
      else begin 
        if(e_pop_1) 
        begin
          out_empty_1q <= scfifo_empty; 
        end 
        if(e_pop_2) 
        begin
          out_empty_2q <= out_empty_1q; 
        end 
      end 
    end 
    always_ff@(posedge rd_clk)
    begin
      if(e_pop_1) 
        out_data_1q  <= scfifo_data_out; 
      if(e_pop_2) 
        out_data_2q   <= out_data_1q;
    end 
dcfifo  dcfifo_component
    (
        .data      (in_data),
        .rdclk     (rd_clk),
        .rdreq     (e_pop_qual),
        .wrclk     (wr_clk),
        .wrreq     (push),
        .q         (scfifo_data_out),
        .rdempty   (scfifo_empty),
        .rdusedw   (scfifo_usedw),
        .wrfull    (scfifo_full),
        .wrusedw   (),
        .aclr      (1'b0),
        .eccstatus (),
        .rdfull    (),
        .wrempty   ()
    );
    defparam
        dcfifo_component.add_usedw_msb_bit       = "ON",
        dcfifo_component.enable_ecc              = "FALSE",
        dcfifo_component.intended_device_family  = "Stratix 10",
        dcfifo_component.lpm_hint                =  (RAM_TYPE == "MLAB") \
             ? "RAM_BLOCK_TYPE=MLAB" : ((RAM_TYPE == "M20K") \
             ? "RAM_BLOCK_TYPE=M20K" : ""),
        dcfifo_component.lpm_numwords            = FIFO_DEPTH,
        dcfifo_component.lpm_showahead           = SHOWAHEAD,
        dcfifo_component.lpm_type                = "dcfifo",
        dcfifo_component.lpm_width               = DATA_WIDTH,
        dcfifo_component.lpm_widthu              = ADDR_WIDTH+1,
        dcfifo_component.overflow_checking       = "ON",
        dcfifo_component.read_aclr_synch         = "ON",
        dcfifo_component.rdsync_delaypipe        = 5,
        dcfifo_component.underflow_checking      = "ON",
        dcfifo_component.write_aclr_synch        = "ON",
        dcfifo_component.use_eab                 = "ON",
        dcfifo_component.wrsync_delaypipe        = 5;



endmodule
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