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Altera_Forum's avatar
Altera_Forum
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7 years ago

Is export/import design partitioning supported when HPS is in the partition?

Tools: Quartus Prime Standard v17.1

Target device: Arria10 SoC

Is it possible to import a design partition which contains an hard processing system (HPS)?

For example:

- ProjectA containing a hard processing system (HPS), which is synthesized and Export Design Partition.

- The exported partition is then Import Design Partition into another ProjectB, and this design is built to generate a bitstream.

No warnings/errors are thrown during the exporting or importing of the design partition, so it would seem the this is supported.

However, ProjectB fails fitter with Critical Warnings concerning all the of the HPS I/O, and errors about I/O atom, as shown below:

Critical Warning (18779): Contradicting pin assignments found for the HPS dedicated pins. The HPS IP component placed the HPS pin hps_sdio_D6 at location , but in the top level assignments, the pin is located at PIN_J16

Critical Warning (18780): The Dedicated HPS Pin hps_sdio_D7 Does not have proper location assignment Generated by HPS IP component in QSYS.

Critical Warning (18779): Contradicting pin assignments found for the HPS dedicated pins. The HPS IP component placed the HPS pin hps_sdio_D7 at location , but in the top level assignments, the pin is located at PIN_L18

...

Error (12780): Output buffer atom "qp_proj:soc_inst|platdesgn:soc_inst|platdesgn_altera_emif_a10_hps_171_3x3sc4q:emif_a10_hps_0|platdesgn_altera_emif_arch_nf_171_nl2ovwa:arch|platdesgn_altera_emif_arch_nf_171_nl2ovwa_top:arch_inst|altera_emif_arch_nf_bufs:bufs_inst|altera_emif_arch_nf_buf_udir_se_o:gen_mem_act_n.inst[0].b|cal_oct.obuf" has port "SERIESTERMINATIONCONTROL[0]" connected, but does not use calibrated on-chip termination

Error (12780): Output buffer atom "qp_proj:soc_inst|platdesgn:soc_inst|platdesgn_altera_emif_a10_hps_171_3x3sc4q:emif_a10_hps_0|platdesgn_altera_emif_arch_nf_171_nl2ovwa:arch|platdesgn_altera_emif_arch_nf_171_nl2ovwa_top:arch_inst|altera_emif_arch_nf_bufs:bufs_inst|altera_emif_arch_nf_buf_udir_se_o:gen_mem_act_n.inst[0].b|cal_oct.obuf" has port "PARALLELTERMINATIONCONTROL[0]" connected, but does not use calibrated on-chip termination

Error (12780): Output buffer atom "qp_proj:soc_inst|platdesgn:soc_inst|platdesgn_altera_emif_a10_hps_171_3x3sc4q:emif_a10_hps_0|platdesgn_altera_emif_arch_nf_171_nl2ovwa:arch|platdesgn_altera_emif_arch_nf_171_nl2ovwa_top:arch_inst|altera_emif_arch_nf_bufs:bufs_inst|altera_emif_arch_nf_buf_udir_se_o:gen_mem_act_n.inst[0].b|cal_oct.obuf" has port "SERIESTERMINATIONCONTROL[1]" connected, but does not use calibrated on-chip termination

...

5 Replies

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    7 years ago

    Since you have to use Qsys (Platform Designer) anyway to build a system with the HPS, why not just reuse the .qsys file in Project B? Doing this seems needlessly complicated.

  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    7 years ago

    --- Quote Start ---

    Since you have to use Qsys (Platform Designer) anyway to build a system with the HPS, why not just reuse the .qsys file in Project B? Doing this seems needlessly complicated.

    --- Quote End ---

    You're absolutely correct and I wish it were that simple for our case. The background story is that we have a FPGA build framework which relies upon the incremental complication and import/export of design partition of the Standard tools suite. Within this framework, the HPS is located in a submodule (partition) rather than in the top-level module. While we've been using the Standard tools (incr comp, import/export) in this manner for years, we've never had the need to include an HPS, until now.

    I'm reading through the vast amount of Intel docs, but I have not been able to determine if HPS are supported in a partition. Are you aware of any restrictions or recommend a doc that might discuss this subject?
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    7 years ago

    1. Design your HPS:

      For this example, I used the Quartus Prime Standard 17.1 tools to create a new project. Then I simply copied the GHRD Qsys (converted from Pro to Standard: details in a different post) directory (ghrd_10as066n2/) into my new project directory. I edited the Qsys design by removing all unwanted modules, specifically all modules related to JTAG (ex. 'issp'). These modules seem to result in the generation of sld_hub:auto_hub, which resulted in build problems when this project is imported into an higher-level project.

    2. Create a wrapper for the HPS, and build:

    3. Within the project created in Step# 1, design a wrapper for the HPS. Here the signals names of the HPS can be mapped to something simplier.

    4. 'Add' the qip file, and any other require HDL files, to the project via 'Assignments->Settings->Files'.

    5. Edit the qsf to contain set_location_assignment for all of the HPS.

    6. Obtain assignments from original GHRD or from the qip.

    7. If from the qip, you must convert similar to the following:

      FROM: set_instance_assignment -name HPS_LOCATION PIN_H18 -entity ghrd_10as066n2_altera_arria10_hps_171_g7cowra -to hps_io|border|hps_io_phery_emac0_TX_CLK

    [*] Configure for Incremental Compilation

    1. 'Assignments->Settings->Compilation Process Setting->Incremental Complication', and check the box for Export Project->'Automatically export design partition after compilation'

    2. Use the defaults for the 'Export Design Partition Settings': Netlist to export: 'Top' and 'Post-fit netlist' and 'Post-synthesis netlist' (Note: Post-fit will not be used, but we're generating anyway).

    [*] Execute 'Start Compilation' (~8min)

    [*] Execute 'Project->Export Design Partition' (<1min)

    NOTE: There will be a lot of the following warnings during compilation, but they can be ignored (I think).

    Warning (12620): Input port OE of I/O output buffer "hps_i2c1_SDA~output" is not connected, but the atom is driving a bi-directional pin

    Warning (12620): Input port OE of I/O output buffer "hps_i2c1_SCL~output" is not connected, but the atom is driving a bi-directional pin

    [/LIST]

    [*]. Create another project (to emulate OCPI project hierarchy) which will import the wrapped HPS Design Partition:

    1. 'Add' the qxp file from Step# 2 to the project's 'Assignments->Settings->Files'.

    2. Create a wrapper for the top-level of the project the was create/built in Setup# 1 and 2.

    3. Execute 'Start Analysis and Elaboration'.

    4. Confirm that sld_hub:auto_hub does not exist in the Project Navigator. If it does exist, work on Step# 1 and 2 to remove it, as it will most likely cause build problems.

    [*] Copy/Edit the IO standard info for the HPS pins, from the qip file into the qsf, and change as needed. An example is shown below:

    FROM: set_instance_assignment -entity "ghrd_10as066n2_altera_emif_arch_nf_171_tz657la" -library "ghrd_10as066n2_altera_emif_arch_nf_171" -name OUTPUT_TERMINATION "SERIES 40 OHM WITH CALIBRATION" -to "mem_ck[0]"

    TO: set_instance_assignment -name OUTPUT_TERMINATION "SERIES 40 OHM WITH CALIBRATION" -to hps_memory_mem_ck

    [*] Import Design Partition for the SoC instance.

    1. Right-Mouse-Click on the soc_inst listed in the Project Navigator, and select 'Design Partition->Import Design Partition'.

    2. Open the 'Advance Import Settings', and:

    3. Uncheck 'Promote assignments to all instances of the imported entity'

    4. 'Skip Conflicts...' for 'Logic Lock Regions'

    5. 'Skip Conflicts...' for 'Other Assignments'

    6. The checkboxes above seem to be settable within the qsf, the the GUI reports the following command/args when the import is actually executed: 'quartus_cdb container -c container --incremental_compilation_import'

    [/LIST]

    [*] Click OK, then OK again to begin the import process. (<2min)

    [/LIST]

    [*] Once import is complete, open the 'Assignments->Design Partition Window', and change "Netlist" to "Post-Synthesis".

    [*] Execute 'Start Compilation' (~7min)

    [*] Execute 'Start Assembler' (<2min). The .rbf is now available.

    [/LIST]

    [/LIST]
  • Altera_Forum's avatar
    Altera_Forum
    Icon for Honored Contributor rankHonored Contributor
    7 years ago

    Thanks sstrell.

    Intel pointed be in the general direction (grabbing settings from the tcl file(s), but actually it was the qip) and through much trial/error I came up the these steps. I submitted them to Intel via a service request and they 'blessed' them, but that might be too strong.

    The keys seemed to be a) using the settings from the qip file and passing them up the change of qsf's correctly, and b) the settings used during the import design partition step. Otherwise it was a piece of cake! (yeah right!)

    I went through a similar exercise for the Pro tools suite and it has it's own quirks, like requiring a symbolic link to be manually created. I want to clean the steps up before even considering posting them.