Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Getting Started

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ID 683463
Date 12/04/2023
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. Answers to Top FAQs 2. Introduction to Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition 3. Planning FPGA Design for RTL Flow 4. Selecting a Starting Point for Your Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Project 5. Working With Intel® FPGA IP Cores 6. Managing Intel® Quartus® Prime Projects A. Next Steps After Getting Started B. Using the Design Space Explorer II C. Document Revision History for Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide Getting Started D. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides
2. Introduction to Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition x
2.1. Before You Begin
2.1. Before You Begin x
2.1.1. Prerequisite Knowledge and Training 2.1.2. Navigate Content Through Tasks 2.1.3. Acronyms
3. Planning FPGA Design for RTL Flow x
3.1. Design Planning 3.2. Selecting the Design Methodology 3.3. Related Trainings
3.1. Design Planning x
3.1.1. Creating a Design Specification and Test Plan 3.1.2. Planning for the Target Device or Board 3.1.3. Planning for Intellectual Property Cores 3.1.4. Planning for Standard Interfaces 3.1.5. Planning for Device Programming 3.1.6. Planning for Device Power Consumption 3.1.7. Planning for Interface I/O Pins 3.1.8. Planning for other EDA Tools 3.1.9. Planning for On-Chip Debugging Tools 3.1.10. Planning HDL Coding Styles
3.1.2. Planning for the Target Device or Board x
3.1.2.1. Device Migration Planning
3.1.8. Planning for other EDA Tools x
3.1.8.1. Third-Party Synthesis Tools 3.1.8.2. Third-Party Simulation Tools
3.1.10. Planning HDL Coding Styles x
3.1.10.1. Design Recommendations 3.1.10.2. Recommended HDL Coding Styles 3.1.10.3. Managing Metastability
3.2. Selecting the Design Methodology x
3.2.1. Flat Design Vs. Incremental Block-based Design 3.2.2. Partial Reconfiguration Design
4. Selecting a Starting Point for Your Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Project x
4.1. Creating a New FPGA Design Project 4.2. Migrating Projects from Other Intel® Quartus® Prime Editions to Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition 4.3. Migrating Your AMD* Vivado* Project to Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition 4.4. Migrating Projects Across Operating Systems 4.5. Migrating Project From One Device to Another 4.6. Related Trainings
4.1. Creating a New FPGA Design Project x
4.1.1. Using the Board-Aware Flow 4.1.2. Project Path Length Considerations
4.1.1. Using the Board-Aware Flow x
4.1.1.1. Creating a New Project from a Design Example 4.1.1.2. Specifying a Target Board for the Project
4.1.1.1. Creating a New Project from a Design Example x
4.1.1.1.1. Family, Device & Board Settings 4.1.1.1.2. Accessing Pre-Installed Design Examples 4.1.1.1.3. Accessing Online Design Examples 4.1.1.1.4. Accessing Downloaded Design Examples
4.1.1.1.3. Accessing Online Design Examples x
4.1.1.1.3.1. Internet Connectivity Options 4.1.1.1.3.2. Design Examples Options
4.2. Migrating Projects from Other Intel® Quartus® Prime Editions to Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition x
4.2.1. Keeping Pro Edition Project Files Separate 4.2.2. Upgrading Project Assignments and Constraints 4.2.3. Upgrading IP Cores and Platform Designer Systems 4.2.4. Upgrading Non-Compliant Design RTL
4.2.2. Upgrading Project Assignments and Constraints x
4.2.2.1. Modifying Entity Name Assignments 4.2.2.2. Resolving Timing Constraint Entity Names 4.2.2.3. Verifying Generated Node Name Assignments 4.2.2.4. Replace Logic Lock (Standard) Regions 4.2.2.5. Modifying Signal Tap Logic Analyzer Files 4.2.2.6. Removing References to .qip Files 4.2.2.7. Removing Unsupported Feature Assignments
4.2.2.4. Replace Logic Lock (Standard) Regions x
4.2.2.4.1. Logic Lock Region Assignment Examples
4.2.4. Upgrading Non-Compliant Design RTL x
4.2.4.1. Verifying Verilog Compilation Unit 4.2.4.2. Updating Entity Auto-Discovery 4.2.4.3. Ensuring Distinct VHDL Namespace for Each Library 4.2.4.4. Removing Unsupported Parameter Passing 4.2.4.5. Removing Unsized Constant from WYSIWYG Instantiation 4.2.4.6. Removing Non-Standard Pragmas 4.2.4.7. Declaring Objects Before Initial Values 4.2.4.8. Confining SystemVerilog Features to SystemVerilog Files 4.2.4.9. Avoiding Assignment Mixing in Always Blocks 4.2.4.10. Avoiding Unconnected, Non-Existent Ports 4.2.4.11. Avoiding Invalid Parameter Ranges 4.2.4.12. Updating Verilog HDL and VHDL Type Mapping 4.2.4.13. Converting Symbolic BDF Files to Acceptable File Formats
4.2.4.1. Verifying Verilog Compilation Unit x
4.2.4.1.1. Verilog HDL Configuration Instantiation
4.4. Migrating Projects Across Operating Systems x
4.4.1. Migrating Design Files and Libraries 4.4.2. Design Library Migration Guidelines
4.4.1. Migrating Design Files and Libraries x
4.4.1.1. Use Relative Paths
5. Working With Intel® FPGA IP Cores x
5.1. IP Catalog and Parameter Editor 5.2. Installing and Licensing Intel® FPGA IP Cores 5.3. IP General Settings 5.4. Adding IP to IP Catalog 5.5. Best Practices for Intel® FPGA IP 5.6. Specifying the IP Core Parameters and Options ( Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition) 5.7. IP Core Generation Output ( Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition) 5.8. Scripting IP Core Generation 5.9. Modifying an IP Variation 5.10. Upgrading IP Cores 5.11. Simulating Intel® FPGA IP Cores 5.12. Generating Simulation Files for Platform Designer Systems and IP Variants 5.13. Synthesizing IP Cores in Other EDA Tools 5.14. Instantiating IP Cores in HDL 5.15. Support for the IEEE 1735 Encryption Standard 5.16. Related Trainings and Resources
5.1. IP Catalog and Parameter Editor x
5.1.1. The Parameter Editor
5.2. Installing and Licensing Intel® FPGA IP Cores x
5.2.1. Intel® FPGA IP Evaluation Mode
5.2.1. Intel® FPGA IP Evaluation Mode x
5.2.1.1. Intel FPGA IP Versioning 5.2.1.2. Checking the IP License Status
5.6. Specifying the IP Core Parameters and Options ( Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition) x
5.6.1. Applying Preset Parameters for Specific Applications 5.6.2. Customizing IP Presets
5.6.1. Applying Preset Parameters for Specific Applications x
5.6.1.1. Viewing, Applying, and Deleting IP Presets
5.6.2. Customizing IP Presets x
5.6.2.1. Defining Preset Pin Assignments
5.6.2.1. Defining Preset Pin Assignments x
5.6.2.1.1. Defining Preset Pin Assignments in Pin Assignments Tab 5.6.2.1.2. Defining Preset Pin Assignments in a Pin File
5.10. Upgrading IP Cores x
5.10.1. Upgrading IP Cores at Command-Line 5.10.2. Migrating IP Cores to a Different Device 5.10.3. Troubleshooting IP or Platform Designer System Upgrade
5.11. Simulating Intel® FPGA IP Cores x
5.11.1. Generating IP Simulation Files 5.11.2. Scripting IP Simulation
5.11.2. Scripting IP Simulation x
5.11.2.1. Generating a Combined Simulator Setup Script
5.14. Instantiating IP Cores in HDL x
5.14.1. Example Top-Level Verilog HDL Module 5.14.2. Example Top-Level VHDL Module
6. Managing Intel® Quartus® Prime Projects x
6.1. Viewing Basic Project Information 6.2. Exploring Intel® Quartus® Prime Project Contents 6.3. Managing Project Settings 6.4. Viewing Parameter Settings From the Project Navigator 6.5. Managing Logic Design Files 6.6. Managing Timing Constraints 6.7. Integrating Other EDA Tools 6.8. Exporting Compilation Results 6.9. Archiving Projects 6.10. Command-Line Interface 6.11. Related Trainings
6.1. Viewing Basic Project Information x
6.1.1. Using the Compilation Dashboard 6.1.2. Viewing Project Reports 6.1.3. Viewing Project Messages
6.1.3. Viewing Project Messages x
6.1.3.1. Viewing Synthesis Warning Messages 6.1.3.2. Suppressing Message Display 6.1.3.3. Promoting Critical Warnings to Errors
6.2. Exploring Intel® Quartus® Prime Project Contents x
6.2.1. Project File Best Practices
6.5. Managing Logic Design Files x
6.5.1. Including Design Libraries 6.5.2. Creating a Project Copy
6.8. Exporting Compilation Results x
6.8.1. Exporting a Version-Compatible Compilation Database 6.8.2. Importing a Version-Compatible Compilation Database 6.8.3. Creating a Design Partition 6.8.4. Exporting a Design Partition 6.8.5. Reusing a Design Partition 6.8.6. Viewing Quartus Database File Information 6.8.7. Clearing Compilation Results
6.8.6. Viewing Quartus Database File Information x
6.8.6.1. QDB File Attribute Types
6.9. Archiving Projects x
6.9.1. Manually Adding Files To Archives 6.9.2. Archiving Projects for Service Requests 6.9.3. Archiving Projects for External Revision Control 6.9.4. Creating Database-Only Archives
6.9.3. Archiving Projects for External Revision Control x
6.9.3.1. Project Files to Include In External Revision Control
6.10. Command-Line Interface x
6.10.1. Project Revision Commands 6.10.2. Project Archive Commands 6.10.3. Project Database Commands
6.10.3. Project Database Commands x
6.10.3.1. quartus_cdb Executables to Manage Version-Compatible Databases
A. Next Steps After Getting Started x
A.1. Additional Resources A.2. Training
B. Using the Design Space Explorer II x
B.1. Optimizing Project Settings B.2. Running DSE II B.3. Setting Up Remote Farm Using Design Space Explorer II
B.1. Optimizing Project Settings x
B.1.1. Optimizing Settings with Design Space Explorer II B.1.2. Optimizing Settings with Project Revisions B.1.3. Back-Annotating Optimized Assignments
B.1.1. Optimizing Settings with Design Space Explorer II x
B.1.1.1. DSE II Computing Resources B.1.1.2. DSE II Optimization Parameters B.1.1.3. DSE II Result Management
1. Answers to Top FAQs
2. Introduction to Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition
3. Planning FPGA Design for RTL Flow
4. Selecting a Starting Point for Your Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Project
5. Working With Intel® FPGA IP Cores
6. Managing Intel® Quartus® Prime Projects
A. Next Steps After Getting Started
B. Using the Design Space Explorer II
C. Document Revision History for Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide Getting Started
D. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides

3.2.1. Flat Design Vs. Incremental Block-based Design

With the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software, you can either develop a flat design or a block-based design:
  • Flat Designs: In a flat compilation flow, the design hierarchy is flattened without design partitions and the Intel® Quartus® Prime software compiles the entire design in a “flat” netlist. Although the source code may be hierarchical, the compiler flattens and synthesizes all the design logic. Whenever you recompile the project, the compiler re-performs all available logic and placement optimizations on the entire design.

    The flat compilation flow does not require any planning for design partitions. However, because the Intel® Quartus® Prime software recompiles the entire design whenever you change your design, flat design practices may require more overall compilation time for large designs. Additionally, you may find that the results for one part of the design change when you change a different part of your design.

    If you plan to develop a small design with no plans to reuse or preserve blocks, use a flat design. However, flat designs are generally more difficult to optimize and debug because you cannot always isolate the timing issue.

  • Block-based designs: In block-based (hierarchical) flows, you can divide your design by creating design partitions. Block-based design flow is also known as modular or hierarchical design flow. You can designate a design block as a design partition to preserve or reuse the block. A design partition is a logical, named, hierarchical boundary assignment that you can apply to a design instance. Hierarchical flows allow you to isolate, optimize, and preserve compilation results for specific design blocks but require more design planning to ensure effective results.

    Using a hierarchical design methodology offers several advantages, such as:

    • Reuse design blocks with the same periphery configuration, share a synthesized design block with another designer, or replicate placed and routed IP in another project.
    • Design, implement, and verify core or periphery blocks once, and then reuse those blocks multiple times across different projects that use the same device.
    • Perform easier debugging and optimization of individual design blocks.
    • Assign the design hierarchy elements into logical partitions that are functionally independent.
    • Perform stand-alone block verification.
    • Use design blocks for reuse and preserve synthesis and timing results for blocks that are fully coded and meeting timing.
    • Preserve earlier results for a block you do not want to change when you change RTL code or compiler settings for another block in the design. The compiler produces different compilation results compared to previous settings and can cause timing violations in blocks that do not reflect the same corresponding code or setting changes. Block-based incremental compilation flow allows for preserving the block.
    • Partition a design, compile the design partitions separately, and reuse the results for unchanged partitions. You can preserve the performance of unchanged blocks and reduce the number of design iterations. The performance preservation of incremental block-based compilation allows you to focus timing closure on unpreserved partitions or on blocks that have difficulty meeting timing requirements

For more information about the block-based designing, refer to the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Block-Based Design.

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