ISE usage help

Mar 22, 2006 0 Replies

Hi Gang !



I am using ISE 8.1sp2 and ISE 7.1sp4 (same challenge with both versions).



I have an output bus, looks like this: FF->Comb. Logic->IOB This is a 8 bit bi-directional bus, and I am having a rally hard time meeting timing on it. I am convinced that the FPGA can actually do it, but I think I am not using the tools properly to their fullest capability.



The clock period for this bus is 16.6nS, the UCF file looks something like this: NET "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8ns BEFORE phy_clk;



The mapper thinks there is no timing problem, and reports:



COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -9.615ns |



0.815ns COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -9.631ns |
0.831ns COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -9.943ns |
1.143ns COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -9.982ns |
1.182ns COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -10.045ns |
1.245ns COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -10.069ns |
1.269ns COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -10.131ns |
1.331ns FORE COMP "phy_clk" | | |

(slightly edited to fit better)



However, after P&R I get (in the par report):


  • COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -8.362ns |

-0.438ns



  • COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -8.634ns |

-0.166ns



  • COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -8.667ns |

-0.133ns



  • COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -8.753ns |

-0.047ns



  • COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -8.783ns |

-0.017ns COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -8.849ns |



0.049ns COMP "phy_data" OFFSET = OUT 8.8 ns BE | -8.800ns | -8.936ns |
0.136ns FORE COMP "phy_clk" | | |

(slightly edited to fit better)



I tried several different options for the tools, like setting the overall effort to high, but it seems not to help.



It seems to me that it is a P&R problem, but if I could somehow tell the mapper to try to give me more slack on these IOs, it would also help.



What strategies, options, tricks, would you guys recommend for this problem ? I would really like to avoid using the FPGA editor and guide files, if at all possible.



The device is xc4vlx25, package sf363, speed -10, and is about



1/2 full with this design. All IOBs are locked.


Thanks, rudi ============================================================= Rudolf Usselmann, ASICS World Services,

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