Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard Edition User Guide: Power Analysis and Optimization

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ID 683506
Date 9/24/2018
Public
Document Table of Contents
Document Table of Contents x
1. Power Analysis 2. Power Optimization A. Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard Edition User Guides
1. Power Analysis x
1.1. Comparison of the EPE and the Intel® Quartus® Prime Power Analyzer 1.2. Power Estimations and Design Requirements 1.3. Power Analyzer Walkthrough 1.4. Inputs for the Power Analyzer 1.5. Power Analysis in Modular Design Flows 1.6. Power Analyzer Compilation Report 1.7. Scripting Support 1.8. Power Analysis Revision History
1.4. Inputs for the Power Analyzer x
1.4.1. Operating Settings and Conditions 1.4.2. Sources for Signal Activity Data
1.4.2. Sources for Signal Activity Data x
1.4.2.1. Waveforms from Supported Simulators 1.4.2.2. .vcd Files from Third-Party Simulation Tools 1.4.2.3. Signal Activities from RTL (Functional) Simulation, Supplemented by Vectorless Estimation 1.4.2.4. Signal Activities from Vectorless Estimation and User-Supplied Input Pin Activities 1.4.2.5. Signal Activities from User Defaults Only
1.4.2.2. .vcd Files from Third-Party Simulation Tools x
1.4.2.2.1. Generating a .vcd in a EDA Simulation Tool 1.4.2.2.2. Generating a .vcd from ModelSim® Software
1.4.2.3. Signal Activities from RTL (Functional) Simulation, Supplemented by Vectorless Estimation x
1.4.2.3.1. RTL Simulation Limitation
1.5. Power Analysis in Modular Design Flows x
1.5.1. Complete Design Simulation 1.5.2. Modular Design Simulation 1.5.3. Multiple Simulations on the Same Entity 1.5.4. Overlapping Simulations 1.5.5. Partial Simulations 1.5.6. Node Name Matching Considerations 1.5.7. Glitch Filtering 1.5.8. Node and Entity Assignments 1.5.9. Default Toggle Rate Assignment 1.5.10. Vectorless Estimation
1.5.5. Partial Simulations x
1.5.5.1. Specifying Start and End Time when Performing Signal-Activity Calculations using the Limit VCD Period Option
1.5.7. Glitch Filtering x
1.5.7.1. Enabling Tool Based Glitch Filtering 1.5.7.2. Enabling Glitch Filtering During Power Analysis
1.5.8. Node and Entity Assignments x
1.5.8.1. Timing Assignments to Clock Nodes
1.7. Scripting Support x
1.7.1. Running the Power Analyzer from the Command–Line
2. Power Optimization x
2.1. Factors Affecting Power Consumption 2.2. Power Dissipation 2.3. Design Space Explorer II for Power-Driven Optimization 2.4. Power-Driven Compilation 2.5. Design Guidelines 2.6. Power Optimization Advisor 2.7. 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
2.4. Power-Driven Compilation x
2.4.1. Power-Driven Synthesis 2.4.2. Power-Driven Fitter 2.4.3. Area-Driven Synthesis 2.4.4. Gate-Level Register Retiming 2.4.5. Intel® Quartus® Prime Compiler Settings Power (High effort—increases runtime) Power (Aggressive—increases runtime, reduces performance) 2.4.6. Assignment Editor Options
2.4.1. Power-Driven Synthesis x
2.4.1.1. Memory Block Optimization 2.4.1.2. Power-Aware Logic Mapping 2.4.1.3. Power-Aware Memory Balancing
2.5. Design Guidelines x
2.5.1. Clock Power Management 2.5.2. Pipelining and Retiming 2.5.3. Architectural Optimization 2.5.4. I/O Power Guidelines 2.5.5. Memory Optimization (M20K/MLAB) 2.5.6. DDR Memory Controller Settings 2.5.7. DSP Implementation 2.5.8. Reducing High-Speed Tile (HST) Usage 2.5.9. Unused Transceiver Channels 2.5.10. Periphery Power reduction XCVR Settings
2.5.1. Clock Power Management x
2.5.1.1. Clock Enable in Memory Blocks 2.5.1.2. LAB Clock Power 2.5.1.3. Clock Enables 2.5.1.4. Global Signals 2.5.1.5. Merge Clocks
2.5.1.1. Clock Enable in Memory Blocks x
2.5.1.1.1. Memory Power Reduction Example
2.5.1.2. LAB Clock Power x
2.5.1.2.1. LAB-Wide Clock Enable Example
2.5.1.4. Global Signals x
2.5.1.4.1. Viewing Clock Details in the Chip Planner
2.5.5. Memory Optimization (M20K/MLAB) x
2.5.5.1. Implementation 2.5.5.2. Rd/Wr Enables
2.5.10. Periphery Power reduction XCVR Settings x
2.5.10.1. Transceiver Settings 2.5.10.2. I/O Current Strength
2.6. Power Optimization Advisor x
2.6.1. Set Realistic Timing Constraints 2.6.2. Appropriate Device Family 2.6.3. Dynamic Power 2.6.4. Static Power 2.6.5. Appropriate I/O Standards 2.6.6. Use RAM Blocks 2.6.7. Shut Down RAM Blocks 2.6.8. Clock Enables on Logic 2.6.9. Pipeline Logic to Reduce Glitching
2.6.1. Set Realistic Timing Constraints x
2.6.1.1. Find Timing Information
1. Power Analysis
2. Power Optimization
A. Intel® Quartus® Prime Standard Edition User Guides

2.4.5. Intel® Quartus® Prime Compiler Settings

The Intel® Quartus® Prime software provides settings that optimize power for the full design.

To set the optimization mode on the Intel® Quartus® Prime software, click Assignments > Settings > Compiler Settings.

Figure 11. Compiler Settings for Power Optimization

The two power optimization modes direct the Compiler to prioritize one optimization metric.

Power (High effort—increases runtime)

High effort modes enable additional optimizations that increase compilation time and do not affect design performance. High Power Effort mode guides the Compiler to spend additional compilation time reducing routing utilization, which saves dynamic power.

Power (Aggressive—increases runtime, reduces performance)

Aggressive modes increase compilation time and make trade-offs that may harm other optimization metrics (performance, area, etc.). In Aggressive Power mode, the Compiler attempts to reduce the routing usage of signals with the highest specified (via Signal Activity File) or estimated toggle rates, saving additional dynamic power but potentially affecting performance.

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