Stratix® IV FPGA TriMatrix Memory
Stratix IV FPGA TriMatrix on-chip memory offers maximum efficiency and flexibility and is based upon the Stratix® III FPGA TriMatrix memory architecture. Stratix IV FPGAs provide:
- Up to 22.4 Mbits of total memory (in M9K and M144K blocks)
- Clock rates of up to 600 MHz for total bandwidth in excess of 36 terabits per second
- Logic array block (LAB)-based MLAB blocks for small grain distributed memory resources
- Power-down modes based on Intel® FPGA’s Programmable Power Technology
- Advanced features such as error code correction (ECC)
Each MLAB is implemented using one LAB containing 10 adaptive logic modules (ALMs). Half the LABs in a Stratix IV FPGA can be configured as MLABs. The M9K and M144K blocks are dedicated memory resources. The Stratix IV FPGA Family Overview page lists memory resources for each Stratix IV device.
Figure 1. TriMatrix Memory Structure
Maximum FPGA Memory Efficiency and Bandwidth
By offering three different memory block sizes, Stratix IV FPGAs allow you to select the best fit for your applications. TriMatrix memory significantly improves memory utilization and reduces the need for memory cascading. The MLAB and M9K blocks allow Stratix IV FPGAs to offer more data ports or memory bandwidth than other FPGAs. Table 1 shows how you can use TriMatrix memory to address a variety of memory applications.
Advanced FPGA Memory Features
TriMatrix memory incorporates many advanced features:
- Simple and true dual-port modes
- Packed mode allowing each M9K or M144K block to be split into two half-size memories
- M144K blocks contain a dedicated ECC feature to detect and correct soft errors
- ECC can be implemented using logic for the MLAB and M9K blocks
- Unused memory blocks are automatically put into the low power mode, providing more power savings
Table 2 shows the advanced memory features of Stratix IV TriMatrix memory.
Table 2. TriMatrix Memory Features
Feature |
MLAB |
M9K |
M144K |
---|---|---|---|
Performance |
600 MHz |
600 MHz |
600 MHz |
Depth x Maximum Width |
32 x 20 |
256 x 36 |
2,048 x 72 |
Simple Dual-Port |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
True Dual-Port |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Parity |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
ECC |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Packed Mode |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Low Power Mode |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Shift Register |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
FIFO |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Initialization |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Mixed-Clock |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Byte Enable |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Address Clock Enable |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
The Stratix® IV FPGA Family Overview page lists memory resources for each Stratix® IV device.