How to find out a Tco from TimeQuest

This is a really old white paper based off of the old timing analyzer. Are you trying to meet timing through a device or are you talking about meeting I/O timing to/from external devices? You should have set_input_delay and set_output_delay constraints in your .sdc file defining the external timing delays to/from external devices.

You can then use (based on the paper you linked):

report_timing -from [get_ports din*] -to [get_ports dout*]

to generate timing reports on these paths.

Thank you for your answer, sstrell!

I agree, it is an old white paper and I realized it is a classic timing analyzer which is used there.

The task is how to meet timing through a device, I mean how to calculate or view total propagation time from input pin to output pin of FPGA, like in old white paper mentioned. For I/O timing from external device of course I have to use set_input_delay and set_output_delay constraints.

I tried to follow your suggestion ("report_timing -from [get_ports din*] -to [get_ports dout*] to generate timing reports on these paths")

I added such constraints in sdc file:

# **************************************************************

# Set Input Delay

# **************************************************************

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -max 0.0 [get_ports din1]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -min 0.0 [get_ports din1]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -max 0.0 [get_ports din2]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -min 0.0 [get_ports din2]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -max 0.0 [get_ports din3]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -min 0.0 [get_ports din3]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -max 0.0 [get_ports din4]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -min 0.0 [get_ports din4]

# **************************************************************

# Set Output Delay

# **************************************************************

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -max 0.0 [get_ports dout1]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -min 0.0 [get_ports dout1]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -max 0.0 [get_ports dout2]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -min 0.0 [get_ports dout2]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -max 0.0 [get_ports dout3]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -min 0.0 [get_ports dout3]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -max 0.0 [get_ports dout4]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -min 0.0 [get_ports dout4]

and also write a report_timing command:

report_timing -from [get_ports {din1}] -to [get_ports {dout1}] -npaths 10 -detail full_path -panel_name {Report Timing} -multi_corner

and even just report_timing -from [get_ports {din1}] -to [get_ports {dout1}]

But I received such answer:

Report Timing: No setup paths were found.

So maybe I misunderstood your advice, but it didn't work for me now.

I thought that I can use a min and max of 0 for set_input/output_delay, it just means that I give information about virtual clock and describe outside-of-FPGA clocking scheme, example of that can be seen on page 15-16 of rysc's TimeQuest User Guide (http://www.alteraforum.com/alterawiki.com/uploads/3/3f/timequest_user_guide.pdf).

Here is my whole sdc file (I changed -max and -min from 0 to 1 just for test, it changes nothing, still reported "No setup paths were found.") :

# **************************************************************

# Create Clock

# **************************************************************

create_clock -name {CLK} -period 5.000 -waveform { 0.000 2.500 } [get_ports {CLK}]

create_clock -name {CLK_EXT_output_side} -period 5.000 -waveform { 0.000 2.500 }

create_clock -name {CLK_EXT_input_side} -period 5.000 -waveform { 0.000 2.500 }

# **************************************************************

# Create Generated Clock

# **************************************************************

derive_pll_clocks

# **************************************************************

# Set Input Delay

# **************************************************************

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -max 1.0 [get_ports din1]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -min 1.0 [get_ports din1]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -max 1.0 [get_ports din2]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -min 1.0 [get_ports din2]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -max 1.0 [get_ports din3]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -min 1.0 [get_ports din3]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -max 1.0 [get_ports din4]

set_input_delay -clock CLK_EXT_input_side -min 1.0 [get_ports din4]

# **************************************************************

# Set Output Delay

# **************************************************************

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -max 1.0 [get_ports dout1]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -min 1.0 [get_ports dout1]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -max 1.0 [get_ports dout2]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -min 1.0 [get_ports dout2]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -max 1.0 [get_ports dout3]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -min 1.0 [get_ports dout3]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -max 1.0 [get_ports dout4]

set_output_delay -clock CLK_EXT_output_side -min 1.0 [get_ports dout4]

Hi, sstrell!

Maybe some other thoughts, do you agree with my opinion?

I think you want the datasheet report.

http://quartushelp.altera.com/15.0/mergedprojects/analyze/sta/sta_com_report_datasheet.htm

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I think you want the datasheet report.

http://quartushelp.altera.com/15.0/mergedprojects/analyze/sta/sta_com_report_datasheet.htm

--- Quote End ---

Thank you very much, rbugalho. I will try your suggestion and write if it helps!

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I think you want the datasheet report.

http://quartushelp.altera.com/15.0/mergedprojects/analyze/sta/sta_com_report_datasheet.htm

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Hi, rbugalho! I tried your suggestion. I started "Report Datasheet" task and looked into "Clock to Output Times" part of output report. As I understand, "Clock to Output Time" means total delay from input clock pin transition to resulted output pin transition, in my case through the last register in the path (the register which feeds output pin directly). I compared that delay to a sum of clock and data delay from report_timing and they are equal!

Well, it is not exactly what I needed because my task was to find out total amount of delay from input pin to output pin in system like in example I added in the beginning of the thread (https://www.altera.com/content/dam/altera-www/global/en_us/pdfs/literature/wp/wp_stxtco.pdf). But I think it only works for a combinational path, if there are more than one register in the path we need to manually sum clock cycles to Tco of output register.

It looks like TQ considers that report as something legacy information. I suppose it is not a very useful task because I can't locate full path directly from report generated by that task. For me more useful trick is to use Report All I/O Timings Macros and choosing pins needed launch Report Timing commands.

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Well, it is not exactly what I needed because my task was to find out total amount of delay from input pin to output pin in system like in example I added in the beginning of the thread (https://www.altera.com/content/dam/altera-www/global/en_us/pdfs/literature/wp/wp_stxtco.pdf). But I think it only works for a combinational path, if there are more than one register in the path we need to manually sum clock cycles to Tco of output register.

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As also stated in that doc you linked to:

tCO is meant to be time from clock edge at clock pin input (that clocks the output register) to data transition at output pin of that register(if its input changes). You don't need to sum up clock cycles on any other registers (that is latency)

tCO is not used for combinatorial paths. It = clock delay from pin to register + register micro tCO + register to pin delay

So I do feel it is what you are after.

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As also stated in that doc you linked to:

tCO is meant to be time from clock edge at clock pin input (that clocks the output register) to data transition at output pin of that register(if its input changes). You don't need to sum up clock cycles on any other registers (that is latency)

tCO is not used for combinatorial paths. It = clock delay from pin to register + register micro tCO + register to pin delay

So I do feel it is what you are after.

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Hi kaz!

Yes, exactly, as about tCO parameter it is what you wrote. I was interested if there is such parameter that sum tCO and integrated clock cycles on other register (a path from input pin to output pin with intermediate registers inside the path).