AN 307: Intel® FPGA Design Flow for Xilinx* Users

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Date 2/25/2022
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. Introduction to Intel® FPGA Design Flow for Xilinx* Users 2. Technology Comparison 3. FPGA Tools Comparison 4. Xilinx* to Intel® FPGA Design Conversion 5. Conclusion 6. AN 307: Intel® FPGA Design Flow for Xilinx* Users Archives 7. Document Revision History for Intel® FPGA Design Flow for Xilinx* Users
2. Technology Comparison x
2.1. Intel® FPGA and SoC Devices 2.2. Intel® - Xilinx* Device Comparison 2.3. Intel® FPGA Device Features
3. FPGA Tools Comparison x
3.1. Hardware and Software Tools for FPGA Design 3.2. FPGA Design Flow Using Command Line Scripting 3.3. FPGA Design Flow Using Tools with GUIs 3.4. Additional Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Features
3.2. FPGA Design Flow Using Command Line Scripting x
3.2.1. Command-Line Executable Equivalents 3.2.2. Programming and Configuration File Support in the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software
3.2.1. Command-Line Executable Equivalents x
3.2.1.1. synth_design 3.2.1.2. place_design/route_design 3.2.1.3. report_timing 3.2.1.4. write_bitstream 3.2.1.5. write_sdf/write_verilog/write_vhdl 3.2.1.6. report_power 3.2.1.7. write_checkpoint 3.2.1.8. Run Complete Design Flow
3.3. FPGA Design Flow Using Tools with GUIs x
3.3.1. Project Creation 3.3.2. Design Entry 3.3.3. IP Status 3.3.4. Design Constraints Features 3.3.5. Synthesis 3.3.6. Design Implementation 3.3.7. Finalize Pinout 3.3.8. Viewing and Editing Design Placement 3.3.9. Static Timing Analysis 3.3.10. Generation of Device Programming Files 3.3.11. Power Analysis 3.3.12. Simulation 3.3.13. Hardware Verification 3.3.14. View Netlist 3.3.15. Design Optimization 3.3.16. Techniques to Improve Productivity 3.3.17. Partial Reconfiguration 3.3.18. Cross-Probing in the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software
3.3.2. Design Entry x
3.3.2.1. HDL Editor 3.3.2.2. Schematic/Block Editor 3.3.2.3. State Machine Editor 3.3.2.4. IP Catalog and Parameter Editor 3.3.2.5. Platform Designer System Integration Tool 3.3.2.6. Platform Designer Component Editor
3.3.4. Design Constraints x
Features 3.3.4.1. Assignment Editor 3.3.4.2. Create Timing Constraints with the Timing Analyzer GUI 3.3.4.3. Create Timing Constraints with the Timing Analyzer Text Editor
3.3.7. Finalize Pinout x
3.3.7.1. Pin Planner 3.3.7.2. Interface Planner 3.3.7.3. Tile Interface Planner
3.3.12. Simulation x
3.3.12.1. Simulation Models for Designs Containing LPMs or IP Cores
3.3.13. Hardware Verification x
3.3.13.1. System Console 3.3.13.2. Signal Tap Logic Analyzer 3.3.13.3. In-System Sources and Probes 3.3.13.4. Toolkit Explorer 3.3.13.5. Remote Debugging 3.3.13.6. Other Intel® FPGA Debugging Tools
3.3.13.4. Toolkit Explorer x
3.3.13.4.1. Transceiver Toolkit 3.3.13.4.2. EMIF Debug Toolkit
3.3.14. View Netlist x
3.3.14.1. RTL Viewer 3.3.14.2. Technology Map Viewer
3.3.15. Design Optimization x
3.3.15.1. Hyper-Aware Design Flow 3.3.15.2. Physical Synthesis Optimization 3.3.15.3. Optimization Modes 3.3.15.4. Fractal Synthesis
3.3.16. Techniques to Improve Productivity x
3.3.16.1. Fast Preservation 3.3.16.2. Engineering Change Order (ECO) Flow 3.3.16.3. Block-Based Design Flow 3.3.16.4. Design Assistant 3.3.16.5. Snapshot Viewer 3.3.16.6. Design Space Explorer II
3.4. Additional Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Features x
3.4.1. Scripting with Tcl in the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software
3.4.1. Scripting with Tcl in the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software x
3.4.1.1. Running Scripts from the DOS or UNIX Prompt 3.4.1.2. Running Scripts in Batch Mode from a Shell 3.4.1.3. Running Tcl Commands Directly from the Command Line 3.4.1.4. Running Tcl Commands Interactively from the Shell 3.4.1.5. The Intel® Quartus® Prime Tcl Console Window
4. Xilinx* to Intel® FPGA Design Conversion x
4.1. Replacing Xilinx* Primitives 4.2. Converting IP Cores 4.3. Setting Equivalent Xilinx* Design Constraints 4.4. Setting Up the Simulation Environment
4.1. Replacing Xilinx* Primitives x
4.1.1. Converting I/O Buffers 4.1.2. Changing Default I/O Standard for Pins 4.1.3. Converting Registers
4.1.1. Converting I/O Buffers x
4.1.1.1. Example of Converting I/O Buffer
4.2. Converting IP Cores x
4.2.1. Converting Memory Blocks 4.2.2. Converting Mixed-Mode Clock Manager (MMCM) to Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) 4.2.3. Converting Multipliers
4.2.1. Converting Memory Blocks x
4.2.1.1. Embedded Memory Blocks 4.2.1.2. Differences Between Xilinx* Memory and Intel® FPGA Memory 4.2.1.3. Determining Memory Block and Mapping Ports 4.2.1.4. Memory Port Mapping 4.2.1.5. Example: Converting Simple Dual-Port RAM
4.2.1.2. Differences Between Xilinx* Memory and Intel® FPGA Memory x
4.2.1.2.1. Memory Mode 4.2.1.2.2. Clocking Mode 4.2.1.2.3. Write and Read Operation Triggering 4.2.1.2.4. Read-During-Write Operation at the Same Address 4.2.1.2.5. Error Correction Code (ECC) 4.2.1.2.6. Byte Enable 4.2.1.2.7. Address Clock Enable 4.2.1.2.8. Parity Bit Support 4.2.1.2.9. Memory Initialization 4.2.1.2.10. Output Synchronous Set/Reset
4.2.2. Converting Mixed-Mode Clock Manager (MMCM) to Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) x
4.2.2.1. Feature Comparison 4.2.2.2. Port Mapping Reference 4.2.2.3. Example: Converting Xilinx* MMCM into an Intel® PLL
4.2.3. Converting Multipliers x
4.2.3.1. Feature Comparison 4.2.3.2. Port Mapping 4.2.3.3. Example: Converting to the LPM_MULT IP Core 4.2.3.4. Example: Converting to the Intel® FPGA Multiply Adder IP core
4.3. Setting Equivalent Xilinx* Design Constraints x
4.3.1. Device Constraints 4.3.2. Placement Constraints 4.3.3. Timing Constraints 4.3.4. Retimer Constraints
4.3.1. Device Constraints x
4.3.1.1. DRIVE 4.3.1.2. SLEW 4.3.1.3. IOB 4.3.1.4. IOSTANDARD 4.3.1.5. KEEP
4.3.2. Placement Constraints x
4.3.2.1. PBLOCK 4.3.2.2. PACKAGE_PIN 4.3.2.3. LOC & BEL 4.3.2.4. PROHIBIT
4.3.2.1. PBLOCK x
4.3.2.1.1. Differences Between PBLOCK and Logic Lock Regions
4.3.3. Timing Constraints x
4.3.3.1. Clock Domain Crossing
4.4. Setting Up the Simulation Environment x
4.4.1. Simulation Levels 4.4.2. HDL Support for EDA Simulators 4.4.3. Value Change Dump (VCD) Support 4.4.4. Simulating Intel FPGA IP Cores
1. Introduction to Intel® FPGA Design Flow for Xilinx* Users
2. Technology Comparison
3. FPGA Tools Comparison
4. Xilinx* to Intel® FPGA Design Conversion
5. Conclusion
6. AN 307: Intel® FPGA Design Flow for Xilinx* Users Archives
7. Document Revision History for Intel® FPGA Design Flow for Xilinx* Users

3.3.4. Design Constraints

The Vivado* software provides GUI editors (Device/Physical/Timing windows) to create and edit design constraints. Xilinx* designs store all the constraints and attributes in Xilinx* Design Constraint (.xdc) files, including timing and device constraints. You can also edit .xdc files with a text editor.

Intel® FPGA designs use separate files for device (.qsf) and timing (.sdc) constraints, and stores timing constraints in Synopsys* Design Constraints (SDC) format. To view and edit pin assignments, device options, and logic options, use the Assignment Editor. To view and edit timing constraints, use the Text Editor in the Timing Analyzer GUI.

Table 14.  Design Constraint Comparison
GUI Feature Xilinx* Vivado* Software Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software
Design Constraints Device, Physical and Timing Constraints window

Assignment Editor,

Timing Analyzer Text Editor

Features

The table summarizes the file format and assignment types that the tools in the Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software set.

Table 15.   Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Assignment Tools
Assignment Type File Format Tools to Make Assignments
Timing SDC Timing Analyzer
I/O-related TCL Timing Analyzer
QSF Pin Planner, Interface Planner
Others Assignment Editor

With separate constraint files, you avoid searching for timing constraints among other device constraints. Additionally, you can modify the timing constraints and check for validity without recompiling. In place of the I/O Planning in the Vivado* software, Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition software offers the Interface Planner to plan interfaces and device periphery, and the Pin Planner to edit, validate, and export pin assignments.

For equivalence between design constraints, refer to the Set Equivalent Xilinx* Design Constraints section.


Section Content
Assignment Editor
Create Timing Constraints with the Timing Analyzer GUI
Create Timing Constraints with the Timing Analyzer Text Editor

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