Intel® Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: PCB Design Tools

ID 683768
Date 8/01/2023
Public
Document Table of Contents

5.1. Cadence PCB Design Tools Support

The Intel® Quartus® Prime software interacts with the following software to provide a complete FPGA-to-board integration design workflow: the Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL software and the Cadence Allegro Design Entry CIS (Component Information System) software (also known as OrCAD Capture CIS). The information is useful for board design and layout engineers who want to begin the FPGA board integration process while the FPGA is still in the design phase. Part librarians can also benefit by learning the method to use output from the Intel® Quartus® Prime software to create new library parts and symbols.

With today’s large, high-pin-count and high-speed FPGA devices, good PCB design practices are important to ensure the correct operation of your system. The PCB design takes place concurrently with the design and programming of the FPGA. An FPGA or ASIC designer initially creates the signal and pin assignments and the board designer must transfer these assignments to the symbols used in their system circuit schematics and board layout correctly. As the board design progresses, you must perform pin reassignments to optimize the layout. You must communicate pin reassignments to the FPGA designer to ensure the new assignments are processed through the FPGA with updated placement and routing.

You require the following software:

  • The Intel® Quartus® Prime software version 5.1 or later
  • The Cadence Allegro Design Entry HDL software or the Cadence Allegro Design Entry CIS software version 15.2 or later
  • The OrCAD Capture software with the optional CIS option version 10.3 or later (optional)
Note: These programs are very similar because the Cadence Allegro Design Entry CIS software is based on the OrCAD Capture software. Any procedural information can also apply to the OrCAD Capture software unless otherwise noted.