External Memory Interfaces Intel® Stratix® 10 FPGA IP User Guide

ID 683741
Date 9/26/2022
Public

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3.3.4. Intel® Stratix® 10 Calibration Algorithms

The calibration algorithms sometimes vary, depending on the targeted memory protocol.

Address and Command Calibration

Address and command calibration consists of the following parts:
  • Leveling calibration— (DDR3 and DDR4 only) Toggles the CS# and CAS# signals to send read commands while keeping other address and command signals constant. The algorithm monitors for incoming DQS signals, and if the DQS signal toggles, it indicates that the read commands have been accepted. The algorithm then repeats using different delay values, to find the optimal window.

  • Deskew calibration— (DDR4 and QDR-IV only)
    • (DDR4) Uses the DDR4 address and command parity feature. The FPGA sends the address and command parity bit, and the DDR4 memory device responds with an alert signal if the parity bit is detected. The alert signal from the memory device tells the FPGA that the parity bit was received.

      Deskew calibration requires use of the PAR/ALERT# pins, so you should not omit these pins from your design. One limitation of deskew calibration is that it cannot deskew ODT and CKE pins.

    • (QDR-IV) Uses the QDR-IV loopback mode. The FPGA sends address and command signals, and the memory device sends back the address and command signals which it captures, via the read data pins. The returned signals indicate to the FPGA what the memory device has captured. Deskew calibration can deskew all synchronous address and command signals.
      Note: For more information about loopback mode, refer to your QDR-IV memory device data sheet.

Read Calibration

  • DQSen calibration— (DDR3, DDR4, RLDRAMx and QDRx) DQSen calibration occurs before Read deskew, therefore only a single DQ bit is required to pass in order to achieve a successful read pass.
    • (DDR3 and DDR4) The DQSen calibration algorithm searches the DQS preamble using a hardware state machine. The algorithm sends many back-to-back reads with a one clock cycle gap between. The hardware state machine searches for the DQS gap while sweeping DQSen delay values. The algorithm then increments the VFIFO value, and repeats the process until a pattern is found. The process is then repeated for all other read DQS groups.

    • (RLDRAMx and QDRx) The DQSen calibration algorithm does not use a hardware state machine; rather, it calibrates cycle-level delays using software and subcycle delays using DQS tracking hardware. The algorithm requires good data in memory, and therefore relies on guaranteed writes. (Writing a burst of 0s to one location, and a burst of 1s to another; back-to-back reads from these two locations are used for read calibration.)

      The algorithm enables DQS tracking to calibrate the phase component of DQS enable, and then issues a guaranteed write, followed by back-to-back reads. The algorithm sweeps DQSen values cycle by cycle until the read operation succeeds. The process is then repeated for all other read groups.

  • Deskew calibration— Read deskew calibration is performed before write leveling, and must be performed at least twice: once before write calibration, using simple data patterns from guaranteed writes, and again after write calibration, using complex data patterns.

    The deskew calibration algorithm performs a guaranteed write, and then sweeps dqs_in delay values from low to high, to find the right edge of the read window. The algorithm then sweeps dq-in delay values low to high, to find the left edge of the read window. Updated dqs_in and dq_in delay values are then applied to center the read window. The algorithm then repeats the process for all data pins.

  • Vref-In calibration— Read Vref-In calibration begins by programming Vref-In with an arbitrary value. The algorithm then sweeps the Vref-In value from the starting value to both ends, and measures the read window for each value. The algorithm selects the Vref-In value which provides the maximum read window.

  • LFIFO calibration— Read LFIFO calibration normalizes read delays between groups. The PHY must present all data to the controller as a single data bus. The LFIFO latency should be large enough for the slowest read data group, and large enough to allow proper synchronization across FIFOs.

Write Calibration

  • Leveling calibration— Write leveling calibration aligns the write strobe and clock to the memory clock, to compensate for skews. In general, leveling calibration tries a variety of delay values to determine the edges of the write window, and then selects an appropriate value to center the window. The details of the algorithm vary, depending on the memory protocol.
    • (DDRx) Write leveling occurs before write deskew, therefore only one successful DQ bit is required to register a pass. Write leveling staggers the DQ bus to ensure that at least one DQ bit falls within the valid write window.
    • (RLDRAMx) Optimizes for the CK versus DK relationship.
    • (QDR-IV) Optimizes for the CK versus DK relationship. Is covered by address and command deskew using the loopback mode.
    • (QDR II/II+/Xtreme) The K clock is the only clock, therefore write leveling is not required.
  • Deskew calibration— Performs per-bit deskew of write data relative to the write strobe and clock. Write deskew calibration does not change dqs_out delays; the write clock is aligned to the CK clock during write leveling.

  • VREF-Out calibration— (DDR4) Calibrates the VREF level at the memory device. The VREF-Out calibration algorithm is similar to the VREF-In calibration algorithm.