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Ixiasoft
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Ixiasoft
1.1.1. Design Specifications
Number | Done? | Checklist Item |
---|---|---|
1 | Create detailed design specifications and a test plan if appropriate. | |
2 | Plan clock domains, clock resources, and I/O interfaces early with a block diagram. |
Create detailed design specifications that define the system before you create your logic design or complete your system design, by performing the following:
- Specify the I/O interfaces for the FPGA
- Identify the different clock domains
- Include a block diagram of basic design functions
- Include intellectual property (IP) blocks
Note: Taking the time to create these specifications improves design efficiency, but this stage is often skipped by FPGA designers.
- Create a functional verification/test plan
- Consider a common design directory structure
Create a functional verification plan to ensure the team knows how to verify the system. Creating a test plan at this stage can also help you design for testability and design for manufacturability. For example, do you want to perform built-in-self test (BIST) functions to drive interfaces? If so, you could use a UART interface with a Nios® processor inside the FPGA device. You might require the ability to validate all the design interfaces.
If your design includes multiple designers, it is useful to consider a common design directory structure. This eases the design integration stages.