FPGA Design Integration

Organic combination of FPGA and PCB technologies for creating complex electronic systems.

FPGA Design Integration in Altium Designer 2025 is a set of tools for integrating FPGA design with the printed circuit board development process.

Purpose:

Unifying FPGA and PCB design processes in a single environment

Simplifying interaction between FPGA logical design and physical board design

Automating FPGA pin management for optimized board routing

Capabilities and Features:

Import of FPGA cores created in third-party tools (Xilinx Core Generator, Altera Megafunction Wizard)

FPGA Pin Mapper for mapping FPGA pins to schematic signals

Dynamic FPGA pin reassignment for optimized board routing

Integration with synthesis tools from FPGA manufacturers

Support for FPGA project simulation and debugging

Automatic synchronization between FPGA project and PCB project

Connections with Other Sections:

Interacts with Schematic Editor for creating schematics with FPGA components

Integrates with PCB Editor for optimizing FPGA pin routing

Connected with Component Library Manager for managing FPGA libraries

Used with Version Control for tracking changes in FPGA projects

Technical Glossary: FPGA Design Integration Terms

Term	Definition
Bitstream	Binary file containing configuration data that is loaded into an FPGA to define its functionality
Block RAM	Dedicated memory blocks embedded within the FPGA fabric for efficient data storage
Board Integration	Process of incorporating FPGA designs into the overall PCB, considering power, signal integrity, and physical interfaces
Clock Domain	Region of a circuit driven by a specific clock signal, requiring special handling when signals cross between domains
Configuration	Process of loading design data into the FPGA's memory to define its functionality after power-up
Constraint	Design requirement or limitation specified to guide synthesis and implementation tools, including timing, placement, or power constraints
DSP Block	Specialized hardware within an FPGA optimized for digital signal processing operations like multiplication and accumulation
Floorplanning	Process of determining the physical location and arrangement of logic resources within the FPGA chip
FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)	Integrated circuit designed to be configured after manufacturing, containing programmable logic blocks and interconnects
Hardware Debugger	Tool that enables real-time monitoring and modification of signals within a running FPGA design
HDL (Hardware Description Language)	Specialized programming language used to describe digital circuits and systems, commonly VHDL or Verilog
HLS (High-Level Synthesis)	Technology that converts algorithms written in high-level languages (C/C++) into hardware descriptions for FPGA implementation
IBIS Model	Input/Output Buffer Information Specification model used for signal integrity analysis of FPGA pins
Implementation	Process of mapping the synthesized design to the FPGA's physical resources, including place and route operations
IP Core (Intellectual Property Core)	Pre-designed and pre-verified functional block that can be integrated into FPGA designs to accelerate development
JTAG (Joint Test Action Group)	Industry standard interface used for FPGA programming, configuration, and debugging
LUT (Look-Up Table)	Fundamental building block in FPGA architecture that implements combinational logic functions
Pin	Physical connection point on the FPGA package that interfaces with external signals on the PCB
Place and Route	Process of determining the physical location of logic elements and creating the interconnections between them
Programming	Process of loading the bitstream into the FPGA device to configure its functionality
RTL (Register Transfer Level)	Level of abstraction in hardware design that describes data flow between registers and logical operations performed on signals
Simulation	Process of verifying design functionality by modeling its behavior in software before implementation in hardware
SoC FPGA (System on Chip FPGA)	Device combining a traditional FPGA fabric with a hard processor system, memory controllers, and other fixed peripherals
Static Timing Analysis	Method for analyzing signal paths within an FPGA design to verify that timing requirements are met
Synthesis	Process of converting HDL code into a netlist of logic gates and flip-flops optimized for the target FPGA architecture
Testbench	HDL code written specifically to simulate and verify the functionality of a design by providing input stimuli and checking outputs
Timing Analysis	Evaluation of signal propagation delays to ensure the design meets performance requirements
Timing Constraint	Specification of required signal timing relationships, such as clock frequencies or maximum delays between paths
Verilog	Hardware description language used to model electronic systems at various levels of abstraction
VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language)	Strongly typed hardware description language used for designing digital circuits and systems

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