Quartus® Prime Standard Edition User Guide: Design Compilation

ID 683283
Date 10/22/2021
Public
Document Table of Contents

2.5.2.7.1. Example 1—Output Register in Partition Feeding Multiple Output Pins

In this example, the subdesign contains a single register.
Figure 16. Subdesign with One Register, Designated as a Separate Partition


If the top-level design instantiates the subdesign with a single fan-out directly feeding an output pin, and designates the subdesign as a separate design partition, the Quartus® Prime software can perform cross-partition register packing because the single partition port feeds the output pin directly.

In this example, the top-level design instantiates the subdesign as an output register with more than one fan-out signal.

Figure 17. Top-Level Design Instantiating the Subdesign with Two Output Pins


In this case, the Quartus® Prime software does not perform output register packing. If there is a Fast Output Register assignment on pin out, the software issues a warning that the Fitter cannot pack the node to an I/O pin because the node and the I/O cell are connected across a design partition boundary.

This type of cross-partition register packing is not allowed because it requires modification to the interface of the subdesign partition. To perform incremental compilation, the Quartus® Prime software must preserve the interface of design partitions.

To allow the Quartus® Prime software to pack the register in the subdesign with the output pin out in the figure, restructure your HDL code so that output registers directly connect to output pins by making one of the following changes:

  • Place the register in the same partition as the output pin. The simplest method is to move the register from the subdesign partition into the partition containing the output pin. Doing so guarantees that the Fitter can optimize the two nodes without violating partition boundaries.
  • Duplicate the register in your subdesign HDL so that each register feeds only one pin, and then connect the extra output pin to the new port in the top-level design. Doing so converts the cross-partition register packing into the simplest case where each register has a single fan-out.
Figure 18. Modified Subdesign with Two Output Registers and Two Output Ports


Figure 19. Modified Top-Level Design Connecting Two Output Ports to Output Pins