Essential Design with the PlanAhead Analysis and Design Tool

Course Description

Learn to manage design performance, plan an I/O pin layout, and implement by using the PlanAhead™ software tool.  Topics include: a tool overview, running a Design Rule Check (DRC) and Simultaneous Switching Noise (SSN) analysis of pin assignments, design and timing analysis, creating cores, and completing synthesis and implementation with the PlanAhead tool.

Note: The hands-on labs provided within this course are identical to the tutorials that are packaged with the PlanAhead tool. This course is supplemented with instructor-led presentations and demos.

Release Date

May 2012

Level

FPGA 2

Training Duration

1 day

Who Should Attend?

FPGA designers, system architects, and system engineers who are interested in analyzing and driving the physical implementation of their designs to maximize performance and capacity.

Prerequisites

• Essentials of FPGA Design or equivalent knowledge of the FPGA architecture and the Xilinx ISE® software flow
• Designing for Performance recommended

Software Tools

• Xilinx ISE Design Suite: Logic or System Edition 14.1

Hardware

• Architecture: 7 series FPGAs*
• Demo board: None*

* This course focuses on the 7 series FPGA architecture. Check with your local Authorized Training Provider for specifics or other customizations.

Skills Gained

After completing this comprehensive training, you will know how to:

• Use the PlanAhead software features and benefits
• Import designs into the PlanAhead software project environment
• Assign I/O pins for optimum speed
• Run the Design Rule Checker (DRC) and perform noise analysis
• Import HDL sources and elaborate and analyze RTL netlists
• Implement the design with different implementation strategies
• Instantiate a core from the Xilinx IP Catalog
• Take advantage of the ISim simulator
• Use the PlanAhead software integrated with the ISE Project Navigator software environment

Course Outline

• PlanAhead Software Benefits and Features Overview
• PlanAhead Software Project Manager
• Lab 1: Getting Started with the PlanAhead Software
• I/O Pin Planning
• Lab 2: Assigning I/O Pins
• CORE Generator Software Integration
• Lab 3: Core Integration
• Static Timing Analysis with the PlanAhead Software
• Project Navigator Integration
• Introduction to the Advanced Design with the PlanAhead Analysis and Design Tool Course

Lab Descriptions

Note: All labs in this course are also available as self-guided tutorials, which are packaged with the PlanAhead software.

• Lab 1: Getting Started with the PlanAhead Tool – Illustrates the steps you take to import an RTL design into the PlanAhead software so that you can synthesize, implement, perform timing analysis, view logical and device resources, and generate a bitstream. Also introduces the PlanAhead software’s environment and views.
• Lab 2: Assigning I/O Pins – Introduces the PlanAhead software ’s pin planning environment for performing I/O pin assignment. You will create a pin planning project, import and export I/O ports lists, create I/O ports and interfaces, run a DRC and SSN noise analysis, examine clock logic placement, and make pin assignments.
• Lab 3: CORE Generator Tool Integration – Illustrates the integration of the CORE Generator software with the  PlanAhead software. You will customize and integrate a core, explore the IP Catalog, and view the generated core with the Schematic viewer.