External Memory Interface Handbook Volume 3: Reference Material: For UniPHY-based Device Families

ID 683841
Date 3/06/2023
Public
Document Table of Contents

2.9.2. Stratix® 10 Calibration Stages Descriptions

The various stages of calibration perform address and command calibration, read calibration, and write calibration.

Address and Command Calibration

The goal of address and command calibration is to delay address and command signals as necessary to optimize the address and command window. This stage is not available for all protocols, and cannot compensate for an inefficient board design.

Address and command calibration consists of the following parts:
  • Leveling calibration— Centers the CS# signal and the entire address and command bus, relative to the CK clock. This operation is available for DDR3 and DDR4 interfaces only.
  • Deskew calibration— Provides per-bit deskew for the address and command bus (except CS#), relative to the CK clock. This operation is available for DDR4 and QDR-IV interfaces only.

Read Calibration

Read calibration consists of the following parts:

  • DQSen calibration— Calibrates the timing of the read capture clock gating and ungating, so that the PHY can gate and ungate the read clock at precisely the correct time—if too early or too late, data corruption can occur. The algorithm for this stage varies, depending on the memory protocol.
  • Deskew calibration— Performs per-bit deskew of read data relative to the read strobe or clock.
  • VREF-In calibration— Calibrates the VREF level at the FPGA.
  • LFIFO calibration: Normalizes differences in read delays between groups due to fly-by, skews, and other variables and uncertainties.

Write Calibration

Write calibration consists of the following parts:

  • Leveling calibration— Aligns the write strobe and clock to the memory clock, to compensate for skews, especially those associated with fly-by topology. The algorithm for this stage varies, depending on the memory protocol.
  • Deskew calibration— Performs per-bit deskew of write data relative to the write strobe and clock.
  • VREF-Out calibration— Calibrates the VREF level at the memory device.