Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Power Analysis and Optimization

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ID 683174
Date 5/28/2025
Public
Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
Answers to Top FAQs 1. Power Analysis 2. Power Optimization 3. Power Analysis and Optimization Document Archive A. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides
1. Power Analysis x
1.1. Power Analysis Tools 1.2. Running the Power Analyzer 1.3. Specifying Power Analyzer Input 1.4. Viewing Power Analysis Reports 1.5. Power Analysis in Modular Design Flows 1.6. Scripting Support 1.7. Power Analysis Revision History
1.3. Specifying Power Analyzer Input x
1.3.1. Settings for Power Analysis 1.3.2. Specifying Signal Activity Data 1.3.3. Specifying the Default Toggle Rate 1.3.4. Specifying Toggle Rates for Specific Nodes 1.3.5. Avoiding Simulation Node Name Match
1.3.2. Specifying Signal Activity Data x
1.3.2.1. Using Simulation Signal Activity Data in Power Analysis 1.3.2.2. Signal Activities from RTL (Functional) Simulation, Supplemented by Vectorless Estimation 1.3.2.3. Signal Activities from Vectorless Estimation and User-Supplied Input Pin Activities 1.3.2.4. Signal Activities from User Defaults Only
1.3.2.1. Using Simulation Signal Activity Data in Power Analysis x
1.3.2.1.1. Generating Signal Activity Data for Power Analysis 1.3.2.1.2. Generating Standard Delay Output for Power Analysis 1.3.2.1.3. Simulation Glitch Filtering
1.3.2.2. Signal Activities from RTL (Functional) Simulation, Supplemented by Vectorless Estimation x
1.3.2.2.1. RTL Simulation Limitation
1.3.4. Specifying Toggle Rates for Specific Nodes x
1.3.4.1. Clock Node Toggle Rates
1.5. Power Analysis in Modular Design Flows x
1.5.1. Complete Design Simulation Power Analysis Flow 1.5.2. Modular Design Simulation Power Analysis Flow 1.5.3. Multiple Simulation Power Analysis Flow 1.5.4. Overlapping Simulation Power Analysis Flow 1.5.5. Partial Design Simulation Power Analysis Flow 1.5.6. Vectorless Estimation Power Analysis Flow
1.5.5. Partial Design Simulation Power Analysis Flow x
1.5.5.1. Specifying Start and End Time for Signal Activity Calculations
1.6. Scripting Support x
1.6.1. Running the Power Analyzer from the Command–Line
2. Power Optimization x
2.1. Factors Affecting Power Consumption 2.2. Design Space Explorer II for Power-Driven Optimization 2.3. Power-Driven Compilation 2.4. Design Guidelines 2.5. Power Optimization Advisor 2.6. Power Optimization Revision History
2.1. Factors Affecting Power Consumption x
2.1.1. Design Activity and Power Analysis 2.1.2. Device Selection 2.1.3. Environmental Conditions 2.1.4. Device Resource Usage 2.1.5. Signal Activity
2.1.4. Device Resource Usage x
2.1.4.1. Number, Type, and Loading of I/O Pins 2.1.4.2. Number and Type of Hard Logic Blocks 2.1.4.3. Number and Type of Global Signals
2.1.5. Signal Activity x
2.1.5.1. Toggle Rate 2.1.5.2. Static Probability
2.3. Power-Driven Compilation x
2.3.1. Power-Driven Synthesis 2.3.2. Power-Driven Fitter 2.3.3. Area-Driven Synthesis 2.3.4. Gate-Level Register Retiming 2.3.5. Quartus® Prime Compiler Settings 2.3.6. Assignment Editor Options
2.3.1. Power-Driven Synthesis x
2.3.1.1. Memory Block Optimization 2.3.1.2. Power-Aware Logic Mapping 2.3.1.3. Power-Aware Memory Balancing
2.4. Design Guidelines x
2.4.1. Clock Power Management 2.4.2. Pipelining and Retiming 2.4.3. Architectural Optimization 2.4.4. I/O Power Guidelines 2.4.5. Dynamically Controlled On-Chip Terminations (OCT) 2.4.6. Memory Optimization (M20K/MLAB) 2.4.7. DDR Memory Controller Settings 2.4.8. DSP Implementation 2.4.9. Reducing High-Speed Tile (HST) Usage 2.4.10. Unused Transceiver Channels 2.4.11. Periphery Power reduction XCVR Settings
2.4.1. Clock Power Management x
2.4.1.1. Clock Gating 2.4.1.2. Clock Enable in Memory Blocks 2.4.1.3. LAB Clock Power 2.4.1.4. Clock Enables 2.4.1.5. Global Signals 2.4.1.6. Merge Clocks
2.4.1.1. Clock Gating x
2.4.1.1.1. Root Clock Gate 2.4.1.1.2. Sector Clock Gate 2.4.1.1.3. I/O PLL Clock Gate
2.4.1.3. LAB Clock Power x
2.4.1.3.1. LAB-Wide Clock Enable Example
2.4.1.5. Global Signals x
2.4.1.5.1. Viewing Clock Details in the Chip Planner
2.4.6. Memory Optimization (M20K/MLAB) x
2.4.6.1. Implementation 2.4.6.2. Rd/Wr Enables
2.4.11. Periphery Power reduction XCVR Settings x
2.4.11.1. Transceiver Settings 2.4.11.2. I/O Current Strength
2.5. Power Optimization Advisor x
2.5.1. Set Realistic Timing Constraints 2.5.2. Appropriate Device Family 2.5.3. Dynamic Power 2.5.4. Static Power 2.5.5. Appropriate I/O Standards 2.5.6. Use RAM Blocks 2.5.7. Shut Down RAM Blocks 2.5.8. Clock Enables on Logic 2.5.9. Pipeline Logic to Reduce Glitching
2.5.1. Set Realistic Timing Constraints x
2.5.1.1. Find Timing Information
Answers to Top FAQs
1. Power Analysis
2. Power Optimization
3. Power Analysis and Optimization Document Archive
A. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides

1. Power Analysis

Power consumption is a critical design consideration. When designing a PCB, you must determine the power consumption of the FPGA device to develop an accurate power budget, and to design the power supplies, voltage regulators, heat sink, and cooling system.

The Quartus® Prime software includes the Power Analyzer to help you to estimate the power consumption of your compiled design.

Power Analyzer Tool Settings


The Quartus® Prime Design Suite also provides the Early Power Estimator (EPE) spreadsheet for Arria® 10 devices, and the Power and Thermal Calculator for Agilex™ FPGA portfolio and Stratix® 10 devices to estimate power consumption calculated from your predicted design characteristics.

Power estimation and analysis allows you to confirm that your design does not exceed thermal or power supply requirements throughout the design process:

  • Thermal—Thermal power is the power that dissipates as heat from the FPGA. Devices use a heatsink or fan to act as a cooling solution. This cooling solution must be sufficient to dissipate the heat that the device generates. Additionally, the computed junction temperature must fall within normal device specifications.
  • Power supply—Power supply is the power that the device needs to operate. Power supplies must provide adequate current to support device operation.
Note: Do not use the results of the Power Analyzer as design specifications. You must also verify the actual power during device operation to account for actual environmental operating conditions.

Section Content
Power Analysis Tools
Running the Power Analyzer
Specifying Power Analyzer Input
Viewing Power Analysis Reports
Power Analysis in Modular Design Flows
Scripting Support
Power Analysis Revision History

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