Cross-Probing Between Synplicity &
Quartus II Development Tools
Technical Brief 77
February 2002, ver. 1.0
Introduction
Altera Corporation
101 Innovation Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
(408) 544-7000
http://www.altera.com
https://websupport.altera.com
With increasing device densities and more complex designs for programmable logic
devices (PLDs), designers require the best EDA tools for their design flows. Front-end
synthesis tools often rename nets, especially when duplicating or optimizing logic for
a device’s architecture. Therefore, to trace nodes between the front- and back-end,
designers must spend time and effort analyzing low-level logic. The Synplicity®
Toolnet application programming interface (API) and the Altera® NativeLink®
integration feature facilitate cross-probing between Synplicity’s synthesis tools and the
Altera Quartus® II development software.
NativeLink integration allows a designer to cross-probe to the Synplicity HDL
Analyst® viewer when selecting a node in the Quartus II Floorplan Viewer. From the
HDL Analyst, a designer can then cross-probe to the source code that generated the
post-synthesis nodes. This technical brief describes how to use cross-probing between
Synplicity’s synthesis tools and the Quartus II design software.
Cross-Probing Capabilities
Cross-probing allows designers to select nodes across different EDA tools so that they
can use post place-and-route results to reoptimize their code. For example, a critical
path in the Quartus II message window and in the Quartus II Timing Analyzer can be
cross-probed to the source code in the Synplicity synthesis tools via the Quartus II
Floorplan Editor. Thus, cross-probing allows designers to quickly resolve timing issues
and increase design performance by locating the source code generating timing
violations or critical paths. Designers can also cross-probe from the Synplicity synthesis
tools to the Quartus II Floorplan Editor and view the placement and timing for state
machines or view the routing of high fan-out nodes. Table 1 shows the Altera devices
that support cross-probing.
Table 1. Altera Device Families Supporting Cross-Probing
Family
Cross-Probing Support
StratixTM devices
v
APEXTM II devices
v
APEX 20KC devices
v
APEX 20KE devices
v
APEX 20K devices
v
TM
v
Mercury
devices
ExcaliburTM embedded processor solutions
v
Cross-probing is supported with the HDL Analyst in the Synplicity Synplify® and
Synplify Pro® version 7.0 software, Amplify® version 3.0 software, and the Quartus II
design software version 1.1 or higher. Figure 1 shows the cross-probing feature in the
Synplify Pro software and the Quartus II design software.
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TB-077-1.0
Stratix devices are only supported in the Quartus II software version 2.0 and
higher and Synplify and Synplify Pro version 7.1 and higher. Excalibur
embedded processor solutions are only supported in Amplify version 3.1 and
higher. Amplify software does not support Stratix devices.
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TB 77: Cross-Probing Between Synplicity & Quartus II Development Tools
Figure 1. Cross-Probing Feature Between the Quartus II Design Software & the Synplify Pro Software
The cross-probing capability also allows designers to optimize critical paths by crossprobing to the HDL Analyst in the Amplify physical synthesis tool. Designers can use
the Quartus II timing analyzer to find the critical paths in a design. When highlighted
in the Quartus II Floorplan Editor, the critical path is simultaneously highlighted in the
Amplify software’s HDL Analyst, where the designer can assign it to a region in the
Amplify physical constraints view. The Amplify software then re-optimizes the critical
path and assigns it to the appropriate region in the Quartus II software.
Activating the Cross-Probing Feature
1
2
In order to activate the cross-probing capability in Synplicity’s synthesis tools
and the Quartus II software, both tools must be open and have the design
loaded.
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TB 77: Cross-Probing Between Synplicity & Quartus II Development Tools
Activating the Cross-Probing Feature in the Synplify Software
To activate the cross-probing feature in the Synplify software, perform the following
steps:
1.
Open the Technology view of the HDL Analyst.
2.
Select External Cross Probing Engaged (HDL Analyst menu).
Activating the Cross-Probing Feature in the Quartus II Software
To activate the cross-probing feature in the Quartus II software, perform the following
steps:
1.
Select Options (Tools menu).
2.
Select the EDA Tool tab.
3.
Enable cross-probing between the Quartus II software and an EDA tool in the
Options dialog box.
The Synplicity synthesis tools and the Quartus II software interface with each other
through a process called xprobe_server. From the Quartus II Floorplan Editor and
Synplify HDL Analyst, the nodes can be further probed internally within the respective
tools.
Cross-Probing from the Quartus II Software
To perform cross-probing from the Quartus II software, follow these steps:
1.
Select Nodes in the Quartus II Floorplan Editor.
2.
Right-click and select Locate if you wish to cross-probe a path, net, or instance
listed in the Quartus II message window. This highlights the appropriate nodes in
the Quartus II Floorplan Editor and in the Synplify HDL Analyst.
To cross-probe from the Quartus II message window, right-click on the appropriate
message in the messages window and select Locate. When you highlight the objects in
the Quartus II Floorplan Editor, they are simultaneously highlighted in the Technology
view of the Synplify HDL Analyst.
To locate critical paths of timing violations by cross-probing from the Quartus II
Timing Analyzer, use the following steps:
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1.
Right-click an entry in the Quartus II Timing Analyzer and select List Paths. This
will list the path in the message window.
2.
Right-click on the message and select Locate to highlight the path in the
Quartus II Floorplan Editor and the Synplify HDL Analyst.
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TB 77: Cross-Probing Between Synplicity & Quartus II Development Tools
Cross-Probing from Synplicity Synthesis Tools
You can highlight objects in the Quartus II software by highlighting them in the
Synplify software. To do this, open the HDL Analyst view and perform the following
steps:
1.
Select Technology and Flattened View (HDL Analyst menu) in the Synplify
software.
2.
Highlight the objects you want to cross-probe in the Quartus II software. When
objects are highlighted in the HDL Analyst, they are simultaneously highlighted
in the Quartus II Floorplann Editor and any open HDL Analyst window.
You can locate source code in the Synplify software from the HDL Analyst by doubleclicking the selected node. If the VHDL or Verilog HDL source file is not open, the
Synplify software automatically opens the file.
You can also cross-probe from the Synplify software source code to the HDL Analyst
RTL view by performing the following steps:
1.
Select RTL and Flattened View (HDL Analyst menu) in the Synplify software.
2.
Highlight the source code in question in the Synplify software by right-clicking
and selecting Highlight in Analyst.
In the Synplify Pro software, you can cross-probe from the Synplify timing report or log
file. To do this, follow the below steps:
1.
Open the HDL Analyst RTL view.
2.
Highlight the appropriate text in the Synplify text editor.
3.
Right-click and choose Select Port/Net/Instance.
Conclusion
By activating the cross-probing feature in Synplicity’s synthesis tools and the
Quartus II development software, designers can easily resolve timing and functionality
problems and increase design performance. The cross-probing capability gives
designers a truly integrated flow between their front-end and back-end EDA tools and
reduces debugging time.
101 Innovation Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
(408) 544-7000
http://www.altera.com
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Copyright © 2002 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved.
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