Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Timing Analyzer

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Date 4/01/2024
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Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
Answers to Top FAQs 1. Timing Analysis Introduction 2. Using the Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer A. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides
1. Timing Analysis Introduction x
1.1. What's New In This Version 1.2. Timing Analysis Basic Concepts 1.3. Timing Analysis Overview Document Revision History
1.2. Timing Analysis Basic Concepts x
1.2.1. Timing Path and Clock Analysis 1.2.2. Clock Setup Analysis 1.2.3. Clock Hold Analysis 1.2.4. Recovery and Removal Analysis 1.2.5. Multicycle Path Analysis 1.2.6. Metastability Analysis 1.2.7. Timing Pessimism 1.2.8. Clock-As-Data Analysis 1.2.9. Multicorner Timing Analysis 1.2.10. Time Borrowing
1.2.1. Timing Path and Clock Analysis x
1.2.1.1. The Timing Netlist 1.2.1.2. Timing Paths 1.2.1.3. Data and Clock Arrival Times 1.2.1.4. Launch and Latch Edges
1.2.5. Multicycle Path Analysis x
1.2.5.1. Multicycle Clock Hold 1.2.5.2. Multicycle Clock Setup
1.2.10. Time Borrowing x
1.2.10.1. Time Borrowing Limitations 1.2.10.2. Time Borrowing with Latches 1.2.10.3. Enabling Time Borrowing Optimization
2. Using the Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer x
2.1. Using Timing Constraints throughout the Design Flow 2.2. Timing Analysis Flow 2.3. Applying Timing Constraints 2.4. Timing Constraint Descriptions 2.5. Timing Report Descriptions 2.6. Scripting Timing Analysis 2.7. Using the Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer Document Revision History 2.8. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Timing Analyzer Archive
2.2. Timing Analysis Flow x
2.2.1. Step 1: Specify General Timing Analyzer Settings 2.2.2. Step 2: Specify Timing Constraints 2.2.3. Step 3: Run the Timing Analyzer 2.2.4. Step 4: Analyze Timing Reports
2.2.2. Step 2: Specify Timing Constraints x
2.2.2.1. Specifying SDC-on-RTL Timing Constraints 2.2.2.2. Specifying Conventional SDC Timing Constraints 2.2.2.3. Specifying Synthesis-Only SDC Timing Constraints
2.2.3. Step 3: Run the Timing Analyzer x
2.2.3.1. Running Post-Synthesis Early Timing Analysis 2.2.3.2. Running Post-Fit Timing Analysis
2.2.3.2. Running Post-Fit Timing Analysis x
2.2.3.2.1. Setting the Operating Conditions for Timing Analysis 2.2.3.2.2. Promoting Critical Warnings to Errors
2.2.4. Step 4: Analyze Timing Reports x
2.2.4.1. Cross-Probing with Design Assistant 2.2.4.2. Launching Design Assistant from Timing Analyzer 2.2.4.3. Locating Timing Paths in Other Tools 2.2.4.4. Correlating Constraints to the Timing Report
2.2.4.1. Cross-Probing with Design Assistant x
2.2.4.1.1. Cross-Probing from Design Assistant to Timing Analyzer
2.3. Applying Timing Constraints x
2.3.1. Recommended Initial Conventional SDC Constraints 2.3.2. Example Circuit and Conventional SDC File 2.3.3. SDC File Precedence 2.3.4. Iteratively Modifying Constraints 2.3.5. Applying Entity-Bound Timing Constraints 2.3.6. Constraining Design Partition Ports 2.3.7. Using Fitter Overconstraints
2.3.1. Recommended Initial Conventional SDC Constraints x
2.3.1.1. Create Clock (create_clock) 2.3.1.2. Derive PLL Clocks (derive_pll_clocks) 2.3.1.3. Derive Clock Uncertainty (derive_clock_uncertainty) 2.3.1.4. Set Clock Groups (set_clock_groups)
2.3.5. Applying Entity-Bound Timing Constraints x
2.3.5.1. Using Entity-Based SDC-on-RTL Constraints 2.3.5.2. Using Entity-Bound SDC Files
2.3.5.1. Using Entity-Based SDC-on-RTL Constraints x
2.3.5.1.1. Targeting Constraints to Module Inputs and Outputs 2.3.5.1.2. Entity Based SDC-on-RTL Constraint Scope 2.3.5.1.3. Automatic Scope Example for SDC-on-RTL 2.3.5.1.4. Manual Scope Example for SDC-on-RTL
2.3.5.2. Using Entity-Bound SDC Files x
2.3.5.2.1. Entity-Bound SDC Constraint Scope 2.3.5.2.2. Automatic Scope Entity-bound Constraint Example 2.3.5.2.3. Manual Scope Entity-bound Constraint Example 2.3.5.2.4. Exporting a Design Partition with Entity-bound Constraints 2.3.5.2.5. Importing a Design Partition with Entity-bound Constraints
2.3.6. Constraining Design Partition Ports x
2.3.6.1. Timing Analysis of Imported Compilation Results
2.4. Timing Constraint Descriptions x
2.4.1. Clock Constraints 2.4.2. I/O Constraints 2.4.3. Delay and Skew Constraints 2.4.4. Timing Exception Constraints 2.4.5. Delay Annotation
2.4.1. Clock Constraints x
2.4.1.1. Creating Base Clocks 2.4.1.2. Creating Virtual Clocks 2.4.1.3. Creating Generated Clocks (create_generated_clock) 2.4.1.4. Deriving PLL Clocks 2.4.1.5. Creating Clock Groups (set_clock_groups) 2.4.1.6. Accounting for Clock Effect Characteristics 2.4.1.7. Constraining CDC Paths
2.4.1.1. Creating Base Clocks x
2.4.1.1.1. Automatic Clock Detection and Constraint Creation
2.4.1.2. Creating Virtual Clocks x
2.4.1.2.1. Specifying I/O Interface Uncertainty 2.4.1.2.2. I/O Interface Clock Uncertainty Example
2.4.1.3. Creating Generated Clocks (create_generated_clock) x
2.4.1.3.1. Clock Divider Example (-divide_by) 2.4.1.3.2. Clock Multiplexer Example
2.4.1.5. Creating Clock Groups (set_clock_groups) x
2.4.1.5.1. Exclusive Clock Groups (-logically_exclusive or -physically_exclusive) 2.4.1.5.2. Asynchronous Clock Groups (-asynchronous) 2.4.1.5.3. set_clock_groups Constraint Tips
2.4.1.6. Accounting for Clock Effect Characteristics x
2.4.1.6.1. Set Clock Latency (set_clock_latency) 2.4.1.6.2. Clock Uncertainty
2.4.2. I/O Constraints x
2.4.2.1. Input Constraints (set_input_delay) 2.4.2.2. Output Constraints (set_output_delay)
2.4.3. Delay and Skew Constraints x
2.4.3.1. Advanced I/O Timing and Board Trace Model Delay 2.4.3.2. Maximum Skew (set_max_skew) 2.4.3.3. Net Delay (set_net_delay)
2.4.4. Timing Exception Constraints x
2.4.4.1. Timing Exception Precedence 2.4.4.2. False Paths (set_false_path) 2.4.4.3. Minimum and Maximum Delays 2.4.4.4. Multicycle Paths 2.4.4.5. Multicycle Exception Examples
2.4.4.4. Multicycle Paths x
2.4.4.4.1. Common Multicycle Applications 2.4.4.4.2. Relaxing Setup with Multicycle (set_multicyle_path) 2.4.4.4.3. Accounting for a Phase Shift (-phase)
2.4.4.5. Multicycle Exception Examples x
2.4.4.5.1. Default Multicycle Analysis 2.4.4.5.2. End Multicycle Setup = 2 and End Multicycle Hold = 0 2.4.4.5.3. End Multicycle Setup = 2 and End Multicycle Hold = 1 2.4.4.5.4. Same Frequency Clocks with Destination Clock Offset 2.4.4.5.5. Destination Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Source Clock Frequency 2.4.4.5.6. Destination Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Source Clock Frequency with an Offset 2.4.4.5.7. Source Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Destination Clock Frequency 2.4.4.5.8. Source Clock Frequency is a Multiple of the Destination Clock Frequency with an Offset
2.5. Timing Report Descriptions x
2.5.1. Report Fmax Summary 2.5.2. Report Timing 2.5.3. Report Timing By Source Files 2.5.4. Report Data Delay 2.5.5. Report Net Delay 2.5.6. Report Clocks and Clock Network 2.5.7. Report Clock Transfers 2.5.8. Report Metastability 2.5.9. Report CDC Viewer 2.5.10. Report Asynchronous CDC 2.5.11. Report Logic Depth 2.5.12. Report Neighbor Paths 2.5.13. Report Register Spread 2.5.14. Report Route Net of Interest 2.5.15. Report Retiming Restrictions 2.5.16. Report Register Statistics 2.5.17. Report Pipelining Information 2.5.18. Report Time Borrowing Data 2.5.19. Report Exceptions and Exceptions Reachability 2.5.20. Report Bottlenecks 2.5.21. Check Timing 2.5.22. Report SDC
2.5.13. Report Register Spread x
2.5.13.1. Registers with High Timing Path Endpoint Tension 2.5.13.2. Registers with High Immediate Fan-Out Tension
2.5.20. Report Bottlenecks x
2.5.20.1. Specifying Custom Bottleneck Criteria
2.6. Scripting Timing Analysis x
2.6.1. The quartus_sta Executable 2.6.2. The quartus_staw Executable 2.6.3. Collection Commands
2.6.3. Collection Commands x
2.6.3.1. Wildcard Characters 2.6.3.2. Adding and Removing Collection Items 2.6.3.3. Query of Collections 2.6.3.4. Using the get_pins Command
Answers to Top FAQs
1. Timing Analysis Introduction
2. Using the Quartus® Prime Timing Analyzer
A. Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guides

2.4.1.3. Creating Generated Clocks (create_generated_clock)

The Create Generate Clock (create_generated_clock) constraint allows you to define the properties and constraints of an internally generated clock in the design. You specify the Clock name (-name), the Source node (-source) from which clock derives, and the Relationship to the source properties. Define generated clocks for any node that modifies the properties of a clock signal, including modifying the phase, frequency, offset, or duty cycle.

You apply generated clocks most commonly on the outputs of PLLs, on register clock dividers, clock muxes, and clocks forwarded to other devices from an FPGA output port, such as source synchronous and memory interfaces. In the .sdc file, enter generated clocks after the base clocks definitions. Generated clocks automatically account for all clock delays and clock latency to the generated clock target.

The -source option specifies the name of a node in the clock path that you use as reference for your generated clock. The source of the generated clock must be a node in your design netlist, and not the name of a clock you previously define. You can use any node name on the clock path between the input clock pin of the target of the generated clock and the target node of its reference clock as the source node.

Specify the input clock pin of the target node as the source of your new generated clock. By accepting a node as the generated clock's source clock, the generated clock constraint decouples from the source clock. If you change the source clock for the generated clock and the source node is the same, you do not have to edit the generated clock constraint.

If you have multiple base clocks feeding a node that is the source for a generated clock, you must define multiple generated clocks. You associate each generated clock with one base clock using the -master_clock option in each generated clock statement. In some cases, generated clocks generate with combinational logic.

Depending on how your clock-modifying logic synthesizes, the source or target node can change from one compilation to the next. If the name changes after you write the generated clock constraint, the Compiler ignores the generated clock because that target name no longer exists in the design. To avoid this problem, use a synthesis attribute or synthesis assignment to retain the final combinational node name of the clock-modifying logic. Then use the kept name in your generated clock constraint.

Figure 87. Example of clock-as-data

When you create a generated clock on a node that ultimately feeds the data input of a register, this creates a special case of “clock-as-data." The Timing Analyzer treats clock-as-data differently. For example, if you use clock-as-data with DDR, you must consider both the rise and the fall of this clock, and the Timing Analyzer reports both rise and fall. With clock-as-data, the Compiler treats the From Node as the target of the generated clock, and the Launch Clock as the generated clock.

In Example of clock-as-data, the first path is from toggle_clk (INVERTED) to clk, and the second path is from toggle_clk to clk. The slack in both cases is slightly different due to the difference in rise and fall times along the path. The Data Delay column reports the ~5 ps difference. Only the path with the lowest slack value requires consideration. The Timing Analyzer only reports the worst-case path between the two (rise and fall). In this example, if you do not define the generated clock on the register output, then timing analysis reports only one path with the lowest slack value.

You can use the derive_pll_clocks command to automatically generate clocks for all PLL clock outputs. The properties of the generated clocks on the PLL outputs match the properties you define for the PLL.

You can verify correct implementation of clock constraints by using Report Clocks (report_clocks) to generate clock timing reports. You can use Check Timing (check_timing) to report problems with a variety of timing constraints, such as the number of generated clocks that are invalid.


Section Content
Clock Divider Example (-divide_by)
Clock Multiplexer Example

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