Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Timing Analyzer

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Date 1/31/2023
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. Answers to Top FAQs 2. Timing Analysis Introduction 3. Using the Intel® Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer A. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides
2. Timing Analysis Introduction x
2.1. What's New In This Version 2.2. Timing Analysis Basic Concepts 2.3. Timing Analysis Overview Document Revision History
2.2. Timing Analysis Basic Concepts x
2.2.1. Timing Path and Clock Analysis 2.2.2. Clock Setup Analysis 2.2.3. Clock Hold Analysis 2.2.4. Recovery and Removal Analysis 2.2.5. Multicycle Path Analysis 2.2.6. Metastability Analysis 2.2.7. Timing Pessimism 2.2.8. Clock-As-Data Analysis 2.2.9. Multicorner Timing Analysis 2.2.10. Time Borrowing
2.2.1. Timing Path and Clock Analysis x
2.2.1.1. The Timing Netlist 2.2.1.2. Timing Paths 2.2.1.3. Data and Clock Arrival Times 2.2.1.4. Launch and Latch Edges
2.2.5. Multicycle Path Analysis x
2.2.5.1. Multicycle Clock Hold 2.2.5.2. Multicycle Clock Setup
2.2.10. Time Borrowing x
2.2.10.1. Time Borrowing Limitations 2.2.10.2. Time Borrowing with Latches
3. Using the Intel® Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer x
3.1. Timing Analysis Flow 3.2. Step 1: Specify Timing Analyzer Settings 3.3. Step 2: Specify Timing Constraints 3.4. Step 3: Run the Timing Analyzer 3.5. Step 4: Analyze Timing Reports 3.6. Applying Timing Constraints 3.7. Timing Analyzer Tcl Commands 3.8. Timing Analysis of Imported Compilation Results 3.9. Using the Intel® Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer Document Revision History 3.10. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Timing Analyzer Archive
3.4. Step 3: Run the Timing Analyzer x
3.4.1. Setting the Operating Conditions for Timing Analysis 3.4.2. Enabling Time Borrowing Optimization
3.5. Step 4: Analyze Timing Reports x
3.5.1. Generating Timing Reports 3.5.2. Cross-Probing with Design Assistant 3.5.3. Launching Design Assistant from Timing Analyzer 3.5.4. Locating Timing Paths in Other Tools 3.5.5. Correlating Constraints to the Timing Report
3.5.1. Generating Timing Reports x
3.5.1.1. Report Fmax Summary 3.5.1.2. Report Timing 3.5.1.3. Report Timing By Source Files 3.5.1.4. Report Data Delay 3.5.1.5. Report Net Delay 3.5.1.6. Report Clocks and Clock Network 3.5.1.7. Report Clock Transfers 3.5.1.8. Report Metastability 3.5.1.9. Report CDC Viewer 3.5.1.10. Report Asynchronous CDC 3.5.1.11. Report Logic Depth 3.5.1.12. Report Neighbor Paths 3.5.1.13. Report Register Spread 3.5.1.14. Report Route Net of Interest 3.5.1.15. Report Retiming Restrictions 3.5.1.16. Report Register Statistics 3.5.1.17. Report Pipelining Information 3.5.1.18. Report Time Borrowing Data 3.5.1.19. Report Exceptions and Exceptions Reachability 3.5.1.20. Report Bottlenecks
3.5.1.13. Report Register Spread x
3.5.1.13.1. Registers with High Timing Path Endpoint Tension 3.5.1.13.2. Registers with High Immediate Fan-Out Tension
3.5.1.20. Report Bottlenecks x
3.5.1.20.1. Specifying Custom Bottleneck Criteria
3.5.2. Cross-Probing with Design Assistant x
3.5.2.1. Cross-Probing from Design Assistant to Timing Analyzer
3.6. Applying Timing Constraints x
3.6.1. Recommended Initial SDC Constraints 3.6.2. SDC File Precedence 3.6.3. Modifying Iterative Constraints 3.6.4. Using Entity-bound SDC Files 3.6.5. Creating Clocks and Clock Constraints 3.6.6. Creating I/O Constraints 3.6.7. Creating Delay and Skew Constraints 3.6.8. Creating Timing Exceptions 3.6.9. Using Fitter Overconstraints 3.6.10. Example Circuit and SDC File
3.6.1. Recommended Initial SDC Constraints x
3.6.1.1. Create Clock (create_clock) 3.6.1.2. Derive PLL Clocks (derive_pll_clocks) 3.6.1.3. Derive Clock Uncertainty (derive_clock_uncertainty) 3.6.1.4. Set Clock Groups (set_clock_groups)
3.6.4. Using Entity-bound SDC Files x
3.6.4.1. Entity-bound Constraint Scope 3.6.4.2. Entity-bound Constraint Examples
3.6.5. Creating Clocks and Clock Constraints x
3.6.5.1. Creating Base Clocks 3.6.5.2. Creating Virtual Clocks 3.6.5.3. Creating Generated Clocks (create_generated_clock) 3.6.5.4. Deriving PLL Clocks 3.6.5.5. Creating Clock Groups (set_clock_groups) 3.6.5.6. Accounting for Clock Effect Characteristics 3.6.5.7. Constraining CDC Paths
3.6.5.1. Creating Base Clocks x
3.6.5.1.1. Automatic Clock Detection and Constraint Creation
3.6.5.2. Creating Virtual Clocks x
3.6.5.2.1. Specifying I/O Interface Uncertainty 3.6.5.2.2. I/O Interface Clock Uncertainty Example
3.6.5.3. Creating Generated Clocks (create_generated_clock) x
3.6.5.3.1. Clock Divider Example (-divide_by) 3.6.5.3.2. Clock Multiplexer Example
3.6.5.5. Creating Clock Groups (set_clock_groups) x
3.6.5.5.1. Exclusive Clock Groups (-logically_exclusive or -physically_exclusive) 3.6.5.5.2. Asynchronous Clock Groups (-asynchronous) 3.6.5.5.3. set_clock_groups Constraint Tips
3.6.5.6. Accounting for Clock Effect Characteristics x
3.6.5.6.1. Set Clock Latency (set_clock_latency) 3.6.5.6.2. Clock Uncertainty
3.6.6. Creating I/O Constraints x
3.6.6.1. Input Constraints (set_input_delay) 3.6.6.2. Output Constraints (set_output_delay)
3.6.7. Creating Delay and Skew Constraints x
3.6.7.1. Advanced I/O Timing and Board Trace Model Delay 3.6.7.2. Maximum Skew (set_max_skew) 3.6.7.3. Net Delay (set_net_delay)
3.6.8. Creating Timing Exceptions x
3.6.8.1. Timing Exception Precedence 3.6.8.2. False Paths (set_false_path) 3.6.8.3. Minimum and Maximum Delays 3.6.8.4. Multicycle Paths 3.6.8.5. Multicycle Exception Examples 3.6.8.6. Delay Annotation 3.6.8.7. Constraining Design Partition Ports
3.6.8.4. Multicycle Paths x
3.6.8.4.1. Common Multicycle Applications 3.6.8.4.2. Relaxing Setup with Multicycle (set_multicyle_path) 3.6.8.4.3. Accounting for a Phase Shift (-phase)
3.6.8.5. Multicycle Exception Examples x
3.6.8.5.1. Default Multicycle Analysis 3.6.8.5.2. End Multicycle Setup = 2 and End Multicycle Hold = 0 3.6.8.5.3. End Multicycle Setup = 2 and End Multicycle Hold = 1 3.6.8.5.4. Same Frequency Clocks with Destination Clock Offset 3.6.8.5.5. Destination Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Source Clock Frequency 3.6.8.5.6. Destination Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Source Clock Frequency with an Offset 3.6.8.5.7. Source Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Destination Clock Frequency 3.6.8.5.8. Source Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Destination Clock Frequency with an Offset
3.7. Timing Analyzer Tcl Commands x
3.7.1. The quartus_sta Executable 3.7.2. Collection Commands
3.7.2. Collection Commands x
3.7.2.1. Wildcard Characters 3.7.2.2. Adding and Removing Collection Items 3.7.2.3. Query of Collections 3.7.2.4. Using the get_pins Command
1. Answers to Top FAQs
2. Timing Analysis Introduction
3. Using the Intel® Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer
A. Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides

3.5.1.13. Report Register Spread

The Timing Analyzer's Reports > Design Metrics > Report Register Spread... command analyzes the final placement to identify registers with sinks pulling them in various directions. These registers are potential candidates for duplication. The equivalent scripting command is report_register_spread.

Registers that drive in opposite directions and connect to high fan-out can have placement-warping effects on the floorplan that impact fMAX. The placement-warping may not cause timing failures. Therefore, you can view this report to identify such registers. Taking steps to address the registers listed in the report can make placement of the design easier and improve fMAX performance.

You can automate duplication of registers with the DUPLICATE_REGISTER and DUPLICATE_HIERARCHY_DEPTH .qsf assignments, or you can manually modify RTL to duplicate registers or refactor logic. Refer to "Automatic Register Duplication: Hierarchical Proximity" in Intel Quartus Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Design Optimization.

Figure 62. Report Register Spread Report

You can specify various options to customize the report.

Table 17.  Report Register Spread Settings
Option Available Settings
Spread Type Specifies the type of spread data in the report:
  • Tension—reports the sum over each sink of the distance from it to the centroid of all the sinks.
  • Angle—reports how far around the source register the fan-outs wrap, expressed from 0 to 360 degrees. This value corresponds to 360 minus the maximum angle between any two angularly adjacent sinks. This metric complements Tension by identifying registers which are surrounded by their sinks in all directions, and not those registers only being pulled in a few directions.
  • Span—reports the maximum 1-dimensional delta between the left bottom-most sink and the right top-most sink.
  • Area—reports the coverage of the sinks by number of LABs on the FPGA device. This option multiplies the span of the sinks in both X- and Y- dimensions. This metric complements Span by incorporating both dimensional spans of the sinks, and not only the maximum sink.
  • Count—reports registers with the largest sink counts.
Sink Type Specifies the type of sink in the report:
  • Endpoint—the nodes (usually registers) that terminate timing paths from a register.
  • Immediate Fanout—the immediately connected nodes of the register. For example, lookup tables, other registers, RAM, or DSP blocks.
From Clock Filters paths in the report to show only the launching clocks you specify.
To Clock Filters paths in the report to show only the latching clocks you specify, allowing you to debug one clock at a time.
Report number of registers Specifies the number of registers to display in the report. The default value for Report number of registers is 10.
Report panel name Specifies the name of the report panel. You can optionally enable File name to write the information to a file. If you append .htm or .html as a suffix, the Timing Analyzer produces the report as HTML. If you enable File name, you can Overwrite or Append the file with latest data.
Tcl command Displays the Tcl syntax that corresponds with the GUI options you select. You can copy the command from the Console into a Tcl file.
Figure 63. Report Register Spread Types
Figure 64. Report Register Spread Dialog Box

Section Content
Registers with High Timing Path Endpoint Tension
Registers with High Immediate Fan-Out Tension

Related Information
Level Two Title