Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

101 Innovation Drive

San Jose, CA 95134
www.altera.com

CYIV-5V1-1.5
Copyright © 2010 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, the stylized Altera logo, specific device designations, and all other
words and logos that are identified as trademarks and/or service marks are, unless noted otherwise, the trademarks and service marks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other
countries. RSDS and PPDS are registered trademarks of National Semiconductor. All other product or service names are the property of their respective holders. Altera products
are protected under numerous U.S. and foreign patents and pending applications, maskwork rights, and copyrights. Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products
to current specifications in accordance with Altera's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera as-
sumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Altera
Corporation. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published information and before placing orders for products
or services.
 Contents

Chapter Revision Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Additional Information
About this Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Info-xi
How to Contact Altera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Info-xi
Typographic Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Info-xi

Section I. Device Core

Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1

Chapter 1. Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview

Cyclone IV Device Family Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Device Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Package Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Cyclone IV Device Family Speed Grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Cyclone IV Device Family Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
FPGA Core Fabric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
I/O Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Clock Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
External Memory Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
High-Speed Transceivers (Cyclone IV GX Devices Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Hard IP for PCI Express (Cyclone IV GX Devices Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Reference and Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

Chapter 2. Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices

Logic Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
LE Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
LE Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Normal Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Arithmetic Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Logic Array Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
LAB Interconnects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
LAB Control Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Chapter 3. Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Control Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Parity Bit Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Byte Enable Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Packed Mode Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Address Clock Enable Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Mixed-Width Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Asynchronous Clear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

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Memory Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

Single-Port Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Simple Dual-Port Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
True Dual-Port Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Shift Register Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
ROM Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
FIFO Buffer Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
Clocking Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Independent Clock Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Input or Output Clock Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14
Read or Write Clock Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Single-Clock Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Design Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Read-During-Write Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Same-Port Read-During-Write Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Mixed-Port Read-During-Write Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Conflict Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Power-Up Conditions and Memory Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

Chapter 4. Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices

Embedded Multiplier Block Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Input Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Multiplier Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Output Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Operational Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
18-Bit Multipliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
9-Bit Multipliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

Chapter 5. Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices

Clock Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
GCLK Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Clock Control Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
GCLK Network Clock Source Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
GCLK Network Power Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
clkena Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Cyclone IV PLL Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
External Clock Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Clock Feedback Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Source-Synchronous Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
No Compensation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Normal Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Zero Delay Buffer Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Deterministic Latency Compensation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Hardware Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Clock Multiplication and Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Post-Scale Counter Cascading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Programmable Duty Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
PLL Control Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

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Clock Switchover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28

Automatic Clock Switchover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Manual Override . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Manual Clock Switchover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Programmable Bandwidth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Phase Shift Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
PLL Cascading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
PLL Reconfiguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
PLL Reconfiguration Hardware Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-35
Post-Scale Counters (C0 to C4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-37
Scan Chain Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-38
Charge Pump and Loop Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Bypassing a PLL Counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40
Dynamic Phase Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-41
Spread-Spectrum Clocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
PLL Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43

Section II. I/O Interfaces

Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-1

Chapter 6. I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices

Cyclone IV I/O Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
I/O Element Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Programmable Current Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Slew Rate Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Open-Drain Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Bus Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Programmable Pull-Up Resistor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Programmable Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
PCI-Clamp Diode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
OCT Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
On-Chip Series Termination with Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
On-Chip Series Termination Without Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
I/O Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Termination Scheme for I/O Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Voltage-Referenced I/O Standard Termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Differential I/O Standard Termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
I/O Banks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
High-Speed Differential Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
External Memory Interfacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Pad Placement and DC Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Pad Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
DC Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Clock Pins Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
High-Speed I/O Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
High-Speed I/O Standards Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27
High Speed Serial Interface (HSSI) Input Reference Clock Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27
LVDS I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
Designing with LVDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
BLVDS I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-29
Designing with BLVDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-30

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RSDS, Mini-LVDS, and PPDS I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31
Designing with RSDS, Mini-LVDS, and PPDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31
LVPECL I/O Support in Cyclone IV Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-33
Differential SSTL I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-34
Differential HSTL I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
True Output Buffer Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Programmable Pre-Emphasis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
High-Speed I/O Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-36
Design Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Differential Pad Placement Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Board Design Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Software Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-40

Chapter 7. External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices

Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Data and Data Clock/Strobe Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Optional Parity, DM, and Error Correction Coding Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Address and Control/Command Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Memory Clock Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
DDR Input Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
DDR Output Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
OCT with Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
PLL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15

Section III. System Integration

Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III-1

Chapter 8. Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices

Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Configuration Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Configuration Data Decompression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
Configuration Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Power-On Reset (POR) Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Configuration File Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Configuration Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Power Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Configuration Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Initialization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
User Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Configuration Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
AS Configuration (Serial Configuration Devices) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Single-Device AS Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
Multi-Device AS Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12
Configuring Multiple Cyclone IV Devices with the Same Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-14
Guidelines for Connecting a Serial Configuration Device to Cyclone IV Devices for an AS Interface
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-17
Programming Serial Configuration Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-18

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AP Configuration (Supported Flash Memories) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-20

AP Configuration Supported Flash Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-21
Single-Device AP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-22
Multi-Device AP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-24
Byte-Wide Multi-Device AP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-25
Word-Wide Multi-Device AP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-25
Guidelines for Connecting Parallel Flash to Cyclone IV E Devices for an AP Interface . . . . . . . 8-27
Configuring With Multiple Bus Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-27
Estimating AP Configuration Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-29
Programming Parallel Flash Memories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-30
PS Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-31
PS Configuration Using an External Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-32
PS Configuration Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-35
PS Configuration Using a Download Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-36
FPP Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-39
FPP Configuration Using an External Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-39
FPP Configuration Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-43
JTAG Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-44
Configuring Cyclone IV Devices with Jam STAPL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-51
Configuring Cyclone IV Devices with the JRunner Software Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-52
Combining JTAG and AS Configuration Schemes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-52
Programming Serial Configuration Devices In-System with the JTAG Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-54
JTAG Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-56
Device Configuration Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-61
Remote System Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-68
Functional Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-68
Enabling Remote Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-69
Configuration Image Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-69
Remote System Upgrade Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-70
Remote Update Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-70
Dedicated Remote System Upgrade Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-73
Remote System Upgrade Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-74
Remote System Upgrade State Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-77
User Watchdog Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-78
Quartus II Software Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-79
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-80

Chapter 9. SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices

Configuration Error Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1
User Mode Error Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Automated SEU Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
CRC_ERROR Pin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Error Detection Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Error Detection Registers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Error Detection Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Software Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Accessing Error Detection Block Through User Logic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Recovering from CRC Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10

Chapter 10. JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices

IEEE Std. 1149.6 Boundary-Scan Register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
BST Operation Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

viii Contents

EXTEST_PULSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
EXTEST_TRAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
I/O Voltage Support in a JTAG Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Boundary-Scan Description Language Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-7

Chapter 11. Power Requirements for Cyclone IV Devices

External Power Supply Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Hot-Socketing Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2
Devices Driven Before Power-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2
I/O Pins Remain Tri-stated During Power-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2
Hot-socketing Feature Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Power-On Reset Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-4

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Chapter Revision Dates

The chapters in this book, Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1, were revised on the
following dates. Where chapters or groups of chapters are available separately, part
numbers are listed.

Chapter 1 Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview

Revised: December 2010
Part Number: CYIV-51001-1.4

Chapter 2 Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: November 2009
Part Number: CYIV-51002-1.0

Chapter 3 Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: November 2009
Part Number: CYIV-51003-1.0

Chapter 4 Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: February 2010
Part Number: CYIV-51004-1.1

Chapter 5 Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: December 2010
Part Number: CYIV-51005-2.2

Chapter 6 I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: December 2010
Part Number: CYIV-51006-2.1

Chapter 7 External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: December 2010
Part Number: CYIV-51007-2.2

Chapter 8 Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: December 2010
Part Number: CYIV-51008-1.3

Chapter 9 SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: February 2010
Part Number: CYIV-51009-1.1

Chapter 10 JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: February 2010
Part Number: CYIV-51010-1.1

Chapter 11 Power Requirements for Cyclone IV Devices

Revised: July 2010
Part Number: CYIV-51011-1.2

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

x Chapter Revision Dates

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Additional Information

About this Handbook

This handbook provides comprehensive information about the Altera® Cyclone® IV
family of devices.

How to Contact Altera

For the most up-to-date information about Altera products, see the following table.

Contact
Contact (Note 1) Method Address
Technical support Website www.altera.com/support
Technical training Website www.altera.com/training
Email [email protected]
Non-technical support (General) Email [email protected]
(Software Licensing) Email [email protected]
Note:
(1) You can also contact your local Altera sales office or sales representative.

Typographic Conventions
The following table shows the typographic conventions that this document uses.

Visual Cue Meaning

Bold Type with Initial Capital Indicates command names, dialog box titles, dialog box options, and other GUI
Letters labels. For example, Save As dialog box. For GUI elements, capitalization matches
the GUI.
bold type Indicates directory names, project names, disk drive names, file names, file name
extensions, dialog box options, software utility names, and other GUI labels. For
example, \qdesigns directory, d: drive, and chiptrip.gdf.
Italic Type with Initial Capital Letters Indicates document titles. For example, AN 519: Cyclone IV Design Guidelines.
Italic type Indicates variables. For example, n + 1.
Variable names are enclosed in angle brackets (< >). For example, <file name> and
<project name>.pof.
Initial Capital Letters Indicates keyboard keys and menu names. For example, Delete key and the Options
menu.
“Subheading Title” Quotation marks indicate references to sections within a document and titles of
Quartus II Help topics. For example, “Typographic Conventions.”

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

Info–xii Additional Information

Visual Cue Meaning

Courier type Indicates signal, port, register, bit, block, and primitive names. For example, data1,
tdi, and input. Active-low signals are denoted by suffix n. For example,
resetn.
Indicates command line commands and anything that must be typed exactly as it
appears. For example, c:\qdesigns\tutorial\chiptrip.gdf.
Also indicates sections of an actual file, such as a Report File, references to parts of
files (for example, the AHDL keyword SUBDESIGN), and logic function names (for
example, TRI).
1., 2., 3., and Numbered steps indicate a list of items when the sequence of the items is important,
a., b., c., and so on. such as the steps listed in a procedure.
■ ■ Bullets indicate a list of items when the sequence of the items is not important.
1 The hand points to information that requires special attention.
A caution calls attention to a condition or possible situation that can damage or
c
destroy the product or your work.
A warning calls attention to a condition or possible situation that can cause you
w
injury.
r The angled arrow instructs you to press Enter.
f The feet direct you to more information about a particular topic.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Section I. Device Core

This section provides a complete overview of all features relating to the Cyclone® IV
device family, which is the most architecturally advanced, high-performance,
low-power FPGA in the market place. This section includes the following chapters:
■ Chapter 1, Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview
■ Chapter 2, Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
■ Chapter 3, Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
■ Chapter 4, Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices
■ Chapter 5, Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices

Revision History
Refer to each chapter for its own specific revision history. For information about when
each chapter was updated, refer to the Chapter Revision Dates section, which appears
in the complete handbook.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

 1. Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family
Overview

CYIV-51001-1.4

Altera’s new Cyclone® IV FPGA device family extends the Cyclone FPGA series
leadership in providing the market’s lowest-cost, lowest-power FPGAs, now with a
transceiver variant. Cyclone IV devices are targeted to high-volume, cost-sensitive
applications, enabling system designers to meet increasing bandwidth requirements
while lowering costs.
Built on an optimized low-power process, the Cyclone IV device family offers the
following two variants:
■ Cyclone IV E—lowest power, high functionality with the lowest cost
■ Cyclone IV GX—lowest power and lowest cost FPGAs with 3.125 Gbps
transceivers

1 Cyclone IV E devices are offered in core voltage of 1.0 V and 1.2 V.

f For more information, refer to the Power Requirements for Cyclone IV

Devices chapter.

Providing power and cost savings without sacrificing performance, along with a
low-cost integrated transceiver option, Cyclone IV devices are ideal for low-cost,
small-form-factor applications in the wireless, wireline, broadcast, industrial,
consumer, and communications industries.

Cyclone IV Device Family Features

The Cyclone IV device family offers the following features:
■ Low-cost, low-power FPGA fabric:
■ 6K to 150K logic elements
■ Up to 6.3 Mb of embedded memory
■ Up to 360 18 × 18 multipliers for DSP processing intensive applications
■ Protocol bridging applications for under 1.5 W total power

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

1–2 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview
Cyclone IV Device Family Features

■ Cyclone IV GX devices offer up to eight high-speed transceivers that provide:

■ Data rates up to 3.125 Gbps
■ 8B/10B encoder/decoder
■ 8-bit or 10-bit physical media attachment (PMA) to physical coding sublayer
(PCS) interface
■ Byte serializer/deserializer (SERDES)
■ Word aligner
■ Rate matching FIFO
■ TX bit slipper for Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI)
■ Electrical idle
■ Dynamic channel reconfiguration allowing you to change data rates and
protocols on-the-fly
■ Static equalization and pre-emphasis for superior signal integrity
■ 150 mW per channel power consumption
■ Flexible clocking structure to support multiple protocols in a single transceiver
block
■ Cyclone IV GX devices offer dedicated hard IP for PCI Express (PIPE) (PCIe)
Gen 1:
■ ×1, ×2, and ×4 lane configurations
■ End-point and root-port configurations
■ Up to 256-byte payload
■ One virtual channel
■ 2 KB retry buffer
■ 4 KB receiver (Rx) buffer
■ Cyclone IV GX devices offer a wide range of protocol support:
■ PCIe (PIPE) Gen 1 ×1, ×2, and ×4 (2.5 Gbps)
■ Gigabit Ethernet (1.25 Gbps)
■ CPRI (up to 3.072 Gbps)
■ XAUI (3.125 Gbps)
■ Triple rate serial digital interface (SDI) (up to 2.97 Gbps)
■ Serial RapidIO (3.125 Gbps)
■ Basic mode (up to 3.125 Gbps)
■ V-by-One (up to 3.0 Gbps)
■ DisplayPort (2.7 Gbps)
■ Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) (up to 3.0 Gbps)
■ OBSAI (up to 3.072 Gbps)

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview 1–3
Device Resources

■ Up to 532 user I/Os

■ LVDS interfaces up to 840 Mbps transmitter (Tx), 875 Mbps Rx
■ Support for DDR2 SDRAM interfaces up to 200 MHz
■ Support for QDRII SRAM and DDR SDRAM up to 167 MHz
■ Up to eight phase-locked loops (PLLs) per device
■ Offered in commercial and industrial temperature grades

Device Resources
Table 1–1 lists Cyclone IV E device resources.

Table 1–1. Resources for the Cyclone IV E Device Family

EP4CE115
EP4CE10

EP4CE15

EP4CE22

EP4CE30

EP4CE40

EP4CE55

EP4CE75
EP4CE6

Resources

Logic elements (LEs) 6,272 10,320 15,408 22,320 28,848 39,600 55,856 75,408 114,480
Embedded memory
270 414 504 594 594 1,134 2,340 2,745 3,888
(Kbits)
Embedded 18 × 18
15 23 56 66 66 116 154 200 266
multipliers
General-purpose PLLs 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Global Clock Networks 10 10 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
User I/O Banks 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Maximum user I/O (1) 179 179 343 153 532 532 374 426 528
Note to Table 1–1:
(1) The user I/Os count from pin-out files includes all general purpose I/O, dedicated clock pins, and dual purpose configuration pins. Transceiver pins
and dedicated configuration pins are not included in the pin count.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

1–4 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview
Device Resources

Table 1–2 lists Cyclone IV GX device resources.

Table 1–2. Resources for the Cyclone IV GX Device Family

EP4CGX110

EP4CGX150
EP4CGX15

EP4CGX22

EP4CGX30

EP4CGX30

EP4CGX50

EP4CGX75
(1)

(2)

(3)

(3)

(3)

(3)
Resources

Logic elements (LEs) 14,400 21,280 29,440 29,440 49,888 73,920 109,424 149,760
Embedded memory (Kbits) 540 756 1,080 1,080 2,502 4,158 5,490 6,480
Embedded 18 × 18 multipliers 0 40 80 80 140 198 280 360
General purpose PLLs 1 2 2 4 (4) 4 (4) 4 (4) 4 (4) 4 (4)
Multipurpose PLLs 2 (5) 2 (5) 2 (5) 2 (5) 4 (5) 4 (5) 4 (5) 4 (5)
Global clock networks 20 20 20 30 30 30 30 30
High-speed transceivers (6) 2 4 4 4 8 8 8 8
Transceiver maximum data rate
2.5 2.5 2.5 3.125 3.125 3.125 3.125 3.125
(Gbps)
PCIe (PIPE) hard IP blocks 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
User I/O banks 9 (7) 9 (7) 9 (7) 11 (8) 11 (8) 11 (8) 11 (8) 11 (8)
Maximum user I/O (9) 72 150 150 290 310 310 475 475
Notes to Table 1–2:
(1) Applicable for the F169 and F324 packages.
(2) Applicable for the F484 package.
(3) Only two multipurpose PLLs for F484 package.
(4) Two of the general purpose PLLs are able to support transceiver clocking. For more information, refer to the Clock Networks and PLLs in
Cyclone IV Devices chapter.
(5) You can use the multipurpose PLLs for general purpose clocking when they are not used to clock the transceivers. For more information, refer to
the Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.
(6) If PCIe 1, you can use the remaining transceivers in a quad for other protocols at the same or different data rates.
(7) Including one configuration I/O bank and two dedicated clock input I/O banks for HSSI reference clock input.
(8) Including one configuration I/O bank and four dedicated clock input I/O banks for HSSI reference clock input.
(9) The user I/Os count from pin-out files includes all general purpose I/O, dedicated clock pins, and dual purpose configuration pins. Transceiver
pins and dedicated configuration pins are not included in the pin count.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Package Matrix
© December 2010

Package Matrix
Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview
Table 1–3 lists Cyclone IV E device package offerings.

Table 1–3. Package Offerings for the Cyclone IV E Device Family (Note 1)
Package E144 M164 U256 F256 U484 F484 F780
Altera Corporation

Size (mm) 22 × 22 8×8 14 × 14 17 × 17 19 × 19 23 × 23 29 × 29

Pitch (mm) 0.5 0.5 0.8 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.0

Device User I/O LVDS (2) User I/O LVDS (2) User I/O LVDS (2) User I/O LVDS (2) User I/O LVDS (2) User I/O LVDS (2) User I/O LVDS (2)
EP4CE6 91 21 — — 179 66 179 66 — — — — — —
EP4CE10 91 21 — — 179 66 179 66 — — — — — —
EP4CE15 81 18 89 21 165 53 165 53 — — 343 137 — —
EP4CE22 79 17 — — 153 52 153 52 — — — — — —
EP4CE30 — — — — — — — — — — 328 124 532 224
EP4CE40 — — — — — — — — 328 124 328 124 532 224
EP4CE55 — — — — — — — — 324 132 324 132 374 160
EP4CE75 — — — — — — — — 292 110 292 110 426 178
EP4CE115 — — — — — — — — — — 280 103 528 230
Notes to Table 1–3:
(1) The E144 package has an exposed pad at the bottom of the package. This exposed pad is a ground pad that must be connected to the ground plane of your PCB. Use this exposed pad for electrical
connectivity and not for thermal purposes.
(2) This includes both dedicated and emulated LVDS pairs. For more information, refer to the I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.
Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

1–5
 Table 1–4 lists Cyclone IV GX device package offerings, including I/O and transceiver counts.
Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

1–6
Table 1–4. Package Offerings for the Cyclone IV GX Device Family
Package N148 F169 F324 F484 F672 F896

Size (mm) 11 × 11 14 × 14 19 × 19 23 × 23 27 × 27 31 × 31

Pitch (mm) 0.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

LVDS LVDS LVDS LVDS LVDS LVDS

Device User I/O XCVRs User I/O XCVRs User I/O XCVRs User I/O XCVRs User I/O XCVRs User I/O XCVRs
(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
EP4CGX15 72 25 2 72 25 2 — — — — — — — — — — — —
EP4CGX22 — — — 72 25 2 150 64 4 — — — — — — — — —
EP4CGX30 — — — 72 25 2 150 64 4 290 130 4 — — — — — —
EP4CGX50 — — — — — — — — — 290 130 4 310 140 8 — — —
EP4CGX75 — — — — — — — — — 290 130 4 310 140 8 — — —
EP4CGX110 — — — — — — — — — 270 120 4 393 181 8 475 220 8
EP4CGX150 — — — — — — — — — 270 120 4 393 181 8 475 220 8
Note to Table 1–4:
(1) This includes both dedicated and emulated LVDS pairs. For more information, refer to the I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview

© December 2010
Altera Corporation

Package Matrix
Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview 1–7
Cyclone IV Device Family Speed Grades

Cyclone IV Device Family Speed Grades

Table 1–5 lists the Cyclone IV GX devices speed grades.

Table 1–5. Speed Grades for the Cyclone IV GX Device Family

Device N148 F169 F324 F484 F672 F896
EP4CGX15 C7, C8, I7 C6, C7, C8, I7 — — — —
EP4CGX22 — C6, C7, C8, I7 C6, C7, C8, I7 — — —
EP4CGX30 — C6, C7, C8, I7 C6, C7, C8, I7 C6, C7, C8, I7 — —
EP4CGX50 — — — C6, C7, C8, I7 C6, C7, C8, I7 —
EP4CGX75 — — — C6, C7, C8, I7 C6, C7, C8, I7 —
EP4CGX110 — — — C7, C8, I7 C7, C8, I7 C7, C8, I7
EP4CGX150 — — — C7, C8, I7 C7, C8, I7 C7, C8, I7

Table 1–6 lists the Cyclone IV E devices speed grades.

Table 1–6. Speed Grades for the Cyclone IV E Device Family (Note 1), (2)
Device E144 M164 U256 F256 U484 F484 F780
C8L, C9L, I8L C8L, C9L, I8L
EP4CE6 C6, C7, C8, I7, — I7N C6, C7, C8, I7, — — —
A7 A7
C8L, C9L, I8L C8L, C9L, I8L
EP4CE10 C6, C7, C8, I7, — I7N C6, C7, C8, I7, — — —
A7 A7
C8L, C9L, I8L C8L, C9L, I8L
C8L, C9L, I8L
EP4CE15 I7N I7N C6, C7, C8, I7, — C6, C7, C8, I7, —
C6, C7, C8, I7
A7 A7
C8L, C9L, I8L C8L, C9L, I8L
EP4CE22 C6, C7, C8, I7, — I7N C6, C7, C8, I7, — — —
A7 A7
C8L, C9L, I8L
C8L, C9L, I8L
EP4CE30 — — — — — C6, C7, C8, I7,
C6, C7, C8, I7
A7
C8L, C9L, I8L
C8L, C9L, I8L
EP4CE40 — — — — I7N C6, C7, C8, I7,
C6, C7, C8, I7
A7
C8L, C9L, I8L C8L, C9L, I8L
EP4CE55 — — — — I7N
C6, C7, C8, I7 C6, C7, C8, I7
C8L, C9L, I8L C8L, C9L, I8L
EP4CE75 — — — — I7N
C6, C7, C8, I7 C6, C7, C8, I7
C8L, C9L, I8L C8L, C9L, I8L
EP4CE115 — — — — —
C7, C8, I7 C7, C8, I7
Notes to Table 1–6:
(1) C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades are applicable for the 1.0-V core voltage.
(2) C6, C7, C8, I7, and A7 speed grades are applicable for the 1.2-V core voltage.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

1–8 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview
Cyclone IV Device Family Architecture

Cyclone IV Device Family Architecture

This section describes Cyclone IV device architecture and contains the following
topics:
■ “FPGA Core Fabric”
■ “I/O Features”
■ “Clock Management”
■ “External Memory Interfaces”
■ “Configuration”
■ “High-Speed Transceivers (Cyclone IV GX Devices Only)”
■ “Hard IP for PCI Express (Cyclone IV GX Devices Only)”

FPGA Core Fabric

Cyclone IV devices leverage the same core fabric as the very successful Cyclone series
devices. The fabric consists of LEs, made of 4-input look up tables (LUTs), memory
blocks, and multipliers.
Each Cyclone IV device M9K memory block provides 9 Kbits of embedded SRAM
memory. You can configure the M9K blocks as single port, simple dual port, or true
dual port RAM, as well as FIFO buffers or ROM. They can also be configured to
implement any of the data widths in Table 1–7.

Table 1–7. M9K Block Data Widths for Cyclone IV Device Family
Mode Data Width Configurations
Single port or simple dual port ×1, ×2, ×4, ×8/9, ×16/18, and ×32/36
True dual port ×1, ×2, ×4, ×8/9, and ×16/18

The multiplier architecture in Cyclone IV devices is the same as in the existing

Cyclone series devices. The embedded multiplier blocks can implement an 18 × 18 or
two 9 × 9 multipliers in a single block. Altera offers a complete suite of DSP IP
including finite impulse response (FIR), fast Fourier transform (FFT), and numerically
controlled oscillator (NCO) functions for use with the multiplier blocks. The
Quartus® II design software’s DSP Builder tool integrates MathWorks Simulink and
MATLAB design environments for a streamlined DSP design flow.

f For more information, refer to the Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV
Devices, Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices, and Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV
Devices chapters.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview 1–9
Cyclone IV Device Family Architecture

I/O Features
Cyclone IV device I/O supports programmable bus hold, programmable pull-up
resistors, programmable delay, programmable drive strength, programmable
slew-rate control to optimize signal integrity, and hot socketing. Cyclone IV devices
support calibrated on-chip series termination (Rs OCT) or driver impedance matching
(Rs) for single-ended I/O standards. In Cyclone IV GX devices, the high-speed
transceiver I/Os are located on the left side of the device. The top, bottom, and right
sides can implement general-purpose user I/Os.
Table 1–8 lists the I/O standards that Cyclone IV devices support.

Table 1–8. I/O Standards Support for the Cyclone IV Device Family
Type I/O Standard
Single-Ended I/O LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL, HSTL, PCI, and PCI-X
Differential I/O SSTL, HSTL, LVPECL, BLVDS, LVDS, mini-LVDS, RSDS, and PPDS

The LVDS SERDES is implemented in the core of the device using logic elements.

f For more information, refer to the I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

Clock Management
Cyclone IV devices include up to 30 global clock (GCLK) networks and up to eight
PLLs with five outputs per PLL to provide robust clock management and synthesis.
You can dynamically reconfigure Cyclone IV device PLLs in user mode to change the
clock frequency or phase.
Cyclone IV GX devices support two types of PLLs: multipurpose PLLs and general-
purpose PLLs:
■ Use multipurpose PLLs for clocking the transceiver blocks. You can also use them
for general-purpose clocking when they are not used for transceiver clocking.
■ Use general purpose PLLs for general-purpose applications in the fabric and
periphery, such as external memory interfaces. Some of the general purpose PLLs
can support transceiver clocking.

f For more information, refer to the Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
chapter.

External Memory Interfaces

Cyclone IV devices support SDR, DDR, DDR2 SDRAM, and QDRII SRAM interfaces
on the top, bottom, and right sides of the device. Cyclone IV E devices also support
these interfaces on the left side of the device. Interfaces may span two or more sides of
the device to allow more flexible board design. The Altera® DDR SDRAM memory
interface solution consists of a PHY interface and a memory controller. Altera supplies
the PHY IP and you can use it in conjunction with your own custom memory
controller or an Altera-provided memory controller. Cyclone IV devices support the
use of error correction coding (ECC) bits on DDR and DDR2 SDRAM interfaces.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

1–10 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview
Cyclone IV Device Family Architecture

f For more information, refer to the External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices
chapter.

Configuration
Cyclone IV devices use SRAM cells to store configuration data. Configuration data is
downloaded to the Cyclone IV device each time the device powers up. Low-cost
configuration options include the Altera EPCS family serial flash devices and
commodity parallel flash configuration options. These options provide the flexibility
for general-purpose applications and the ability to meet specific configuration and
wake-up time requirements of the applications.
Table 1–9 lists which configuration schemes are supported by Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–9. Configuration Schemes for Cyclone IV Device Family

Devices Supported Configuration Scheme
Cyclone IV GX AS, PS, JTAG, and FPP (1)
Cyclone IV E AS, AP, PS, FPP, and JTAG
Note to Table 1–9:
(1) The FPP configuration scheme is only supported by the EP4CGX30F484 and EP4CGX50/75/110/150 devices.

IEEE 1149.6 (AC JTAG) is supported on all transceiver I/O pins. All other pins
support IEEE 1149.1 (JTAG) for boundary scan testing.

f For more information, refer to the JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices
chapter.

For Cyclone IV GX devices to meet the PCIe 100 ms wake-up time requirement, you
must use passive serial (PS) configuration mode for the EP4CGX15/22/30 devices
and use fast passive parallel (FPP) configuration mode for the EP4CGX30F484 and
EP4CGX50/75/110/150 devices.

f For more information, refer to the Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in
Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

The cyclical redundancy check (CRC) error detection feature during user mode is
supported in all Cyclone IV GX devices. For Cyclone IV E devices, this feature is only
supported for the devices with the core voltage of 1.2 V.

f For more information about CRC error detection, refer to the SEU Mitigation in
Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview 1–11
Cyclone IV Device Family Architecture

High-Speed Transceivers (Cyclone IV GX Devices Only)

Cyclone IV GX devices contain up to eight full duplex high-speed transceivers that
can operate independently. These blocks support multiple industry-standard
communication protocols, as well as Basic mode, which you can use to implement
your own proprietary protocols. Each transceiver channel has its own pre-emphasis
and equalization circuitry, which you can set at compile time to optimize signal
integrity and reduce bit error rates. Transceiver blocks also support dynamic
reconfiguration, allowing you to change data rates and protocols on-the-fly.
Figure 1–1 shows the structure of the Cyclone IV GX transceiver.
Figure 1–1. Transceiver Channel for the Cyclone IV GX Device

FPGA Transmitter Channel PCS Transceiver Channel

Fabric PMA

tx_dataout
Serializer
TX Phase
Compensation Byte Serializer 8B10B Encoder
FIFO
PCI Express hard IP

PIPE Interface

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel

PMA

Rate Match FIFO

Byte Deserializer

8B10B Decoder
Byte Ordering
Compensation

Word Aligner

Deserializer

rx_datain
RX Phase

FIFO

CDR
f For more information, refer to the Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture chapter.

Hard IP for PCI Express (Cyclone IV GX Devices Only)

Cyclone IV GX devices incorporate a single hard IP block for ×1, ×2, or ×4 PCIe (PIPE)
in each device. This hard IP block is a complete PCIe (PIPE) protocol solution that
implements the PHY-MAC layer, Data Link Layer, and Transaction Layer
functionality. The hard IP for the PCIe (PIPE) block supports root-port and end-point
configurations. This pre-verified hard IP block reduces risk, design time, timing
closure, and verification. You can configure the block with the Quartus II software’s
PCI Express Compiler, which guides you through the process step by step.

f For more information, refer to the PCI Express Compiler User Guide.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

1–12 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview
Reference and Ordering Information

Reference and Ordering Information

Figure 1–2 shows the ordering codes for Cyclone IV GX devices.

Figure 1–2. Packaging Ordering Information for the Cyclone IV GX Device

EP4CGX 30 C F 19 C 7 N

Family Signature Optional Suffix

EP4CGX Indicates specific device
shipment method
ES: Engineering sample
Device Density N: Lead-free devices

15, 22, 30, 50, 75 Speed Grade

110, 150
6, 7, or 8 with 6
being the fastest
Transceiver Count
B: 2 Operating Temperature
C: 4
D: 8 C: Commercial temperature
(tJ = 0° C to 85° C)
Package Type
I: Industrial temperature
N: Quad Flat Pack Package (tJ = -40° C to 100° C)
No Lead (QFN)
F: FineLine BGA 11 = 148 pins
(FBGA) 14 = 169 pins
19 = 324 pins
23 = 484 pins
27 = 672 pins
31 = 896 pins

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview 1–13
Document Revision History

Figure 1–3 shows the ordering codes for Cyclone IV E devices.

Figure 1–3. Packaging Ordering Information for the Cyclone IV E Device

EP4CE 40 F 29 C 8 N

Family Signature Optional Suffix

EP4CE Indicates specific device
shipment method
N: Lead-free devices
Device Density ES: Engineering sample
L: Low-voltage devices
6, 10, 15, 22, 30,
Speed Grade
40, 55, 75, 115
6, 7, 8 or 9 with 6
Package Type being the fastest

F: FineLine BGA (FBGA) Operating Temperature

E: Enhanced Thin Quad Flat Pack
U: Ultra FineLine BGA (UBGA) C: Commercial temperature
M: Micro FineLine BGA (MBGA) (tJ = 0° C to 85° C)
I: Industrial temperature
Package (tJ = -40° C to 100° C)
A: Automotive temperature
8 = 164 pins (tJ = -40° C to 125° C)
17 = 256 pins
22 = 144 pins
23 = 484 pins
29 = 780 pins

Document Revision History

Table 1–10 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 1–10. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.1 release.
■ Added Cyclone IV E new device package information.
December 2010 1.4 ■ Updated Table 1–1, Table 1–2, Table 1–3, Table 1–5, and Table 1–6.
■ Updated Figure 1–3.
■ Minor text edits.
July 2010 1.3 Updated Table 1–2 to include F484 package information.
■ Updated Table 1–3 and Table 1–6.
March 2010 1.2 ■ Updated Figure 1–3.
■ Minor text edits.
■ Added Cyclone IV E devices in Table 1–1, Table 1–3, and Table 1–6 for the
Quartus II software version 9.1 SP1 release.
■ Added the “Cyclone IV Device Family Speed Grades” and “Configuration”
sections.
February 2010 1.1
■ Added Figure 1–3 to include Cyclone IV E Device Packaging Ordering
Information.
■ Updated Table 1–2, Table 1–4, and Table 1–5 for Cyclone IV GX devices.
■ Minor text edits.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

1–14 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview
Document Revision History

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 2. Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks
in Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51002-1.0

This chapter contains feature definitions for logic elements (LEs) and logic array
blocks (LABs). Details are provided on how LEs work, how LABs contain groups of
LEs, and how LABs interface with the other blocks in Cyclone® IV devices.

Logic Elements
Logic elements (LEs) are the smallest units of logic in the Cyclone IV device
architecture. LEs are compact and provide advanced features with efficient logic
usage. Each LE has the following features:
■ A four-input look-up table (LUT), which can implement any function of four
variables
■ A programmable register
■ A carry chain connection
■ A register chain connection
■ The ability to drive the following interconnects:
■ Local
■ Row
■ Column
■ Register chain
■ Direct link
■ Register packing support
■ Register feedback support

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

2–2 Chapter 2: Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Logic Elements

Figure 2–1 shows the LEs for Cyclone IV devices.

Figure 2–1. Cyclone IV Device LEs

Register Chain Register Bypass
Routing from LAB-Wide
previous LE Synchronous LAB-Wide Programmable
Load Synchronous Register
LE Carry-In Clear

data 1 Row, Column,

data 2 Synchronous And Direct Link
data 3 Look-Up Table Carry D Q Routing
Load and
(LUT) Chain
Clear Logic
data 4 ENA
CLRN Row, Column,
And Direct Link
Routing
labclr1
labclr2

Chip-Wide Asynchronous
Local
Reset Clear Logic
Routing
Register Feedback (DEV_CLRn)

Clock & Register Chain

Clock Enable Output
Select
LE Carry-Out labclk1

labclk2

labclkena1
labclkena2

LE Features
You can configure the programmable register of each LE for D, T, JK, or SR flipflop
operation. Each register has data, clock, clock enable, and clear inputs. Signals that
use the global clock network, general-purpose I/O pins, or any internal logic can
drive the clock and clear control signals of the register. Either general-purpose I/O
pins or the internal logic can drive the clock enable. For combinational functions, the
LUT output bypasses the register and drives directly to the LE outputs.
Each LE has three outputs that drive the local, row, and column routing resources.
The LUT or register output independently drives these three outputs. Two LE outputs
drive the column or row and direct link routing connections, while one LE drives the
local interconnect resources. This allows the LUT to drive one output while the
register drives another output. This feature, called register packing, improves device
utilization because the device can use the register and the LUT for unrelated
functions. The LAB-wide synchronous load control signal is not available when using
register packing. For more information about the synchronous load control signal,
refer to “LAB Control Signals” on page 2–6.
The register feedback mode allows the register output to feed back into the LUT of the
same LE to ensure that the register is packed with its own fan-out LUT, providing
another mechanism for improved fitting. The LE can also drive out registered and
unregistered versions of the LUT output.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 2: Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 2–3
LE Operating Modes

In addition to the three general routing outputs, LEs in an LAB have register chain
outputs, which allows registers in the same LAB to cascade together. The register
chain output allows the LUTs to be used for combinational functions and the registers
to be used for an unrelated shift register implementation. These resources speed up
connections between LABs while saving local interconnect resources.

LE Operating Modes
Cyclone IV LEs operate in the following modes:
■ Normal mode
■ Arithmetic mode
The Quartus® II software automatically chooses the appropriate mode for common
functions, such as counters, adders, subtractors, and arithmetic functions, in
conjunction with parameterized functions such as the library of parameterized
modules (LPM) functions. You can also create special-purpose functions that specify
which LE operating mode to use for optimal performance, if required.

Normal Mode
Normal mode is suitable for general logic applications and combinational functions.
In normal mode, four data inputs from the LAB local interconnect are inputs to a
four-input LUT (Figure 2–2). The Quartus II Compiler automatically selects the
carry-in (cin) or the data3 signal as one of the inputs to the LUT. LEs in normal
mode support packed registers and register feedback.
Figure 2–2 shows LEs in normal mode.

Figure 2–2. Cyclone IV Device LEs in Normal Mode

Register Chain
Connection sload sclear
(LAB Wide) (LAB Wide)
Packed Register Input

Q Row, Column, and

data1 D Direct Link Routing

data2 Row, Column, and

ENA
data3 Four-Input CLRN Direct Link Routing
cin (from cout LUT
of previous LE) clock (LAB Wide)
Local Routing
data4 ena (LAB Wide)
aclr (LAB Wide)

Register
Register Bypass Register Feedback
Chain Output

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

2–4 Chapter 2: Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Logic Array Blocks

Arithmetic Mode
Arithmetic mode is ideal for implementing adders, counters, accumulators, and
comparators. An LE in arithmetic mode implements a 2-bit full adder and basic carry
chain (Figure 2–3). LEs in arithmetic mode can drive out registered and unregistered
versions of the LUT output. Register feedback and register packing are supported
when LEs are used in arithmetic mode.
Figure 2–3 shows LEs in arithmetic mode.

Figure 2–3. Cyclone IV Device LEs in Arithmetic Mode

Packed Register Input Register Chain
sload sclear
Connection
(LAB Wide) (LAB Wide)

data4

data1
Three-Input
data2 Q Row, Column, and
LUT
D Direct link routing

data3 ENA Row, Column, and

Three-Input CLRN Direct link routing
cin (from cout LUT clock (LAB Wide)
of previous LE) ena (LAB Wide)
Local Routing
aclr (LAB Wide)
cout

Register
Chain Output

Register Bypass Register Feedback

The Quartus II Compiler automatically creates carry chain logic during design
processing. You can also manually create the carry chain logic during design entry.
Parameterized functions, such as LPM functions, automatically take advantage of
carry chains for the appropriate functions.
The Quartus II Compiler creates carry chains longer than 16 LEs by automatically
linking LABs in the same column. For enhanced fitting, a long carry chain runs
vertically, which allows fast horizontal connections to M9K memory blocks or
embedded multipliers through direct link interconnects. For example, if a design has
a long carry chain in an LAB column next to a column of M9K memory blocks, any LE
output can feed an adjacent M9K memory block through the direct link interconnect.
If the carry chains run horizontally, any LAB which is not next to the column of M9K
memory blocks uses other row or column interconnects to drive a M9K memory
block. A carry chain continues as far as a full column.

Logic Array Blocks

Logic array blocks (LABs) contain groups of LEs.

Topology
Each LAB consists of the following features:
■ 16 LEs

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 2: Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 2–5
Logic Array Blocks

■ LAB control signals

■ LE carry chains
■ Register chains
■ Local interconnect
The local interconnect transfers signals between LEs in the same LAB. Register chain
connections transfer the output of one LE register to the adjacent LE register in an
LAB. The Quartus II Compiler places associated logic in an LAB or adjacent LABs,
allowing the use of local and register chain connections for performance and area
efficiency.
Figure 2–4 shows the LAB structure for Cyclone IV devices.

Figure 2–4. Cyclone IV Device LAB Structure

Row Interconnect

Column
Interconnect

Direct link
Direct link interconnect
interconnect from adjacent
from adjacent block
block

Direct link Direct link

interconnect interconnect
to adjacent to adjacent
block block

LAB Local Interconnect

LAB Interconnects
The LAB local interconnect is driven by column and row interconnects and LE
outputs in the same LAB. Neighboring LABs, phase-locked loops (PLLs), M9K RAM
blocks, and embedded multipliers from the left and right can also drive the local
interconnect of a LAB through the direct link connection. The direct link connection
feature minimizes the use of row and column interconnects, providing higher
performance and flexibility. Each LE can drive up to 48 LEs through fast local and
direct link interconnects.

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2–6 Chapter 2: Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
LAB Control Signals

Figure 2–5 shows the direct link connection.

Figure 2–5. Cyclone IV Device Direct Link Connection

Direct link interconnect from Direct link interconnect from
left LAB, M9K memory right LAB, M9K memory
block, embedded multiplier, block, embedded multiplier,
PLL, or IOE output PLL, or IOE output

Direct link Direct link

interconnect interconnect
to left to right

Local
LAB
Interconnect

LAB Control Signals

Each LAB contains dedicated logic for driving control signals to its LEs. The control
signals include:
■ Two clocks
■ Two clock enables
■ Two asynchronous clears
■ One synchronous clear
■ One synchronous load
You can use up to eight control signals at a time. Register packing and synchronous
load cannot be used simultaneously.
Each LAB can have up to four non-global control signals. You can use additional LAB
control signals as long as they are global signals.
Synchronous clear and load signals are useful for implementing counters and other
functions. The synchronous clear and synchronous load signals are LAB-wide signals
that affect all registers in the LAB.
Each LAB can use two clocks and two clock enable signals. The clock and clock enable
signals of each LAB are linked. For example, any LE in a particular LAB using the
labclk1 signal also uses the labclkena1. If the LAB uses both the rising and falling
edges of a clock, it also uses both LAB-wide clock signals. Deasserting the clock
enable signal turns off the LAB-wide clock.
The LAB row clocks [5..0] and LAB local interconnect generate the LAB-wide
control signals. The MultiTrack interconnect inherent low skew allows clock and
control signal distribution in addition to data distribution.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 2: Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 2–7
Document Revision History

Figure 2–6 shows the LAB control signal generation circuit.

Figure 2–6. Cyclone IV Device LAB-Wide Control Signals

Dedicated 6
LAB Row
Clocks

Local
Interconnect

Local
Interconnect

Local
Interconnect

Local
Interconnect
labclkena1 labclkena2 labclr1 synclr

labclk1 labclk2 syncload labclr2

LAB-wide signals control the logic for the clear signal of the register. The LE directly
supports an asynchronous clear function. Each LAB supports up to two asynchronous
clear signals (labclr1 and labclr2).
A LAB-wide asynchronous load signal to control the logic for the preset signal of the
register is not available. The register preset is achieved with a NOT gate push-back
technique. Cyclone IV devices only support either a preset or asynchronous clear
signal.
In addition to the clear port, Cyclone IV devices provide a chip-wide reset pin
(DEV_CLRn) that resets all registers in the device. An option set before compilation in
the Quartus II software controls this pin. This chip-wide reset overrides all other
control signals.

Document Revision History

Table 2–1 shows the revision history for this chapter.

Table 2–1. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

2–8 Chapter 2: Logic Elements and Logic Array Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Document Revision History

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

 3. Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51003-1.0

Cyclone® IV devices feature embedded memory structures to address the on-chip

memory needs of Altera® Cyclone IV device designs. The embedded memory
structure consists of columns of M9K memory blocks that you can configure to
provide various memory functions, such as RAM, shift registers, ROM, and FIFO
buffers.
This chapter contains the following sections:
■ “Memory Modes” on page 3–7
■ “Clocking Modes” on page 3–14
■ “Design Considerations” on page 3–15

Overview
M9K blocks support the following features:
■ 8,192 memory bits per block (9,216 bits per block including parity)
■ Independent read-enable (rden) and write-enable (wren) signals for each port
■ Packed mode in which the M9K memory block is split into two 4.5 K single-port
RAMs
■ Variable port configurations
■ Single-port and simple dual-port modes support for all port widths
■ True dual-port (one read and one write, two reads, or two writes) operation
■ Byte enables for data input masking during writes
■ Two clock-enable control signals for each port (port A and port B)
■ Initialization file to pre-load memory content in RAM and ROM modes

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

3–2 Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Overview

Table 3–1 lists the features supported by the M9K memory.

Table 3–1. Summary of M9K Memory Features

Feature M9K Blocks

8192 × 1
4096 × 2
2048 × 4
1024 × 8
Configurations (depth × width) 1024 × 9
512 × 16
512 × 18
256 × 32
256 × 36
Parity bits v
Byte enable v
Packed mode v
Address clock enable v
Single-port mode v
Simple dual-port mode v
True dual-port mode v
Embedded shift register mode (1) v
ROM mode v
FIFO buffer (1) v
Simple dual-port mixed width support v
True dual-port mixed width support (2) v
Memory initialization file (.mif) v
Mixed-clock mode v
Power-up condition Outputs cleared
Register asynchronous clears Read address registers and output registers only
Latch asynchronous clears Output latches only
Write or read operation triggering Write and read: Rising clock edges
Same-port read-during-write Outputs set to Old Data or New Data
Mixed-port read-during-write Outputs set to Old Data or Don’t Care
Notes to Table 3–1:
(1) FIFO buffers and embedded shift registers that require external logic elements (LEs) for implementing control
logic.
(2) Width modes of ×32 and ×36 are not available.

f For information about the number of M9K memory blocks for Cyclone IV devices,
refer to the Cyclone IV Device Family Overview chapter in volume 1 of the Cyclone IV
Device Handbook.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 3–3
Overview

Control Signals
The clock-enable control signal controls the clock entering the input and output
registers and the entire M9K memory block. This signal disables the clock so that the
M9K memory block does not see any clock edges and does not perform any
operations.
The rden and wren control signals control the read and write operations for each
port of M9K memory blocks. You can disable the rden or wren signals independently
to save power whenever the operation is not required.

Parity Bit Support

Parity checking for error detection is possible with the parity bit along with internal
logic resources. Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks support a parity bit for each
storage byte. You can use this bit as either a parity bit or as an additional data bit. No
parity function is actually performed on this bit.

Byte Enable Support

Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks support byte enables that mask the input
data so that only specific bytes of data are written. The unwritten bytes retain the
previous written value. The wren signals, along with the byte-enable (byteena)
signals, control the write operations of the RAM block. The default value of the
byteena signals is high (enabled), in which case writing is controlled only by the
wren signals. There is no clear port to the byteena registers. M9K blocks support
byte enables when the write port has a data width of ×16, ×18, ×32, or ×36 bits.
Byte enables operate in one-hot manner, with the LSB of the byteena signal
corresponding to the least significant byte of the data bus. For example, if
byteena = 01 and you are using a RAM block in ×18 mode, data[8..0] is
enabled and data[17..9] is disabled. Similarly, if byteena = 11, both
data[8..0] and data[17..9] are enabled. Byte enables are active high.
Table 3–2 lists the byte selection.

Table 3–2. byteena for Cyclone IV Devices M9K Blocks (Note 1)

Affected Bytes

byteena[3..0] datain ×16 datain ×18 datain ×32 datain ×36

[0] = 1 [7..0] [8..0] [7..0] [8..0]
[1] = 1 [15..8] [17..9] [15..8] [17..9]
[2] = 1 — — [23..16] [26..18]
[3] = 1 — — [31..24] [35..27]
Note to Table 3–2:
(1) Any combination of byte enables is possible.

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

3–4 Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Overview

Figure 3–1 shows how the wren and byteena signals control the RAM operations.

Figure 3–1. Cyclone IV Devices byteena Functional Waveform (Note 1)

inclock

wren

rden

address an a0 a1 a2 a0 a1 a2

data XXXX ABCD XXXX

byteena XX 10 01 11 XX

contents at a0 FFFF ABFF

contents at a1 FFFF FFCD

contents at a2 FFFF ABCD

q (asynch) doutn ABFF FFCD ABCD ABFF FFCD ABCD

Note to Figure 3–1:

(1) For this functional waveform, New Data mode is selected.

When a byteena bit is deasserted during a write cycle, the old data in the memory
appears in the corresponding data-byte output. When a byteena bit is asserted
during a write cycle, the corresponding data-byte output depends on the setting
chosen in the Quartus® II software. The setting can either be the newly written data or
the old data at that location.

Packed Mode Support

Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks support packed mode. You can implement
two single-port memory blocks in a single block under the following conditions:
■ Each of the two independent block sizes is less than or equal to half of the M9K
block size. The maximum data width for each independent block is 18 bits wide.
■ Each of the single-port memory blocks is configured in single-clock mode. For
more information about packed mode support, refer to “Single-Port Mode” on
page 3–7 and “Single-Clock Mode” on page 3–15.

Address Clock Enable Support

Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks support an active-low address clock enable,
which holds the previous address value for as long as the addressstall signal is
high (addressstall = '1'). When you configure M9K memory blocks in dual-port
mode, each port has its own independent address clock enable.
Figure 3–2 shows an address clock enable block diagram. The address register output
feeds back to its input using a multiplexer. The multiplexer output is selected by the
address clock enable (addressstall) signal.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 3–5
Overview

Figure 3–2. Cyclone IV Devices Address Clock Enable Block Diagram

address[0]
address[0]
address[0] register

address[N] address[N]
address[N] register

addressstall

clock

The address clock enable is typically used to improve the effectiveness of cache
memory applications during a cache-miss. The default value for the address clock
enable signals is low.
Figure 3–3 and Figure 3–4 show the address clock enable waveform during read and
write cycles, respectively.

Figure 3–3. Cyclone IV Devices Address Clock Enable During Read Cycle Waveform

inclock

rdaddress a0 a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6

rden

addressstall

latched address
an a0 a1 a4 a5
(inside memory)

q (synch) doutn-1 doutn dout0 dout1 dout1 dout1 dout4

q (asynch) doutn dout0 dout1 dout1 dout1 dout4 dout5

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

3–6 Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Overview

Figure 3–4. Cyclone IV Devices Address Clock Enable During Write Cycle Waveform

inclock

a0 a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6
wraddress

data 00 01 02 03 04 05 06

wren

addressstall

latched address a1 a4 a5
an a0
(inside memory)
contents at a0 XX 00

contents at a1 XX 01 02 03

contents at a2 XX

contents at a3 XX

contents at a4 XX 04

contents at a5 XX 05

Mixed-Width Support
M9K memory blocks support mixed data widths. When using simple dual-port, true
dual-port, or FIFO modes, mixed width support allows you to read and write
different data widths to an M9K memory block. For more information about the
different widths supported per memory mode, refer to “Memory Modes” on
page 3–7.

Asynchronous Clear
Cyclone IV devices support asynchronous clears for read address registers, output
registers, and output latches only. Input registers other than read address registers are
not supported. When applied to output registers, the asynchronous clear signal clears
the output registers and the effects are immediately seen. If your RAM does not use
output registers, you can still clear the RAM outputs using the output latch
asynchronous clear feature.

1 Asserting asynchronous clear to the read address register during a read operation
may corrupt the memory content.

Figure 3–5 shows the functional waveform for the asynchronous clear feature.

Figure 3–5. Output Latch Asynchronous Clear Waveform

clk

aclr

aclr at latch

q a1 a2 a0 a1

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 3–7
Memory Modes

1 You can selectively enable asynchronous clears per logical memory using the
Quartus II RAM MegaWizard™ Plug-In Manager.

f For more information, refer to the RAM Megafunction User Guide.

There are three ways to reset registers in the M9K blocks:

■ Power up the device
■ Use the aclr signal for output register only
■ Assert the device-wide reset signal using the DEV_CLRn option

Memory Modes
Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks allow you to implement fully-synchronous
SRAM memory in multiple modes of operation. Cyclone IV devices M9K memory
blocks do not support asynchronous (unregistered) memory inputs.
M9K memory blocks support the following modes:
■ Single-port
■ Simple dual-port
■ True dual-port
■ Shift-register
■ ROM
■ FIFO

1 Violating the setup or hold time on the M9K memory block input registers may
corrupt memory contents. This applies to both read and write operations.

Single-Port Mode
Single-port mode supports non-simultaneous read and write operations from a single
address. Figure 3–6 shows the single-port memory configuration for Cyclone IV
devices M9K memory blocks.

Figure 3–6. Single-Port Memory (Note 1), (2)

data[ ]
address[ ]
wren
byteena[]
addressstall q[]
inclock outclock
inclocken outclocken
rden
aclr

Notes to Figure 3–6:

(1) You can implement two single-port memory blocks in a single M9K block.
(2) For more information, refer to “Packed Mode Support” on page 3–4.

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

3–8 Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Memory Modes

During a write operation, the behavior of the RAM outputs is configurable. If you
activate rden during a write operation, the RAM outputs show either the new data
being written or the old data at that address. If you perform a write operation with
rden deactivated, the RAM outputs retain the values they held during the most
recent active rden signal.
To choose the desired behavior, set the Read-During-Write option to either New Data
or Old Data in the RAM MegaWizard Plug-In Manager in the Quartus II software.
For more information about read-during-write mode, refer to “Read-During-Write
Operations” on page 3–15.
The port width configurations for M9K blocks in single-port mode are as follow:
■ 8192 × 1
■ 4096 × 2
■ 2048 × 4
■ 1024 × 8
■ 1024 × 9
■ 512 × 16
■ 512 × 18
■ 256 × 32
■ 256 × 36
Figure 3–7 shows a timing waveform for read and write operations in single-port
mode with unregistered outputs. Registering the outputs of the RAM simply delays
the q output by one clock cycle.

Figure 3–7. Cyclone IV Devices Single-Port Mode Timing Waveform

clk_a

wren_a

rden_a

address_a a0 a1

data_a A B C D E F

q_a (old data) a0(old data) A B a1(old data) D E

q_a (new data) A B C D E F

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Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 3–9
Memory Modes

Simple Dual-Port Mode

Simple dual-port mode supports simultaneous read and write operations to different
locations. Figure 3–8 shows the simple dual-port memory configuration.

Figure 3–8. Cyclone IV Devices Simple Dual-Port Memory (Note 1)

data[ ] rdaddress[ ]
wraddress[ ] rden
wren q[ ]
byteena[] rd_addressstall
wr_addressstall rdclock
wrclock rdclocken
wrclocken
aclr

Note to Figure 3–8:

(1) Simple dual-port RAM supports input or output clock mode in addition to the read or write clock mode shown.

Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks support mixed-width configurations,

allowing different read and write port widths. Table 3–3 lists mixed-width
configurations.

Table 3–3. Cyclone IV Devices M9K Block Mixed-Width Configurations (Simple Dual-Port Mode)
Write Port

Read Port 8192 × 1 4096 × 2 2048 × 4 1024 × 8 512 × 16 256 × 32 1024 × 9 512 × 18 256 × 36
8192 × 1 v v v v v v — — —
4096 × 2 v v v v v v — — —
2048 × 4 v v v v v v — — —
1024 × 8 v v v v v v — — —
512 × 16 v v v v v v — — —
256 × 32 v v v v v v — — —
1024 × 9 — — — — — — v v v
512 × 18 — — — — — — v v v
256 × 36 — — — — — — v v v

In simple dual-port mode, M9K memory blocks support separate wren and rden
signals. You can save power by keeping the rden signal low (inactive) when not
reading. Read-during-write operations to the same address can either output “Don’t
Care” data at that location or output “Old Data”. To choose the desired behavior, set
the Read-During-Write option to either Don’t Care or Old Data in the RAM
MegaWizard Plug-In Manager in the Quartus II software. For more information about
this behavior, refer to “Read-During-Write Operations” on page 3–15.

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

3–10 Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Memory Modes

Figure 3–9 shows the timing waveform for read and write operations in simple
dual-port mode with unregistered outputs. Registering the outputs of the RAM
simply delays the q output by one clock cycle.

Figure 3–9. Cyclone IV Devices Simple Dual-Port Timing Waveform

wrclock

wren

wraddress an-1 an a0 a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6

data din-1 din din4 din5 din6

rdclock

rden

rdaddress bn b0 b1 b2 b3

q (asynch) doutn-1 doutn dout0

True Dual-Port Mode

True dual-port mode supports any combination of two-port operations: two reads,
two writes, or one read and one write, at two different clock frequencies. Figure 3–10
shows Cyclone IV devices true dual-port memory configuration.

Figure 3–10. Cyclone IV Devices True Dual-Port Memory (Note 1)

data_a[ ] data_b[ ]
address_a[ ] address_b[]
wren_a wren_b
byteena_a[] byteena_b[]
addressstall_a addressstall_b
clock_a clock_b
clocken_a clocken_b
rden_a rden_b
aclr_a aclr_b
q_a[] q_b[]

Note to Figure 3–10:

(1) True dual-port memory supports input or output clock mode in addition to the independent clock mode shown.

1 The widest bit configuration of the M9K blocks in true dual-port mode is 512 × 16-bit
(18-bit with parity).

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 3–11
Memory Modes

Table 3–4 lists the possible M9K block mixed-port width configurations.

Table 3–4. Cyclone IV Devices M9K Block Mixed-Width Configurations (True Dual-Port Mode)

Write Port

Read Port 8192 × 1 4096 × 2 2048 × 4 1024 × 8 512 × 16 1024 × 9 512 × 18

8192 × 1 v v v v v — —
4096 × 2 v v v v v — —
2048 × 4 v v v v v — —
1024 × 8 v v v v v — —
512 × 16 v v v v v — —
1024 × 9 — — — — — v v
512 × 18 — — — — — v v

In true dual-port mode, M9K memory blocks support separate wren and rden
signals. You can save power by keeping the rden signal low (inactive) when not
reading. Read-during-write operations to the same address can either output “New
Data” at that location or “Old Data”. To choose the desired behavior, set the
Read-During-Write option to either New Data or Old Data in the RAM MegaWizard
Plug-In Manager in the Quartus II software. For more information about this
behavior, refer to “Read-During-Write Operations” on page 3–15.
In true dual-port mode, you can access any memory location at any time from either
port A or port B. However, when accessing the same memory location from both
ports, you must avoid possible write conflicts. When you attempt to write to the same
address location from both ports at the same time, a write conflict happens. This
results in unknown data being stored to that address location. There is no conflict
resolution circuitry built into the Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks. You must
handle address conflicts external to the RAM block.
Figure 3–11 shows true dual-port timing waveforms for the write operation at port A
and read operation at port B. Registering the outputs of the RAM simply delays the q
outputs by one clock cycle.

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

3–12 Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Memory Modes

Figure 3–11. Cyclone IV Devices True Dual-Port Timing Waveform

clk_a

wren_a

address_a an-1 an a0 a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6

data_a din-1 din din4 din5 din6

rden_a

q_a (asynch) din-1 din dout0 dout1 dout2 dout3 din4 din5

clk_b

wren_b

address_b bn b0 b1 b2 b3

rden_b

q_b (asynch) doutn-1 doutn dout0 dout1 dout2

Shift Register Mode

Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks can implement shift registers for digital
signal processing (DSP) applications, such as finite impulse response (FIR) filters,
pseudo-random number generators, multi-channel filtering, and auto-correlation and
cross-correlation functions. These and other DSP applications require local data
storage, traditionally implemented with standard flipflops that quickly exhaust many
logic cells for large shift registers. A more efficient alternative is to use embedded
memory as a shift register block, which saves logic cell and routing resources.
The size of a (w × m × n) shift register is determined by the input data width (w), the
length of the taps (m), and the number of taps (n), and must be less than or equal to
the maximum number of memory bits, which is 9,216 bits. In addition, the size of
(w × n) must be less than or equal to the maximum width of the block, which is 36 bits.
If you need a larger shift register, you can cascade the M9K memory blocks.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 3–13
Memory Modes

Figure 3–12 shows the Cyclone IV devices M9K memory block in shift register mode.

Figure 3–12. Cyclone IV Devices Shift Register Mode Configuration

w × m × n Shift Register

m-Bit Shift Register

W W

m-Bit Shift Register

W W

n Number of Taps

m-Bit Shift Register

W W

m-Bit Shift Register

W W

ROM Mode
Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks support ROM mode. A .mif initializes the
ROM contents of these blocks. The address lines of the ROM are registered. The
outputs can be registered or unregistered. The ROM read operation is identical to the
read operation in the single-port RAM configuration.

FIFO Buffer Mode

Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks support single-clock or dual-clock FIFO
buffers. Dual clock FIFO buffers are useful when transferring data from one clock
domain to another clock domain. Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks do not
support simultaneous read and write from an empty FIFO buffer.

f For more information about FIFO buffers, refer to the Single- and Dual-Clock FIFO
Megafunction User Guide.

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

3–14 Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Clocking Modes

Clocking Modes
Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks support the following clocking modes:
■ Independent
■ Input or output
■ Read or write
■ Single-clock
When using read or write clock mode, if you perform a simultaneous read or write to
the same address location, the output read data is unknown. If you require the output
data to be a known value, use either single-clock mode or I/O clock mode and choose
the appropriate read-during-write behavior in the MegaWizard Plug-In Manager.

1 Violating the setup or hold time on the memory block input registers might corrupt
the memory contents. This applies to both read and write operations.

1 Asynchronous clears are available on read address registers, output registers, and
output latches only.

Table 3–5 lists the clocking mode versus memory mode support matrix.

Table 3–5. Cyclone IV Devices Memory Clock Modes

Simple
True Dual-Port Dual-Port Single-Port
Clocking Mode Mode Mode Mode ROM Mode FIFO Mode
Independent v — — v —
Input or output v v v v —
Read or write — v — — v
Single-clock v v v v v

Independent Clock Mode

Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks can implement independent clock mode for
true dual-port memories. In this mode, a separate clock is available for each port
(port A and port B). clock A controls all registers on the port A side, while clock B
controls all registers on the port B side. Each port also supports independent clock
enables for port A and B registers.

Input or Output Clock Mode

Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks can implement input or output clock mode
for FIFO, single-port, true, and simple dual-port memories. In this mode, an input
clock controls all input registers to the memory block including data, address,
byteena, wren, and rden registers. An output clock controls the data-output
registers. Each memory block port also supports independent clock enables for input
and output registers.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 3–15
Design Considerations

Read or Write Clock Mode

Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks can implement read or write clock mode for
FIFO and simple dual-port memories. In this mode, a write clock controls the data
inputs, write address, and wren registers. Similarly, a read clock controls the data
outputs, read address, and rden registers. M9K memory blocks support independent
clock enables for both the read and write clocks.
When using read or write mode, if you perform a simultaneous read or write to the
same address location, the output read data is unknown. If you require the output
data to be a known value, use either single-clock mode, input clock mode, or output
clock mode and choose the appropriate read-during-write behavior in the
MegaWizard Plug-In Manager.

Single-Clock Mode
Cyclone IV devices M9K memory blocks can implement single-clock mode for FIFO,
ROM, true dual-port, simple dual-port, and single-port memories. In this mode, you
can control all registers of the M9K memory block with a single clock together with
clock enable.

Design Considerations
This section describes designing with M9K memory blocks.

Read-During-Write Operations
“Same-Port Read-During-Write Mode” on page 3–16 and “Mixed-Port Read-During-
Write Mode” on page 3–17 describe the functionality of the various RAM
configurations when reading from an address during a write operation at that same
address.
There are two read-during-write data flows: same-port and mixed-port. Figure 3–13
shows the difference between these flows.

Figure 3–13. Cyclone IV Devices Read-During-Write Data Flow

write_a write_b
Port A Port B
data in data in

Mixed-port
data flow

Same-port
data flow

read_a
Port A Port B
data out data out read_b

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

3–16 Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Design Considerations

Same-Port Read-During-Write Mode

This mode applies to a single-port RAM or the same port of a true dual-port RAM. In
the same port read-during-write mode, there are two output choices: New Data mode
(or flow-through) and Old Data mode. In New Data mode, new data is available on
the rising edge of the same clock cycle on which it was written. In Old Data mode, the
RAM outputs reflect the old data at that address before the write operation proceeds.
When using New Data mode together with byteena, you can control the output of
the RAM. When byteena is high, the data written into the memory passes to the
output (flow-through). When byteena is low, the masked-off data is not written into
the memory and the old data in the memory appears on the outputs. Therefore, the
output can be a combination of new and old data determined by byteena.
Figure 3–14 and Figure 3–15 show sample functional waveforms of same port
read-during-write behavior with both New Data and Old Data modes, respectively.

Figure 3–14. Same Port Read-During Write: New Data Mode

clk_a

wren_a

rden_a

address_a a0 a1

data_a A B C D E F

q_a (asynch) A B C D E F

Figure 3–15. Same Port Read-During-Write: Old Data Mode

clk_a

wren_a

rden_a

address_a a0 a1

data_a A B C D E F

q_a (asynch) a0(old data) A B a1(old data) D E

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices 3–17
Design Considerations

Mixed-Port Read-During-Write Mode

This mode applies to a RAM in simple or true dual-port mode, which has one port
reading and the other port writing to the same address location with the same clock.
In this mode, you also have two output choices: Old Data mode or Don't Care mode.
In Old Data mode, a read-during-write operation to different ports causes the RAM
outputs to reflect the old data at that address location. In Don't Care mode, the same
operation results in a “Don't Care” or unknown value on the RAM outputs.

f For more information about how to implement the desired behavior, refer to the RAM
Megafunction User Guide.

Figure 3–16 shows a sample functional waveform of mixed port read-during-write

behavior for Old Data mode. In Don't Care mode, the old data is replaced with
“Don't Care”.

Figure 3–16. Mixed Port Read-During-Write: Old Data Mode

clk_a&b

wren_a

address_a a b

data_a A B C D E F

rden_b

address_b a b

q_b (asynch) a (old data) A B b (old data) D E

1 For mixed-port read-during-write operation with dual clocks, the relationship

between the clocks determines the output behavior of the memory. If you use the
same clock for the two clocks, the output is the old data from the address location.
However, if you use different clocks, the output is unknown during the mixed-port
read-during-write operation. This unknown value may be the old or new data at the
address location, depending on whether the read happens before or after the write.

Conflict Resolution
When you are using M9K memory blocks in true dual-port mode, it is possible to
attempt two write operations to the same memory location (address). Because there is
no conflict resolution circuitry built into M9K memory blocks, this results in
unknown data being written to that location. Therefore, you must implement
conflict-resolution logic external to the M9K memory block.

© November 2009 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

3–18 Chapter 3: Memory Blocks in Cyclone IV Devices
Document Revision History

Power-Up Conditions and Memory Initialization

The M9K memory block outputs of Cyclone IV devices power up to zero (cleared)
regardless of whether the output registers are used or bypassed. All M9K memory
blocks support initialization using a .mif. You can create .mifs in the Quartus II
software and specify their use using the RAM MegaWizard Plug-In Manager when
instantiating memory in your design. Even if memory is pre-initialized (for example,
using a .mif), it still powers up with its outputs cleared. Only the subsequent read
after power up outputs the pre-initialized values.

f For more information about .mifs, refer to the RAM Megafunction User Guide and the
Quartus II Handbook.

Power Management
The M9K memory block clock enables of Cyclone IV devices allow you to control
clocking of each M9K memory block to reduce AC power consumption. Use the rden
signal to ensure that read operations only occur when necessary. If your design does
not require read-during-write, reduce power consumption by deasserting the rden
signal during write operations or any period when there are no memory operations.
The Quartus II software automatically powers down any unused M9K memory
blocks to save static power.

Document Revision History

Table 3–6 shows the revision history for this chapter.

Table 3–6. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © November 2009 Altera Corporation

 4. Embedded Multipliers in
Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51004-1.1

Cyclone® IV devices include a combination of on-chip resources and external

interfaces that help increase performance, reduce system cost, and lower the power
consumption of digital signal processing (DSP) systems. Cyclone IV devices, either
alone or as DSP device co-processors, are used to improve price-to-performance ratios
of DSP systems. Particular focus is placed on optimizing Cyclone IV devices for
applications that benefit from an abundance of parallel processing resources, which
include video and image processing, intermediate frequency (IF) modems used in
wireless communications systems, and multi-channel communications and video
systems.
This chapter contains the following sections:
■ “Embedded Multiplier Block Overview” on page 4–1
■ “Architecture” on page 4–3
■ “Operational Modes” on page 4–4

Embedded Multiplier Block Overview

Figure 4–1 shows one of the embedded multiplier columns with the surrounding logic
array blocks (LABs). The embedded multiplier is configured as either one 18 × 18
multiplier or two 9 × 9 multipliers. For multiplications greater than 18 × 18, the
Quartus® II software cascades multiple embedded multiplier blocks together. There
are no restrictions on the data width of the multiplier, but the greater the data width,
the slower the multiplication process.

Figure 4–1. Embedded Multipliers Arranged in Columns with Adjacent LABs

Embedded
Multiplier
Column

1 LAB Embedded
Row Multiplier

© February 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

4–2 Chapter 4: Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices
Embedded Multiplier Block Overview

Table 4–1 lists the number of embedded multipliers and the multiplier modes that can
be implemented in each Cyclone IV device.

Table 4–1. Number of Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices

Embedded 9×9 18 × 18
Device Family Device
Multipliers Multipliers (1) Multipliers (1)
EP4CGX15 0 0 0
EP4CGX22 40 80 40
EP4CGX30 80 160 80
Cyclone IV GX EP4CGX50 140 280 140
EP4CGX75 198 396 198
EP4CGX110 280 560 280
EP4CGX150 360 720 360
EP4CE6 15 30 15
EP4CE10 23 46 23
EP4CE15 56 112 56
EP4CE22 66 132 66
Cyclone IV E EP4CE30 66 132 66
EP4CE40 116 232 116
EP4CE55 154 308 154
EP4CE75 200 400 200
EP4CE115 266 532 266
Note to Table 4–1:
(1) These columns show the number of 9 × 9 or 18 × 18 multipliers for each device.

In addition to the embedded multipliers in Cyclone IV devices, you can implement

soft multipliers by using the M9K memory blocks as look-up tables (LUTs). The LUTs
contain partial results from the multiplication of input data with coefficients that
implement variable depth and width high-performance soft multipliers for low-cost,
high-volume DSP applications. The availability of soft multipliers increases the
number of available multipliers in the device.

f For more information about M9K memory blocks, refer to the Memory Blocks in
Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

f For more information about soft multipliers, refer to AN 306: Implementing Multipliers
in FPGA Devices.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 4: Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices 4–3
Architecture

Architecture
Each embedded multiplier consists of the following elements:
■ Multiplier stage
■ Input and output registers
■ Input and output interfaces
Figure 4–2 shows the multiplier block architecture.

Figure 4–2. Multiplier Block Architecture

signa
signb
aclr
clock
ena

Data A D Q
ENA
Data Out
D Q
CLRN ENA

CLRN
Data B D Q
ENA Output
Input Register
CLRN Register

Embedded Multiplier Block

Input Registers
You can send each multiplier input signal into an input register or directly into the
multiplier in 9- or 18-bit sections, depending on the operational mode of the
multiplier. You can send each multiplier input signal through a register independently
of other input signals. For example, you can send the multiplier Data A signal
through a register and send the Data B signal directly to the multiplier.
The following control signals are available for each input register in the embedded
multiplier:
■ clock
■ clock enable
■ asynchronous clear
All input and output registers in a single embedded multiplier are fed by the same
clock, clock enable, and asynchronous clear signals.

Multiplier Stage
The multiplier stage of an embedded multiplier block supports 9 × 9 or 18 × 18
multipliers, as well as other multipliers between these configurations. Depending on
the data width or operational mode of the multiplier, a single embedded multiplier
can perform one or two multiplications in parallel. For multiplier information, refer to
“Operational Modes” on page 4–4.

© February 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

4–4 Chapter 4: Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices
Operational Modes

Each multiplier operand is a unique signed or unsigned number. The signa and
signb signals control an input of a multiplier and determine if the value is signed or
unsigned. If the signa signal is high, the Data A operand is a signed number. If the
signa signal is low, the Data A operand is an unsigned number.
Table 4–2 lists the sign of the multiplication results for the various operand sign
representations. The results of the multiplication are signed if any one of the operands
is a signed value.

Table 4–2. Multiplier Sign Representation

Data A Data B
Result
signa Value Logic Level signb Value Logic Level
Unsigned Low Unsigned Low Unsigned
Unsigned Low Signed High Signed
Signed High Unsigned Low Signed
Signed High Signed High Signed

Each embedded multiplier block has only one signa and one signb signal to control
the sign representation of the input data to the block. If the embedded multiplier
block has two 9 × 9 multipliers, the Data A input of both multipliers share the same
signa signal, and the Data B input of both multipliers share the same signb signal.
You can dynamically change the signa and signb signals to modify the sign
representation of the input operands at run time. You can send the signa and signb
signals through a dedicated input register. The multiplier offers full precision,
regardless of the sign representation.

1 When the signa and signb signals are unused, the Quartus II software sets the
multiplier to perform unsigned multiplication by default.

Output Registers
You can register the embedded multiplier output with output registers in either 18- or
36-bit sections, depending on the operational mode of the multiplier. The following
control signals are available for each output register in the embedded multiplier:
■ clock
■ clock enable
■ asynchronous clear
All input and output registers in a single embedded multiplier are fed by the same
clock, clock enable, and asynchronous clear signals.

Operational Modes
You can use an embedded multiplier block in one of two operational modes,
depending on the application needs:
■ One 18 × 18 multiplier
■ Up to two 9 × 9 independent multipliers

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 4: Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices 4–5
Operational Modes

1 You can also use embedded multipliers of Cyclone IV devices to implement multiplier
adder and multiplier accumulator functions, in which the multiplier portion of the
function is implemented with embedded multipliers, and the adder or accumulator
function is implemented in logic elements (LEs).

18-Bit Multipliers
You can configure each embedded multiplier to support a single 18 × 18 multiplier for
input widths of 10 to 18 bits.
Figure 4–3 shows the embedded multiplier configured to support an 18-bit multiplier.

Figure 4–3. 18-Bit Multiplier Mode

signa
signb
aclr
clock
ena

Data A [17..0] D Q
ENA
Data Out [35..0]
D Q
CLRN ENA

CLRN
Data B [17..0] D Q
ENA

CLRN
18 × 18 Multiplier

Embedded Multiplier

All 18-bit multiplier inputs and results are independently sent through registers. The
multiplier inputs can accept signed integers, unsigned integers, or a combination of
both. Also, you can dynamically change the signa and signb signals and send these
signals through dedicated input registers.

9-Bit Multipliers
You can configure each embedded multiplier to support two 9 × 9 independent
multipliers for input widths of up to 9 bits.

© February 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

4–6 Chapter 4: Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices
Operational Modes

Figure 4–4 shows the embedded multiplier configured to support two 9-bit
multipliers.

Figure 4–4. 9-Bit Multiplier Mode

signa
signb
aclr
clock
ena

Data A 0 [8..0] D Q
ENA
Data Out 0 [17..0]
D Q
CLRN ENA

CLRN
Data B 0 [8..0] D Q
ENA

CLRN
9 × 9 Multiplier

Data A 1 [8..0] D Q
ENA
Data Out 1 [17..0]
D Q
CLRN ENA

CLRN
Data B 1 [8..0] D Q
ENA

CLRN
9 × 9 Multiplier

Embedded Multiplier

All 9-bit multiplier inputs and results are independently sent through registers. The
multiplier inputs can accept signed integers, unsigned integers, or a combination of
both. Two 9 × 9 multipliers in the same embedded multiplier block share the same
signa and signb signal. Therefore, all the Data A inputs feeding the same
embedded multiplier must have the same sign representation. Similarly, all the
Data B inputs feeding the same embedded multiplier must have the same sign
representation.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 4: Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices 4–7
Document Revision History

Document Revision History

Table 4–3 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 4–3. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
February 2010 1.1 Added Cyclone IV E devices in Table 4–1 for the Quartus II software version
9.1 SP1 release.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

© February 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

4–8 Chapter 4: Embedded Multipliers in Cyclone IV Devices
Document Revision History

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

 5. Clock Networks and PLLs in
Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51005-2.2

This chapter describes the hierarchical clock networks and phase-locked loops (PLLs)
with advanced features in the Cyclone® IV device family. It includes details about the
ability to reconfigure the PLL counter clock frequency and phase shift in real time,
allowing you to sweep PLL output frequencies and dynamically adjust the output
clock phase shift.

1 The Quartus® II software enables the PLLs and their features without external devices.

This chapter contains the following sections:

■ “Clock Networks” on page 5–1
■ “PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices” on page 5–16
■ “Cyclone IV PLL Hardware Overview” on page 5–19
■ “Clock Feedback Modes” on page 5–22
■ “Hardware Features” on page 5–26
■ “Programmable Bandwidth” on page 5–32
■ “Phase Shift Implementation” on page 5–32
■ “PLL Cascading” on page 5–34
■ “PLL Reconfiguration” on page 5–35
■ “Spread-Spectrum Clocking” on page 5–43
■ “PLL Specifications” on page 5–43

Clock Networks
The Cyclone IV GX device provides up to 12 dedicated clock pins (CLK[15..4]) that
can drive the global clocks (GCLKs). Cyclone IV GX devices support four dedicated
clock pins on each side of the device except the left side. These clock pins can drive up
to 30 GCLKs.
The Cyclone IV E device provides up to 15 dedicated clock pins (CLK[15..1]) that
can drive up to 20 GCLKs. Cyclone IV E devices support three dedicated clock pins
on the left side and four dedicated clock pins on the top, right, and bottom sides of the
device except EP4CE6 and EP4CE10 devices. EP4CE6 and EP4CE10 devices only
support three dedicated clock pins on the left side and four dedicated clock pins on
the right side of the device.

f For more information about the number of GCLK networks in each device density,
refer to the Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview chapter.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–2 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Clock Networks

GCLK Network
GCLKs drive throughout the entire device, feeding all device quadrants. All resources
in the device (I/O elements, logic array blocks (LABs), dedicated multiplier blocks,
and M9K memory blocks) can use GCLKs as clock sources. Use these clock network
resources for control signals, such as clock enables and clears fed by an external pin.
Internal logic can also drive GCLKs for internally generated GCLKs and
asynchronous clears, clock enables, or other control signals with high fan-out.
Table 5–1, Table 5–2 on page 5–4, and Table 5–3 on page 5–7 list the connectivity of the
clock sources to the GCLK networks.

Table 5–1. GCLK Network Connections for EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 (Note 1), (2) (Part 1 of 2)

GCLK Network Clock GCLK Networks

Sources 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
CLK4/DIFFCLK_2n — — — — — v — v — v — — — — — — — — — —
CLK5/DIFFCLK_2p — — — — — — v v — — — — — — — — — — — —
CLK6/DIFFCLK_3n — — — — — — v — v v — — — — — — — — — —
CLK7/DIFFCLK_3p — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — — — — — —
CLK8/DIFFCLK_5n — — — — — — — — — — v — v — v — — — — —
CLK9/DIFFCLK_5p — — — — — — — — — — — v v — — — — — — —
CLK10/DIFFCLK_4n
— — — — — — — — — — — v — v v — — — — —
/REFCLK1n
CLK11/DIFFCLK_4p
— — — — — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — —
/REFCLK1p
CLK12/DIFFCLK_7p
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — v
/REFCLK0p
CLK13/DIFFCLK_7n
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v v — —
/REFCLK0n
CLK14/DIFFCLK_6p — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v v
CLK15/DIFFCLK_6n — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v —
PLL_1_C0 v — — v — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v —
PLL_1_C1 — v — — v — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v
PLL_1_C2 v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — —
PLL_1_C3 — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v —
PLL_1_C4 — — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v
PLL_2_C0 v — — v — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — —
PLL_2_C1 — v — — v — — — — — — v — — v — — — — —
PLL_2_C2 v — v — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — —
PLL_2_C3 — v — v — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — —
PLL_2_C4 — — v — v — — — — — — — v — v — — — — —
PLL_3_C0 — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — v — — v —
PLL_3_C1 — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — v — — v
PLL_3_C2 — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — v — v — —
PLL_3_C3 — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — v — v —

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–3
Clock Networks

Table 5–1. GCLK Network Connections for EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 (Note 1), (2) (Part 2 of 2)

GCLK Network Clock GCLK Networks

Sources 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
PLL_3_C4 — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — v — v
PLL_4_C0 (3) — — — — — v — — v — v — — v — — — — — —
PLL_4_C1 (3) — — — — — — v — — v — v — — v — — — — —
PLL_4_C2 (3) — — — — — v — v — — v — v — — — — — — —
PLL_4_C3 (3) — — — — — — v — v — — v — v — — — — — —
PLL_4_C4 (3) — — — — — — — v — v — — v — v — — — — —
DPCLK2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — —
DPCLK3 (4) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v —
DPCLK4 (4) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — —
DPCLK5 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v
DPCLK6 (4) — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK7 — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK8 — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK9 (4) — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK10 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — —
DPCLK11 (4) — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — —
DPCLK12 (4) — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — —
DPCLK13 — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — —
Notes to Table 5–1:
(1) EP4CGX30 information in this table refers to all EP4CGX30 packages except F484 package.
(2) PLL_1 and PLL_2 are multipurpose PLLs while PLL_3 and PLL_4 are general purpose PLLs.
(3) PLL_4 is only available in EP4CGX22 and EP4CGX30 devices in F324 package.
(4) This pin applies to EP4CGX22 and EP4CGX30 devices.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–4
Table 5–2. GCLK Network Connections for EP4CGX30, EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 Devices (Note 1), (2) (Part 1 of 3)
GCLK Network Clock GCLK Networks
Sources 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
CLKIO4/DIFFCLK_2n — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — —
CLKIO5/DIFFCLK_2p — — — — — — — — — — — — — v v — — v — — — — — — — — — — — —
CLKIO6/DIFFCLK_3n — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v v — — — — — — — — — — — — —
CLKIO7/DIFFCLK_3p — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — —
CLKIO8/DIFFCLK_5n — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — v — — — — — — —
CLKIO9/DIFFCLK_5p — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v v — — v — — — — — —
CLKIO10/DIFFCLK_4n/
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v v — — — — — —
REFCLK3n
CLKIO11/DIFFCLK_4p/
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v — v — — — — — —
REFCLK3p
CLKIO12/DIFFCLK_7p/
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — v —
REFCLK2p
CLKIO13/DIFFCLK_7n/
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v v — — v
REFCLK2n
CLKIO14/DIFFCLK_6p — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v v —
CLKIO15/DIFFCLK_6n — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v — v
v — — v — v — — v — — v — v

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices

PLL_1_C0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_1_C1 — v — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v —
PLL_1_C2 v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — — —
PLL_1_C3 — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — —
— — v — v v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v v
© December 2010

PLL_1_C4
PLL_2_C0 — — — — — — v — — v — v — — — — — — v — — v — v — — — — — —
PLL_2_C1 — — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — —
PLL_2_C2 — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — —
— — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — —
Altera Corporation

PLL_2_C3

Clock Networks
PLL_2_C4 — — — — — — — — v — v v — — — — — — — — v — v v — — — — — —
PLL_3_C0 — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v — v — — — — — — v — — v — v
 Table 5–2. GCLK Network Connections for EP4CGX30, EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 Devices (Note 1), (2) (Part 2 of 3)
© December 2010

Clock Networks
Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
GCLK Network Clock GCLK Networks
Sources 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
PLL_3_C1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — — — v — — v —
PLL_3_C2 — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — — v — v — — —
Altera Corporation

PLL_3_C3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — — v — v — —
PLL_3_C4 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v v — — — — — — — — v — v v
PLL_4_C0 — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v — v v — — v — v — — — — — —
PLL_4_C1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v — — v — — v — — — — — — —
PLL_4_C2 — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — — — v — v — — — — — — — — —
PLL_4_C3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — — — v — v — — — — — — — —
PLL_4_C4 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v v — — v — v v — — — — — —
PLL_5_C0 v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_5_C1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_5_C2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_5_C3 — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_5_C4 — — v — v v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_6_C0 v — — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_6_C1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_6_C2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_6_C3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_6_C4 — v — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

PLL_7_C0 (3) — — — — — — v — — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_7_C1 (3) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_7_C2 (3) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_7_C3 (3) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_7_C4 (3) — — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_8_C0 (3) — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

5–5
 Table 5–2. GCLK Network Connections for EP4CGX30, EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 Devices (Note 1), (2) (Part 3 of 3)
Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–6
GCLK Network Clock GCLK Networks
Sources 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
PLL_8_C1 (3) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_8_C2 (3) — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_8_C3 (3) — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_8_C4 (3) — — — — — — — — v — v v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — —
DPCLK1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — —
DPCLK2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v
DPCLK3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — —
DPCLK4 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — —
DPCLK5 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v —
DPCLK6 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK7 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK8 — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK9 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — —
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices

DPCLK10
DPCLK11 — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK12 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — —
DPCLK13 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK14 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — —
© December 2010

DPCLK15 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — —
DPCLK16 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — —
DPCLK17 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — —
Notes to Table 5–2:
Altera Corporation

Clock Networks
(1) EP4CGX30 information in this table refers to only EP4CGX30 device in F484 package.
(2) PLL_1, PLL_2, PLL_3, and PLL_4 are general purpose PLLs while PLL_5, PLL_6, PLL_7, and PLL_8 are multipurpose PLLs.
(3) PLL_7 and PLL_8 are not available in EP4CXGX30, EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices in F484 package.
Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–7
Clock Networks

Table 5–3. GCLK Network Connections for Cyclone IV E Devices (Note 1) (Part 1 of 2)
GCLK Networks
GCLK Network Clock
Sources 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
CLK1 — v v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
CLK2/DIFFCLK_1p — v — v v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
CLK3/DIFFCLK_1n v — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
CLK4/DIFFCLK_2p — — — — — v — v — v — — — — — — — — — —
CLK5/DIFFCLK_2n — — — — — — v v — — — — — — — — — — — —
CLK6/DIFFCLK_3p — — — — — — v — v v — — — — — — — — — —
CLK7/DIFFCLK_3n — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — — — — — —
CLK8/DIFFCLK_5n
— — — — — — — — — — v — v — v — — — — —
(2)
CLK9/DIFFCLK_5p
— — — — — — — — — — — v v — — — — — — —
(2)
CLK10/DIFFCLK_4n
— — — — — — — — — — — v — v v — — — — —
(2)
CLK11/DIFFCLK_4p
— — — — — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — —
(2)
CLK12/DIFFCLK_7n
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — v
(2)
CLK13/DIFFCLK_7p
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v v — —
(2)
CLK14/DIFFCLK_6n
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v v
(2)
CLK15/DIFFCLK_6p
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v —
(2)
PLL_1_C0 (3) v — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_1_C1 (3) — v — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_1_C2 (3) v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_1_C3 (3) — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_1_C4 (3) — — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_2_C0 (3) — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_2_C1 (3) — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_2_C2 (3) — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_2_C3 (3) — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_2_C4 (3) — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — — — — —
PLL_3_C0 — — — — — — — — — — v — — v — — — — — —
PLL_3_C1 — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v — — — — —
PLL_3_C2 — — — — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — — —
PLL_3_C3 — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — — — — — —
PLL_3_C4 — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — — — — —
PLL_4_C0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v —
PLL_4_C1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — v

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–8 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Clock Networks

Table 5–3. GCLK Network Connections for Cyclone IV E Devices (Note 1) (Part 2 of 2)
GCLK Networks
GCLK Network Clock
Sources 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
PLL_4_C2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v — —
PLL_4_C3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v —
PLL_4_C4 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — v
DPCLK0 v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK1 — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK7 (4)
CDPCLK0, or — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
CDPCLK7 (2), (5)
DPCLK2 (4)
CDPCLK1, or — — — v v — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
CDPCLK2 (2), (5)
DPCLK5 (4)
— — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK7 (2)
DPCLK4 (4)
— — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK6 (2)
DPCLK6 (4)
CDPCLK5, or — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — — — — —
CDPCLK6 (2), (5)
DPCLK3 (4)
CDPCLK4, or — — — — — — — — v v — — — — — — — — — —
CDPCLK3 (2), (5)
DPCLK8 — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — — —
DPCLK11 — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — — —
DPCLK9 — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — — — — —
DPCLK10 — — — — — — — — — — — — — v v — — — — —
DPCLK5 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — — —
DPCLK2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — — —
DPCLK4 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v — —
DPCLK3 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — v v
Notes to Table 5–3:
(1) EP4CE6 and EP4CE10 devices only have GCLK networks 0 to 9.
(2) These pins apply to all Cyclone IV E devices except EP4CE6 and EP4CE10 devices.
(3) EP4CE6 and EP4CE10 devices only have PLL_1 and PLL_2.
(4) This pin applies only to EP4CE6 and EP4CE10 devices.
(5) Only one of the two CDPCLK pins can feed the clock control block. You can use the other pin as a regular I/O pin.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–9
Clock Networks

If you do not use dedicated clock pins to feed the GCLKs, you can use them as
general-purpose input pins to feed the logic array. However, when using them as
general-purpose input pins, they do not have support for an I/O register and must
use LE-based registers in place of an I/O register.

f For more information about how to connect the clock and PLL pins, refer to the
Cyclone IV Device Family Pin Connection Guidelines.

Clock Control Block

The clock control block drives the GCLKs. Clock control blocks are located on each
side of the device, close to the dedicated clock input pins. GCLKs are optimized for
minimum clock skew and delay.
Table 5–4 lists the sources that can feed the clock control block, which in turn feeds the
GCLKs.

Table 5–4. Clock Control Block Inputs

Input Description
Dedicated clock input pins can drive clocks or global signals, such as
Dedicated clock inputs synchronous and asynchronous clears, presets, or clock enables onto
given GCLKs.
DPCLK and CDPCLK I/O pins are bidirectional dual function pins that
Dual-purpose clock are used for high fan-out control signals, such as protocol signals,
(DPCLK and CDPCLK) TRDY and IRDY signals for PCI, via the GCLK. Clock control blocks
I/O input that have inputs driven by dual-purpose clock I/O pins are not able to
drive PLL inputs.
PLL outputs PLL counter outputs can drive the GCLK.
You can drive the GCLK through logic array routing to enable internal
logic elements (LEs) to drive a high fan-out, low-skew signal path.
Internal logic
Clock control blocks that have inputs driven by internal logic are not
able to drive PLL inputs.

In Cyclone IV devices, dedicated clock input pins, PLL counter outputs, dual-purpose
clock I/O inputs, and internal logic can all feed the clock control block for each GCLK.
The output from the clock control block in turn feeds the corresponding GCLK. The
GCLK can drive the PLL input if the clock control block inputs are outputs of another
PLL or dedicated clock input pins. There are five or six clock control blocks on each
side of the device periphery—depending on device density; providing up to 30 clock
control blocks in each Cyclone IV GX device. The maximum number of clock control
blocks per Cyclone IV E device is 20. For the clock control block locations, refer to
Figure 5–2 on page 5–11, Figure 5–3 on page 5–12, and Figure 5–4 on page 5–13.

1 The clock control blocks on the left side of the Cyclone IV GX device do not support
any clock inputs.

The control block has two functions:

■ Dynamic GCLK clock source selection (not applicable for DPCLK, CDPCLK, and
internal logic input)
■ GCLK network power down (dynamic enable and disable)

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–10 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Clock Networks

Figure 5–1 shows the clock control block.

Figure 5–1. Clock Control Block

Clock Control Block

Internal Logic
DPCLK Enable/ Global
Static Clock Select (3) Disable Clock

Static Clock
C0 Select (3)
CLK[n + 3] C1
inclk1 fIN
CLK[n + 2] C2
inclk0 PLL
CLK[n + 1]
CLK[n] (6) C3
CLKSWITCH (1) C4 Internal Logic (5)
CLKSELECT[1..0] (2)
C0
C1
inclk1 fIN
PLL C2
inclk0
(4)
C3
Not applicable to
CLKSWITCH (1) C4
Cyclone IV E devices

Notes to Figure 5–1:

(1) The clkswitch signal can either be set through the configuration file or dynamically set when using the manual PLL switchover feature. The
output of the multiplexer is the input clock (fIN) for the PLL.
(2) The clkselect[1..0] signals are fed by internal logic and are used to dynamically select the clock source for the GCLK when the device is
in user mode.
(3) The static clock select signals are set in the configuration file. Therefore, dynamic control when the device is in user mode is not feasible.
(4) Two out of four PLL clock outputs are selected from adjacent PLLs to drive into the clock control block.
(5) You can use internal logic to enable or disable the GCLK in user mode.
(6) CLK[n] is not available on the left side of Cyclone IV E devices.

Each PLL generates five clock outputs through the c[4..0] counters. Two of these
clocks can drive the GCLK through a clock control block, as shown in Figure 5–1.

f For more information about how to use the clock control block in the Quartus II
software, refer to the ALTCLKCTRL Megafunction User Guide.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–11
Clock Networks

GCLK Network Clock Source Generation

Figure 5–2, Figure 5–3, and Figure 5–4 on page 5–13 show the Cyclone IV PLLs, clock
inputs, and clock control block location for different Cyclone IV device densities.

Figure 5–2. Clock Networks and Clock Control Block Locations in EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 Devices (Note 1),
(2)
DPCLK[13..12] (5) DPCLK[11..10] (5)

CLK[11..8]

2 2
4

PLL_2 4 4 (6) PLL_4 (4)

5 5
Clock
Control
Block (3)
4

5
5

GCLK[19..0]
DPCLK[9..8] (5)
20 2
Clock 20 20 Clock
HSSI Control Control CLK[7..4]
Block (3) Block (3) 4
20
DPCLK[7..6] (5)
GCLK[19..0] 2

5
5
Clock
Control
Block (3)
5 5

PLL_1 4 4 (6) PLL_3

4
2 2

CLK[15..12]

DPCLK[3..2] (5) DPCLK[5..4] (5)

Notes to Figure 5–2:

(1) The clock networks and clock control block locations apply to all EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 devices except EP4CGX30 device in F484
package.
(2) PLL_1 and PLL_2 are multipurpose PLLs while PLL_3 and PLL_4 are general purpose PLLs.
(3) There are five clock control blocks on each side.
(4) PLL_4 is only available in EP4CGX22 and EP4CGX30 devices in F324 package.
(5) The EP4CGX15 device has two DPCLK pins on three sides of the device: DPCLK2 and DPCLK5 on bottom side, DPCLK7 and DPCLK8 on the
right side, DPCLK10 and DPCLK13 on the top side of device.
(6) Dedicated clock pins can feed into this PLL. However, these paths are not fully compensated.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–12 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Clock Networks

Figure 5–3. Clock Networks and Clock Control Block Locations in EP4CGX30, EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and
EP4CGX150 Devices (Note 1), (2)
DPCLK[17..15] DPCLK[14..12]
REFCLK[4,5]p/n (4) CLKIO[11..8]

3 3
4
4 (6) 4

PLL_8 4 4
PLL_2 (6) PLL_4
(5) (6)
5 5
Clock
Control
Block (3)
4
3
HSSI
5
5

GCLK[29..0]
Clock DPCLK[11..9]
(6) 30 3
PLL_7 Control
(5) 2 Block (3) Clock
30 30
Control CLKIO[7..4]
4
Clock Block (3)
PLL_6 2 30
Control
(6) DPCLK[8..6]
Block (3)
GCLK[29..0] 3

HSSI 5
3 5
Clock
Control
Block (3)
5 5
(6)
PLL_5 PLL_1 4 4 (6) PLL_3

4
4 (6)

3 4 3

REFCLK[0,1]p/n (4)
CLKIO[15..12]
DPCLK[2..0] DPCLK[5..3]

Notes to Figure 5–3:

(1) The clock networks and clock control block locations in this figure apply to only the EP4CGX30 device in F484 package and all EP4CGX50,
EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices.
(2) PLL_1, PLL_2, PLL_3, and PLL_4 are general purpose PLLs while PLL_5, PLL_6, PLL_7, and PLL_8 are multipurpose PLLs.
(3) There are 6 clock control blocks on the top, right and bottom sides of the device and 12 clock control blocks on the left side of the device.
(4) REFCLK[0,1]p/n and REFCLK[4,5]p/n can only drive the general purpose PLLs and multipurpose PLLs on the left side of the device.
These clock pins do not have access to the clock control blocks and GCLK networks. The REFCLK[4,5]p/n pins are not available in devices
in F484 package.
(5) Not available for EP4CGX30, EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices in F484 package.
(6) Dedicated clock pins can feed into this PLL. However, these paths are not fully compensated.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–13
Clock Networks

Figure 5–4. Clock Networks and Clock Control Block Locations in Cyclone IV E Devices
DPCLK[11.10] DPCLK[9..8]

CDPCLK7 CLK[11..8] CDPCLK6

2 2
4

(3) 4
PLL_3 4 PLL_2
(4)
5
CDPCLK0 Clock CDPCLK5
Control
(3)
(2) Block (1) (2)
2 4

4
2 5
GCLK[19..0]
DPCLK0 DPCLK7
20
Clock Clock
20 20
CLK[3..1] Control Control CLK[7..4]
3 Block (1) Block (1) 4
20
DPCLK1 DPCLK6
GCLK[19..0]

4 2 4

5
2
(2) Clock (2) (3)
Control
CDPCLK1 Block (1) CDPCLK4
5
PLL_4
PLL_1 (3) 4
(4)
4

4
2 2

CDPCLK2 CDPCLK3
CLK[15..12]
DPCLK[3..2] DPCLK[5..4]

Notes to Figure 5–4:

(1) There are five clock control blocks on each side.
(2) Only one of the corner CDPCLK pins in each corner can feed the clock control block at a time. You can use the other CDPCLK pins as
general-purpose I/O (GPIO) pins.
(3) Dedicated clock pins can feed into this PLL. However, these paths are not fully compensated.
(4) PLL_3 and PLL_4 are not available in EP4CE6 and EP4CE10 devices.

The inputs to the clock control blocks on each side of the Cyclone IV GX device must
be chosen from among the following clock sources:
■ Four clock input pins
■ Ten PLL counter outputs (five from each adjacent PLLs)
■ Two, four, or six DPCLK pins from the top, bottom, and right sides of the device
■ Five signals from internal logic

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–14 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Clock Networks

From the clock sources listed above, only two clock input pins, two out of four PLL
clock outputs (two clock outputs from either adjacent PLLs), one DPCLK pin, and one
source from internal logic can drive into any given clock control block, as shown in
Figure 5–1 on page 5–10.
Out of these six inputs to any clock control block, the two clock input pins and two
PLL outputs are dynamically selected to feed a GCLK. The clock control block
supports static selection of the signal from internal logic.
Figure 5–5 shows a simplified version of the clock control blocks on each side of the
Cyclone IV GX device periphery.

Figure 5–5. Clock Control Blocks on Each Side of Cyclone IV GX Device

4
Clock Input Pins
10
PLL Outputs Clock 5 or 6 (2)
2, 4, or 6 Control GCLK
DPCLK (1) Block

Internal Logic 5

Five or six clock control

blocks on each side
of the device

Notes to Figure 5–5:

(1) The EP4CGX15 device has two DPCLK pins; the EP4CGX22 and EP4CGX30 devices have four DPCLK pins; the
EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices have six DPCLK pins.
(2) Each clock control block in the EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 devices can drive five GCLK networks. Each
clock control block in the EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices can drive six GCLK
networks.

The inputs to the five clock control blocks on each side of the Cyclone IV E device
must be chosen from among the following clock sources:
■ Three or four clock input pins, depending on the specific device
■ Five PLL counter outputs
■ Two DPCLK pins and two CDPCLK pins from both the left and right sides and four
DPCLK pins from both the top and bottom
■ Five signals from internal logic
From the clock sources listed above, only two clock input pins, two PLL clock outputs,
one DPCLK or CDPCLK pin, and one source from internal logic can drive into any
given clock control block, as shown in Figure 5–1 on page 5–10.
Out of these six inputs to any clock control block, the two clock input pins and two
PLL outputs are dynamically selected to feed a GCLK. The clock control block
supports static selection of the signal from internal logic.
Figure 5–6 shows a simplified version of the five clock control blocks on each side of
the Cyclone IV E device periphery.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–15
Clock Networks

Figure 5–6. Clock Control Blocks on Each Side of Cyclone IV E Device (Note 1)

3 or 4
Clock Input Pins

PLL Outputs 5

2 Clock 5
CDPCLK Control GCLK
2 or 4 Block
DPCLK
5
Internal Logic

Five Clock Control

Blocks on Each Side
of the Device

Note to Figure 5–6:

(1) The left and right sides of the device have two DPCLK pins; the top and bottom of the device have four DPCLK pins.

GCLK Network Power Down

You can disable a Cyclone IV device’s GCLK (power down) using both static and
dynamic approaches. In the static approach, configuration bits are set in the
configuration file generated by the Quartus II software, which automatically disables
unused GCLKs. The dynamic clock enable or disable feature allows internal logic to
control clock enable or disable the GCLKs in Cyclone IV devices.
When a clock network is disabled, all the logic fed by the clock network is in an
off-state, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the device. This function
is independent of the PLL and is applied directly on the clock network, as shown in
Figure 5–1 on page 5–10.
You can set the input clock sources and the clkena signals for the GCLK multiplexers
through the Quartus II software using the ALTCLKCTRL megafunction.

f For more information, refer to the ALTCLKCTRL Megafunction User Guide.

clkena Signals
Cyclone IV devices support clkena signals at the GCLK network level. This allows
you to gate-off the clock even when a PLL is used. Upon re-enabling the output clock,
the PLL does not need a resynchronization or re-lock period because the circuit gates
off the clock at the clock network level. In addition, the PLL can remain locked
independent of the clkena signals because the loop-related counters are not affected.
Figure 5–7 shows how to implement the clkena signal with a single register.

Figure 5–7. clkena Implementation

clkena D Q clkena_out

clkin

clk_out

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–16 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices

1 The clkena circuitry controlling the output C0 of the PLL to an output pin is
implemented with two registers instead of a single register, as shown in Figure 5–7.

Figure 5–8 shows the waveform example for a clock output enable. The clkena
signal is sampled on the falling edge of the clock (clkin).

1 This feature is useful for applications that require low power or sleep mode.

Figure 5–8. clkena Implementation: Output Enable

clkin

clkena

clk_out

The clkena signal can also disable clock outputs if the system is not tolerant to
frequency overshoot during PLL resynchronization.
Altera recommends using the clkena signals when switching the clock source to the
PLLs or the GCLK. The recommended sequence is:
1. Disable the primary output clock by de-asserting the clkena signal.
2. Switch to the secondary clock using the dynamic select signals of the clock control
block.
3. Allow some clock cycles of the secondary clock to pass before reasserting the
clkena signal. The exact number of clock cycles you must wait before enabling
the secondary clock is design-dependent. You can build custom logic to ensure
glitch-free transition when switching between different clock sources.

PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices

Cyclone IV GX devices offer two variations of PLLs: general purpose PLLs and
multipurpose PLLs. Cyclone IV E devices only have the general purpose PLLs.
The general purpose PLLs are used for general-purpose applications in the FPGA
fabric and periphery such as external memory interfaces. The multipurpose PLLs are
used for clocking the transceiver blocks. When the multipurpose PLLs are not used
for transceiver clocking, they can be used for general-purpose clocking.

f For more details about the multipurpose PLLs used for transceiver clocking, refer to
the Cyclone IV Transceivers chapter.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–17
PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices

Cyclone IV GX devices contain up to eight general purpose PLLs and multipurpose

PLLs while Cyclone IV E devices have up to four general purpose PLLs that provide
robust clock management and synthesis for device clock management, external
system clock management, and high-speed I/O interfaces.

f For more information about the number of general purpose PLLs and multipurpose
PLLs in each device density, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Family Overview chapter.

1 The general I/O pins cannot drive the PLL clock input pins.

Table 5–5 lists the features available in Cyclone IV GX PLLs.

Table 5–5. Cyclone IV GX PLL Features (Part 1 of 2)

Availability

General Purpose PLLs Multipurpose PLLs

Features
PLL_1 PLL_2 PLL_3 PLL_4 PLL_1 PLL_2 PLL_5 PLL_6 PLL_7 PLL_8
(1),(10) (1),(10) (2) (3) (4) (4) (1),(10) (1),(10) (1) (1)
C (output counters) 5
M, N, C counter sizes 1 to 512 (5)
Dedicated clock outputs 1 single-ended or 1 differential pair
12 single-ended or 6 differential pairs(6)
Clock input pins
and 4 differential pairs(7)
Spread-spectrum input clock tracking v (8)
PLL cascading Through GCLK
Source-Synchronous Mode v v v v v v v — — v
No Compensation Mode v v v v v v v v v v
Normal Mode v v v v v v v — — v
Zero Delay Buffer Mode v v v v v v v — — v
Deterministic Latency Compensation
v v — — v v v v v v
Mode
Phase shift resolution (9) Down to 96 ps increments
Programmable duty cycle v
Output counter cascading v
Input clock switchover v
User mode reconfiguration v
Loss of lock detection v
PLL drives TX Serial Clock, TX Load
v v — — v
Enable, and TX Parallel Clock
VCO output drives RX clock data
— v
recovery (CDR) clock

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–18 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices

Table 5–5. Cyclone IV GX PLL Features (Part 2 of 2)

Availability

General Purpose PLLs Multipurpose PLLs

Features
PLL_1 PLL_2 PLL_3 PLL_4 PLL_1 PLL_2 PLL_5 PLL_6 PLL_7 PLL_8
(1),(10) (1),(10) (2) (3) (4) (4) (1),(10) (1),(10) (1) (1)
PLL drives FREF for PPM detect v v — — v
Notes to Table 5–5:
(1) This is only applicable to EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices in F672 and F896 package.
(2) This is applicable to all Cyclone IV devices.
(3) This is applicable to all Cyclone IV devices except EP4CGX15 devices in all packages, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 devices in F169 package.
(4) This is only applicable to EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and all EP4CGX30 devices except EP4CGX30 in the F484 package..
(5) C counters range from 1 through 512 if the output clock uses a 50% duty cycle. For any output clocks using a non-50% duty cycle, the post-scale counters
range from 1 through 256.
(6) These clock pins can access the GCLK networks.
(7) These clock pins are only available in EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices and cannot access the GCLK networks.
CLK[17,19,20,21]p can be used as single-ended clock input pins.
(8) Only applicable if the input clock jitter is in the input jitter tolerance specifications.
(9) The smallest phase shift is determined by the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) period divided by eight. For degree increments, Cyclone IV GX devices
can shift all output frequencies in increments of at least 45°. Smaller degree increments are possible depending on the frequency and divide parameters.
(10) This is applicable to the EP4CGX30, EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices in F484 package.

Table 5–6 lists the features available in Cyclone IV E PLLs.

Table 5–6. Cyclone IV E PLL Features

Hardware Features Availability
C (output counters) 5
M, N, C counter sizes 1 to 512 (1)
Dedicated clock outputs 1 single-ended or 1 differential pair
Clock input pins 4 single-ended or 2 differential pairs
Spread-spectrum input clock tracking v (2)
PLL cascading Through GCLK
Source-Synchronous Mode, No Compensation
Compensation modes
Mode, Normal Mode, and Zero Delay Buffer Mode
Phase shift resolution Down to 96-ps increments (3)
Programmable duty cycle v
Output counter cascading v
Input clock switchover v
User mode reconfiguration v
Loss of lock detection v
Notes to Table 5–6:
(1) C counters range from 1 through 512 if the output clock uses a 50% duty cycle. For any output clocks using a
non-50% duty cycle, the post-scale counters range from 1 through 256.
(2) Only applicable if the input clock jitter is in the input jitter tolerance specifications.
(3) The smallest phase shift is determined by the VCO period divided by eight. For degree increments, Cyclone IV E
devices can shift all output frequencies in increments of at least 45°. Smaller degree increments are possible
depending on the frequency and divide parameters.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–19
Cyclone IV PLL Hardware Overview

Cyclone IV PLL Hardware Overview

This section gives a hardware overview of the Cyclone IV PLL.
Figure 5–9 shows a simplified block diagram of the major components of the PLL of
Cyclone IV GX devices.

Figure 5–9. Cyclone IV GX PLL Block Diagram (Note 1)

To RX CDR clocks
(MPLLs only)

lock
LOCK ÷2, ÷4
FREF for ppm detect circuit
(MPLLs, GPLL1, and GPLL2 only) ÷C0
8 GCLKs (5)
Clock inputs 4 (2) ÷C1
÷n 8
from pins inclk0 PFD CP LF VCO ÷2 (3) 8
External clock output
Clock clkswitch ÷C2 PLL
Switchover clkbad0 output
inclk1 TX serial clock (MPLLs,
GCLK (4) Block ÷C3 mux
clkbad1 VCO VCOOVRR GPLL1, and GPLL2 only) (6)
activeclock Range
Detector VCOUNDR ÷C4 TX load enable (MPLLs,
GPLL1, and GPLL2 only) (7)

TX parallel clock (MPLLs ,

pfdena Deterministic Latency compensation GPLL1, and GPLL2only) (8)
(MPLLs, GPLL1, and GPLL2 only)
÷M

no compensation;
ZDB mode

source-synchronous; GCLK networks

normal mode

Notes to Figure 5–9:

(1) Each clock source can come from any of the four clock pins located on the same side of the device as the PLL.
(2) There are additional 4 pairs of dedicated differential clock inputs in EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices that can only
drive general purpose PLLs and multipurpose PLLs on the left side of the device. CLK[19..16] can access PLL_2, PLL_6, PLL_7, and
PLL_8 while CLK[23..20] can access PLL_1, PLL_5, PLL_6, and PLL_7. For the location of these clock input pins, refer to Figure 5–3
on page 5–12.
(3) This is the VCO post-scale counter K.
(4) This input port is fed by a pin-driven dedicated GCLK, or through a clock control block if the clock control block is fed by an output from another
PLL or a pin-driven dedicated GCLK. An internally generated global signal cannot drive the PLL.
(5) For the general purpose PLL and multipurpose PLL counter outputs connectivity to the GCLKs, refer to Table 5–1 on page 5–2 and Table 5–2 on
page 5–4.
(6) Only the CI output counter can drive the TX serial clock.
(7) Only the C2 output counter can drive the TX load enable.
(8) Only the C3 output counter can drive the TX parallel clock.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–20 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Cyclone IV PLL Hardware Overview

Figure 5–10 shows a simplified block diagram of the major components of the PLL of
Cyclone IV E devices.

Figure 5–10. Cyclone IV E PLL Block Diagram (Note 1)

lock
LOCK
circuit
÷C0
GCLKs
Clock inputs 4 ÷C1
÷n 8
from pins inclk0 PFD CP LF VCO ÷2 (2) 8
External clock output
Clock clkswitch ÷C2 PLL
Switchover clkbad0 output
inclk1 Block ÷C3 mux
GCLK (3) clkbad1 VCO VCOOVRR
activeclock Range
Detector VCOUNDR ÷C4

pfdena
÷M

no compensation;
ZDB mode

source-synchronous; GCLK networks

normal mode

Notes to Figure 5–10:

(1) Each clock source can come from any of the four clock pins located on the same side of the device as the PLL.
(2) This is the VCO post-scale counter K.
(3) This input port is fed by a pin-driven dedicated GCLK, or through a clock control block if the clock control block is fed by an output from another
PLL or a pin-driven dedicated GCLK. An internally generated global signal cannot drive the PLL.

1 The VCO post-scale counter K is used to divide the supported VCO range by two. The
VCO frequency reported by the Quartus II software in the PLL summary section of
the compilation report takes into consideration the VCO post-scale counter value.
Therefore, if the VCO post-scale counter has a value of 2, the frequency reported is
lower than the fVCO specification specified in the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–21
Cyclone IV PLL Hardware Overview

External Clock Outputs

Each PLL of Cyclone IV devices supports one single-ended clock output or one
differential clock output. Only the C0 output counter can feed the dedicated external
clock outputs, as shown in Figure 5–11, without going through the GCLK. Other
output counters can feed other I/O pins through the GCLK.
Figure 5–11 shows the external clock outputs for PLLs.

Figure 5–11. External Clock Outputs for PLLs

C0

C1

C2

PLL# C3

C4

clkena 0 (1)

clkena 1 (1)

PLL#_CLKOUTp (2)

PLL#_CLKOUTn (2)

Notes to Figure 5–11:

(1) These external clock enable signals are available only when using the ALTCLKCTRL megafunction.
(2) PLL#_CLKOUTp and PLL#_CLKOUTn pins are dual-purpose I/O pins that you can use as one single-ended clock
output or one differential clock output. When using both pins as single-ended I/Os, one of them can be the clock
output while the other pin is configured as a regular user I/O.

Each pin of a differential output pair is 180° out of phase. The Quartus II software
places the NOT gate in your design into the I/O element to implement 180° phase
with respect to the other pin in the pair. The clock output pin pairs support the same
I/O standards as standard output pins.

f To determine which I/O standards are supported by the PLL clock input and output
pins, refer to the Cyclone IV Device I/O Features chapter.

Cyclone IV PLLs can drive out to any regular I/O pin through the GCLK. You can also
use the external clock output pins as GPIO pins if external PLL clocking is not
required.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–22 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Clock Feedback Modes

Clock Feedback Modes

Cyclone IV PLLs support up to five different clock feedback modes. Each mode
allows clock multiplication and division, phase shifting, and programmable duty
cycle. For the supported feedback modes, refer to Table 5–5 on page 5–17 for
Cyclone IV GX PLLs and Table 5–6 on page 5–18 for Cyclone IV E PLLs.

1 Input and output delays are fully compensated by the PLL only if you are using the
dedicated clock input pins associated with a given PLL as the clock sources.

When driving the PLL using the GCLK network, the input and output delays may not
be fully compensated in the Quartus II software.

Source-Synchronous Mode
If the data and clock arrive at the same time at the input pins, the phase relationship
between the data and clock remains the same at the data and clock ports of any I/O
element input register.
Figure 5–12 shows an example waveform of the data and clock in this mode. Use this
mode for source-synchronous data transfers. Data and clock signals at the I/O
element experience similar buffer delays as long as the same I/O standard is used.

Figure 5–12. Phase Relationship Between Data and Clock in Source-Synchronous Mode

Data pin

PLL reference
clock at input pin

Data at register

Clock at register

Source-synchronous mode compensates for delay of the clock network used,

including any difference in the delay between the following two paths:
■ Data pin to I/O element register input
■ Clock input pin to the PLL phase frequency detector (PFD) input

1 Set the input pin to the register delay chain in the I/O element to zero in the
Quartus II software for all data pins clocked by a source-synchronous mode PLL.
Also, all data pins must use the PLL COMPENSATED logic option in the Quartus II
software.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–23
Clock Feedback Modes

No Compensation Mode
In no compensation mode, the PLL does not compensate for any clock networks. This
provides better jitter performance because clock feedback into the PFD does not pass
through as much circuitry. Both the PLL internal and external clock outputs are phase
shifted with respect to the PLL clock input.
Figure 5–13 shows a waveform example of the phase relationship of the PLL clock in
this mode.

Figure 5–13. Phase Relationship Between PLL Clocks in No Compensation Mode

Phase Aligned

PLL Reference
Clock at the Input Pin

PLL Clock at the

Register Clock Port
(1), (2)

External PLL Clock

Outputs (2)

Notes to Figure 5–13:

(1) Internal clocks fed by the PLL are phase-aligned to each other.
(2) The PLL clock outputs can lead or lag the PLL input clocks.

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5–24 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Clock Feedback Modes

Normal Mode
An internal clock in normal mode is phase-aligned to the input clock pin. The external
clock output pin has a phase delay relative to the clock input pin if connected in this
mode. The Quartus II software timing analyzer reports any phase difference between
the two. In normal mode, the PLL fully compensates the delay introduced by the
GCLK network.
Figure 5–14 shows a waveform example of the phase relationship of the PLL clocks in
this mode.

Figure 5–14. Phase Relationship Between PLL Clocks in Normal Mode

Phase Aligned

PLL Reference
Clock at the Input pin

PLL Clock at the

Register Clock Port

External PLL Clock

Outputs (1)

Note to Figure 5–14:

(1) The external clock output can lead or lag the PLL internal clock signals.

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Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–25
Clock Feedback Modes

Zero Delay Buffer Mode

In zero delay buffer (ZDB) mode, the external clock output pin is phase-aligned with
the clock input pin for zero delay through the device. When using this mode, use the
same I/O standard on the input clock and output clocks to guarantee clock alignment
at the input and output pins.
Figure 5–15 shows an example waveform of the phase relationship of the PLL clocks
in ZDB mode.

Figure 5–15. Phase Relationship Between PLL Clocks in ZDB Mode

Phase Aligned

PLL Reference Clock

at the Input Pin

PLL Clock
at the Register Clock Port

External PLL Clock Output

at the Output Pin

Deterministic Latency Compensation Mode

The deterministic latency mode compensates for the delay of the multipurpose PLLs
through the clock network and serializer in Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI)
applications. In this mode, the PLL PFD feedback path compensates the latency
uncertainty in Tx dataout and Tx clkout paths relative to the reference clock.

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5–26 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Hardware Features

Hardware Features
Cyclone IV PLLs support several features for general-purpose clock management.
This section discusses clock multiplication and division implementation,
phase shifting implementations, and programmable duty cycles.

Clock Multiplication and Division

Each Cyclone IV PLL provides clock synthesis for PLL output ports using
M/(N*post-scale counter) scaling factors. The input clock is divided by a pre-scale
factor, N, and is then multiplied by the M feedback factor. The control loop drives the
VCO to match fIN (M/N). Each output port has a unique post-scale counter that
divides down the high-frequency VCO. For multiple PLL outputs with different
frequencies, the VCO value is the least common multiple of the output frequencies
that meets its frequency specifications. For example, if output frequencies required
from one PLL are 33 and 66 MHz, the Quartus II software sets the VCO to 660 MHz
(the least common multiple of 33 and 66 MHz in the VCO range). Then, the post-scale
counters scale down the VCO frequency for each output port.
There is one pre-scale counter, N, and one multiply counter, M, per PLL, with a range
of 1 to 512 for both M and N. The N counter does not use duty cycle control because
the purpose of this counter is only to calculate frequency division. There are five
generic post-scale counters per PLL that can feed GCLKs or external clock outputs.
These post-scale counters range from 1 to 512 with a 50% duty cycle setting. The
post-scale counters range from 1 to 256 with any non-50% duty cycle setting. The sum
of the high/low count values chosen for a design selects the divide value for a given
counter.
The Quartus II software automatically chooses the appropriate scaling factors
according to the input frequency, multiplication, and division values entered into the
ALTPLL megafunction.

1 Phase alignment between output counters is determined using the tPLL_PSERR

specification.

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Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–27
Hardware Features

Post-Scale Counter Cascading

PLLs of Cyclone IV devices support post-scale counter cascading to create counters
larger than 512. This is implemented by feeding the output of one C counter into the
input of the next C counter, as shown in Figure 5–16.

Figure 5–16. Counter Cascading

VCO Output
C0

VCO Output
C1

VCO Output
C2

VCO Output
C3

VCO Output
C4

VCO Output

When cascading counters to implement a larger division of the high-frequency VCO

clock, the cascaded counters behave as one counter with the product of the individual
counter settings.
For example, if C0 = 4 and C1 = 2, the cascaded value is C0 × C1 = 8.

1 Post-scale counter cascading is automatically set by the Quartus II software in the

configuration file. Post-scale counter cascading cannot be performed using the PLL
reconfiguration.

Programmable Duty Cycle

The programmable duty cycle allows PLLs to generate clock outputs with a variable
duty cycle. This feature is supported on the PLL post-scale counters. You can achieve
the duty cycle setting by a low and high time count setting for the post-scale counters.
The Quartus II software uses the frequency input and the required multiply or divide
rate to determine the duty cycle choices. The post-scale counter value determines the
precision of the duty cycle. The precision is defined by 50% divided by the post-scale
counter value. For example, if the C0 counter is 10, steps of 5% are possible for duty
cycle choices between 5 to 90%.
Combining the programmable duty cycle with programmable phase shift allows the
generation of precise non-overlapping clocks.

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5–28 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Hardware Features

PLL Control Signals

You can use the pfdena, areset, and locked signals to observe and control the PLL
operation and resynchronization.

f For more information about the PLL control signals, refer to the ALTPLL Megafunction
User Guide.

Clock Switchover
The clock switchover feature allows the PLL to switch between two reference input
clocks. Use this feature for clock redundancy or for a dual-clock domain application,
such as a system that turns on the redundant clock if the previous clock stops running.
Your design can automatically perform clock switchover when the clock is no longer
toggling, or based on the user control signal, clkswitch.

Automatic Clock Switchover

PLLs of Cyclone IV devices support a fully configurable clock switchover capability.
When the current reference clock is not present, the clock-sense block automatically
switches to the backup clock for PLL reference. The clock switchover circuit also sends
out three status signals—clkbad0, clkbad1, and activeclock—from the PLL to
implement a custom switchover circuit. You can select a clock source at the backup
clock by connecting it to the inclk1 port of the PLL in your design.
Figure 5–17 shows the block diagram of the switchover circuit built into the PLL.

Figure 5–17. Automatic Clock Switchover Circuit

clkbad0

clkbad1

activeclock

Clock Switchover
Sense State
Machine

clksw

clkswitch
(provides manual
switchover support)
inclk0
n Counter PFD
inclk1

muxout refclk
fbclk

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Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–29
Hardware Features

There are two ways to use the clock switchover feature:

■ Use the switchover circuitry for switching from inclk0 to inclk1 running at the
same frequency. For example, in applications that require a redundant clock with
the same frequency as the reference clock, the switchover state machine generates
a signal that controls the multiplexer select input shown in Figure 5–17. In this
case, inclk1 becomes the reference clock for the PLL. This automatic switchover
can switch back and forth between the inclk0 and inclk1 clocks any number of
times, when one of the two clocks fails and the other clock is available.
■ Use the clkswitch input for user- or system-controlled switch conditions. This is
possible for same-frequency switchover or to switch between inputs of different
frequencies. For example, if inclk0 is 66 MHz and inclk1 is 200 MHz, you must
control the switchover because the automatic clock-sense circuitry cannot monitor
primary and secondary clock frequencies with a frequency difference of more than
20%. This feature is useful when clock sources can originate from multiple cards
on the backplane, requiring a system-controlled switchover between frequencies
of operation. Choose the secondary clock frequency so the VCO operates in the
recommended frequency range. Also, set the M, N, and C counters accordingly to
keep the VCO operating frequency in the recommended range.
Figure 5–18 shows a waveform example of the switchover feature when using
automatic loss of clock detection. Here, the inclk0 signal remains low. After the
inclk0 signal remains low for approximately two clock cycles, the clock-sense
circuitry drives the clkbad0 signal high. Also, because the reference clock signal is
not toggling, the switchover state machine controls the multiplexer through the
clksw signal to switch to inclk1.

Figure 5–18. Automatic Switchover Upon Clock Loss Detection (Note 1)

inclk0

inclk1

(1)
muxout

clkbad0

clkbad1

activeclock

Note to Figure 5–18:

(1) Switchover is enabled on the falling edge of inclk0 or inclk1, depending on which clock is available. In this
figure, switchover is enabled on the falling edge of inclk1.

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5–30 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Hardware Features

Manual Override
If you are using the automatic switchover, you must switch input clocks with the
manual override feature with the clkswitch input.
Figure 5–19 shows an example of a waveform illustrating the switchover feature
when controlled by clkswitch. In this case, both clock sources are functional and
inclk0 is selected as the reference clock. A low-to-high transition of the clkswitch
signal starts the switchover sequence. The clkswitch signal must be high for at least
three clock cycles (at least three of the longer clock period if inclk0 and inclk1
have different frequencies). On the falling edge of inclk0, the reference clock of the
counter, muxout, is gated off to prevent any clock glitching. On the falling edge of
inclk1, the reference clock multiplexer switches from inclk0 to inclk1 as the PLL
reference. On the falling edge of inclk1, the reference clock multiplexer switches
from inclk0 to inclk1 as the PLL reference, and the activeclock signal changes
to indicate which clock is currently feeding the PLL.
In this mode, the activeclock signal mirrors the clkswitch signal. As both blocks
are still functional during the manual switch, neither clkbad signals go high. Because
the switchover circuit is positive edge-sensitive, the falling edge of the clkswitch
signal does not cause the circuit to switch back from inclk1 to inclk0. When the
clkswitch signal goes high again, the process repeats. The clkswitch signal and
the automatic switch only works depending on the availability of the clock that is
switched to. If the clock is unavailable, the state machine waits until the clock is
available.

1 When CLKSWITCH = 1, it overrides the automatic switch-over function. As long as

clkswitch signal is high, further switch-over action is blocked.

Figure 5–19. Clock Switchover Using the clkswitch Control (1)

inclk0

inclk1

muxout

clkswitch

activeclock

clkbad0

clkbad1

Note to Figure 5–19:

(1) Both inclk0 and inclk1 must be running when the clkswitch signal goes high to start a manual clock
switchover event.

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Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–31
Hardware Features

Manual Clock Switchover

PLLs of Cyclone IV devices support manual switchover, in which the clkswitch
signal controls whether inclk0 or inclk1 is the input clock to the PLL. The
characteristics of a manual switchover are similar to the manual override feature in an
automatic clock switchover, in which the switchover circuit is edge-sensitive. When
the clkswitch signal goes high, the switchover sequence starts. The falling edge of
the clkswitch signal does not cause the circuit to switch back to the previous input
clock.

f For more information about PLL software support in the Quartus II software, refer to
the ALTPLL Megafunction User Guide.

Guidelines
Use the following guidelines to design with clock switchover in PLLs:
■ Clock loss detection and automatic clock switchover require the inclk0 and
inclk1 frequencies be within 20% of each other. Failing to meet this requirement
causes the clkbad0 and clkbad1 signals to function improperly.
■ When using manual clock switchover, the difference between inclk0 and
inclk1 can be more than 20%. However, differences between the two clock
sources (frequency, phase, or both) can cause the PLL to lose lock. Resetting the
PLL ensures that the correct phase relationships are maintained between the input
and output clocks.
■ Both inclk0 and inclk1 must be running when the clkswitch signal goes
high to start the manual clock switchover event. Failing to meet this requirement
causes the clock switchover to malfunction.
■ Applications that require a clock switchover feature and a small frequency drift
must use a low-bandwidth PLL. When referencing input clock changes, the
low-bandwidth PLL reacts slower than a high-bandwidth PLL. When the
switchover happens, the low-bandwidth PLL propagates the stopping of the clock
to the output slower than the high-bandwidth PLL. The low-bandwidth PLL
filters out jitter on the reference clock. However, the low-bandwidth PLL also
increases lock time.
■ After a switchover occurs, there may be a finite resynchronization period for the
PLL to lock onto a new clock. The exact amount of time it takes for the PLL to
re-lock is dependent on the PLL configuration.
■ If the phase relationship between the input clock to the PLL and output clock from
the PLL is important in your design, assert areset for 10 ns after performing a
clock switchover. Wait for the locked signal (or gated lock) to go high before
re-enabling the output clocks from the PLL.
■ Figure 5–20 shows how the VCO frequency gradually decreases when the primary
clock is lost and then increases as the VCO locks on to the secondary clock. After
the VCO locks on to the secondary clock, some overshoot can occur (an
over-frequency condition) in the VCO frequency.

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5–32 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Programmable Bandwidth

Figure 5–20. VCO Switchover Operating Frequency

Primary Clock Stops Running Frequency Overshoot

Switchover Occurs

VCO Tracks Secondary Clock

Fvco

■ Disable the system during switchover if the system is not tolerant to frequency
variations during the PLL resynchronization period. You can use the clkbad0
and clkbad1 status signals to turn off the PFD (pfdena = 0) so the VCO
maintains its last frequency. You can also use the switchover state machine to
switch over to the secondary clock. Upon enabling the PFD, output clock enable
signals (clkena) can disable clock outputs during the switchover and
resynchronization period. After the lock indication is stable, the system can
re-enable the output clock or clocks.

Programmable Bandwidth
The PLL bandwidth is the measure of the PLL’s ability to track the input clock and its
associated jitter. PLLs of Cyclone IV devices provide advanced control of the PLL
bandwidth using the programmable characteristics of the PLL loop, including loop
filter and charge pump. The closed-loop gain 3-dB frequency in the PLL determines
the PLL bandwidth. The bandwidth is approximately the unity gain point for open
loop PLL response.

Phase Shift Implementation

Phase shift is used to implement a robust solution for clock delays in Cyclone IV
devices. Phase shift is implemented with a combination of the VCO phase output and
the counter starting time. The VCO phase output and counter starting time are the
most accurate methods of inserting delays, because they are based only on counter
settings that are independent of process, voltage, and temperature.
You can phase shift the output clocks from the PLLs of Cyclone IV devices in one of
two ways:
■ Fine resolution using VCO phase taps
■ Coarse resolution using counter starting time
Fine resolution phase shifts are implemented by allowing any of the output counters
(C[4..0]) or the M counter to use any of the eight phases of the VCO as the reference
clock. This allows you to adjust the delay time with a fine resolution.

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Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–33
Phase Shift Implementation

Equation 5–1 shows the minimum delay time that you can insert using this method.

Equation 5–1. Fine Resolution Phase Shift

T VCO 1 N
 fine = ----------- = -------------- = ------------------
8 8f VCO 8Mf REF

in which fREF is the input reference clock frequency.

For example, if fREF is 100 MHz, N = 1, and M = 8, then fVCO = 800 MHz, and
fine = 156.25 ps. The PLL operating frequency defines this phase shift, a value that
depends on reference clock frequency and counter settings.
Coarse resolution phase shifts are implemented by delaying the start of the counters
for a predetermined number of counter clocks. Equation 5–2 shows the coarse phase
shift.

Equation 5–2. Coarse Resolution Phase Shift

 coarse = C – 1- = --------------------
----------- C – 1 N-
fVCO MfREF

C is the count value set for the counter delay time (this is the initial setting in the PLL
usage section of the compilation report in the Quartus II software). If the initial value
is 1, C – 1 = 0° phase shift.
Figure 5–21 shows an example of phase shift insertion using fine resolution through
VCO phase taps method. The eight phases from the VCO are shown and labeled for
reference. In this example, CLK0 is based on 0° phase from the VCO and has the C
value for the counter set to one. The CLK1 signal is divided by four, two VCO clocks
for high time and two VCO clocks for low time. CLK1 is based on the 135° phase tap
from the VCO and has the C value for the counter set to one. The CLK1 signal is also
divided by four. In this case, the two clocks are offset by 3 fine. CLK2 is based on the
0° phase from the VCO but has the C value for the counter set to three. This creates a
delay of two coarse (two complete VCO periods).

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5–34 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
PLL Cascading

Figure 5–21. Delay Insertion Using VCO Phase Output and Counter Delay Time

1/8 tVCO tVCO

45

90

135

180

225

270

315

CLK0
td0-1
CLK1
td0-2
CLK2

You can use the coarse and fine phase shifts to implement clock delays in
Cyclone IV devices.
Cyclone IV devices support dynamic phase shifting of VCO phase taps only. The
phase shift is configurable for any number of times. Each phase shift takes about one
scanclk cycle, allowing you to implement large phase shifts quickly.

PLL Cascading
Cyclone IV devices allow cascading between general purpose PLLs and multipurpose
PLLs in normal or direct mode through the GCLK network. If your design cascades
PLLs, the source (upstream) PLL must have a low-bandwidth setting, while the
destination (downstream) PLL must have a high-bandwidth setting.

1 PLL_6 and PLL7 have upstream cascading capability only.

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Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–35
PLL Reconfiguration

PLL Reconfiguration
PLLs use several divide counters and different VCO phase taps to perform frequency
synthesis and phase shifts. In PLLs of Cyclone IV devices, you can reconfigure both
counter settings and phase shift the PLL output clock in real time. You can also change
the charge pump and loop filter components, which dynamically affects PLL
bandwidth. You can use these PLL components to update the output clock frequency,
PLL bandwidth, and phase shift in real time, without reconfiguring the entire FPGA.
The ability to reconfigure the PLL in real time is useful in applications that might
operate at multiple frequencies. It is also useful in prototyping environments,
allowing you to sweep PLL output frequencies and adjust the output clock phase
dynamically. For instance, a system generating test patterns is required to generate
and send patterns at 75 or 150 MHz, depending on the requirements of the device
under test. Reconfiguring PLL components in real time allows you to switch between
two such output frequencies in a few microseconds.
You can also use this feature to adjust clock-to-out (tCO) delays in real time by
changing the PLL output clock phase shift. This approach eliminates the need to
regenerate a configuration file with the new PLL settings.

PLL Reconfiguration Hardware Implementation

The following PLL components are configurable in real time:
■ Pre-scale counter (N)
■ Feedback counter (M)
■ Post-scale output counters (C0–C4)
■ Dynamically adjust the charge pump current (ICP) and loop filter components
(R, C) to facilitate on-the-fly reconfiguration of the PLL bandwidth
Figure 5–22 shows how to adjust PLL counter settings dynamically by shifting their
new settings into a serial shift register chain or scan chain. Serial data shifts to the scan
chain via the scandataport, and shift registers are clocked by scanclk. The
maximum scanclk frequency is 100 MHz. After shifting the last bit of data, asserting
the configupdate signal for at least one scanclk clock cycle synchronously
updates the PLL configuration bits with the data in the scan registers.

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5–36 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
PLL Reconfiguration

Figure 5–22. PLL Reconfiguration Scan Chain

FVCO
from M counter
from N counter PFD LF/K/CP VCO

scandata

scanclkena

configupdate

inclk /C4 /C3 /C2 /C1 /C0 /M /N

scandataout

scandone

scanclk

1 The counter settings are updated synchronously to the clock frequency of the
individual counters. Therefore, not all counters update simultaneously.

To reconfigure the PLL counters, perform the following steps:

1. The scanclkena signal is asserted at least one scanclk cycle prior to shifting in
the first bit of scandata (D0).
2. Serial data (scandata) is shifted into the scan chain on the second rising edge of
scanclk.
3. After all 144 bits have been scanned into the scan chain, the scanclkena signal is
de-asserted to prevent inadvertent shifting of bits in the scan chain.
4. The configupdate signal is asserted for one scanclk cycle to update the PLL
counters with the contents of the scan chain.
5. The scandone signal goes high indicating that the PLL is being reconfigured. A
falling edge indicates that the PLL counters have been updated with new settings.
6. Reset the PLL using the areset signal if you make any changes to the M, N,
post-scale output C counters, or the ICP , R, C settings.
7. You can repeat steps 1 through 5 to reconfigure the PLL any number of times.

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Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–37
PLL Reconfiguration

Figure 5–23 shows a functional simulation of the PLL reconfiguration feature.

Figure 5–23. PLL Reconfiguration Scan Chain

scandata D0 (LSB) Dn (MSB)

scanclk

scanclkena

scandataout D0_old Dn_old Dn

configupdate

scandone

areset

1 When reconfiguring the counter clock frequency, the corresponding counter phase
shift settings cannot be reconfigured using the same interface. You can reconfigure
phase shifts in real time using the dynamic phase shift reconfiguration interface. If
you reconfigure the counter frequency, but wish to keep the same non-zero phase shift
setting (for example, 90°) on the clock output, you must reconfigure the phase shift
after reconfiguring the counter clock frequency.

Post-Scale Counters (C0 to C4)

You can configure multiply or divide values and duty cycle of post-scale counters in
real time. Each counter has an 8-bit high time setting and an 8-bit low time setting.
The duty cycle is the ratio of output high or low time to the total cycle time, that is the
sum of the two. Additionally, these counters have two control bits, rbypass, for
bypassing the counter, and rselodd, to select the output clock duty cycle.
When the rbypass bit is set to 1, it bypasses the counter, resulting in a divide by one.
When this bit is set to 0, the PLL computes the effective division of the VCO output
frequency based on the high and low time counters. For example, if the post-scale
divide factor is 10, the high and low count values are set to 5 and 5, to achieve a
50–50% duty cycle. The PLL implements this duty cycle by transitioning the output
clock from high-to-low on the rising edge of the VCO output clock. However, a 4 and
6 setting for the high and low count values, respectively, would produce an output
clock with a 40–60% duty cycle.

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5–38 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
PLL Reconfiguration

The rselodd bit indicates an odd divide factor for the VCO output frequency with a
50% duty cycle. For example, if the post-scale divide factor is three, the high and low
time count values are 2 and 1, respectively, to achieve this division. This implies a
67%–33% duty cycle. If you need a 50%–50% duty cycle, you must set the rselodd
control bit to 1 to achieve this duty cycle despite an odd division factor. The PLL
implements this duty cycle by transitioning the output clock from high-to-low on a
falling edge of the VCO output clock. When you set rselodd = 1, subtract 0.5 cycles
from the high time and add 0.5 cycles to the low time.
For example:
■ High time count = 2 cycles
■ Low time count = 1 cycle
■ rselodd = 1 effectively equals:
■ High time count = 1.5 cycles
■ Low time count = 1.5 cycles
■ Duty cycle = (1.5/3)% high time count and (1.5/3)% low time count

Scan Chain Description

Cyclone IV PLLs have a 144-bit scan chain.
Table 5–7 lists the number of bits for each component of the PLL.

Table 5–7. Cyclone IV PLL Reprogramming Bits

Number of Bits
Block Name
Counter Other Total
C4 (1) 16 2 (2) 18
C3 16 2 (2) 18
C2 16 2 (2) 18
C1 16 2 (2) 18
C0 16 2 (2) 18
M 16 2 (2) 18
N 16 2 (2) 18
Charge Pump 9 0 9
Loop Filter (3) 9 0 9
Total number of bits: 144
Notes to Table 5–7:
(1) LSB bit for C4 low-count value is the first bit shifted into the scan chain.
(2) These two control bits include rbypass, for bypassing the counter, and rselodd, to select the output clock
duty cycle.
(3) MSB bit for loop filter is the last bit shifted into the scan chain.

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Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–39
PLL Reconfiguration

Figure 5–24 shows the scan chain order of the PLL components.

Figure 5–24. PLL Component Scan Chain Order

LF CP
DATAIN N M C0
MSB LSB

DATAOUT C4 C3 C2 C1

Figure 5–25 shows the scan chain bit order sequence for one PLL post-scale counter in
PLLs of Cyclone IV devices.

Figure 5–25. Scan Chain Bit Order

HB HB HB HB HB HB HB HB HB HB
rbypass DATAIN
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB LB
DATAOUT rselodd
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Charge Pump and Loop Filter

You can reconfigure the charge pump and loop filter settings to update the PLL
bandwidth in real time. Table 5–8 through Table 5–10 list the possible settings for
charge pump current (ICP), loop filter resistor (R) , and capacitor (C) values for PLLs of
Cyclone IV devices.

Table 5–8. Charge Pump Bit Control

CP[2] CP[1] CP[0] Setting (Decimal)
0 0 0 0
1 0 0 1
1 1 0 3
1 1 1 7

Table 5–9. Loop Filter Resistor Value Control (Part 1 of 2)

Setting
LFR[4] LFR[3] LFR[2] LFR[1] LFR[0]
(Decimal)
0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1 1 3
0 0 1 0 0 4
0 1 0 0 0 8
1 0 0 0 0 16
1 0 0 1 1 19
1 0 1 0 0 20

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PLL Reconfiguration

Table 5–9. Loop Filter Resistor Value Control (Part 2 of 2)

Setting
LFR[4] LFR[3] LFR[2] LFR[1] LFR[0]
(Decimal)
1 1 0 0 0 24
1 1 0 1 1 27
1 1 1 0 0 28
1 1 1 1 0 30

Table 5–10. Loop Filter Control of High Frequency Capacitor

LFC[1] LFC[0] Setting (Decimal)
0 0 0
0 1 1
1 1 3

Bypassing a PLL Counter

Bypassing a PLL counter results in a divide (N, C0 to C4 counters) factor of one.
Table 5–11 lists the settings for bypassing the counters in PLLs of Cyclone IV devices.

Table 5–11. PLL Counter Settings

PLL Scan Chain Bits [0..8] Settings
Description
LSB MSB
X X X X X X X X 1 (1) PLL counter bypassed
X X X X X X X X 0 (1) PLL counter not bypassed
Note to Table 5–11:
(1) Bypass bit.

To bypass any of the PLL counters, set the bypass bit to 1. The values on the other bits
are then ignored.

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Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–41
PLL Reconfiguration

Dynamic Phase Shifting

The dynamic phase shifting feature allows the output phase of individual PLL
outputs to be dynamically adjusted relative to each other and the reference clock
without sending serial data through the scan chain of the corresponding PLL. This
feature simplifies the interface and allows you to quickly adjust tCO delays by
changing output clock phase shift in real time. This is achieved by incrementing or
decrementing the VCO phase-tap selection to a given C counter or to the M counter.
The phase is shifted by 1/8 the VCO frequency at a time. The output clocks are active
during this phase reconfiguration process.
Table 5–12 lists the control signals that are used for dynamic phase shifting.

Table 5–12. Dynamic Phase Shifting Control Signals

Signal Name Description Source Destination
Counter Select. Three bits decoded to select
either the M or one of the C counters for PLL
Logic array or I/O
phasecounterselect[2..0] phase adjustment. One address map to select reconfiguration
pins
all C counters. This signal is registered in the circuit
PLL on the rising edge of scanclk.
Selects dynamic phase shift direction; 1= UP, PLL
Logic array or I/O
phaseupdown 0 = DOWN. Signal is registered in the PLL on reconfiguration
pins
the rising edge of scanclk. circuit
PLL
Logic array or I/O
phasestep Logic high enables dynamic phase shifting. reconfiguration
pins
circuit
Free running clock from core used in
PLL
combination with phasestep to enable or
scanclk GCLK or I/O pins reconfiguration
disable dynamic phase shifting. Shared with
circuit
scanclk for dynamic reconfiguration.
When asserted, it indicates to core logic that
the phase adjustment is complete and PLL is
PLL reconfiguration Logic array or
phasedone ready to act on a possible second adjustment
circuit I/O pins
pulse. Asserts based on internal PLL timing.
De-asserts on the rising edge of scanclk.

Table 5–13 lists the PLL counter selection based on the corresponding
PHASECOUNTERSELECT setting.

Table 5–13. Phase Counter Select Mapping

phasecounterselect
Selects
[2] [1] [0]
0 0 0 All Output Counters
0 0 1 M Counter
0 1 0 C0 Counter
0 1 1 C1 Counter
1 0 0 C2 Counter
1 0 1 C3 Counter
1 1 0 C4 Counter

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–42 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
PLL Reconfiguration

To perform one dynamic phase shift step, follow these steps:

1. Set phaseupdown and phasecounterselect as required.
2. Assert phasestep for at least two scanclk cycles. Each phasestep pulse
enables one phase shift.
3. De-assert phasestep.
4. Wait for phasedone to go high.
5. You can repeat steps 1 through 4 as many times as required to get multiple phase
shifts.
All signals are synchronous to scanclk, so they are latched on the scanclk edges
and must meet tSU or tH requirements (with respect to the scanclk edges).

Figure 5–26. PLL Dynamic Phase Shift

phaseupdown

phasecounterselect

scanclk

phasestep

phasedone

Dynamic phase shifting can be repeated indefinitely. All signals are synchronous to
scanclk, so they must meet tSU or tH requirements (with respect to scanclk edges).
The phasestep signal is latched on the negative edge of scanclk. In Figure 5–26,
this is shown by the second scanclk falling edge. phasestep must stay high for at
least two scanclk cycles. On the second scanclk rising edge after phasestep is
latched (indicated by the fourth rising edge), the values of phaseupdown and
phasecounterselect are latched and the PLL starts dynamic phase shifting for the
specified counter or counters and in the indicated direction. On the fourth scanclk
rising edge, phasedone goes high to low and remains low until the PLL finishes
dynamic phase shifting. You can perform another dynamic phase shift after the
phasedone signal goes from low to high.
Depending on the VCO and scanclk frequencies, thephasedone low time may be
greater than or less than one scanclk cycle.
After phasedone goes from low to high, you can perform another dynamic phase
shift. phasestep pulses must be at least one scanclk cycle apart.

f For information about the ALTPLL_RECONFIG MegaWizard Plug-In Manager,

refer to the ALTPLL_RECONFIG Megafunction User Guide.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices 5–43
Spread-Spectrum Clocking

Spread-Spectrum Clocking
Cyclone IV devices can accept a spread-spectrum input with typical modulation
frequencies. However, the device cannot automatically detect that the input is a
spread-spectrum signal. Instead, the input signal looks like deterministic jitter at the
input of the PLL. PLLs of Cyclone IV devices can track a spread-spectrum input clock
as long as it is in the input jitter tolerance specifications and the modulation frequency
of the input clock is below the PLL bandwidth, that is specified in the fitter report.
Cyclone IV devices cannot generate spread-spectrum signals internally.

PLL Specifications
f For information about PLL specifications, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
chapter.

Document Revision History

Table 5–14 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 5–14. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.1 release.
■ Updated Figure 5–3 and Figure 5–10.
December 2010 2.2 ■ Updated “GCLK Network Clock Source Generation”, “PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices”,
and “Manual Override” sections.
■ Minor text edits.
■ Updated Figure 5–2, Figure 5–3, Figure 5–4, and Figure 5–10.
July 2010 2.1 ■ Updated Table 5–1, Table 5–2, and Table 5–5.
■ Updated “Clock Feedback Modes” section.
■ Added Cyclone IV E devices information for the Quartus II software version 9.1 SP1
release.
■ Updated “Clock Networks” section.
February 2010 2.0 ■ Updated Table 5–1 and Table 5–2.
■ Added Table 5–3.
■ Updated Figure 5–2, Figure 5–3, and Figure 5–9.
■ Added Figure 5–4 and Figure 5–10.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

5–44 Chapter 5: Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices
Document Revision History

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Section II. I/O Interfaces

This section provides information about Cyclone® IV device family I/O features and
high-speed differential and external memory interfaces.
This section includes the following chapters:
■ Chapter 6, I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
■ Chapter 7, External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices

Revision History
Refer to each chapter for its own specific revision history. For information about when
each chapter was updated, refer to the Chapter Revision Dates section, which appears
in the complete handbook.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

 6. I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51006-2.2

This chapter describes the I/O and high speed I/O capabilities and features offered in
Cyclone® IV devices.
The I/O capabilities of Cyclone IV devices are driven by the diversification of I/O
standards in many low-cost applications, and the significant increase in required I/O
performance. Altera’s objective is to create a device that accommodates your key
board design needs with ease and flexibility.
The I/O flexibility of Cyclone IV devices is increased from the previous generation
low-cost FPGAs by allowing all I/O standards to be selected on all I/O banks.
Improvements to on-chip termination (OCT) support and the addition of true
differential buffers have eliminated the need for external resistors in many
applications, such as display system interfaces.
High-speed differential I/O standards have become popular in high-speed interfaces
because of their significant advantages over single-ended I/O standards. The
Cyclone IV devices support LVDS, BLVDS, RSDS, mini-LVDS, and PPDS. The
transceiver reference clocks and the existing general-purpose I/O (GPIO) clock input
features also support the LVDS I/O standards.
The Quartus® II software completes the solution with powerful pin planning features
that allow you to plan and optimize I/O system designs even before the design files
are available.
This chapter includes the following sections:
■ “Cyclone IV I/O Elements” on page 6–2
■ “I/O Element Features” on page 6–3
■ “OCT Support” on page 6–7
■ “I/O Standards” on page 6–12
■ “Termination Scheme for I/O Standards” on page 6–13
■ “I/O Banks” on page 6–16
■ “Pad Placement and DC Guidelines” on page 6–22
■ “Clock Pins Functionality” on page 6–23
■ “High-Speed I/O Interface” on page 6–23
■ “High-Speed I/O Standards Support” on page 6–27
■ “True Output Buffer Feature” on page 6–35
■ “High-Speed I/O Timing” on page 6–36
■ “Design Guidelines” on page 6–38
■ “Software Overview” on page 6–39

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–2 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
Cyclone IV I/O Elements

Cyclone IV I/O Elements

Cyclone IV I/O elements (IOEs) contain a bidirectional I/O buffer and five registers
for registering input, output, output-enable signals, and complete embedded
bidirectional single-data rate transfer. I/O pins support various single-ended and
differential I/O standards.
The IOE contains one input register, two output registers, and two output-enable (OE)
registers. The two output registers and two OE registers are used for DDR
applications. You can use input registers for fast setup times and output registers for
fast clock-to-output times. Additionally, you can use OE registers for fast
clock-to-output enable timing. You can use IOEs for input, output, or bidirectional
data paths.
Figure 6–1 shows the Cyclone IV devices IOE structure for single data rate (SDR)
operation.

Figure 6–1. Cyclone IV IOEs in a Bidirectional I/O Configuration for SDR Mode

io_clk[5..0]

Column
or Row
Interconnect

OE

OE Register VCCIO
D Q
clkout Optional
PCI Clamp
ENA
ACLR
/PRN
VCCIO
oe_out

Programmable
Pull-Up
aclr/prn Resistor

Chip-Wide Reset
Output
Output Register Pin Delay

D Q Current Strength Control

Open-Drain Out
ENA Slew Rate Control
sclr/ ACLR
preset /PRN
data_in1

data_in0 Input Pin to Bus Hold

Input Register
Delay
or Input Pin to
D Q Logic Array
Delay
clkin ENA
ACLR
/PRN
oe_in
Input Register

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–3
I/O Element Features

I/O Element Features

The Cyclone IV IOE offers a range of programmable features for an I/O pin. These
features increase the flexibility of I/O utilization and provide a way to reduce the
usage of external discrete components, such as pull-up resistors and diodes.

Programmable Current Strength

The output buffer for each Cyclone IV I/O pin has a programmable current strength
control for certain I/O standards.
The LVTTL, LVCMOS, SSTL-2 Class I and II, SSTL-18 Class I and II, HSTL-18 Class I
and II, HSTL-15 Class I and II, and HSTL-12 Class I and II I/O standards have several
levels of current strength that you can control.
Table 6–2 on page 6–7 shows the possible settings for I/O standards with current
strength control. These programmable current strength settings are a valuable tool in
helping decrease the effects of simultaneously switching outputs (SSO) in conjunction
with reducing system noise. The supported settings ensure that the device driver
meets the specifications for IOH and IOL of the corresponding I/O standard.

1 When you use programmable current strength, on-chip series termination (RS OCT) is
not available.

Slew Rate Control

The output buffer for each Cyclone IV I/O pin provides optional programmable
output slew-rate control. Table 6–2 on page 6–7 shows the possible slew rate option
and the Quartus II default slew rate setting. However, these fast transitions may
introduce noise transients in the system. A slower slew rate reduces system noise, but
adds a nominal delay to rising and falling edges. Because each I/O pin has an
individual slew-rate control, you can specify the slew rate on a pin-by-pin basis. The
slew-rate control affects both the rising and falling edges. Slew rate control is available
for single-ended I/O standards with current strength of 8 mA or higher.

1 You cannot use the programmable slew rate feature when using OCT with calibration.

1 You cannot use the programmable slew rate feature when using the 3.0-V PCI,
3.0-V PCI-X, 3.3-V LVTTL, or 3.3-V LVCMOS I/O standards. Only the fast slew rate
(default) setting is available.

Open-Drain Output
Cyclone IV devices provide an optional open-drain (equivalent to an open-collector)
output for each I/O pin. This open-drain output enables the device to provide
system-level control signals (for example, interrupt and write enable signals) that are
asserted by multiple devices in your system.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–4 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
I/O Element Features

Bus Hold
Each Cyclone IV device user I/O pin provides an optional bus-hold feature. The
bus-hold circuitry holds the signal on an I/O pin at its last-driven state. Because the
bus-hold feature holds the last-driven state of the pin until the next input signal is
present, an external pull-up or pull-down resistor is not necessary to hold a signal
level when the bus is tri-stated.
The bus-hold circuitry also pulls undriven pins away from the input threshold
voltage in which noise can cause unintended high-frequency switching. You can select
this feature individually for each I/O pin. The bus-hold output drives no higher than
VCCIO to prevent overdriving signals.

1 If you enable the bus-hold feature, the device cannot use the programmable pull-up
option. Disable the bus-hold feature when the I/O pin is configured for differential
signals. Bus-hold circuitry is not available on dedicated clock pins.

Bus-hold circuitry is only active after configuration. When going into user mode, the
bus-hold circuit captures the value on the pin present at the end of configuration.

f For the specific sustaining current for each V CCIO voltage level driven through the
resistor and for the overdrive current used to identify the next driven input level, refer
to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

Programmable Pull-Up Resistor

Each Cyclone IV device I/O pin provides an optional programmable pull-up resistor
while in user mode. If you enable this feature for an I/O pin, the pull-up resistor
holds the output to the VCCIO level of the output pin’s bank.

1 If you enable the programmable pull-up resistor, the device cannot use the bus-hold
feature. Programmable pull-up resistors are not supported on the dedicated
configuration, JTAG, and dedicated clock pins.

1 When the optional DEV_OE signal drives low, all I/O pins remains tri-stated even
with the programmable pull-up option enabled.

Programmable Delay
The Cyclone IV IOE includes programmable delays to ensure zero hold times,
minimize setup times, increase clock-to-output times, and delay the clock input
signal.
A path in which a pin directly drives a register may require a programmable delay to
ensure zero hold time, whereas a path in which a pin drives a register through
combinational logic may not require the delay. Programmable delays minimize setup
time. The Quartus II Compiler can program these delays to automatically minimize
setup time while providing a zero hold time. Programmable delays can increase the
register-to-pin delays for output registers. Each dual-purpose clock input pin
provides a programmable delay to the global clock networks.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–5
I/O Element Features

Table 6–1 shows the programmable delays for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 6–1. Cyclone IV Devices Programmable Delay Chain

Programmable Delay Quartus II Logic Option

Input pin-to-logic array delay Input delay from pin to internal cells
Input pin-to-input register delay Input delay from pin to input register
Output pin delay(1) Delay from output register to output pin
Dual-purpose clock input pin
Input delay from dual-purpose clock pin to fan-out destinations
delay
Note to Table 6–1:
(1) Cyclone IV E devices do not support delay from output register to output pin.

There are two paths in the IOE for an input to reach the logic array. Each of the two
paths can have a different delay. This allows you to adjust delays from the pin to the
internal logic element (LE) registers that reside in two different areas of the device.
You must set the two combinational input delays with the input delay from pin to
internal cells logic option in the Quartus II software for each path. If the pin uses the
input register, one of the delays is disregarded and the delay is set with the input
delay from pin to input register logic option in the Quartus II software.
The IOE registers in each I/O block share the same source for the preset or clear
features. You can program preset or clear for each individual IOE, but you cannot use
both features simultaneously. You can also program the registers to power-up high or
low after configuration is complete. If programmed to power-up low, an
asynchronous clear can control the registers. If programmed to power-up high, an
asynchronous preset can control the registers. This feature prevents the inadvertent
activation of the active-low input of another device upon power-up. If one register in
an IOE uses a preset or clear signal, all registers in the IOE must use that same signal if
they require preset or clear. Additionally, a synchronous reset signal is available for
the IOE registers.

f For more information about the input and output pin delay settings, refer to the Area
and Timing Optimization chapter in volume 2 of the Quartus II Handbook.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–6 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
I/O Element Features

PCI-Clamp Diode
Cyclone IV devices provide an optional PCI-clamp diode enabled input and output
for each I/O pin. Dual-purpose configuration pins support the diode in user mode if
the specific pins are not used as configuration pins for the selected configuration
scheme. For example, if you are using the active serial (AS) configuration scheme, you
cannot use the clamp diode on the ASDO and nCSO pins in user mode. Dedicated
configuration pins do not support the on-chip diode.
The PCI-clamp diode is available for the following I/O standards:
■ 3.3-V LVTTL
■ 3.3-V LVCMOS
■ 3.0-V LVTTL
■ 3.0-V LVCMOS
■ 2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS
■ PCI
■ PCI-X
If the input I/O standard is one of the listed standards, the PCI-clamp diode is
enabled by default in the Quartus II software.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–7
OCT Support

OCT Support
Cyclone IV devices feature OCT to provide I/O impedance matching and termination
capabilities. OCT helps prevent reflections and maintain signal integrity while
minimizing the need for external resistors in high pin-count ball grid array (BGA)
packages. Cyclone IV devices provide I/O driver on-chip impedance matching and
RS OCT for single-ended outputs and bidirectional pins.

1 When using RS OCT, programmable current strength is not available.

There are two ways to implement OCT in Cyclone IV devices:

■ OCT with calibration
■ OCT without calibration
Table 6–2 lists the I/O standards that support impedance matching and series
termination.

Table 6–2. Cyclone IV Device I/O Features Support (Part 1 of 2)

IOH/IOL Current Strength Setting RS OCT with RS OCT Without

Calibration Calibration Cyclone Cyclone Slew PCI-
(mA) (1) Setting, Ohm () Setting, Ohm () IV E I/O IV GX I/O Rate clamp
I/O Standard Banks Banks Option Diode
Support Support (6) Support
Column I/O Row I/O Column Row Column Row
I/O I/O(8) I/O I/O(8)

3.3-V LVTTL 4,8 4,8 — — — — — v

3.3-V LVCMOS 2 2 — — — — — v
3.0-V LVTTL 4,8,12,16 4,8,12,16 50,25 50,25 50,25 50,25 v
0,1,2
3.0-V LVCMOS 4,8,12,16 4,8,12,16 50,25 50,25 50,25 50,25 3,4,5,6, v
3.0-V PCI/PCI-X — — — — — — 7,8,9 — v
2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS 4,8,12,16 4,8,12,16 50,25 50,25 50,25 50,25 v
1.8-V LVTTL/LVCMOS 2,4,6,8,10,12,16 2,4,6,8,10,12,16 50,25 50,25 50,25 50,25 —
1.5-V LVCMOS 2,4,6,8,10,12,16 2,4,6,8,10,12,16 50,25 50,25 50,25 50,25 —
1.2-V LVCMOS 2,4,6,8,10,12 2,4,6,8,10 50,25 50 50,25 50 1,2,3,4, 4,5,6,7,8 —
5,6,7,8
SSTL-2 Class I 8,12 8,12 50 50 50 50 —
SSTL-2 Class II 16 16 25 25 25 25 —
SSTL-18 Class I 8,10,12 8,10,12 50 50 50 50 —
0,1,2
SSTL-18 Class II 12,16 12,16 25 25 25 25 3,4,5,6, —
HSTL-18 Class I 8,10,12 8,10,12 50 50 50 50 7,8,9 —
HSTL-18 Class II 16 16 25 25 25 25 —
HSTL-15 Class I 8,10,12 8,10,12 50 50 50 50 —
HSTL-15 Class II 16 16 25 25 25 25 —
HSTL-12 Class I 8,10,12 8,10 50 50 50 50 4,5,6,7,8 —
HSTL-12 Class II 14 — 25 — 25 — 3,4,7,8 4,7,8 —

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–8 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
OCT Support

Table 6–2. Cyclone IV Device I/O Features Support (Part 2 of 2)

RS OCT with RS OCT Without

IOH/IOL Current Strength Setting
Calibration Calibration Cyclone Cyclone Slew PCI-
(mA) (1) Setting, Ohm () Setting, Ohm ()
I/O Standard IV E I/O IV GX I/O Rate clamp
Banks Banks Option Diode
Support Support (6) Support
Column Row Column Row
Column I/O Row I/O
I/O I/O(8) I/O I/O(8)

Differential SSTL-2
8,12 8,12 50 50 50 50 —
Class I (2), (7)
Differential SSTL-2
16 16 25 25 25 25 —
Class II (2), (7)
Differential SSTL-18 1,2,3,4, 3,4,5,6,
8,10,12 — 50 — 50 — —
(2), (7) 5,6,7,8 7,8 0,1,2
Differential HSTL-18
8,10,12 — 50 — 50 — —
(2), (7)
Differential HSTL-15
8,10,12 — 50 — 50 — —
(2), (7)
Differential HSTL-12
8,10,12 — 50 — 50 — 3,4,7,8 4,7,8 —
(2), (7)
3,4,5,6,
BLVDS 8,12,16 8,12,16 — — — — 0,1,2 —
7,8
LVDS (3) — — — — — — — —
PPDS (3), (4) — — — — — — 1,2,3,4, — —
5,6
RSDS and mini-LVDS 5,6,7,8
— — — — — — — —
(3), (4)
Differential LVPECL 3,4,5,6,
— — — — — — — —
(5) 7,8
Notes to Table 6–2:
(1) The default current strength setting in the Quartus II software is 50- OCT without calibration for all non-voltage reference and HSTL/SSTL Class I I/O standards.
The default setting is 25- OCT without calibration for HSTL/SSTL Class II I/O standards.
(2) The differential SSTL-18 and SSTL-2, differential HSTL-18, HSTL-15, and HSTL-12 I/O standards are supported only on clock input pins and PLL output clock
pins.
(3) True differential (PPDS, LVDS, mini-LVDS, and RSDS I/O standards) outputs are supported in row I/O banks 1, 2, 5, and 6 only for Cyclone IV E devices and
right I/O banks 5 and 6 only for Cyclone IV GX devices. Differential outputs in column I/O banks require an external resistor network.
(4) This I/O standard is supported for outputs only.
(5) This I/O standard is supported for clock inputs only
(6) The default Quartus II slew rate setting is in bold; 2 for all I/O standards that supports slew rate option.
(7) Differential SSTL-18, differential HSTL-18, HSTL-15, and HSTL-12 I/O standards do not support Class II output.
(8) Cyclone IV GX devices only support right I/O pins.

1 For more details about the differential I/O standards supported in Cyclone IV I/O
banks, refer to “High-Speed I/O Interface” on page 6–23.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–9
OCT Support

On-Chip Series Termination with Calibration

Cyclone IV devices support RS OCT with calibration in the top, bottom, and right I/O
banks. The RS OCT calibration circuit compares the total impedance of the I/O buffer
to the external 25- ±1% or 50- ±1% resistors connected to the RUP and RDN pins,
and dynamically adjusts the I/O buffer impedance until they match (as shown in
Figure 6–2).
The RS shown in Figure 6–2 is the intrinsic impedance of the transistors that make up
the I/O buffer.

Figure 6–2. Cyclone IV Devices RS OCT with Calibration

Cyclone IV Device Family Receiving

Driver Series Termination Device

VCCIO

RS

ZO

RS

GND

OCT with calibration is achieved using the OCT calibration block circuitry. There is
one OCT calibration block in each of I/O banks 2, 4, 5, and 7 for Cyclone IV E devices
and I/O banks 4, 5, and 7 for Cyclone IV GX devices. Each calibration block supports
each side of the I/O banks. Because there are two I/O banks sharing the same
calibration block, both banks must have the same VCCIO if both banks enable OCT
calibration. If two related banks have different VCCIO, only the bank in which the
calibration block resides can enable OCT calibration.
Figure 6–10 on page 6–18 shows the top-level view of the OCT calibration blocks
placement.
Each calibration block comes with a pair of RUP and RDN pins. When used for
calibration, the RUP pin is connected to VCCIO through an external 25- ±1% or
50- ±1% resistor for an RS OCT value of 25  or 50  , respectively. The RDN pin is
connected to GND through an external 25- ±1% or 50- ±1% resistor for an RS OCT
value of 25  or 50  , respectively. The external resistors are compared with the
internal resistance using comparators. The resultant outputs of the comparators are
used by the OCT calibration block to dynamically adjust buffer impedance.

1 During calibration, the resistance of the RUP and RDN pins varies.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–10 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
OCT Support

Figure 6–3 shows the external calibration resistors setup on the RUP and RDN pins and
the associated OCT calibration circuitry.

Figure 6–3. Cyclone IV Devices RS OCT with Calibration Setup

Cyclone IV Device Family OCT with VCCIO

Calibration with RUP and RDN pins

External
Calibration
Resistor
RUP

OCT
Calibration VCCIO
Circuitry

RDN
External
Calibration
Resistor

GND

RUP and RDN pins go to a tri-state condition when calibration is completed or not
running. These two pins are dual-purpose I/Os and function as regular I/Os if you
do not use the calibration circuit.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–11
OCT Support

On-Chip Series Termination Without Calibration

Cyclone IV devices support driver impedance matching to match the impedance of
the transmission line, which is typically 25 or 50 . When used with the output
drivers, OCT sets the output driver impedance to 25 or 50 . Cyclone IV devices also
support I/O driver series termination (RS = 50 ) for SSTL-2 and SSTL-18.
Figure 6–4 shows the single-ended I/O standards for OCT without calibration. The RS
shown is the intrinsic transistor impedance.

Figure 6–4. Cyclone IV Devices RS OCT Without Calibration

Cyclone IV Device Receiving

Driver Series Termination Device

VCCIO

RS

ZO

RS

GND

All I/O banks and I/O pins support impedance matching and series termination.
Dedicated configuration pins and JTAG pins do not support impedance matching or
series termination.
RS OCT is supported on any I/O bank. VCCIO and VREF must be compatible for all I/O
pins to enable RS OCT in a given I/O bank. I/O standards that support different RS
values can reside in the same I/O bank as long as their V CCIO and VREF do not conflict.
Impedance matching is implemented using the capabilities of the output driver and is
subject to a certain degree of variation, depending on the process, voltage, and
temperature.

f For more information about tolerance specification, refer to the Cyclone IV Device
Datasheet chapter.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–12 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
I/O Standards

I/O Standards
Cyclone IV devices support multiple single-ended and differential I/O standards.
Cyclone IV devices support 3.3-, 3.0-, 2.5-, 1.8-, 1.5-, and 1.2-V I/O standards.
Table 6–3 summarizes I/O standards supported by Cyclone IV devices and which
I/O pins support them.

Table 6–3. Cyclone IV Devices Supported I/O Standards and Constraints (Part 1 of 2)
VCCIO Level (in V) Column I/O Pins Row I/O Pins(1)
Standard User
I/O Standard Type CLK, CLK, User I/O
Support Input Output PLL_OUT I/O
DQS DQS Pins
Pins
3.3-V LVTTL, 3.3/3.0/2.5
Single-ended JESD8-B 3.3 v v v v v
3.3-V LVCMOS (2) (3)
3.0-V LVTTL, 3.3/3.0/2.5
Single-ended JESD8-B 3.0 v v v v v
3.0-V LVCMOS (2) (3)
2.5-V LVTTL / 3.3/3.0/2.5
Single-ended JESD8-5 2.5 v v v v v
LVCMOS (3)
1.8-V LVTTL /
Single-ended JESD8-7 1.8/1.5(3) 1.8 v v v v v
LVCMOS
1.5-V LVCMOS Single-ended JESD8-11 1.8/1.5(3) 1.5 v v v v v
1.2-V LVCMOS (4) Single-ended JESD8-12A 1.2 1.2 v v v v v
SSTL-2 Class I, voltage-
JESD8-9A 2.5 2.5 v v v v v
SSTL-2 Class II referenced
SSTL-18 Class I, voltage-
JESD815 1.8 1.8 v v v v v
SSTL-18 Class II referenced
HSTL-18 Class I, voltage-
JESD8-6 1.8 1.8 v v v v v
HSTL-18 Class II referenced
HSTL-15 Class I, voltage-
JESD8-6 1.5 1.5 v v v v v
HSTL-15 Class II referenced
voltage-
HSTL-12 Class I JESD8-16A 1.2 1.2 v v v v v
referenced
voltage-
HSTL-12 Class II (9) JESD8-16A 1.2 1.2 v v v — —
referenced
PCI and PCI-X Single-ended — 3.0 3.0 v v v v v
Differential SSTL-2 Differential — 2.5 — v — — —
JESD8-9A
Class I or Class II (5) 2.5 — v — — v —
Differential SSTL-18 Differential — 1.8 — v — — —
JESD815
Class I or Class II (5) 1.8 — v — — v —
Differential HSTL-18 Differential — 1.8 — v — — —
JESD8-6
Class I or Class II (5) 1.8 — v — — v —
Differential HSTL-15 Differential — 1.5 — v — — —
JESD8-6
Class I or Class II (5) 1.5 — v — — v —
Differential HSTL-12 Differential — 1.2 — v — — —
JESD8-16A
Class I or Class II (5) 1.2 — v — — v —

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–13
Termination Scheme for I/O Standards

Table 6–3. Cyclone IV Devices Supported I/O Standards and Constraints (Part 2 of 2)
VCCIO Level (in V) Column I/O Pins Row I/O Pins(1)
Standard User
I/O Standard Type CLK, CLK, User I/O
Support Input Output PLL_OUT I/O
DQS DQS Pins
Pins
PPDS (6) Differential — — 2.5 — v v — v
ANSI/TIA/
LVDS (10) Differential 2.5 2.5 v v v v v
EIA-644
RSDS and
Differential — — 2.5 — v v — v
mini-LVDS (6)
BLVDS (8) Differential — 2.5 2.5 — — v — v
LVPECL (7) Differential — 2.5 — v — — v —
Notes to Table 6–3:
(1) Cyclone IV GX devices only support right I/O pins.
(2) The PCI-clamp diode must be enabled for 3.3-V/3.0-V LVTTL/LVCMOS.
(3) The Cyclone IV architecture supports the MultiVolt I/O interface feature that allows Cyclone IV devices in all packages to interface with I/O systems
that have different supply voltages.
(4) Cyclone IV GX devices do not support 1.2-V VCCIO in banks 3 and 9. I/O pins in bank 9 are dual-purpose I/O pins that are used as configuration or
GPIO pins. Configuration scheme is not support at 1.2 V, therefore bank 9 can not be powered up at 1.2-V VCCIO.
(5) Differential HSTL and SSTL outputs use two single-ended outputs with the second output programmed as inverted. Differential HSTL and SSTL
inputs treat differential inputs as two single-ended HSTL and SSTL inputs and only decode one of them. Differential HSTL and SSTL are only
supported on CLK pins.
(6) PPDS, mini-LVDS, and RSDS are only supported on output pins.
(7) LVPECL is only supported on clock inputs.
(8) Bus LVDS (BLVDS) output uses two single-ended outputs with the second output programmed as inverted. BLVDS input uses LVDS input buffer.
(9) 1.2-V HSTL input is supported at both column and row I/Os regardless of Class I or Class II.
(10) True LVDS, RSDS, and mini-LVDS I/O standards are supported in right I/O pins, while emulated LVDS, RSDS, and mini-LVDS I/O standards are
supported in the top, bottom, and right I/O pins.

Cyclone IV devices support PCI and PCI-X I/O standards at 3.0-V VCCIO. The 3.0-V
PCI and PCI-X I/O are fully compatible for direct interfacing with 3.3-V PCI systems
without requiring any additional components. The 3.0-V PCI and PCI-X outputs meet
the VIH and VIL requirements of 3.3-V PCI and PCI-X inputs with sufficient noise
margin.

f For more information about the 3.3/3.0/2.5-V LVTTL & LVCMOS multivolt I/O
support, refer to AN 447: Interfacing Cyclone III and Cyclone IV Devices with 3.3/3.0/2.5-V
LVTTL/LVCMOS I/O Systems.

Termination Scheme for I/O Standards

This section describes recommended termination schemes for voltage-referenced and
differential I/O standards.
The 3.3-V LVTTL, 3.0-V LVTTL and LVCMOS, 2.5-V LVTTL and LVCMOS, 1.8-V
LVTTL and LVCMOS, 1.5-V LVCMOS, 1.2-V LVCMOS, 3.0-V PCI, and PCI-X
I/O standards do not specify a recommended termination scheme per the JEDEC
standard

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–14 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
Termination Scheme for I/O Standards

Voltage-Referenced I/O Standard Termination

Voltage-referenced I/O standards require an input reference voltage (VREF) and a
termination voltage (VTT). The reference voltage of the receiving device tracks the
termination voltage of the transmitting device, as shown in Figure 6–5 and Figure 6–6.

Figure 6–5. Cyclone IV Devices HSTL I/O Standard Termination

Termination HSTL Class I HSTL Class II

VTT VTT VTT

50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω
External
On-Board 50 Ω 50 Ω
Termination VREF VREF

Transmitter Receiver Transmitter Receiver

Cyclone IV Device VTT Cyclone IV Device VTT VTT

Family Series OCT Family Series OCT
50 Ω 50 Ω 25 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω
OCT with
and without 50 Ω 50 Ω
Calibration VREF VREF

Transmitter Receiver Transmitter Receiver

Figure 6–6. Cyclone IV Devices SSTL I/O Standard Termination

Termination SSTL Class I SSTL Class II

VTT VTT VTT

50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω
External 25 Ω 25 Ω
On-Board 50 Ω 50 Ω
Termination VREF VREF

Transmitter Receiver Transmitter Receiver

Cyclone IV Device Cyclone IV Device

Family Series OCT VTT Family Series OCT
VTT VTT
50 Ω 25 Ω
OCT with 50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω
and without 50 Ω 50 Ω
Calibration VREF VREF

Transmitter Receiver Transmitter Receiver

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–15
Termination Scheme for I/O Standards

Differential I/O Standard Termination

Differential I/O standards typically require a termination resistor between the two
signals at the receiver. The termination resistor must match the differential load
impedance of the bus (refer to Figure 6–7 and Figure 6–8).
Cyclone IV devices support differential SSTL-2 and SSTL-18, differential HSTL-18,
HSTL-15, and HSTL-12, PPDS, LVDS, RSDS, mini-LVDS, and differential LVPECL.

Figure 6–7. Cyclone IV Devices Differential HSTL I/O Standard Class I and Class II Interface and Termination

Termination Differential HSTL Class I Differential HSTL Class II

VTT VTT VTT VTT VTT VTT

50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω

50 Ω 50 Ω
External
On-Board
50 Ω 50 Ω
Termination

Transmitter Receiver Transmitter Receiver

VTT VTT VTT VTT VTT VTT

Cyclone IV Device Cyclone IV Device

Family Series OCT 50 Ω 50 Ω Family Series OCT 50 Ω 50 Ω 50Ω 50 Ω
50 Ω 25 Ω

50 Ω 50 Ω
OCT

50 Ω 50 Ω

Transmitter Receiver Transmitter Receiver

Figure 6–8. Cyclone IV Devices Differential SSTL I/O Standard Class I and Class II Interface and Termination (Note 1)

Termination Differential SSTL Class I Differential SSTL Class II

VTT VTT VTT VTT VTT VTT

50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω

25 Ω 25 Ω
50 Ω
50 Ω
External
On-Board 25 Ω 25 Ω
Termination 50Ω 50 Ω

Transmitter Receiver Transmitter Receiver

VTT VTT VTT VTT VTT VTT

Cyclone IV Device Cyclone IV Device
Family Series OCT 50 Ω 50 Ω Family Series OCT 50 Ω 50 Ω 50Ω 50 Ω
50 Ω 25 Ω

OCT 50 Ω 50 Ω

50 Ω 50 Ω

Transmitter Receiver Transmitter Receiver

Note to Figure 6–8:

(1) Only Differential SSTL-2 I/O standard supports Class II output.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–16 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
I/O Banks

I/O Banks
I/O pins on Cyclone IV devices are grouped together into I/O banks. Each bank has a
separate power bus.
Cyclone IV E devices have eight I/O banks, as shown in Figure 6–9. Each device I/O
pin is associated with one I/O bank. All single-ended I/O standards are supported in
all banks except HSTL-12 Class II, which is only supported in column I/O banks. All
differential I/O standards are supported in all banks. The only exception is HSTL-12
Class II, which is only supported in column I/O banks.
Cyclone IV GX devices have up to ten I/O banks and two configuration banks, as
shown in Figure 6–10 on page 6–18 and Figure 6–11 on page 6–19. The Cyclone IV GX
configuration I/O bank contains three user I/O pins that can be used as normal user
I/O pins if they are not used in configuration modes. Each device I/O pin is
associated with one I/O bank. All single-ended I/O standards are supported except
HSTL-12 Class II, which is only supported in column I/O banks. All differential I/O
standards are supported in top, bottom, and right I/O banks. The only exception is
HSTL-12 Class II, which is only supported in column I/O banks.
The entire left side of the Cyclone IV GX devices contain dedicated high-speed
transceiver blocks for high speed serial interface applications. There are a total of 2, 4,
and 8 transceiver channels for Cyclone IV GX devices, depending on the density and
package of the device. For more information about the transceiver channels
supported, refer to Figure 6–10 on page 6–18 and Figure 6–11 on page 6–19.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–17
I/O Banks

Figure 6–9 shows the overview of Cyclone IV E I/O banks.

Figure 6–9. Cyclone IV E I/O Banks (Note 1), (2)

I/O Bank 8 I/O Bank 7

All I/O Banks Support:

3.3-V LVTTL/LVCMOS

I/O Bank 6
3.0-V LVTTL/LVCMOS
I/O Bank 1

2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS
1.8-V LVTTL/LVCMOS
1.5-V LVCMOS
1.2-V LVCMOS I/O bank with
calibration block
PPDS
LVDS
RSDS I/O bank without
mini-LVDS calibration block
Bus LVDS (7)
LVPECL (3)
SSTL-2 class I and II Calibration block
SSTL-18 CLass I and II coverage
I/O Bank 2

I/O Bank 5
HSTL-18 Class I and II
HSTL-15 Class I and II
HSTL-12 Class I and II (4)
Differential SSTL-2 (5)
Differential SSTL-18 (5)
Differential HSTL-18 (5)
Differential HSTL-15 (5)
Differential HSTL-12 (6)

I/O Bank 3 I/O Bank 4

Notes to Figure 6–9:

(1) This is a top view of the silicon die. This is only a graphical representation. For exact pin locations, refer to the pin list and the Quartus II software.
(2) True differential (PPDS, LVDS, mini-LVDS, and RSDS I/O standards) outputs are supported in row I/O banks 1, 2, 5, and 6 only. External resistors
are needed for the differential outputs in column I/O banks.
(3) The LVPECL I/O standard is only supported on clock input pins. This I/O standard is not supported on output pins.
(4) The HSTL-12 Class II is supported in column I/O banks 3, 4, 7, and 8 only.
(5) The differential SSTL-18 and SSTL-2, differential HSTL-18, and HSTL-15 I/O standards are supported only on clock input pins and phase-locked
loops (PLLs) output clock pins. Differential SSTL-18, differential HSTL-18, and HSTL-15 I/O standards do not support Class II output.
(6) The differential HSTL-12 I/O standard is only supported on clock input pins and PLL output clock pins. Differential HSTL-12 Class II is supported
only in column I/O banks 3, 4, 7, and 8.
(7) BLVDS output uses two single-ended outputs with the second output programmed as inverted. BLVDS input uses true LVDS input buffer.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–18 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
I/O Banks

Figure 6–10 and Figure 6–11 show the overview of Cyclone IV GX I/O banks.
Figure 6–10. Cyclone IV GX I/O Banks for EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 (Note 1), (2), (9)
Configuration pins
VCCIO9 VCCIO8 VCC_CLKIN8A VCCIO7

Configuration I/O Bank 9 I/O Bank

pins I/O Bank 8 I/O Bank 7
(11) 8A (10)

Right, Top, and Bottom Banks Support:

Channel 3

3.3-V LVTTL/LVCMOS
3.0-V LVTTL/LVCMOS
2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS

I/O Bank 6
1.8-V LVTTL/LVCMOS VCCIO6
1.5-V LVCMOS
1.2-V LVCMOS
Channel 2

PCIe hard IP x1, x2, and x4

PPDS I/O bank with

LVDS calibration block
RSDS
mini-LVDS
Bus LVDS (7) I/O bank without
LVPECL (3) calibration block
SSTL-2 class I and II
Channel 1

SSTL-18 Class I and II

HSTL-18 Class I and II Calibration block
coverage

I/O Bank 5
HSTL-15 Class I and II
HSTL-12 Class I and II (4) VCCIO5
Differential SSTL-2 (5)
Differential SSTL-18 (5)
Differential HSTL-18 (5)
Channel 0

Differential HSTL-15 (5)

Differential HSTL-12 (6)
3.0-V PCI/PCI-X (8)

I/O Bank 3 I/O Bank

I/O Bank 4
3A (10)

VCCIO3 VCC_CLKIN3A VCCIO4

Configuration pins

Notes to Figure 6–10:

(1) This is a top view of the silicon die. For exact pin locations, refer to the pin list and the Quartus II software. Channels 2 and 3 are not available in
EP4CGX15 and F169 package type in EP4CGX22 and EP4CGX30 devices.
(2) True differential (PPDS, LVDS, mini-LVDS, and RSDS I/O standards) outputs are supported in row I/O banks 5 and 6 only. External resistors are
needed for the differential outputs in column I/O banks.
(3) The LVPECL I/O standard is only supported on clock input pins. This I/O standard is not supported on output pins.
(4) The HSTL-12 Class II is supported in column I/O banks 4, 7, and 8.
(5) The differential SSTL-18 and SSTL-2, differential HSTL-18, and HSTL-15 I/O standards are supported only on clock input pins and phase-locked
loops (PLLs) output clock pins. PLL output clock pins do not support Class II interface type of differential SSTL-18, HSTL-18, HSTL-15, and
HSTL-12 I/O standards.
(6) The differential HSTL-12 I/O standard is only supported on clock input pins and PLL output clock pins. Differential HSTL-12 Class II is supported
only in column I/O banks 4, 7, and 8.
(7) BLVDS output uses two single-ended outputs with the second output programmed as inverted. BLVDS input uses the LVDS input buffer.
(8) The PCI-X I/O standard does not meet the IV curve requirement at the linear region.
(9) The OCT block is located in the shaded banks 4, 5, and 7.
(10) There are two dedicated clock input I/O banks (I/O bank 3A and I/O bank 8A) that can be used for either high-speed serial interface (HSSI) input
reference clock pins or clock input pins.
(11) There are dual-purpose I/O pins in bank 9. If input pins with VREF I/O standards are used on these dual-purpose I/O pins during user mode, they
share the VREF pin in bank 8.These dual-purpose IO pins in bank 9 when used in user mode also support RS OCT without calibration and they
share the OCT block with bank 8.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–19
I/O Banks

Figure 6–11. Cyclone IV GX I/O Banks for EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 (Note 1), (2), (9)
VCCIO9 VCC_CLKIN8B VCCIO8 VCC_CLKIN8A VCCIO7

Configuration I/O Bank 8B I/O Bank

pins I/O Bank 9 I/O Bank 8 I/O Bank 7
(10), (11) 8A (10)

Right, Top, and Bottom Banks Support:

Ch3
3.3-V LVTTL/LVCMOS
3.0-V LVTTL/LVCMOS
Ch2

2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS

I/O Bank 6
GXBL1

1.8-V LVTTL/LVCMOS VCCIO6

1.5-V LVCMOS
Ch1

1.2-V LVCMOS
PPDS I/O bank with
LVDS calibration block
Ch0

RSDS
mini-LVDS
Bus LVDS (7) I/O bank without
LVPECL (3) calibration block
Ch3

SSTL-2 class I and II

PCIe hard IP x1, x2, and x4

SSTL-18 CLass I and II

HSTL-18 Class I and II Calibration block
coverage

I/O Bank 5
HSTL-15 Class I and II
Ch2

HSTL-12 Class I and II (4)

GXBL0

VCCIO5
Differential SSTL-2 (5)
Differential SSTL-18 (5)
Ch1

Differential HSTL-18 (5)

Differential HSTL-15 (5)
Differential HSTL-12 (6)
Ch0

3.0-V PCI/PCI-X (8)

Config I/O Bank 3B I/O Bank

I/O Bank 3 I/O Bank 4
pins (10), (11) 3A (10)

VCCIO3 VCC_CLKIN3B VCCIO3 VCC_CLKIN3A VCCIO4

Notes to Figure 6–11:

(1) This is a top view of the silicon die. For exact pin locations, refer to the pin list and the Quartus II software.
(2) True differential (PPDS, LVDS, mini-LVDS, and RSDS I/O standards) outputs are supported in row I/O banks 5 and 6 only. External resistors are
needed for the differential outputs in column I/O banks.
(3) The LVPECL I/O standard is only supported on clock input pins. This I/O standard is not supported on output pins.
(4) The HSTL-12 Class II is supported in column I/O banks 4, 7, and 8.
(5) The differential SSTL-18 and SSTL-2, differential HSTL-18, and HSTL-15 I/O standards are supported only on clock input pins and phase-locked
loops (PLLs) output clock pins. PLL output clock pins do not support Class II interface type of differential SSTL-18, HSTL-18, HSTL-15, and
HSTL-12 I/O standards.
(6) The differential HSTL-12 I/O standard is only supported on clock input pins and PLL output clock pins. Differential HSTL-12 Class II is supported
only in column I/O banks 4, 7, and 8.
(7) BLVDS output uses two single-ended outputs with the second output programmed as inverted. BLVDS input uses the LVDS input buffer.
(8) The PCI-X I/O standard does not meet the IV curve requirement at the linear region.
(9) The OCT block is located in the shaded banks 4, 5, and 7.
(10) The dedicated clock input I/O banks 3A, 3B, 8A, and 8B can be used either for HSSI input reference clock pins or clock input pins.
(11) Single-ended clock input support is available for dedicated clock input I/O banks 3B and 8B.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

 Each Cyclone IV I/O bank has a VREF bus to accommodate voltage-referenced I/O standards. Each VREF pin is the reference
Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–20
source for its VREF group. If you use a VREF group for voltage-referenced I/O standards, connect the VREF pin for that group to
the appropriate voltage level. If you do not use all the VREF groups in the I/O bank for voltage-referenced I/O standards, you
can use the VREF pin in the unused voltage-referenced groups as regular I/O pins. For example, if you have SSTL-2 Class I
input pins in I/O bank 3 and they are all placed in the VREFB1N[0] group, VREFB1N[0] must be powered with 1.25 V, and
the remaining VREFB1N[1..3] pins (if available) are used as I/O pins. If multiple VREF groups are used in the same I/O bank,
the VREF pins must all be powered by the same voltage level because the VREF pins are shorted together within the same I/O
bank.

1 When VREF pins are used as regular I/Os, they have higher pin capacitance than regular user I/O pins. This has an impact on
the timing if the pins are used as inputs and outputs.

f For more information about VREF pin capacitance, refer to the pin capacitance section in the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
chapter.

f For information about how to identify VREF groups, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Pin-Out files or the Quartus II Pin Planner
tool.

Table 6–4 and Table 6–5 summarize the number of VREF pins in each I/O bank for the Cyclone IV device family.

Table 6–4. Number of VREF Pins Per I/O Bank for Cyclone IV E Devices
Device EP4CE6 EP4CE10 EP4CE15 EP4CE22 EP4CE30 EP4CE40 EP4CE55 EP4CE75 EP4CE115

I/O
144- 256- 256- 144- 256- 256- 144- 164- 256- 256- 484- 144- 256- 256- 484- 780- 484- 484- 780- 484- 484- 780- 484- 484- 780- 484- 780-
Bank EQPF UBGA FBGA EQPF UBGA FBGA EQPF MBGA UBGA FBGA FBGA EQPF UBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA UBGA FBGA FBGA UBGA FBGA FBGA UBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA
(1)

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
© December 2010

3 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
4 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
5 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
6 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
7 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
Altera Corporation

8 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3
Note to Table 6–4:

I/O Banks
(1) User I/O pins are used as inputs or outputs; clock input pins are used as inputs only; clock output pins are used as output only.
Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–21
I/O Banks

Table 6–5. Number of VREF Pins Per I/O Bank for Cyclone IV GX Devices
Device 4CGX15 4CGX22 4CGX30 4CGX50 4CGX75 4CGX110 4CGX150

I/O Bank 148- 169- 169- 324- 169- 324- 484- 672- 484- 672- 484- 672- 896- 484- 672- 896-
(1) QFN FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA
3 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
4 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
5 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
6 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
7 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
8(2) 1 1 1 3 3 3 3
Notes to Table 6–5:
(1) User I/O pins are used as inputs or outputs; clock input pins are used as inputs only; clock output pins are used as output only.
(2) Bank 9 does not have VREF pin. If input pins with VREF I/O standards are used in bank 9 during user mode, it shares the VREF pin in bank 8.

Each Cyclone IV I/O bank has its own VCCIO pins. Each I/O bank can support only
one VCCIO setting from among 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 3.0, or 3.3 V. Any number of supported
single-ended or differential standards can be simultaneously supported in a single
I/O bank, as long as they use the same VCCIO levels for input and output pins.
When designing LVTTL/LVCMOS inputs with Cyclone IV devices, refer to the
following guidelines:
■ All pins accept input voltage (VI) up to a maximum limit (3.6 V), as stated in the
recommended operating conditions provided in the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
chapter.
■ Whenever the input level is higher than the bank VCCIO, expect higher leakage
current.
■ The LVTTL/LVCMOS I/O standard input pins can only meet the V IH and VIL
levels according to bank voltage level.
Voltage-referenced standards are supported in an I/O bank using any number of
single-ended or differential standards, as long as they use the same VREF and V CCIO
values. For example, if you choose to implement both SSTL-2 and SSTL-18 in your
Cyclone IV devices, I/O pins using these standards—because they require different
VREF values—must be in different banks from each other. However, the same I/O bank
can support SSTL-2 and 2.5-V LVCMOS with the VCCIO set to 2.5 V and the VREF set to
1.25 V.

1 When using Cyclone IV devices as a receiver in 3.3-, 3.0-, or 2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS

systems, you are responsible for managing overshoot or undershoot to stay in the
absolute maximum ratings and the recommended operating conditions, provided in
the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

1 The PCI clamping diode is enabled by default in the Quartus II software for input
signals with bank VCCIO at 2.5, 3.0, or 3.3 V.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–22 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
Pad Placement and DC Guidelines

High-Speed Differential Interfaces

Cyclone IV devices can send and receive data through LVDS signals. For the LVDS
transmitter and receiver, the input and output pins of Cyclone IV devices support
serialization and deserialization through internal logic.
The BLVDS extends the benefits of LVDS to multipoint applications such as
bidirectional backplanes. The loading effect and the need to terminate the bus at both
ends for multipoint applications require BLVDS to drive out a higher current than
LVDS to produce a comparable voltage swing. All the I/O banks of Cyclone IV
devices support BLVDS for user I/O pins.
The RSDS and mini-LVDS standards are derivatives of the LVDS standard. The RSDS
and mini-LVDS I/O standards are similar in electrical characteristics to LVDS, but
have a smaller voltage swing and therefore provide increased power benefits and
reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI).
The PPDS standard is the next generation of the RSDS standard introduced by
National Semiconductor Corporation. Cyclone IV devices meet the National
Semiconductor Corporation PPDS Interface Specification and support the PPDS
standard for outputs only. All the I/O banks of Cyclone IV devices support the PPDS
standard for output pins only.
The LVDS standard does not require an input reference voltage, but it does require a
100- termination resistor between the two signals at the input buffer. An external
resistor network is required on the transmitter side for the top and bottom I/O banks.

External Memory Interfacing

Cyclone IV devices support I/O standards required to interface with a broad range of
external memory interfaces, such as DDR SDRAM, DDR2 SDRAM, and QDR II
SRAM.

f For more information about Cyclone IV devices external memory interface support,
refer to the External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

Pad Placement and DC Guidelines

You can use the Quartus II software to validate your pad and pin placement.

Pad Placement
Altera recommends that you create a Quartus II design, enter your device I/O
assignments and compile your design to validate your pin placement. The Quartus II
software checks your pin connections with respect to the I/O assignment and
placement rules to ensure proper device operation. These rules depend on device
density, package, I/O assignments, voltage assignments and other factors that are not
fully described in this chapter.

f For more information about how the Quartus II software checks I/O restrictions, refer
to the I/O Management chapter in volume 2 of the Quartus II Handbook.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–23
Clock Pins Functionality

DC Guidelines
For the Quartus II software to automatically check for illegally placed pads according
to the DC guidelines, set the DC current sink or source value to Electromigration
Current assignment on each of the output pins that are connected to the external
resistive load.
The programmable current strength setting has an impact on the amount of DC
current that an output pin can source or sink. Determine if the current strength setting
is sufficient for the external resistive load condition on the output pin.

Clock Pins Functionality

Cyclone IV clock pins have multiple purposes, as per listed:
■ CLK pins—Input support for single-ended and voltage-referenced standards. For
I/O standard support, refer to Table 6–3 on page 6–12.
■ DIFFCLK pins—Input support for differential standards. For I/O standard
support, refer to Table 6–3 on page 6–12. When used as DIFFCLK pins, DC or AC
coupling can be used depending on the interface requirements and external
termination is required. For more information, refer to “High-Speed I/O
Standards Support” on page 6–27.
■ REFCLK pins—Input support for high speed differential reference clocks used by
the transceivers in Cyclone IV GX devices. For I/O support, coupling, and
termination requirements, refer to Table 6–10 on page 6–28.

High-Speed I/O Interface

Cyclone IV E I/Os are separated into eight I/O banks, as shown in Figure 6–9 on
page 6–17. Cyclone IV GX I/Os are separated into six user I/O banks with the left
side of the device as the transceiver block, as shown in Figure 6–10 on page 6–18. Each
bank has an independent power supply. True output drivers for LVDS, RSDS,
mini-LVDS, and PPDS are on the right I/O banks. On the Cyclone IV E row I/O banks
and the Cyclone IV GX right I/O banks, some of the differential pin pairs (p and n
pins) of the true output drivers are not located on adjacent pins. In these cases, a
power pin is located between the p and n pins. These I/O standards are also
supported on all I/O banks using two single-ended output with the second output
programmed as inverted, and an external resistor network. True input buffers for
these I/O standards are supported on the top, bottom, and right I/O banks except for
I/O bank 9.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–24 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
High-Speed I/O Interface

Table 6–6 and Table 6–7 summarize which I/O banks support these I/O standards in
the Cyclone IV device family.

Table 6–6. Differential I/O Standards Supported in Cyclone IV E I/O Banks

External Resistor
Differential I/O Standards I/O Bank Location Network at Transmitter Transmitter (TX) Receiver (RX)
LVDS 1,2,5,6 Not Required v v
All Three Resistors
RSDS 1,2,5,6 Not Required v —
3,4,7,8 Three Resistors
All Single Resistor
mini-LVDS 1,2,5,6 Not Required v —
All Three Resistors
PPDS 1,2,5,6 Not Required v —
All Three Resistors
BLVDS (1) All Single Resistor v v
LVPECL (2) All — — v
Differential SSTL-2 (3) All — v v
Differential SSTL-18 (3) All — v v
Differential HSTL-18 (3) All — v v
Differential HSTL-15 (3) All — v v
Differential HSTL-12 (3), (4) All — v v
Notes to Table 6–6:
(1) Transmitter and Receiver fMAX depend on system topology and performance requirement.
(2) The LVPECL I/O standard is only supported on dedicated clock input pins.
(3) The differential SSTL-2, SSTL-18, HSTL-18, HSTL-15, and HSTL-12 I/O standards are only supported on clock input pins and PLL output clock
pins. PLL output clock pins do not support Class II interface type of differential SSTL-18, HSTL-18, HSTL-15, and HSTL-12 I/O standards.
(4) Differential HSTL-12 Class II is supported only in column I/O banks.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–25
High-Speed I/O Interface

Table 6–7. Differential I/O Standards Supported in Cyclone IV GX I/O Banks

External Resistor
Differential I/O Standards I/O Bank Location Network at Transmitter (TX) Receiver (RX)
Transmitter
5,6 Not Required
LVDS v v
3,4,5,6,7,8 Three Resistors
5,6 Not Required
RSDS 3,4,7,8 Three Resistors v —
3,4,5,6,7,8 Single Resistor
5,6 Not Required
mini-LVDS v —
3,4,5,6,7,8 Three Resistors
5,6 Not Required
PPDS v —
3,4,5,6,7,8 Three Resistors
BLVDS (1) 3,4,5,6,7,8 Single Resistor v v
LVPECL (2) 3,4,5,6,7,8 — — v
Differential SSTL-2 (3) 3,4,5,6,7,8 — v v
Differential SSTL-18 (3) 3,4,5,6,7,8 — v v
Differential HSTL-18 (3) 3,4,5,6,7,8 — v v
Differential HSTL-15 (3) 3,4,5,6,7,8 — v v
Differential HSTL-12 (3) 4,5,6,7,8 — v v
Notes to Table 6–7:
(1) Transmitter and Receiver fMAX depend on system topology and performance requirement.
(2) The LVPECL I/O standard is only supported on dedicated clock input pins.
(3) The differential SSTL-2, SSTL-18, HSTL-18, HSTL-15, and HSTL-12 I/O standards are only supported on clock input pins and PLL output clock
pins. PLL output clock pins do not support Class II interface type of differential SSTL-18, HSTL-18, HSTL-15, and HSTL-12 I/O standards.

You can use I/O pins and internal logic to implement a high-speed differential
interface in Cyclone IV devices. Cyclone IV devices do not contain dedicated
serialization or deserialization circuitry. Therefore, shift registers, internal
phase-locked loops (PLLs), and I/O cells are used to perform serial-to-parallel
conversions on incoming data and parallel-to-serial conversion on outgoing data. The
differential interface data serializers and deserializers (SERDES) are automatically
constructed in the core logic elements (LEs) with the Quartus II software ALTLVDS
megafunction.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

 Table 6–8 and Table 6–9 summarize the total number of supported row and column differential channels in the Cyclone IV
Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–26
device family.

Table 6–8. Cyclone IV E I/O and Differential Channel Count

Device EP4CE6 EP4CE10 EP4CE15 EP4CE22 EP4CE30 EP4CE40 EP4CE55 EP4CE75 EP4CE115

Numbers of
Differential 144- 256- 256- 144- 256- 256- 144- 164- 256- 256- 484- 144- 256- 256- 484- 780- 484- 484- 780- 484- 484- 780- 484- 484- 780- 484- 780-
Channels EQPF UBGA FBGA EQPF UBGA FBGA EQPF MBGA UBGA FBGA FBGA EQPF UBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA UBGA FBGA FBGA UBGA FBGA FBGA UBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA
(1),(2)
User I/O(3) 91 179 179 91 179 179 81 89 165 165 343 79 153 153 328 532 328 328 532 324 324 374 292 292 426 280 528
User I/O
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Banks
LVDS(4) 8 23 23 8 23 23 6 8 21 21 67 7 20 20 60 112 60 60 112 62 62 70 54 54 79 50 103
Emulated
13 43 43 13 43 43 12 13 32 32 70 10 32 32 64 112 64 64 112 70 70 90 56 56 99 53 127
LVDS(5)
Notes to Table 6–8:
(1) User I/O pins are used as inputs or outputs; clock input pins are used as inputs only; clock output pins are used as output only.
(2) For differential pad placement guidelines, refer to “Pad Placement” on page 6–22.
(3) The I/O pin count includes all GPIOs, dedicated clock pins, and dual-purpose configuration pins. Dedicated configuration pins are not included in the pin count.
(4) The true LVDS count includes all LVDS I/O pairs, differential clock input and clock output pins in row I/O banks 1, 2, 5, and 6.
(5) The emulated LVDS count includes all LVDS I/O pairs, differential clock input and clock output pins in column I/O banks 3, 4, 7, and 8.

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices

© December 2010

High-Speed I/O Interface

Altera Corporation
Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–27
High-Speed I/O Standards Support

Table 6–9. Cyclone IV GX I/O, Differential, and XCVRs Channel Count

Device 4CGX15 4CGX22 4CGX30 4CGX50 4CGX75 4CGX110 4CGX150

Numbers of
Differential 148- 169- 169- 324- 169- 324- 484- 484- 672- 484- 672- 484- 672- 896- 484- 672- 896-
Channels QFN FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA FBGA
(1), (2)
User I/O(3) 72 72 72 150 72 150 290 290 310 290 310 270 393 475 270 393 475
11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
User I/O 11
9(4) 9(4) 9(4) 9(4) 9(4) 9(4) (5), (5), (5), (5), (5), (5), (5), (5), (5), (5),
banks (5)
(6) (6) (6) (6) (6) (6) (6) (6) (6) (6)
LVDS (7) 9 9 9 16 9 16 45 45 51 45 51 38 52 63 38 52 63
Emulated
16 16 16 48 16 48 85 85 89 85 89 82 129 157 82 129 157
LVDS (8)
XCVRs 2 2 2 4 2 4 4 4 8 4 8 4 8 8 4 8 8
Notes to Table 6–9:
(1) User I/O pins are used as inputs or outputs; clock input pins are used as inputs only; clock output pins are used as outputs only.
(2) For differential pad placement guidelines, refer to “Pad Placement” on page 6–22.
(3) The I/O pin count includes all GPIOs, dedicated clock pins, and dual-purpose configuration pins. Transceivers pins and dedicated configuration pins are not
included in the pin count.
(4) Includes one configuration I/O bank and two dedicated clock input I/O banks for HSSI input reference clock.
(5) Includes one configuration I/O bank and four dedicated clock input I/O banks for HSSI input reference clock.
(6) Single-ended clock input support is available for dedicated clock input I/O banks 3B (pins CLKIO20 and CLKIO22) and 8B (pins CLKIO17 and
CLKIO19).
(7) The true LVDS count includes all LVDS I/O pairs, differential clock input and clock output pins in right I/O banks 5 and 6.
(8) The emulated LVDS count includes all LVDS I/O pairs, differential clock input and clock output pins in column I/O banks 3, 4, 7, and 8.

High-Speed I/O Standards Support

This section provides information about the high-speed I/O standards and the HSSI
input reference clock supported in Cyclone IV devices.

High Speed Serial Interface (HSSI) Input Reference Clock Support

Cyclone IV GX devices support the same I/O features for GPIOs with additional new
features where current I/O banks 3A and 8A consist of dual-purpose clock input pins
(CLKIN) and 3B and 8B consist of dedicated CLKIN that can be used to support the
high-speed transceiver input reference clock (REFCLK) features on top of the
general-purpose clock input function. I/O banks 3B and 8B are dedicated to high-
speed transceiver input REFCLK only.
The EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 devices contain two pairs of
CLKIN/REFCLK pins located in I/O banks 3A and 8A. I/O banks 3B and 8B are not
available in EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 devices. The EP4CGX50,
EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices have a total of four pairs of
CLKIN/REFCLK pins located in I/O banks 3A, 3B, 8A, and 8B. I/O banks 3B and 8B
can also support single-ended clock inputs. For more information about the
CLKIN/REFCLK pin location, refer to Figure 6–10 on page 6–18 and Figure 6–11 on
page 6–19.
The CLKIN/REFCLK pins are powered by dedicated VCC_CLKIN3A, VCC_CLKIN3B, VCC_CLKIN8A,
and VCC_CLKIN8B power supplies separately in their respective I/O banks to avoid the
different power level requirements in the same bank for GPIO.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–28 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
High-Speed I/O Standards Support

Table 6–10. Cyclone IV GX HSSI REFCLK I/O Standard Support Using GPIO CLKIN Pins (Note 1), (2)
VCC_CLKIN Level I/O Pin Type
I/O Standard HSSI Protocol Coupling Termination Column Row Supported I/O
Input Output
I/O I/O Banks
Not
LVDS All Off chip 2.5V Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
supported

Differential Not
LVPECL All Off chip 2.5V Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
AC (Need supported
off chip Not
All Off chip 2.5V Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
resistor to supported
1.2V, 1.5V, restore Not
All VCM) Off chip 2.5V Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
3.3V PCML supported
Not
All Off chip 2.5V Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
supported
Differential Not
HCSL PCIe Off chip 2.5V Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
DC supported
Notes to Table 6–10:
(1) The EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 devices have two pairs of dedicated clock input pins in banks 3A and 8A for HSSI input reference
clock. I/O banks 3B and 8B are not available in EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 devices.
(2) The EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices have four pairs of dedicated clock input pins in banks 3A, 3B, 8A, and 8B
for HSSI input or single-ended clock input.

f For more information about the AC-coupled termination scheme for the HSSI
reference clock, refer to the Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture chapter.

LVDS I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices

The LVDS I/O standard is a high-speed, low-voltage swing, low power, and GPIO
interface standard. Cyclone IV devices meet the ANSI/TIA/EIA-644 standard with
the following exceptions:
■ The maximum differential output voltage (VOD) is increased to 600 mV. The
maximum VOD for ANSI specification is 450 mV.
■ The input voltage range is reduced to the range of 1.0 V to 1.6 V, 0.5 V to 1.85 V, or
0 V to 1.8 V based on different frequency ranges. The ANSI/TIA/EIA-644
specification supports an input voltage range of 0 V to 2.4 V.

f For LVDS I/O standard electrical specifications in Cyclone IV devices, refer to the
Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

Designing with LVDS

Cyclone IV I/O banks support the LVDS I/O standard. The Cyclone IV GX right I/O
banks support true LVDS transmitters while the Cyclone IV E left and right I/O banks
support true LVDS transmitters. On the top and bottom I/O banks, the emulated
LVDS transmitters are supported using two single-ended output buffers with external
resistors. One of the single-ended output buffers is programmed to have opposite
polarity. The LVDS receiver requires an external 100- termination resistor between
the two signals at the input buffer.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–29
High-Speed I/O Standards Support

Figure 6–12 shows a point-to-point LVDS interface using Cyclone IV devices true
LVDS output and input buffers.

Figure 6–12. Cyclone IV Devices LVDS Interface with True Output Buffer on the Right I/O Banks

Cyclone IV Device

Transmitting Device txout + rxin + Receiving Device

txout + rxin +
Cyclone IV 50 Ω
50 Ω
Device
100 Ω 100 Ω
Family Logic
50 Ω Array
txout - rxin - 50 Ω
txout - rxin -

Input Buffer Output Buffer

Figure 6–13 shows a point-to-point LVDS interface with Cyclone IV devices LVDS
using two single-ended output buffers and external resistors.

Figure 6–13. LVDS Interface with External Resistor Network on the Top and Bottom I/O
Banks (Note 1)

Cyclone IV Device
Emulated
LVDS Transmitter
Resistor Network LVDS Receiver

RS
50 Ω
RP 100 Ω
50 Ω
RS

Note to Figure 6–13:

(1) RS = 120 . RP = 170 .

BLVDS I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices

The BLVDS I/O standard is a high-speed differential data transmission technology
that extends the benefits of standard point-to-point LVDS to multipoint configuration
that supports bidirectional half-duplex communication. BLVDS differs from standard
LVDS by providing a higher drive to achieve similar signal swings at the receiver
while loaded with two terminations at both ends of the bus.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–30 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
High-Speed I/O Standards Support

Figure 6–14 shows a typical BLVDS topology with multiple transmitter and receiver
pairs.

Figure 6–14. BLVDS Topology with Cyclone IV Devices Transmitters and Receivers
VCC VCC

100 kΩ 100 kΩ
50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω
RT RT
50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω 50 Ω
100 kΩ 100 k Ω

50 Ω
50 Ω

50 Ω

50 Ω

50 Ω

50 Ω
GND GND
RS

RS

RS

RS

RS

RS
Cyclone IV Device Family

Cyclone IV Device Family

Cyclone IV Device Family

OE

OE

OE
Output Input Output Input Output Input
Data Data Data Data Data Data

The BLVDS I/O standard is supported on the top, bottom, and right I/O banks of
Cyclone IV devices. The BLVDS transmitter uses two single-ended output buffers
with the second output buffer programmed as inverted, while the BLVDS receiver
uses a true LVDS input buffer. The transmitter and receiver share the same pins. An
output-enabled (OE) signal is required to tristate the output buffers when the LVDS
input buffer receives a signal.

f For more information, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

Designing with BLVDS

The BLVDS bidirectional communication requires termination at both ends of the bus
in BLVDS. The termination resistor (RT) must match the bus differential impedance,
which in turn depends on the loading on the bus. Increasing the load decreases the
bus differential impedance. With termination at both ends of the bus, termination is
not required between the two signals at the input buffer. A single series resistor (RS) is
required at the output buffer to match the output buffer impedance to the
transmission line impedance. However, this series resistor affects the voltage swing at
the input buffer. The maximum data rate achievable depends on many factors.

1 Altera recommends that you perform simulation using the IBIS model while
considering factors such as bus loading, termination values, and output and input
buffer location on the bus to ensure that the required performance is achieved.

f For more information about BLVDS interface support in Altera devices, refer to
AN 522: Implementing Bus LVDS Interface in Supported Altera Device Families.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–31
High-Speed I/O Standards Support

RSDS, Mini-LVDS, and PPDS I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices

The RSDS, mini-LVDS, and PPDS I/O standards are used in chip-to-chip applications
between the timing controller and the column drivers on the display panels such as
LCD monitor panels and LCD televisions. Cyclone IV devices meet the National
Semiconductor Corporation RSDS Interface Specification, Texas Instruments
mini-LVDS Interface Specification, and National Semiconductor Corporation PPDS
Interface Specification to support RSDS, mini-LVDS and PPDS output standards,
respectively.

f For Cyclone IV devices RSDS, mini-LVDS, and PPDS output electrical specifications,
refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

f For more information about the RSDS I/O standard, refer to the RSDS specification
from the National Semiconductor website (www.national.com).

Designing with RSDS, Mini-LVDS, and PPDS

Cyclone IV I/O banks support RSDS, mini-LVDS, and PPDS output standards. The
right I/O banks support true RSDS, mini-LVDS, and PPDS transmitters. On the top
and bottom I/O banks, RSDS, mini-LVDS, and PPDS transmitters are supported using
two single-ended output buffers with external resistors. The two single-ended output
buffers are programmed to have opposite polarity.
Figure 6–15 shows an RSDS, mini-LVDS, or PPDS interface with a true output buffer.

Figure 6–15. Cyclone IV Devices RSDS, Mini-LVDS, or PPDS Interface with True Output Buffer on
the Right I/O Banks
Cyclone IV Device
True RSDS, Mini-LVDS, RSDS, Mini-LVDS,
or PPDS Transmitter or PPDS Receiver
50 Ω

100 Ω

50 Ω

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–32 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
High-Speed I/O Standards Support

Figure 6–16 shows an RSDS, mini-LVDS, or PPDS interface with two single-ended
output buffers and external resistors.

Figure 6–16. RSDS, Mini-LVDS, or PPDS Interface with External Resistor Network on the Top and
Bottom I/O Banks (Note 1)
Cyclone IV Device
Emulated RSDS,
Mini-LVDS, or PPDS
Transmitter
Resistor Network
RSDS, Mini-LVDS,
RS or PPDS Receiver
50 Ω
RP 100 Ω
50 Ω
RS

Note to Figure 6–16:

(1) RS and RP values are pending characterization.

A resistor network is required to attenuate the output voltage swing to meet RSDS,
mini-LVDS, and PPDS specifications when using emulated transmitters. You can
modify the resistor network values to reduce power or improve the noise margin.
The resistor values chosen must satisfy Equation 6–1.

Equation 6–1. Resistor Network

RP
R S  ------
2 = 50 
-------------------
RP
R S + ------
2

1 Altera recommends that you perform simulations using Cyclone IV devices IBIS
models to validate that custom resistor values meet the RSDS, mini-LVDS, or PPDS
requirements.

It is possible to use a single external resistor instead of using three resistors in the
resistor network for an RSDS interface, as shown in Figure 6–17. The external
single-resistor solution reduces the external resistor count while still achieving the
required signaling level for RSDS. However, the performance of the single-resistor
solution is lower than the performance with the three-resistor network.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–33
High-Speed I/O Standards Support

Figure 6–17 shows the RSDS interface with a single resistor network on the top and
bottom I/O banks.

Figure 6–17. RSDS Interface with Single Resistor Network on the Top and Bottom I/O Banks
(Note 1)

Cyclone IV Device
Emulated
RSDS Transmitter
Single Resistor Network RSDS Receiver

50 Ω
RP 100 Ω
50 Ω

Note to Figure 6–17:

(1) RP value is pending characterization.

LVPECL I/O Support in Cyclone IV Devices

The LVPECL I/O standard is a differential interface standard that requires a 2.5-V
VCCIO. This standard is used in applications involving video graphics,
telecommunications, data communications, and clock distribution. Cyclone IV
devices support the LVPECL input standard at the dedicated clock input pins only.
The LVPECL receiver requires an external 100- termination resistor between the two
signals at the input buffer.

f For the LVPECL I/O standard electrical specification, refer to the Cyclone IV Device
Datasheet chapter.

AC coupling is required when the LVPECL common mode voltage of the output
buffer is higher than the Cyclone IV devices LVPECL input common mode voltage.
Figure 6–18 shows the AC-coupled termination scheme. The 50- resistors used at the
receiver are external to the device. DC-coupled LVPECL is supported if the LVPECL
output common mode voltage is in the Cyclone IV devices LVPECL input buffer
specification (refer to Figure 6–19).

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–34 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
High-Speed I/O Standards Support

Figure 6–18. LVPECL AC-Coupled Termination (Note 1)

LVPECL Cyclone IV Device

Transmitter LVPECL Receiver

0.1 µF
Z0 = 50 Ω
VICM 50 Ω

50 Ω
Z0 = 50 Ω

0.1 µF

Note to Figure 6–18:

(1) The LVPECL AC-coupled termination is applicable only when an Altera FPGA transmitter is used.

Figure 6–19 shows the LVPECL DC-coupled termination.

Figure 6–19. LVPECL DC-Coupled Termination (Note 1)

Cyclone IV Device
LVPECL Transmitter LVPECL Receiver

50 Ω

100 Ω

50 Ω

Note to Figure 6–19:

(1) The LVPECL DC-coupled termination is applicable only when an Altera FPGA transmitter is used.

Differential SSTL I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices

The differential SSTL I/O standard is a memory-bus standard used for applications
such as high-speed DDR SDRAM interfaces. Cyclone IV devices support differential
SSTL-2 and SSTL-18 I/O standards. The differential SSTL I/O standard requires two
differential inputs with an external reference voltage (VREF) as well as an external
termination voltage (VTT) of 0.5 × V CCIO to which termination resistors are connected.
The differential SSTL output standard is only supported at PLL#_CLKOUT pins using
two single-ended SSTL output buffers (PLL#_CLKOUTp and PLL#_CLKOUTn), with
the second output programmed to have opposite polarity. The differential SSTL input
standard is supported on the GCLK pins only, treating differential inputs as two
single-ended SSTL and only decoding one of them.

f For differential SSTL electrical specifications, refer to “Differential I/O Standard

Termination” on page 6–15 and the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

1 Figure 6–8 on page 6–15 shows the differential SSTL Class I and Class II interface.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–35
True Output Buffer Feature

Differential HSTL I/O Standard Support in Cyclone IV Devices

The differential HSTL I/O standard is used for the applications designed to operate in
0 V to 1.2 V, 0 V to 1.5 V, or 0 V to 1.8 V HSTL logic switching range. Cyclone IV
devices support differential HSTL-18, HSTL-15, and HSTL-12 I/O standards. The
differential HSTL input standard is available on GCLK pins only, treating the
differential inputs as two single-ended HSTL and only decoding one of them. The
differential HSTL output standard is only supported at the PLL#_CLKOUT pins using
two single-ended HSTL output buffers (PLL#_CLKOUTp and PLL#_CLKOUTn), with
the second output programmed to have opposite polarity. The standard requires two
differential inputs with an external reference voltage (VREF), as well as an external
termination voltage (VTT) of 0.5 × V CCIO to which termination resistors are connected.

f For differential HSTL signaling characteristics, refer to “Differential I/O Standard

Termination” on page 6–15 and the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

1 Figure 6–7 on page 6–15 shows the differential HSTL Class I and Class II interface.

True Output Buffer Feature

Cyclone IV devices true differential transmitters offer programmable pre-emphasis—
you can turn it on or off. The default setting is on.

Programmable Pre-Emphasis
The programmable pre-emphasis boosts the high frequencies of the output signal to
compensate the frequency-dependant attenuation of the transmission line to
maximize the data eye opening at the far-end receiver. Without pre-emphasis, the
output current is limited by the VOD specification and the output impedance of the
transmitter. At high frequency, the slew rate may not be fast enough to reach full VOD
before the next edge; this may lead to pattern-dependent jitter. With pre-emphasis, the
output current is momentarily boosted during switching to increase the output slew
rate. The overshoot produced by this extra switching current is different from the
overshoot caused by signal reflection. This overshoot happens only during switching,
and does not produce ringing.
The Quartus II software allows two settings for programmable pre-emphasis
control—0 and 1, in which 0 is pre-emphasis off and 1 is pre-emphasis on. The default
setting is 1. The amount of pre-emphasis needed depends on the amplification of the
high-frequency components along the transmission line. You must adjust the setting
to suit your designs, as pre-emphasis decreases the amplitude of the low-frequency
component of the output signal.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–36 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
High-Speed I/O Timing

Figure 6–20 shows the differential output signal with pre-emphasis.

Figure 6–20. The Output Signal with Pre-Emphasis

Overshoot

Positive channel (p)

VOD
Negative channel (n)

Undershoot

High-Speed I/O Timing

This section discusses the timing budget, waveforms, and specifications for
source-synchronous signaling in Cyclone IV devices. Timing for source-synchronous
signaling is based on skew between the data and clock signals.
High-speed differential data transmission requires timing parameters provided by IC
vendors and requires you to consider the board skew, cable skew, and clock jitter. This
section provides information about high-speed I/O standards timing parameters in
Cyclone IV devices.
Table 6–11 defines the parameters of the timing diagram shown in Figure 6–21.

Table 6–11. High-Speed I/O Timing Definitions

Parameter Symbol Description
Transmitter channel-to-channel skew (1) TCCS The timing difference between the fastest and slowest output
edges, including tCO variation and clock skew. The clock is
included in the TCCS measurement.
Sampling window SW The period of time during which the data must be valid in order
for you to capture it correctly. The setup and hold times
determine the ideal strobe position in the sampling window.
TSW = TSU + Thd + PLL jitter.
Time unit interval TUI The TUI is the data-bit timing budget allowed for skew,
propagation delays, and data sampling window.
Receiver input skew margin RSKM RSKM is defined by the total margin left after accounting for the
sampling window and TCCS. The RSKM equation is:
RSKM = ---------------------------------------------
TUI – SW – TCCS -
2

Input jitter tolerance (peak-to-peak) — Allowed input jitter on the input clock to the PLL that is tolerable
while maintaining PLL lock.
Output jitter (peak-to-peak) — Peak-to-peak output jitter from the PLL.
Note to Table 6–11:
(1) The TCCS specification applies to the entire bank of differential I/O as long as the SERDES logic is placed in the logic array block (LAB) adjacent
to the output pins.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–37
High-Speed I/O Timing

Figure 6–21. High-Speed I/O Timing Diagram

External
Input Clock
Time Unit Interval (TUI)

Internal Clock

TCCS RSKM RSKM TCCS

Receiver Sampling Window (SW)
Input Data

Figure 6–22 shows the Cyclone IV devices high-speed I/O timing budget.

Figure 6–22. Cyclone IV Devices High-Speed I/O Timing Budget (Note 1)

Internal Clock Period

0.5 × TCCS RSKM SW RSKM 0.5 × TCCS

Note to Figure 6–22:

(1) The equation for the high-speed I/O timing budget is:
Period = 0.5  TCCS + RSKM + SW + RSKM + 0.5  TCCS.

f For more information, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–38 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
Design Guidelines

Design Guidelines
This section provides guidelines for designing with Cyclone IV devices.

Differential Pad Placement Guidelines

To maintain an acceptable noise level on the VCCIO supply, you must observe some
restrictions on the placement of single-ended I/O pins in relation to differential pads.

1 For guidelines on placing single-ended pads with respect to differential pads in

Cyclone IV devices, refer to “Pad Placement and DC Guidelines” on page 6–22.

Board Design Considerations

This section explains how to achieve the optimal performance from a Cyclone IV I/O
interface and ensure first-time success in implementing a functional design with
optimal signal quality. You must consider the critical issues of controlled impedance
of traces and connectors, differential routing, and termination techniques to get the
best performance from Cyclone IV devices.
Use the following general guidelines to improve signal quality:
■ Base board designs on controlled differential impedance. Calculate and compare
all parameters, such as trace width, trace thickness, and the distance between two
differential traces.
■ Maintain equal distance between traces in differential I/O standard pairs as much
as possible. Routing the pair of traces close to each other maximizes the
common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR).
■ Longer traces have more inductance and capacitance. These traces must be as
short as possible to limit signal integrity issues.
■ Place termination resistors as close to receiver input pins as possible.
■ Use surface mount components.
■ Avoid 90° corners on board traces.
■ Use high-performance connectors.
■ Design backplane and card traces so that trace impedance matches the impedance
of the connector and termination.
■ Keep an equal number of vias for both signal traces.
■ Create equal trace lengths to avoid skew between signals. Unequal trace lengths
result in misplaced crossing points and decrease system margins as the TCCS
value increases.
■ Limit vias because they cause discontinuities.
■ Keep switching transistor-to-transistor logic (TTL) signals away from differential
signals to avoid possible noise coupling.
■ Do not route TTL clock signals to areas under or above the differential signals.
■ Analyze system-level signals.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices 6–39
Software Overview

f For PCB layout guidelines, refer to AN 224: High-Speed Board Layout Guidelines and
AN 315: Guidelines for Designing High-Speed FPGA PCBs.

Software Overview
Cyclone IV devices high-speed I/O system interfaces are created in core logic by a
Quartus II software megafunction because they do not have a dedicated circuit for the
SERDES. Cyclone IV devices use the I/O registers and LE registers to improve the
timing performance and support the SERDES. The Quartus II software allows you to
design your high-speed interfaces using ALTLVDS megafunction. This megafunction
implements either a high-speed deserializer receiver or a high-speed serializer
transmitter. There is a list of parameters in the ALTLVDS megafunction that you can
set to customize your SERDES based on your design requirements. The megafunction
is optimized to use Cyclone IV devices resources to create high-speed I/O interfaces
in the most effective manner.

1 When you use Cyclone IV devices with the ALTLVDS megafunction, the interface
always sends the MSB of your parallel data first.

f For more details about designing your high-speed I/O systems interfaces using the
ALTLVDS megafunction, refer to the ALTLVDS Megafunction User Guide and the
Quartus II Handbook.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

6–40 Chapter 6: I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices
Document Revision History

Document Revision History

Table 6–12 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 6–12. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.1 release.
■ Added Cyclone IV E new device package information.
December 2010 2.2 ■ Added “Clock Pins Functionality” section.
■ Updated Table 6–4 and Table 6–8.
■ Minor text edits.
■ Updated “Cyclone IV I/O Elements”, “Programmable Pull-Up Resistor”, “I/O Banks”,
“High-Speed I/O Interface”, and “Designing with BLVDS” sections.
July 2010 2.1
■ Updated Table 6–6 and Table 6–7.
■ Updated Figure 6–19.
■ Added Cyclone IV E devices information for the Quartus II software version 9.1 SP1
release.
■ Updated Table 6–2, Table 6–3, and Table 6–10.
February 2010 2.0 ■ Updated “I/O Banks” section.
■ Added Figure 6–9.
■ Updated Figure 6–10 and Figure 6–11.
■ Added Table 6–4, Table 6–6, and Table 6–8.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 7. External Memory Interfaces in
Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51007-2.2

This chapter describes the memory interface pin support and the external memory
interface features of Cyclone® IV devices.
In addition to an abundant supply of on-chip memory, Cyclone IV devices can easily
interface with a broad range of external memory devices, including DDR2 SDRAM,
DDR SDRAM, and QDR II SRAM. External memory devices are an important system
component of a wide range of image processing, storage, communications, and
general embedded applications.

1 Altera recommends that you construct all DDR2 or DDR SDRAM external memory
interfaces using the Altera® ALTMEMPHY megafunction. You can implement the
controller function using the Altera DDR2 or DDR SDRAM memory controllers,
third-party controllers, or a custom controller for unique application needs.
Cyclone IV devices support QDR II interfaces electrically, but Altera does not supply
controller or physical layer (PHY) megafunctions for QDR II interfaces.

This chapter includes the following sections:

■ “Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support” on page 7–2
■ “Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Features” on page 7–12

f For more information about supported maximum clock rate, device and pin planning,
IP implementation, and device termination, refer to the External Memory Interface
Handbook.

Figure 7–1 shows the block diagram of a typical external memory interface data path
in Cyclone IV devices.

Figure 7–1. Cyclone IV Devices External Memory Data Path (Note 1)

DQS/CQ/CQn
DQ

OE IOE
OE IOE
Register Register

IOE
IOE
Register
Register
VCC IOE
DataA IOE LE
Register Register Register

GND IOE
Register
DataB IOE LE LE
Register Register Register

System Clock
PLL

-90° Shifted Clock Capture Clock

Note to Figure 7–1:

(1) All clocks shown here are global clocks.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

7–2 Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

f For more information about implementing complete external memory interfaces, refer
to the External Memory Interface Handbook.

Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

Cyclone IV devices use data (DQ), data strobe (DQS), clock, command, and address
pins to interface with external memory. Some memory interfaces use the data mask
(DM) or byte write select (BWS#) pins to enable data masking. This section describes
how Cyclone IV devices support all these different pins.

f For more information about pin utilization, refer to Volume 2: Device, Pin, and Board
Layout Guidelines of the External Memory Interface Handbook.

Data and Data Clock/Strobe Pins

Cyclone IV data pins for external memory interfaces are called D for write data, Q for
read data, or DQ for shared read and write data pins. The read-data strobes or read
clocks are called DQS pins. Cyclone IV devices support both bidirectional data strobes
and unidirectional read clocks. Depending on the external memory standard, the DQ
and DQS are bidirectional signals (in DDR2 and DDR SDRAM) or unidirectional
signals (in QDR II SRAM). Connect the bidirectional DQ data signals to the same
Cyclone IV devices DQ pins. For unidirectional D or Q signals, connect the read-data
signals to a group of DQ pins and the write-data signals to a different group of DQ
pins.

1 In QDR II SRAM, the Q read-data group must be placed at a different V REF bank
location from the D write-data group, command, or address pins.

In Cyclone IV devices, DQS is used only during write mode in DDR2 and
DDR SDRAM interfaces. Cyclone IV devices ignore DQS as the read-data strobe
because the PHY internally generates the read capture clock for read mode. However,
you must connect the DQS pin to the DQS signal in DDR2 and DDR SDRAM
interfaces, or to the CQ signal in QDR II SRAM interfaces.

1 Cyclone IV devices do not support differential strobe pins, which is an optional

feature in the DDR2 SDRAM device.

f When you use the Altera Memory Controller MegaCore ® function, the PHY is
instantiated for you. For more information about the memory interface data path,
refer to the External Memory Interface Handbook.

1 ALTMEMPHY is a self-calibrating megafunction, enhanced to simplify the

implementation of the read-data path in different memory interfaces. The
auto-calibration feature of ALTMEMPHY provides ease-of-use by optimizing clock
phases and frequencies across process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations.
You can save on the global clock resources in Cyclone IV devices through the
ALTMEMPHY megafunction because you are not required to route the DQS signals
on the global clock buses (because DQS is ignored for read capture).
Resynchronization issues do not arise because no transfer occurs from the memory
domain clock (DQS) to the system domain for capturing data DQ.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices 7–3
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

All I/O banks in Cyclone IV devices can support DQ and DQS signals with DQ-bus
modes of ×8, ×9, ×16, ×18, ×32, and ×36 except Cyclone IV GX devices that do not
support left I/O bank interface. DDR2 and DDR SDRAM interfaces use ×8 mode DQS
group regardless of the interface width. For a wider interface, you can use multiple ×8
DQ groups to achieve the desired width requirement.
In the ×9, ×18, and ×36 modes, a pair of complementary DQS pins (CQ and CQ#)
drives up to 9, 18, or 36 DQ pins, respectively, in the group, to support one, two, or
four parity bits and the corresponding data bits. The ×9, ×18, and ×36 modes support
the QDR II memory interface. CQ# is the inverted read-clock signal that is connected
to the complementary data strobe (DQS or CQ#) pin. You can use any unused DQ
pins as regular user I/O pins if they are not used as memory interface signals.

f For more information about unsupported DQS and DQ groups of the Cyclone IV
transceivers that run at 2.97 Gbps data rate, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Family Pin
Connection Guidelines.

Table 7–1 lists the number of DQS or DQ groups supported on each side of the
Cyclone IV GX device.

Table 7–1. Cyclone IV GX Device DQS and DQ Bus Mode Support for Each Side of the Device (Note 1) (Part 1 of 2)
Number Number Number Number Number Number
Device Package Side ×8 ×9 ×16 ×18 ×32 ×36
Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups
Right 1 0 0 0 — —
148-pin QFN Top (2) 1 0 0 0 — —
Bottom (3) 1 0 0 0 — —
EP4CGX15
Right 1 0 0 0 — —
169-pin FBGA Top (2) 1 0 0 0 — —
Bottom (3) 1 0 0 0 — —
Right 1 0 0 0 — —
169-pin FBGA Top (2) 1 0 0 0 — —
Bottom (3) 1 0 0 0 — —
Right 2 2 1 1 — —
EP4CGX22
324-pin FBGA Top 2 2 1 1 — —
EP4CGX30
Bottom 2 2 1 1 — —
Right 4 2 2 2 1 1
484-pin FBGA (4) Top 4 2 2 2 1 1
Bottom 4 2 2 2 1 1
Right 4 2 2 2 1 1
484-pin FBGA Top 4 2 2 2 1 1
EP4CGX50 Bottom 4 2 2 2 1 1
EP4CGX75 Right 4 2 2 2 1 1
672-pin FBGA Top 4 2 2 2 1 1
Bottom 4 2 2 2 1 1

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

7–4 Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

Table 7–1. Cyclone IV GX Device DQS and DQ Bus Mode Support for Each Side of the Device (Note 1) (Part 2 of 2)
Number Number Number Number Number Number
Device Package Side ×8 ×9 ×16 ×18 ×32 ×36
Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups
Right 4 2 2 2 1 1
484-pin FBGA Top 4 2 2 2 1 1
Bottom 4 2 2 2 1 1
Right 4 2 2 2 1 1
EP4CGX110
672-pin FBGA Top 4 2 2 2 1 1
EP4CGX150
Bottom 4 2 2 2 1 1
Right 6 2 2 2 1 1
896-pin FBGA Top 6 2 3 3 1 1
Bottom 6 2 3 3 1 1
Notes to Table 7–1:
(1) The number of the DQS/DQ group is still preliminary.
(2) Some of the DQ pins can be used as RUP and RDN pins. You cannot use these groups if you are using these pins as RUP and RDN pins for
OCT calibration.
(3) Some of the DQ pins can be used as RUP pins while the DM pins can be used as RDN pins. You cannot use these groups if you are using the
RUP and RDN pins for OCT calibration.
(4) Only available for EP4CGX30 device.

Table 7–2 lists the number of DQS or DQ groups supported on each side of the
Cyclone IV E device.

Table 7–2. Cyclone IV E Device DQS and DQ Bus Mode Support for Each Side of the Device (Note 1) (Part 1 of 3)
Number Number Number Number Number Number
Device Package Side ×8 ×9 ×16 ×18 ×32 ×36
Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups
Left 0 0 0 0 — —
Right 0 0 0 0 — —
144-pin EQFP
Bottom(2), (4) 1 0 0 0 — —
Top(2), (5) 1 0 0 0 — —
Left(2) 1 1 0 0 — —
EP4CE6 Right(3) 1 1 0 0 — —
256-pin UBGA
EP4CE10 Bottom 2 2 1 1 — —
Top 2 2 1 1 — —
Left(2) 1 1 0 0 — —
Right(3) 1 1 0 0 — —
256-pin FBGA
Bottom 2 2 1 1 — —
Top 2 2 1 1 — —

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices 7–5
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

Table 7–2. Cyclone IV E Device DQS and DQ Bus Mode Support for Each Side of the Device (Note 1) (Part 2 of 3)
Number Number Number Number Number Number
Device Package Side ×8 ×9 ×16 ×18 ×32 ×36
Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups
Left 0 0 0 0 — —
Right 0 0 0 0 — —
144-pin EQFP
Bottom(2), (4) 1 0 0 0 — —
Top(2), (5) 1 0 0 0 — —
Left 0 0 0 0 — —
Right 0 0 0 0 — —
164-pin MBGA
Bottom(2), (4) 1 0 0 0 — —
Top(2), (5) 1 0 0 0 — —
Left(2) 1 1 0 0 — —
Right(3) 1 1 0 0 — —
EP4CE15 256-pin UBGA
Bottom 2 2 1 1 — —
Top 2 2 1 1 — —
Left(2) 1 1 0 0 — —
Right(3) 1 1 0 0 — —
256-pin FBGA
Bottom 2 2 1 1 — —
Top 2 2 1 1 — —
Left 4 4 2 2 1 1
Right 4 4 2 2 1 1
484-pin FBGA
Bottom 4 4 2 2 1 1
Top 4 4 2 2 1 1
Left 0 0 0 0 — —
Right 0 0 0 0 — —
144-pin EQFP
Bottom(2), (4) 1 0 0 0 — —
Top(2), (5) 1 0 0 0 — —
Left(2) 1 1 0 0 — —
Right(3) 1 1 0 0 — —
EP4CE22 256-pin UBGA
Bottom 2 2 1 1 — —
Top 2 2 1 1 — —
Left(2) 1 1 0 0 — —
Right(3) 1 1 0 0 — —
256-pin FBGA
Bottom 2 2 1 1 — —
Top 2 2 1 1 — —

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

7–6 Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

Table 7–2. Cyclone IV E Device DQS and DQ Bus Mode Support for Each Side of the Device (Note 1) (Part 3 of 3)
Number Number Number Number Number Number
Device Package Side ×8 ×9 ×16 ×18 ×32 ×36
Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups Groups
Left 4 4 2 2 1 1
Right 4 4 2 2 1 1
484-pin FBGA
Bottom 4 4 2 2 1 1
EP4CE30 Top 4 4 2 2 1 1
EP4CE115 Left 4 4 2 2 1 1
Right 4 4 2 2 1 1
780-pin FBGA
Bottom 6 6 2 2 1 1
Top 6 6 2 2 1 1
Left 4 4 2 2 1 1
Right 4 4 2 2 1 1
484-pin UBGA
Bottom 4 4 2 2 1 1
Top 4 4 2 2 1 1
Left 4 4 2 2 1 1
EP4CE40
Right 4 4 2 2 1 1
EP4CE55 484-pin FBGA
Bottom 4 4 2 2 1 1
EP4CE75
Top 4 4 2 2 1 1
Left 4 4 2 2 1 1
Right 4 4 2 2 1 1
780-pin FBGA
Bottom 6 6 2 2 1 1
Top 6 6 2 2 1 1
Notes to Table 7–2:
(1) The number of the DQS/DQ group is still preliminary.
(2) Some of the DQ pins can be used as RUP and RDN pins. You cannot use these groups if you are using these pins as RUP and RDN pins for
OCT calibration.
(3) Some of the DQ pins can be used as RUP pins while the DM pins can be used as RDN pins. You cannot use these groups if you are using the
RUP and RDN pins for OCT calibration.
(4) There is no DM pin support for these groups.
(5) PLLCLKOUT3n and PLLCLKOUT3p pins are shared with the DQ or DM pins to gain ×8 DQ group. You cannot use these groups if you are
using PLLCLKOUT3n and PLLCLKOUT3p.

f For more information about device package outline, refer to the Device Packaging
Specifications webpage.

DQS pins are listed in the Cyclone IV pin tables as DQSXY, in which X indicates the
DQS grouping number and Y indicates whether the group is located on the top (T),
bottom (B), or right (R) side of the device. Similarly, the corresponding DQ pins are
marked as DQXY, in which the X denotes the DQ grouping number and Y denotes
whether the group is located on the top (T), bottom (B), or right (R) side of the device.
For example, DQS2T indicates a DQS pin belonging to group 2, located on the top side
of the device. Similarly, the DQ pins belonging to that group is shown as DQ2T.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices 7–7
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

1 Each DQ group is associated with its corresponding DQS pins, as defined in the
Cyclone IV pin tables. For example:

■ For DDR2 or DDR SDRAM, ×8 DQ group DQ3B[7..0] pins are associated

with the DQS3B pin (same 3B group index)
■ For QDR II SRAM, ×9 Q read-data group DQ3T[8..0] pins are associated
with DQS0T/CQ0T and DQS1T/CQ0T# pins (same 0T group index)
The Quartus® II software issues an error message if a DQ group is not placed properly
with its associated DQS.
Figure 7–2 shows the location and numbering of the DQS, DQ, or CQ# pins in the
Cyclone IV GX I/O banks.

Figure 7–2. DQS, CQ, or CQ# Pins in Cyclone IV GX I/O Banks (Note 1)

DQS1T/CQ1T#

DQS3T/CQ3T#

DQS5T/CQ5T#

DQS4T/CQ5T

DQS2T/CQ3T

DQS0T/CQ1T
I/O Bank 9 I/O Bank 8B I/O Bank 8 I/O Bank 8A I/O Bank 7
Transceiver Block (QL1)

DQS4R/CQ5R

I/O Bank 6
DQS2R/CQ3R

DQS0R/CQ1R
Cyclone IV GX Device
Transceiver Block (QL0)

DQS1R/CQ1R#

I/O Bank 5
DQS3R/CQ3R#

DQS5R/CQ5R#

I/O Bank 3B I/O Bank 3 I/O Bank 3A I/O Bank 4

DQS1B/CQ1B#

DQS3B/CQ3B#

DQS5B/CQ5B#

DQS4B/CQ5B

DQS2B/CQ3B

DQS0B/CQ1B

Note to Figure 7–2:

(1) The DQS, CQ, or CQ# pin locations in this diagram apply to all packages in Cyclone IV GX devices except devices in
148-pin QFP, 169-pin FBGA, and 324-pin FBGA.

Figure 7–3 shows the location and numbering of the DQS, DQ, or CQ# pins in I/O
banks of the Cyclone IV GX device in the 324-pin FBGA package only.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

7–8 Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

Figure 7–3. DQS, CQ, or CQ# Pins for Cyclone IV GX Devices in the 324-Pin FBGA Package

DQS1T/CQ0T#

DQS3T/CQ1T#

DQS2T/CQ1T

DQS0T/CQ0T
I/O Bank 9 I/O Bank 8 I/O Bank 8A I/O Bank 7

DQS2R/CQ1R

I/O Bank 6
Transceiver Block (QL1)
DQS0R/CQ0R
Cyclone IV GX Device
324-pin FBGA Package
DQS1R/CQ0R#

I/O Bank 5
DQS3R/CQ1R#

I/O Bank 3 I/O Bank 3A I/O Bank 4

DQS1B/CQ0B#

DQS3B/CQ1B#

DQS2B/CQ1B

DQS0B/CQ0B
Figure 7–4 shows the location and numbering of the DQS, DQ, or CQ# pins in I/O
banks of the Cyclone IV GX device in the 148-pin QFP and 169-pin FBGA packages.

Figure 7–4. DQS, CQ, or CQ# Pins for Cyclone IV GX Devices in the 148-Pin QFP and 169-Pin FBGA
Packages
DQS1T/CQ0T#

DQS0T/CQ0T

I/O Bank 9 I/O Bank 8 I/O Bank 8A I/O Bank 7

I/O Bank 6

DQS0R/CQ0R
Transceiver Block (QL1)

Cyclone IV GX Device
148-pin QFP and 169-pin FBGA Packages
I/O Bank 5

DQS1R/CQ0R#

I/O Bank 3 I/O Bank 3A I/O Bank 4

DQS1B/CQ0B#

DQS0B/CQ0B

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices 7–9
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

Figure 7–5 shows the location and numbering of the DQS, DQ, or CQ# pins in the
Cyclone IV E device I/O banks.

Figure 7–5. DQS, CQ, or CQ# Pins in Cyclone IV E I/O Banks (Note 1)

DQS1T/CQ1T#

DQS3T/CQ3T#

DQS5T/CQ5T#

DQS4T/CQ5T

DQS2T/CQ3T

DQS0T/CQ1T
I/O Bank 8 I/O Bank 7

DQS2L/CQ3L DQS2R/CQ3R

I/O Bank 6
I/O Bank 1
DQS0R/CQ1R
DQS0L/CQ1L
Cyclone IV E Device
DQS1R/CQ1R#
DQS1L/CQ1L#
I/O Bank 2

I/O Bank 5
DQS3L/CQ3L# DQS3R/CQ3R#

I/O Bank 3 I/O Bank 4

DQS3B/CQ3B#

DQS4B/CQ5B

DQS2B/CQ3B

DQS0B/CQ1B
DQS1B/CQ1B#

DQS5B/CQ5B#

Note to Figure 7–5:

(1) The DQS, CQ, or CQ# pin locations in this diagram apply to all packages in Cyclone IV E devices except devices in 144-pin EQFP.

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7–10 Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

Figure 7–6 shows the location and numbering of the DQS, DQ, or CQ# pins in I/O
banks of the Cyclone IV E device in the 144-pin EQFP and 164-pin MBGA packages.

Figure 7–6. DQS, CQ, or CQ# Pins for Cyclone IV E Devices in the 144-Pin EQFP and 164-pin MBGA Packages

DQS1T/CQ1T#

DQS0T/CQ1T
I/O Bank 8 I/O Bank 7

DQS0L/CQ1L DQS0R/CQ1R

I/O Bank 6
I/O Bank 1

Cyclone IV E Devices
in 144-pin EQFP and
164-pin MBGA

I/O Bank 5
I/O Bank 2

DQS1L/CQ1L# DQS1R/CQ1R#

I/O Bank 3 I/O Bank 4

DQS1B/CQ1B#

DQS0B/CQ1B

In Cyclone IV devices, the ×9 mode uses the same DQ and DQS pins as the ×8 mode,
and one additional DQ pin that serves as a regular I/O pin in the ×8 mode. The ×18
mode uses the same DQ and DQS pins as ×16 mode, with two additional DQ pins that
serve as regular I/O pins in the ×16 mode. Similarly, the ×36 mode uses the same DQ
and DQS pins as the ×32 mode, with four additional DQ pins that serve as regular I/O
pins in the ×32 mode. When not used as DQ or DQS pins, the memory interface pins
are available as regular I/O pins.

Optional Parity, DM, and Error Correction Coding Pins

Cyclone IV devices support parity in ×9, ×18, and ×36 modes. One parity bit is
available per eight bits of data pins. You can use any of the DQ pins for parity in
Cyclone IV devices because the parity pins are treated and configured similarly to DQ
pins.
DM pins are only required when writing to DDR2 and DDR SDRAM devices.
QDR II SRAM devices use the BWS# signal to select the byte to be written into
memory. A low signal on the DM or BWS# pin indicates the write is valid. Driving the
DM or BWS# pin high causes the memory to mask the DQ signals. Each group of DQS
and DQ signals has one DM pin. Similar to the DQ output signals, the DM signals are
clocked by the -90° shifted clock.
In Cyclone IV devices, the DM pins are preassigned in the device pinouts. The
Quartus II Fitter treats the DQ and DM pins in a DQS group equally for placement
purposes. The preassigned DQ and DM pins are the preferred pins to use.

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Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices 7–11
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Pin Support

Some DDR2 SDRAM and DDR SDRAM devices support error correction coding
(ECC), a method of detecting and automatically correcting errors in data
transmission. In 72-bit DDR2 or DDR SDRAM, there are eight ECC pins and 64 data
pins. Connect the DDR2 and DDR SDRAM ECC pins to a separate DQS or DQ group
in Cyclone IV devices. The memory controller needs additional logic to encode and
decode the ECC data.

Address and Control/Command Pins

The address signals and the control or command signals are typically sent at a single
data rate. You can use any of the user I/O pins on all I/O banks of Cyclone IV devices
to generate the address and control or command signals to the memory device.

1 Cyclone IV devices do not support QDR II SRAM in the burst length of two.

Memory Clock Pins

In DDR2 and DDR SDRAM memory interfaces, the memory clock signals (CK and
CK#) are used to capture the address signals and the control or command signals.
Similarly, QDR II SRAM devices use the write clocks (K and K#) to capture the
address and command signals. The CK/CK# and K/K# signals are generated to
resemble the write-data strobe using the DDIO registers in Cyclone IV devices.

1 CK/CK# pins must be placed on differential I/O pins (DIFFIO in Pin Planner) and in
the same bank or on the same side as the data pins. You can use either side of the
device for wraparound interfaces. As seen in the Pin Planner Pad View, CK0 cannot be
located in the same row and column pad group as any of the interfacing DQ pins.

f For more information about memory clock pin placement, refer to Volume 2: Device,
Pin, and Board Layout Guidelines of the External Memory Interface Handbook.

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7–12 Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Features

Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Features

This section discusses Cyclone IV memory interfaces, including DDR input registers,
DDR output registers, OCT, and phase-lock loops (PLLs).

DDR Input Registers

The DDR input registers are implemented with three internal logic element (LE)
registers for every DQ pin. These LE registers are located in the logic array block
(LAB) adjacent to the DDR input pin.
Figure 7–7 illustrates Cyclone IV DDR input registers.

Figure 7–7. Cyclone IV DDR Input Registers

DDR Input Registers in Cyclone IV Device

dataout_h LE DQ
Register

Input Register A I

neg_reg_out

dataout_l LE LE
Register Register

Register C I Input Register B I

Capture Clock
PLL

These DDR input registers are implemented in the core of devices. The DDR data is
first fed to two registers, input register AI and input register BI.
■ Input register AI captures the DDR data present during the rising edge of the clock
■ Input register BI captures the DDR data present during the falling edge of the clock
■ Register CI aligns the data before it is synchronized with the system clock
The data from the DDR input register is fed to two registers, sync_reg_h and
sync_reg_l, then the data is typically transferred to a FIFO block to synchronize the
two data streams to the rising edge of the system clock. Because the read-capture
clock is generated by the PLL, the read-data strobe signal (DQS or CQ) is not used
during read operation in Cyclone IV devices; hence, postamble is not a concern in this
case.

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Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices 7–13
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Features

DDR Output Registers

A dedicated write DDIO block is implemented in the DDR output and output enable
paths.
Figure 7–8 shows how a Cyclone IV dedicated write DDIO block is implemented in
the I/O element (IOE) registers.

Figure 7–8. Cyclone IV Dedicated Write DDIO

DDR Output Enable Registers

Output Enable
IOE
Register

Output Enable
Register AOE
data1
data0

IOE
Register

Output Enable
Register BOE

DDR Output Registers

datain_l
IOE
Register
data0 DQ or DQS
Output Register AO
data1

datain_h
IOE
Register
-90° Shifted Clock
®
Output Register BO

The two DDR output registers are located in the I/O element (IOE) block. Two serial
data streams routed through datain_l and datain_h, are fed into two registers,
output register Ao and output register Bo, respectively, on the same clock
edge. The output from output register Ao is captured on the falling edge of the
clock, while the output from output register Bo is captured on the rising edge of
the clock. The registered outputs are multiplexed by the common clock to drive the
DDR output pin at twice the data rate.
The DDR output enable path has a similar structure to the DDR output path in the
IOE block. The second output enable register provides the write preamble for the DQS
strobe in DDR external memory interfaces. This active-low output enable register
extends the high-impedance state of the pin by half a clock cycle to provide the
external memory’s DQS write preamble time specification.

f For more information about Cyclone IV IOE registers, refer to the Cyclone IV Device
I/O Features chapter.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

7–14 Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices
Cyclone IV Devices Memory Interfaces Features

Figure 7–9 illustrates how the second output enable register extends the DQS
high-impedance state by half a clock cycle during a write operation.

Figure 7–9. Extending the OE Disable by Half a Clock Cycle for a Write Transaction (Note 1)

System clock
(outclock for DQS)

OE for DQS Delay

(from logic array) 90 o
by Half
a Clock
Cycle
DQS Preamble Postamble

Write Clock
(outclock for DQ,
-90o phase shifted
from System Clock)
datain_h D0 D2
(from logic array)

datain_I
D1 D3
(from logic array)

OE for DQ
(from logic array)

DQ D0 D1 D2 D3

Note to Figure 7–9:

(1) The waveform reflects the software simulation result. The OE signal is an active low on the device. However, the Quartus II software implements
the signal as an active high and automatically adds an inverter before the AOE register D input.

OCT with Calibration

Cyclone IV devices support calibrated on-chip series termination (RS OCT) in both
vertical and horizontal I/O banks. To use the calibrated OCT, you must use the RUP
and RDN pins for each RS OCT control block (one for each side). You can use each
OCT calibration block to calibrate one type of termination with the same VCCIO for that
given side.

f For more information about the Cyclone IV devices OCT calibration block, refer to the
Cyclone IV Device I/O Features chapter.

PLL
When interfacing with external memory, the PLL is used to generate the memory
system clock, the write clock, the capture clock and the logic-core clock. The system
clock generates the DQS write signals, commands, and addresses. The write-clock is
shifted by -90° from the system clock and generates the DQ signals during writes. You
can use the PLL reconfiguration feature to calibrate the read-capture phase shift to
balance the setup and hold margins.

1 The PLL is instantiated in the ALTMEMPHY megafunction. All outputs of the PLL are
used when the ALTMEMPHY megafunction is instantiated to interface with external
memories. PLL reconfiguration is used in the ALTMEMPHY megafunction to
calibrate and track the read-capture phase to maintain the optimum margin.

f For more information about usage of PLL outputs by the ALTMEMPHY

megafunction, refer to the External Memory Interface Handbook.

f For more information about Cyclone IV PLL, refer to the Clock Networks and PLLs in
Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

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Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices 7–15
Document Revision History

Document Revision History

Table 7–3 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 7–3. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.1 release.
■ Added Cyclone IV E new device package information.
December 2010 2.2
■ Updated Table 7–2.
■ Minor text edits.
November 2010 2.1 Updated “Data and Data Clock/Strobe Pins” section.
■ Added Cyclone IV E devices information for the Quartus II software version 9.1 SP1
release.
February 2010 2.0 ■ Updated Table 7–1.
■ Added Table 7–2.
■ Added Figure 7–5 and Figure 7–6.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

7–16 Chapter 7: External Memory Interfaces in Cyclone IV Devices
Document Revision History

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Section III. System Integration

This section includes the following chapters:

■ Chapter 8, Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
■ Chapter 9, SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices
■ Chapter 10, JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices
■ Chapter 11, Power Requirements for Cyclone IV Devices

Revision History
Refer to each chapter for its own specific revision history. For information on when
each chapter was updated, refer to the Chapter Revision Dates section, which appears
in the complete handbook.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

 8. Configuration and Remote System
Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51008-1.3

This chapter describes the configuration and remote system upgrades in Cyclone® IV
devices. Cyclone IV (Cyclone IV GX and Cyclone IV E) devices use SRAM cells to
store configuration data. You must download the configuration data to Cyclone IV
devices each time the device powers up because SRAM memory is volatile.
Cyclone IV devices are configured using one of the following configuration schemes:
■ Active serial (AS)
■ Active parallel (AP) (supported in Cyclone IV E devices only)
■ Passive serial (PS)
■ Fast passive parallel (FPP) (not supported in EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and
EP4CGX30 [except for the F484 package] devices)
■ JTAG
Cyclone IV devices offer the following configuration features:
■ Configuration data decompression (“Configuration Data Decompression” on
page 8–2)
■ Remote system upgrade (“Remote System Upgrade” on page 8–68)
System designers face difficult challenges, such as shortened design cycles, evolving
standards, and system deployments in remote locations. Cyclone IV devices help
overcome these challenges with inherent re-programmability and dedicated circuitry
to perform remote system upgrades. Remote system upgrades help deliver feature
enhancements and bug fixes without costly recalls, reduced time-to-market, and
extended product life.

Configuration
This section describes Cyclone IV device configuration and includes the following
topics:
■ “Configuration Features” on page 8–2
■ “Configuration Requirement” on page 8–3
■ “Configuration Process” on page 8–6
■ “Configuration Scheme” on page 8–8
■ “AS Configuration (Serial Configuration Devices)” on page 8–10
■ “AP Configuration (Supported Flash Memories)” on page 8–20
■ “PS Configuration” on page 8–31
■ “FPP Configuration” on page 8–39
■ “JTAG Configuration” on page 8–44
■ “Device Configuration Pins” on page 8–61

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8–2 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Configuration

Configuration Features
Table 8–1 lists the configuration methods you can use in each configuration scheme.
Table 8–1. Configuration Features in Cyclone IV Devices
Configuration Scheme Configuration Method Decompression Remote System Upgrade (1)
AS Serial Configuration Device v v
AP Supported Flash Memory (2) — v
External Host with Flash Memory v v(3)
PS
Download Cable v —
FPP External Host with Flash Memory — v(3)
External Host with Flash Memory — —
JTAG based configuration
Download Cable — —
Notes to Table 8–1:
(1) Remote update mode is supported when you use the Remote System Upgrade feature. You can enable or disable remote update mode with an
option setting in the Quartus® II software.
(2) For more information about the supported device families for the Numonyx commodity parallel flash, refer to Table 8–8 on page 8–21.
(3) Remote update mode is supported externally using the Parallel Flash Loader (PFL) with the Quartus II software.

Configuration Data Decompression

Cyclone IV devices support configuration data decompression, which saves
configuration memory space and time. This feature allows you to store compressed
configuration data in configuration devices or other memory and send the
compressed bitstream to Cyclone IV devices. During configuration, Cyclone IV
devices decompress the bitstream in real time and program the SRAM cells.

1 Preliminary data indicates that compression reduces the configuration bitstream size
by 35 to 55%.

When you enable compression, the Quartus II software generates configuration files
with compressed configuration data. This compressed file reduces the storage
requirements in the configuration device or flash memory and decreases the time
required to send the bitstream to the Cyclone IV device. The time required by a
Cyclone IV device to decompress a configuration file is less than the time required to
send the configuration data to the device. There are two methods for enabling
compression for the Cyclone IV device bitstreams in the Quartus II software:
■ Before design compilation (through the Compiler Settings menu)
■ After design compilation (through the Convert Programming Files dialog box)
To enable compression in the compiler settings of the project in the Quartus II
software, perform the following steps:
1. On the Assignments menu, click Device. The Settings dialog box appears.
2. Click Device and Pin Options. The Device and Pin Options dialog box appears.
3. Click the Configuration tab.
4. Turn on Generate compressed bitstreams.
5. Click OK.
6. In the Settings dialog box, click OK.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–3
Configuration

You can enable compression when creating programming files from the Convert
Programming Files dialog box. To enable compression, perform the following steps:
1. On the File menu, click Convert Programming Files.
2. Under Output programming file, select your desired file type from the
Programming file type list.
3. If you select Programmer Object File (.pof), you must specify the configuration
device in the Configuration device list.
4. Under Input files to convert, select SOF Data.
5. Click Add File to browse to the Cyclone IV device SRAM object files (.sof).
6. In the Convert Programming Files dialog box, select the .pof you added to SOF
Data and click Properties.
7. In the SOF File Properties dialog box, turn on the Compression option.
When multiple Cyclone IV devices are cascaded, you can selectively enable the
compression feature for each device in the chain. Figure 8–1 shows a chain of two
Cyclone IV devices. The first device has compression enabled and receives
compressed bitstream from the configuration device. The second device has the
compression feature disabled and receives uncompressed data. You can generate
programming files for this setup in the Convert Programming Files dialog box.

Figure 8–1. Compressed and Uncompressed Configuration Data in the Same Configuration File
Serial Data

Serial Configuration
Device
Compressed VCC Uncompressed

Decompression
Controller 10 kΩ

Cyclone IV Cyclone IV
Device Device
nCE nCEO nCE nCEO Not Connected (N.C.)

GND

Configuration Requirement
This section describes Cyclone IV device configuration requirement and includes the
following topics:
■ “Power-On Reset (POR) Circuit” on page 8–4
■ “Configuration File Size” on page 8–4
■ “Power Up” on page 8–6

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8–4 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Configuration

Power-On Reset (POR) Circuit

The POR circuit keeps the device in reset state until the power supply voltage levels
have stabilized during device power up. After device power up, the device does not
release nSTATUS until VCCINT, VCCA, and VCCIO (for I/O banks in which the
configuration and JTAG pins reside) are above the POR trip point of the device. V CCINT
and VCCA are monitored for brown-out conditions after device power up.

1 VCCA is the analog power to the phase-locked loop (PLL).

In some applications, it is necessary for a device to wake up very quickly to begin

operation. Cyclone IV devices offer the fast POR time option to support fast wake-up
time applications. The fast POR time option has stricter power-up requirements when
compared with the standard POR time option. You can select either the fast option or
the standard POR option with the MSEL pin settings.

1 If your system exceeds the fast or standard POR time, you must hold nCONFIG low
until all the power supplies are stable.

f For more information about the POR specifications, refer to the Cyclone IV Device
Datasheet.

f For more information about the wake-up time and POR circuit, refer to the Power
Requirements for Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

Configuration File Size

Table 8–2 lists the approximate uncompressed configuration file sizes for Cyclone IV
devices. To calculate the amount of storage space required for multiple device
configurations, add the file size of each device together.

Table 8–2. Uncompressed Raw Binary File (.rbf) Sizes for Cyclone IV Devices (Part 1 of 2)
Device Data Size (bits)
EP4CE6 2,944,088
EP4CE10 2,944,088
EP4CE15 4,086,848
EP4CE22 5,748,552
Cyclone IV E EP4CE30 9,534,304
EP4CE40 9,534,304
EP4CE55 14,889,560
EP4CE75 19,965,752
EP4CE115 28,571,696

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–5
Configuration

Table 8–2. Uncompressed Raw Binary File (.rbf) Sizes for Cyclone IV Devices (Part 2 of 2)
Device Data Size (bits)
EP4CGX15 3,805,568
EP4CGX22 7,600,040
7,600,040
EP4CGX30
24,500,000 (1), (2)
Cyclone IV GX
EP4CGX50 24,500,000 (1)
EP4CGX75 24,500,000 (1)
EP4CGX110 39,425,016
EP4CGX150 39,425,016
Notes to Table 8–2:
(1) These values are preliminary.
(2) Only for the F484 package.

Use the data in Table 8–2 to estimate the file size before design compilation. Different
configuration file formats, such as Hexadecimal (.hex) or Tabular Text File (.ttf)
formats, have different file sizes. However, for any specific version of the Quartus II
software, any design targeted for the same device has the same uncompressed
configuration file size. If you use compression, the file size varies after each
compilation, because the compression ratio depends on the design.

f For more information about setting device configuration options or creating

configuration files, refer to the Software Settings section in volume 2 of the
Configuration Handbook.

Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O Requirements

Cyclone IV devices are manufactured using the TSMC 60-nm low-k dielectric process.
Although Cyclone IV devices use TSMC 2.5-V transistor technology in the I/O
buffers, the devices are compatible and able to interface with 2.5, 3.0, and 3.3-V
configuration voltage standards by following specific requirements.
All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. When using a serial
configuration device in an AS configuration scheme, you must connect a 25- series
resistor for the DATA[0] pin. When cascading the Cyclone IV device family in a
multi-device configuration for AS, AP, FPP, and PS configuration schemes, you must
connect the repeater buffers between the master and slave devices for the DATA and
DCLK pins. When using the JTAG configuration scheme in a multi-device
configuration, connect 25- resistors on both ends of the TDO-TDI path if the TDO
output driver is a non-Cyclone IV device.
The output resistance of the repeater buffers and the TDO path for all cases must fit the
maximum overshoot equation shown in Equation 8–1.

Equation 8–1. (Note 1)

0.8Z O  R E  1.8Z O

Note to Equation 8–1:

(1) ZO is the transmission line impedance and RE is the equivalent resistance of the output buffer.

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8–6 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Configuration

Configuration Process
This section describes Cyclone IV device configuration requirements and includes the
following topics:
■ “Power Up” on page 8–6
■ “Reset” on page 8–6
■ “Configuration” on page 8–6
■ “Configuration Error” on page 8–7
■ “Initialization” on page 8–7
■ “User Mode” on page 8–7

f For more information about the Altera® FPGA configuration cycle state machine, refer
to the Configuring Altera FPGAs chapter in volume 1 of the Configuration Handbook.

Power Up
If the device is powered up from the power-down state, VCCINT, V CCA, and VCCIO (for
the I/O banks in which the configuration and JTAG pins reside) must be powered up
to the appropriate level for the device to exit from POR.

Reset
After power up, Cyclone IV devices go through POR. POR delay depends on the
MSEL pin settings, which correspond to your configuration scheme. During POR, the
device resets, holds nSTATUS and CONF_DONE low, and tri-states all user I/O pins
(for PS and FPP configuration schemes only). To tri-state the configuration bus for AS
and AP configuration schemes, you must tie nCE high. The user I/O pins and
dual-purpose I/O pins have weak pull-up resistors, which are always enabled (after
POR) before and during configuration. When the device exits POR, all user I/O pins
continue to tri-state. While nCONFIG is low, the device is in reset. When nCONFIG
goes high, the device exits reset and releases the open-drain nSTATUS pin, which is
then pulled high by an external 10-k pull-up resistor. After nSTATUS is released, the
device is ready to receive configuration data and the configuration stage starts.

f For more information about the value of the weak pull-up resistors on the I/O pins
that are on before and during configuration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
chapter.

Configuration
Configuration data is latched into the Cyclone IV device at each DCLK cycle. However,
the width of the data bus and the configuration time taken for each scheme are
different. After the device receives all the configuration data, the device releases the
open-drain CONF_DONE pin, which is pulled high by an external 10-kpull-up
resistor. A low-to-high transition on the CONF_DONE pin indicates that the
configuration is complete and initialization of the device can begin.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–7
Configuration

You can begin reconfiguration by pulling the nCONFIG pin low. The nCONFIG pin
must be low for at least 500 ns. When nCONFIG is pulled low, the Cyclone IV device is
reset. The Cyclone IV device also pulls nSTATUS and CONF_DONE low and all I/O
pins are tri-stated. When nCONFIG returns to a logic-high level and nSTATUS is
released by the Cyclone IV device, reconfiguration begins.

Configuration Error
If an error occurs during configuration, Cyclone IV devices assert the nSTATUS signal
low, indicating a data frame error and the CONF_DONE signal stays low. If the
Auto-restart configuration after error option (available in the Quartus II software in
the General tab of the Device and Pin Options dialog box) is turned on, the
Cyclone IV device releases nSTATUS after a reset time-out period (a maximum of
230 s), and retries configuration. If this option is turned off, the system must monitor
nSTATUS for errors and then pulse nCONFIG low for at least 500 ns to restart
configuration.

Initialization
In Cyclone IV devices, the initialization clock source is either the internal oscillator or
the optional CLKUSR pin. By default, the internal oscillator is the clock source for
initialization. If you use the internal oscillator, the device provides itself with enough
clock cycles for proper initialization. When using the internal oscillator, you do not
have to send additional clock cycles from an external source to the CLKUSR pin during
the initialization stage. Additionally, you can use the CLKUSR pin as a user I/O pin.
You also have the flexibility to synchronize initialization of multiple devices or to
delay initialization with the CLKUSR option. The CLKUSR pin allows you to control
when your device enters user mode for an indefinite amount of time. You can turn on
the Enable user-supplied start-up clock (CLKUSR) option in the Quartus II software
in the General tab of the Device and Pin Options dialog box. When you turn on the
Enable user supplied start-up clock option (CLKUSR) option, the CLKUSR pin is the
initialization clock source. Supplying a clock on the CLKUSR pin does not affect the
configuration process. After the configuration data is accepted and CONF_DONE goes
high, Cyclone IV devices require 3,192 clock cycles to initialize properly and enter
user mode.

1 If you use the optional CLKUSR pin and the nCONFIG pin is pulled low to restart
configuration during device initialization, ensure that the CLKUSR pin continues to
toggle when nSTATUS is low (a maximum of 230 s).

User Mode
An optional INIT_DONE pin is available, which signals the end of initialization and
the start of user mode with a low-to-high transition. The Enable INIT_DONE Output
option is available in the Quartus II software in the General tab of the Device and Pin
Options dialog box. If you use the INIT_DONE pin, it is high due to an external 10-k
pull-up resistor when nCONFIG is low and during the beginning of configuration.
After the option bit to enable INIT_DONE is programmed into the device (during the
first frame of configuration data), the INIT_DONE pin goes low. When initialization is
complete, the INIT_DONE pin is released and pulled high. This low-to-high transition
signals that the device has entered user mode. In user mode, the user I/O pins
function as assigned in your design and no longer have weak pull-up resistors.

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8–8 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Configuration

Configuration Scheme
A configuration scheme with different configuration voltage standards is selected by
driving the MSEL pins either high or low, as shown in Table 8–3, Table 8–4, and
Table 8–5.

1 Hardwire the MSEL pins to VCCA or GND without pull-up or pull-down resistors to
avoid problems detecting an incorrect configuration scheme. Do not drive the MSEL
pins with a microprocessor or another device.

Table 8–3. Configuration Schemes for Cyclone IV GX Devices (EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and EP4CGX30 [except for F484
Package])
Configuration Scheme MSEL2 MSEL1 MSEL0 POR Delay Configuration Voltage Standard (V) (1)
1 0 1 Fast 3.3
0 1 1 Fast 3.0, 2.5
AS
0 0 1 Standard 3.3
0 1 0 Standard 3.0, 2.5
1 0 0 Fast 3.3, 3.0, 2.5
PS 1 1 0 Fast 1.8, 1.5
0 0 0 Standard 3.3, 3.0, 2.5
JTAG-based configuration (2) (3) (3) (3) — —
Notes to Table 8–3:
(1) Configuration voltage standard applied to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the configuration pins reside.
(2) JTAG-based configuration takes precedence over other configuration schemes, which means the MSEL pin settings are ignored.
(3) Do not leave the MSEL pins floating. Connect them to VCCA or GND. These pins support the non-JTAG configuration scheme used in production.
Altera recommends connecting the MSEL pins to GND if your device is only using JTAG configuration.

Table 8–4. Configuration Schemes for Cyclone IV GX Devices (EP4CGX30 [only for F484 package], EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75,
EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150) (Part 1 of 2)
Configuration Scheme MSEL3 MSEL2 MSEL1 MSEL0 POR Delay Configuration Voltage Standard (V) (1)
1 1 0 1 Fast 3.3
1 0 1 1 Fast 3.0, 2.5
AS
1 0 0 1 Standard 3.3
1 0 1 0 Standard 3.0, 2.5
1 1 0 0 Fast 3.3, 3.0, 2.5
1 1 1 0 Fast 1.8, 1.5
PS
1 0 0 0 Standard 3.3, 3.0, 2.5
0 0 0 0 Standard 1.8, 1.5
0 0 1 1 Fast 3.3, 3.0, 2.5
0 1 0 0 Fast 1.8, 1.5
FPP
0 0 0 1 Standard 3.3, 3.0, 2.5
0 0 1 0 Standard 1.8, 1.5

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–9
Configuration

Table 8–4. Configuration Schemes for Cyclone IV GX Devices (EP4CGX30 [only for F484 package], EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75,
EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150) (Part 2 of 2)
Configuration Scheme MSEL3 MSEL2 MSEL1 MSEL0 POR Delay Configuration Voltage Standard (V) (1)
JTAG-based configuration
(3) (3) (3) (3) — —
(2)
Notes to Table 8–4:
(1) Configuration voltage standard applied to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the configuration pins reside.
(2) JTAG-based configuration takes precedence over other configuration schemes, which means the MSEL pin settings are ignored.
(3) Do not leave the MSEL pins floating. Connect them to VCCA or GND. These pins support the non-JTAG configuration scheme used in production.
Altera recommends connecting the MSEL pins to GND if your device is only using JTAG configuration.

1 Smaller Cyclone IV E devices or package options (E144 and F256 packages) do not
have the MSEL[3]pin. The AS Fast POR configuration scheme at 3.0- or 2.5-V
configuration voltage standard and the AP configuration scheme are not supported in
Cyclone IV E devices without the MSEL[3]pin. To configure these devices with other
supported configuration schemes, select MSEL[2..0]pins according to the MSEL
settings in Table 8–5.

Table 8–5. Configuration Schemes for Cyclone IV E Devices

Configuration Scheme MSEL3 MSEL2 MSEL1 MSEL0 POR Delay Configuration Voltage Standard (V) (1)

1 1 0 1 Fast 3.3
0 1 0 0 Fast 3.0, 2.5
AS
0 0 1 0 Standard 3.3
0 0 1 1 Standard 3.0, 2.5
0 1 0 1 Fast 3.3
0 1 1 0 Fast 1.8
AP 0 1 1 1 Standard 3.3
1 0 1 1 Standard 3.0, 2.5
1 0 0 0 Standard 1.8
1 1 0 0 Fast 3.3, 3.0, 2.5
PS
0 0 0 0 Standard 3.3, 3.0, 2.5
1 1 1 0 Fast 3.3, 3.0, 2.5
FPP
1 1 1 1 Fast 1.8, 1.5
JTAG-based configuration (3) (3) (3) (3) — —
(2)
Notes to Table 8–5:
(1) Configuration voltage standard applied to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the configuration pins reside.
(2) JTAG-based configuration takes precedence over other configuration schemes, which means the MSEL pin settings are ignored.
(3) Do not leave the MSEL pins floating. Connect them to VCCA or GND. These pins support the non-JTAG configuration scheme used in production.
Altera recommends connecting the MSEL pins to GND if your device is only using JTAG configuration.

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Configuration

1 For Cyclone IV E devices, the Quartus II software prohibits you from using the LVDS
I/O standard in I/O Bank 1 when the configuration device I/O voltage is not 2.5 V. If
you need to assign LVDS I/O standard in I/O Bank 1, navigate to
Assignments>Device>Settings>Device and Pin Option>Configuration to change
the Configuration Device I/O voltage to 2.5 V or Auto.

AS Configuration (Serial Configuration Devices)

In the AS configuration scheme, Cyclone IV devices are configured with a serial
configuration device. These configuration devices are low-cost devices with
non-volatile memories that feature a simple four-pin interface and a small form factor.
These features make serial configuration devices the ideal low-cost configuration
solution.

f For more information about serial configuration devices, refer to the Serial
Configuration Devices (EPCS1, EPCS4, EPCS16, EPCS64, and EPCS128) Datasheet in
volume 2 of the Configuration Handbook.

Serial configuration devices provide a serial interface to access the configuration data.
During device configuration, Cyclone IV devices read the configuration data through
the serial interface, decompress the data if necessary, and configure their SRAM cells.
This scheme is referred to as the AS configuration scheme because the device controls
the configuration interface.

Single-Device AS Configuration
The four-pin interface of serial configuration devices consists of the following pins:
■ Serial clock input (DCLK)
■ Serial data output (DATA)
■ Active-low chip select (nCS)
■ AS data input (ASDI)
This four-pin interface connects to Cyclone IV device pins, as shown in Figure 8–2.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–11
Configuration

Figure 8–2. Single-Device AS Configuration

VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1)

VCCIO (1)
10 kΩ 10 kΩ

Serial Configuration 10 kΩ
Device Cyclone IV Device
nSTATUS
CONF_DONE
nCONFIG
nCE nCEO N.C. (3)

GND

25 Ω (5)
DATA DATA[0]
DCLK DCLK
CLKUSR (7)
nCS nCSO (6)
ASDI ASDO (6) MSEL[ ] (4)
(2)

Notes to Figure 8–2:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Cyclone IV devices use the ASDO-to-ASDI path to control the configuration device.
(3) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(4) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect the MSEL pins,
refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly
to VCCA or GND.
(5) Connect the series resistor at the near end of the serial configuration device.
(6) These pins are dual-purpose I/O pins. The nCSO pin functions as FLASH_nCE pin in AP mode. The ASDO pin
functions as the DATA[1] pin in AP and FPP modes.
(7) Only Cyclone IV GX devices have an option to select CLKUSR (40 MHz maximum) as the external clock source for
DCLK.

1 The 25- resistor at the near end of the serial configuration device for DATA[0] works
to minimize the driver impedance mismatch with the board trace and reduce the
overshoot seen at the Cyclone IV device DATA[0] input pin.

In the single-device AS configuration, the maximum board loading and board trace
length between the supported serial configuration device and the Cyclone IV device
must follow the recommendations in Table 8–6 on page 8–17.
The DCLK generated by the Cyclone IV device controls the entire configuration cycle
and provides timing for the serial interface. Cyclone IV devices use an internal
oscillator or an external clock source to generate the DCLK. For Cyclone IV E devices,
you can use a 40-MHz internal oscillator to generate the DCLK and for Cyclone IV GX
devices you can use a slow clock (20 MHz maximum) or a fast clock
(40 MHz maximum) from the internal oscillator or an external clock from CLKUSR to
generate the DCLK. There are some variations in the internal oscillator frequency
because of the process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) conditions in Cyclone IV
devices. The internal oscillator is designed to ensure that its maximum frequency is
guaranteed to meet EPCS device specifications. Cyclone IV devices offer the option to
select CLKUSR as the external clock source for DCLK. You can change the clock source
option in the Quartus II software in the Configuration tab of the Device and Pin
Options dialog box.

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Configuration

1 EPCS1 does not support Cyclone IV devices because of its insufficient memory
capacity.

In configuration mode, the Cyclone IV device enables the serial configuration device
by driving the nCSO output pin low, which connects to the nCS pin of the
configuration device. The Cyclone IV device uses the DCLK and DATA[1]pins to send
operation commands and read address signals to the serial configuration device. The
configuration device provides data on its DATA pin, which connects to the DATA[0]
input of the Cyclone IV device.
All AS configuration pins (DATA[0], DCLK, nCSO, and DATA[1]) have weak internal
pull-up resistors that are always active. After configuration, these pins are set as input
tri-stated and are driven high by the weak internal pull-up resistors.
The timing parameters for AS mode are not listed here because the tCF2CD, tCF2ST0, tCFG,
tSTATUS, tCF2ST1, and tCD2UM timing parameters are identical to the timing parameters for
PS mode shown in Table 8–10 on page 8–35.

Multi-Device AS Configuration
You can configure multiple Cyclone IV devices with a single serial configuration
device. When the first device captures all its configuration data from the bitstream, it
drives the nCEO pin low, enabling the next device in the chain. If the last device in the
chain is a Cyclone IV device, you can leave the nCEO pin of the last device
unconnected or use it as a user I/O pin after configuration. The nCONFIG, nSTATUS,
CONF_DONE, DCLK, and DATA[0] pins of each device in the chain are connected
together (Figure 8–3).

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–13
Configuration

Figure 8–3. Multi-Device AS Configuration

VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1)
VCCIO (2)

10 kΩ 10 kΩ 10 kΩ
10 kΩ

Serial Configuration
Device Cyclone IV Master Device Cyclone IV Slave Device
nSTATUS nSTATUS
CONF_DONE CONF_DONE nCEO N.C. (3)
nCONFIG nCONFIG
nCE nCEO nCE

GND

25 Ω (5)
DATA DATA[0]
50 Ω (5), (7) DATA[0]
DCLK DCLK CLKUSR (9) DCLK
nCS nCSO (8)
ASDI ASDO (8) MSEL[ ] (4) MSEL[ ] (4)

50 Ω (7)

Buffers (6)

Notes to Figure 8–3:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Connect the pull-up resistor to the VCCIO supply voltage of I/O bank in which the nCE pin resides.
(3) You can leave the nCEO pin unconnected or use it as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(4) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. You must set the master device of the Cyclone IV device
in AS mode and the slave devices in PS mode. To connect the MSEL pins for the master device in AS mode and slave devices in PS mode, refer
to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(5) Connect the series resistor at the near end of the serial configuration device.
(6) Connect the repeater buffers between the master and slave devices of the Cyclone IV device for DATA[0] and DCLK. All I/O inputs must maintain
a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. The output resistance of the repeater buffers must fit the maximum overshoot equation outlined in “Configuration
and JTAG Pin I/O Requirements” on page 8–5.
(7) The 50- series resistors are optional if the 3.3-V configuration voltage standard is applied. For optimal signal integrity, connect these 50- series
resistors if the 2.5- or 3.0-V configuration voltage standard is applied.
(8) These pins are dual-purpose I/O pins. The nCSO pin functions as FLASH_nCE pin in AP mode. The ASDO pin functions as DATA[1] pin in AP
and FPP modes.
(9) Only Cyclone IV GX devices have an option to select CLKUSR (40 MHz maximum) as the external clock source for DCLK.

The first Cyclone IV device in the chain is the configuration master and it controls the
configuration of the entire chain. Other Altera devices that support PS configuration
can also be part of the chain as configuration slaves.

1 In the multi-device AS configuration, the board trace length between the serial
configuration device and the master device of the Cyclone IV device must follow the
recommendations in Table 8–6 on page 8–17.

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Configuration

The nSTATUS and CONF_DONE pins on all target devices are connected together with
external pull-up resistors, as shown in Figure 8–3 on page 8–13. These pins are
open-drain bidirectional pins on the devices. When the first device asserts nCEO (after
receiving all its configuration data), it releases its CONF_DONE pin. However, the
subsequent devices in the chain keep this shared CONF_DONE line low until they
receive their configuration data. When all target devices in the chain receive their
configuration data and release CONF_DONE, the pull-up resistor drives a high level on
CONF_DONE line and all devices simultaneously enter initialization mode.

1 Although you can cascade Cyclone IV devices, serial configuration devices cannot be
cascaded or chained together.

If the configuration bitstream size exceeds the capacity of a serial configuration

device, you must select a larger configuration device, enable the compression feature,
or both. When configuring multiple devices, the size of the bitstream is the sum of the
individual device’s configuration bitstream.

Configuring Multiple Cyclone IV Devices with the Same Design

Certain designs require that you configure multiple Cyclone IV devices with the same
design through a configuration bitstream, or a .sof. You can do this through the
following methods:
■ Multiple .sof
■ Single .sof

1 For both methods, the serial configuration devices cannot be cascaded or chained
together.

Multiple SRAM Object Files

Two copies of the .sof are stored in the serial configuration device. Use the first copy
to configure the master device of the Cyclone IV device and the second copy to
configure all remaining slave devices concurrently. All slave devices must have the
same density and package. The setup is similar to Figure 8–3 on page 8–13.
To configure four identical Cyclone IV devices with the same .sof, you must set up the
chain similar to the example shown in Figure 8–4. The first device is the master device
and its MSEL pins must be set to select AS configuration. The other three slave devices
are set up for concurrent configuration and their MSEL pins must be set to select PS
configuration. The nCEO pin from the master device drives the nCE input pins on all
three slave devices, as well as the DATA and DCLK pins that connect in parallel to all
four devices. During the first configuration cycle, the master device reads its
configuration data from the serial configuration device while holding nCEO high.
After completing its configuration cycle, the master device drives nCE low and sends
the second copy of the configuration data to all three slave devices, configuring them
simultaneously.
The advantage of the setup in Figure 8–4 is that you can have a different .sof for the
master device. However, all the slave devices must be configured with the same .sof.
You can either compress or uncompress the .sof in this configuration method.

1 You can still use this method if the master and slave devices use the same .sof.

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Configuration

Figure 8–4. Multi-Device AS Configuration in Which Devices Receive the Same Data with Multiple .sof
Cyclone IV Slave Device
VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (2)
nSTATUS
CONF_DONE
nCONFIG
10 kΩ 10 kΩ 10 kΩ 10 kΩ
nCE nCEO N.C. (3)

DATA[0]
DCLK

MSEL[ ] (4)

Serial Configuration
Device Cyclone IV Master Device Cyclone IV Slave Device
nSTATUS nSTATUS
CONF_DONE CONF_DONE
nCONFIG nCONFIG
nCE nCEO nCE nCEO N.C. (3)

GND

25 Ω (5)
DATA DATA[0]
50 Ω (5), (7) DATA[0]
DCLK DCLK CLKUSR (9) DCLK
nCS nCSO (8)
ASDI ASDO (8) MSEL[ ] (4) MSEL[ ] (4)

Cyclone IV Slave Device

nSTATUS
CONF_DONE
nCONFIG
nCE nCEO N.C. (3)

50 Ω (7)

Buffers (6)

DATA[0]
DCLK

MSEL[ ] (4)

Notes to Figure 8–4:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Connect the pull-up resistor to the VCCIO supply voltage of the I/O bank in which the nCE pin resides.
(3) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(4) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. You must set the master device in AS mode and the slave
devices in PS mode. To connect the MSEL pins for the master device in AS mode and the slave devices in PS mode, refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8,
Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(5) Connect the series resistor at the near end of the serial configuration device.
(6) Connect the repeater buffers between the master and slave devices for DATA[0] and DCLK. All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage
of 4.1 V. The output resistance of the repeater buffers must fit the maximum overshoot equation outlined in “Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O
Requirements” on page 8–5.
(7) The 50- series resistors are optional if the 3.3-V configuration voltage standard is applied. For optimal signal integrity, connect these 50- series
resistors if the 2.5- or 3.0-V configuration voltage standard is applied.
(8) These pins are dual-purpose I/O pins. The nCSO pin functions as FLASH_nCE pin in AP mode. The ASDO pin functions as DATA[1] pin in AP
and FPP modes.
(9) Only Cyclone IV GX devices have an option to select CLKUSR (40 MHz maximum) as the external clock source for DCLK.

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Configuration

Single SRAM Object File

The second method configures both the master device and slave devices with the
same .sof. The serial configuration device stores one copy of the .sof. You must set up
one or more slave devices in the chain. All the slave devices must be set up in the
same way (Figure 8–5).

Figure 8–5. Multi-Device AS Configuration in Which Devices Receive the Same Data with a Single .sof
VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1)

10 kΩ 10 kΩ 10 kΩ

Serial Configuration
Device Cyclone IV Master Device Cyclone IV Slave Device 1 Cyclone IV Slave Device 2
nSTATUS nSTATUS nSTATUS
CONF_DONE CONF_DONE CONF_DONE
nCONFIG nCONFIG nCONFIG
nCE nCEO N.C. (2) nCE nCEO N.C. (2) nCE nCEO N.C. (2)

GND GND GND

25 Ω (4)
DATA[0] CLKUSR (9) DATA[0]
DATA
50 Ω (4),(6) DATA[0]
DCLK DCLK DCLK DCLK
nCS nCSO (7)
ASDI ASDO (7) MSEL[ ] (3) MSEL[ ] (3) MSEL[ ] (3)

50 Ω(7)

Buffers (5)

Notes to Figure 8–5:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(3) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. You must set the master device of the Cyclone IV device
in AS mode and the slave devices in PS mode. To connect the MSEL pins for the master device in AS mode and slave devices in PS mode, refer
to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(4) Connect the series resistor at the near end of the serial configuration device.
(5) Connect the repeater buffers between the master and slave devices for DATA[0] and DCLK. All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage
of 4.1 V. The output resistance of the repeater buffers must fit the maximum overshoot equation outlined in “Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O
Requirements” on page 8–5.
(6) The 50- series resistors are optional if the 3.3-V configuration voltage standard is applied. For optimal signal integrity, connect these 50- series
resistors if the 2.5- or 3.0-V configuration voltage standard is applied.
(7) These pins are dual-purpose I/O pins. The nCSO pin functions as FLASH_nCE pin in AP mode. The ASDO pin functions as DATA[1] pin in AP
and FPP modes.
(8) Only Cyclone IV GX devices have an option to select CLKUSR (40 MHz maximum) as the external clock source for DCLK.

In this setup, all the Cyclone IV devices in the chain are connected for concurrent
configuration. This reduces the AS configuration time because all the Cyclone IV
devices are configured in one configuration cycle. Connect the nCE input pins of all
the Cyclone IV devices to GND. You can either leave the nCEO output pins on all the
Cyclone IV devices unconnected or use the nCEO output pins as normal user I/O
pins. The DATA and DCLK pins are connected in parallel to all the Cyclone IV devices.

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Configuration

Altera recommends putting a buffer before the DATA and DCLK output from the
master device to avoid signal strength and signal integrity issues. The buffer must not
significantly change the DATA-to-DCLK relationships or delay them with respect to
other AS signals (ASDI and nCS). Also, the buffer must only drive the slave devices to
ensure that the timing between the master device and the serial configuration device
is unaffected.
This configuration method supports both compressed and uncompressed .sof.
Therefore, if the configuration bitstream size exceeds the capacity of a serial
configuration device, you can enable the compression feature in the .sof or you can
select a larger serial configuration device.

Guidelines for Connecting a Serial Configuration Device to Cyclone IV Devices for

an AS Interface
For single- and multi-device AS configurations, the board trace length and loading
between the supported serial configuration device and Cyclone IV device must follow
the recommendations listed in Table 8–6.

Table 8–6. Maximum Trace Length and Loading for AS Configuration

Maximum Board Trace Length from a
Cyclone IV Cyclone IV Device to a Serial Configuration
Device (Inches) Maximum Board Load (pF)
Device AS Pins
Cyclone IV E Cyclone IV GX
DCLK 10 6 15
DATA[0] 10 6 30
nCSO 10 6 30
ASDO 10 6 30

Estimating AS Configuration Time

AS configuration time is dominated by the time it takes to transfer data from the serial
configuration device to the Cyclone IV device. This serial interface is clocked by the
Cyclone IV device DCLK output (generated from a 40-MHz internal oscillator for
Cyclone IV E devices, a 20- or 40-MHz internal oscillator, or an external CLKUSR of up
to 40 MHz for Cyclone IV GX devices). Equation 8–2 and Equation 8–3 show the
configuration time calculations.
Equation 8–2.

RBF Size   ------------------------------------------------------- = estimated maximum configuration time

maximum DCLK period
 1 bit 

Equation 8–3.

9,600,000 bits   ------------- = 480 ms

50 ns
1 bit

Enabling compression reduces the amount of configuration data that is sent to the
Cyclone IV device, which also reduces configuration time. On average, compression
reduces configuration time by 50%.

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Configuration

Programming Serial Configuration Devices

Serial configuration devices are non-volatile, flash memory-based devices. You can
program these devices in-system with the USB-Blaster™ or ByteBlaster™ II download
cables. Alternatively, you can program them with the Altera Programming Unit
(APU), supported third-party programmers, or a microprocessor with the SRunner
software driver.
You can perform in-system programming of serial configuration devices through the
AS programming interface. During in-system programming, the download cable
disables device access to the AS interface by driving the nCE pin high. Cyclone IV
devices are also held in reset by a low level on nCONFIG. After programming is
complete, the download cable releases nCE and nCONFIG, allowing the pull-down
and pull-up resistors to drive VCC and GND, respectively.
To perform in-system programming of a serial configuration device through the AS
programming interface, you must place the diodes and capacitors as close as possible
to the Cyclone IV device. You must ensure that the diodes and capacitors maintain a
maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V (Figure 8–6).

1 If you want to use the setup shown in Figure 8–6 to perform in-system programming
of a serial configuration device and single- or multi-device AS configuration, you do
not require a series resistor on the DATA line at the near end of the serial configuration
device. The existing diodes and capacitors are sufficient.

Altera has developed the Serial FlashLoader (SFL), a JTAG-based in-system

programming solution for Altera serial configuration devices. The SFL is a bridge
design for the Cyclone IV device that uses its JTAG interface to access the EPCS JIC
(JTAG Indirect Configuration Device Programming) file and then uses the AS
interface to program the EPCS device. Both the JTAG interface and AS interface are
bridged together inside the SFL design.

f For more information about implementing the SFL with Cyclone IV devices, refer to
AN 370: Using the Serial FlashLoader with the Quartus II Software.

f For more information about the USB-Blaster download cable, refer to the USB-Blaster
Download Cable User Guide. For more information about the ByteBlaster II download
cable, refer to the ByteBlaster II Download Cable User Guide.

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Configuration

Figure 8–6 shows the download cable connections to the serial configuration device.

Figure 8–6. In-System Programming of Serial Configuration Devices

VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1)

10 kΩ 10 kΩ 10 kΩ
Cyclone IV Device
nSTATUS
CONF_DONE
nCONFIG
nCE nCEO N.C. (2)
10 kΩ 3.3 V 3.3 V
Serial 3.3 V 3.3 V
Configuration Device
GND
(5)
DATA DATA[0] (6)
DCLK DCLK (6) CLKUSR (8)
nCS nCSO (7)
ASDI ASDO (7) MSEL[ ] (4)

Pin 1
3.3 V (3)

GND

10 pf 10 pf GND
10 pf
ByteBlaster II or USB Blaster
10-Pin Male Header
GND GND
GND
10 pf

(5) GND

Notes to Figure 8–6:

(1) Connect these pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(3) Power up the VCC of the ByteBlaster II or USB-Blaster download cable with the 3.3-V supply.
(4) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect the MSEL pins, refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8,
Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(5) The diodes and capacitors must be placed as close as possible to the Cyclone IV device. You must ensure that the diodes and capacitors maintain
a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. The external diodes and capacitors are required to prevent damage to the Cyclone IV device AS configuration
input pins due to possible overshoot when programming the serial configuration device with a download cable. Altera recommends using the
Schottky diode, which has a relatively lower forward diode voltage (VF) than the switching and Zener diodes, for effective voltage clamping.
(6) When cascading Cyclone IV devices in a multi-device AS configuration, connect the repeater buffers between the master and slave devices for
DATA[0] and DCLK. All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. The output resistance of the repeater buffers must fit the
maximum overshoot equation outlined in “Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O Requirements” on page 8–5.
(7) These pins are dual-purpose I/O pins. The nCSO pin functions as FLASH_nCE pin in AP mode. The ASDO pin functions as DATA[1] pin in AP
and FPP modes.
(8) Only Cyclone IV GX devices have an option to select CLKUSR (40 MHz maximum) as the external clock source for DCLK.

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8–20 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Configuration

You can use the Quartus II software with the APU and the appropriate configuration
device programming adapter to program serial configuration devices. All serial
configuration devices are offered in an 8- or 16-pin small outline integrated circuit
(SOIC) package.
In production environments, serial configuration devices are programmed using
multiple methods. Altera programming hardware or other third-party programming
hardware is used to program blank serial configuration devices before they are
mounted onto PCBs. Alternatively, you can use an on-board microprocessor to
program the serial configuration device in-system by porting the reference C-based
SRunner software driver provided by Altera.
A serial configuration device is programmed in-system by an external microprocessor
with the SRunner software driver. The SRunner software driver is a software driver
developed for embedded serial configuration device programming, which is easily
customized to fit in different embedded systems. The SRunner software driver is able
to read a Raw Programming Data (.rpd) file and write to serial configuration devices.
The serial configuration device programming time, using the SRunner software
driver, is comparable to the programming time with the Quartus II software.

f For more information about the SRunner software driver, refer to AN 418: SRunner:
An Embedded Solution for Serial Configuration Device Programming and the source code
at the Altera website.

AP Configuration (Supported Flash Memories)

The AP configuration scheme is only supported in Cyclone IV E devices. In the AP
configuration scheme, Cyclone IV E devices are configured using commodity 16-bit
parallel flash memory. These external non-volatile configuration devices are industry
standard microprocessor flash memories. The flash memories provide a fast interface
to access configuration data. The speed up in configuration time is mainly due to the
16-bit wide parallel data bus, which is used to retrieve data from the flash memory.
Some of the smaller Cyclone IV E devices or package options do not support the AP
configuration scheme. Table 8–7 lists the supported AP configuration scheme for each
Cyclone IV E devices.

Table 8–7. Supported AP Configuration Scheme for Cyclone IV E Devices

Package Options
Device
E144 M164 U256 F256 U484 F484 F780
EP4CE6 — — — — — — —
EP4CE10 — — — — — — —
EP4CE15 — — — — — v —
EP4CE22 — — — — — — —
EP4CE30 — — — — — v v

EP4CE40 — — — — v v v
EP4CE55 — — — — v v v
EP4CE75 — — — — v v v

EP4CE115 — — — — — v v

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–21
Configuration

During device configuration, Cyclone IV E devices read configuration data using the
parallel interface and configure their SRAM cells. This scheme is referred to as the AP
configuration scheme because the device controls the configuration interface. This
scheme contrasts with the FPP configuration scheme, where an external host controls
the interface.

AP Configuration Supported Flash Memories

The AP configuration controller in Cyclone IV E devices is designed to interface with
two industry-standard flash families—the Numonyx StrataFlash® Embedded
Memory P30 flash family and the Numonyx StrataFlash Embedded Memory P33 flash
family. Unlike serial configuration devices, both of the flash families supported in AP
configuration scheme are designed to interface with microprocessors. By configuring
from an industry standard microprocessor flash which allows access to the flash after
entering user mode, the AP configuration scheme allows you to combine
configuration data and user data (microprocessor boot code) on the same flash
memory.
The Numonyx P30 flash family and the P33 flash family support a continuous
synchronous burst read mode at 40 MHz DCLK frequency for reading data from the
flash. Additionally, the Numonyx P30 and P33 flash families have identical pin-out
and adopt similar protocols for data access.

1 Cyclone IV E devices use a 40-MHz oscillator for the AP configuration scheme. The
oscillator is the same oscillator used in the Cyclone IV E AS configuration scheme.

Table 8–8 lists the supported families of the commodity parallel flash for the AP
configuration scheme.

Table 8–8. Supported Commodity Flash for AP Configuration Scheme for Cyclone IV E
Devices (Note 1)
Flash Memory Density Numonyx P30 Flash Family (2) Numonyx P33 Flash Family (3)
64 Mbit v v
128 Mbit v v
256 Mbit v v
Notes to Table 8–8:
(1) The AP configuration scheme only supports flash memory speed grades of 40 MHz and above.
(2) 3.3- , 3.0-, 2.5-, and 1.8-V I/O options are supported for the Numonyx P30 flash family.
(3) 3.3-, 3.0- and 2.5-V I/O options are supported for the Numonyx P33 flash family.

Configuring Cyclone IV E devices from the Numonyx P30 and P33 family 512-Mbit
flash memory is possible, but you must properly drive the extra address and
FLASH_nCE pins as required by these flash memories.

f To check for supported speed grades and package options, refer to the respective flash
datasheets.

The AP configuration scheme in Cyclone IV E devices supports flash speed grades of

40 MHz and above. However, AP configuration for all these speed grades must be
capped at 40 MHz. The advantage of faster speed grades is realized when your design
in the Cyclone IV E devices accesses flash memory in user mode.

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Configuration

f For more information about the operation of the Numonyx StrataFlash Embedded
Memory P30 and P33 flash memories, search for the keyword “P30” or “P33” on the
Numonyx website (www.numonyx.com) to obtain the P30 or P33 family datasheet.

Single-Device AP Configuration
The following groups of interface pins are supported in Numonyx P30 and P33 flash
memories:
■ Control pins
■ Address pins
■ Data pins
The following control signals are from the supported parallel flash memories:
■ CLK
■ active-low reset (RST#)
■ active-low chip enable (CE#)
■ active-low output enable (OE#)
■ active-low address valid (ADV#)
■ active-low write enable (WE#)
The supported parallel flash memories output a control signal (WAIT) to Cyclone IV E
devices to indicate when synchronous data is ready on the data bus. Cyclone IV E
devices have a 24-bit address bus connecting to the address bus (A[24:1]) of the
flash memory. A 16-bit bidirectional data bus (DATA[15..0]) provides data transfer
between the Cyclone IV E device and the flash memory.
The following control signals are from the Cyclone IV E device to flash memory:
■ DCLK
■ active-low hard rest (nRESET)
■ active-low chip enable (FLASH_nCE)
■ active-low output enable for the DATA[15..0] bus and WAIT pin (nOE)
■ active-low address valid signal and is used to write data into the flash (nAVD)
■ active-low write enable and is used to write data into the flash (nWE)

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–23
Configuration

Figure 8–7 shows the interface for the Numonyx P30 flash memory and P33 flash
memory to the Cyclone IV E device pins.

Figure 8–7. Single-Device AP Configuration Using Numonyx P30 and P33 Flash Memory
VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1)

10k 10k 10k

nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE
nCEO N.C. (2)

nCE

GND MSEL[3..0] (3)

CLK DCLK
RST# nRESET
CE# FLASH_nCE
OE# nOE
ADV# nAVD
WE# nWE
WAIT I/O (4)
DQ[15:0] DATA[15..0]
A[24:1] PADD[23..0]

Numonyx P30/P33 Flash Cyclone IV E Device

Notes to Figure 8–7:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(3) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect MSEL[3..0], refer to Table 8–5 on
page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(4) AP configuration ignores the WAIT signal during configuration mode. However, if you are accessing flash during user mode with user logic, you
can optionally use normal I/O to monitor the WAIT signal from the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash.

1 In a single-device AP configuration, the maximum board loading and board trace

length between supported parallel flash and Cyclone IV E devices must follow the
recommendations listed in Table 8–9 on page 8–27.

1 If you use the AP configuration scheme for Cyclone IV E devices, the VCCIO of I/O
banks 1, 6, 7, and 8 must be 3.3, 3.0, 2.5, or 1.8 V. Altera does not recommend using the
level shifter between the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash and the Cyclone IV E device in
the AP configuration scheme.

1 There are no series resistors required in AP configuration mode for Cyclone IV E

devices when using the Numonyx flash at 2.5-, 3.0-, and 3.3-V I/O standard. The
output buffer of the Numonyx P30 IBIS model does not overshoot above 4.1 V. Thus,
series resistors are not required for the 2.5-, 3.0-, and 3.3-V AP configuration option.
However, if there are any other devices sharing the same flash I/Os with Cyclone IV E
devices, all shared pins are still subject to the 4.1-V limit and may require series
resistors.

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Configuration

Default read mode of the supported parallel flash memory and all writes to the
parallel flash memory are asynchronous. Both the parallel flash families support a
synchronous read mode, with data supplied on the positive edge of DCLK.
The serial clock (DCLK) generated by Cyclone IV E devices controls the entire
configuration cycle and provides timing for the parallel interface.

Multi-Device AP Configuration
You can configure multiple Cyclone IV E devices using a single parallel flash. You can
cascade multiple Cyclone IV E devices using the chip-enable (nCE) and
chip-enable-out (nCEO) pins. The first device in the chain must have its nCE pin
connected to GND. You must connect its nCEO pin to the nCE pin of the next device in
the chain. Use an external 10-k pull-up resistor to pull the nCEO signal high to its
VCCIO level to help the internal weak pull-up resistor. When the first device captures all
its configuration data from the bitstream, it drives the nCEO pin low, enabling the next
device in the chain. You can leave the nCEO pin of the last device unconnected or use
it as a user I/O pin after configuration if the last device in the chain is a Cyclone IV E
device. The nCONFIG, nSTATUS, CONF_DONE, DCLK, DATA[15..8], and
DATA[7..0] pins of each device in the chain are connected (Figure 8–8 on page 8–25
and Figure 8–9 on page 8–26).
The first Cyclone IV E device in the chain, as shown in Figure 8–8 on page 8–25 and
Figure 8–9 on page 8–26, is the configuration master device and controls the
configuration of the entire chain. You must connect its MSEL pins to select the AP
configuration scheme. The remaining Cyclone IV E devices are used as configuration
slaves. You must connect their MSEL pins to select the FPP configuration scheme. Any
other Altera device that supports FPP configuration can also be part of the chain as a
configuration slave.
The following are the configurations for the DATA[15..0] bus in a multi-device AP
configuration:
■ Byte-wide multi-device AP configuration
■ Word-wide multi-device AP configuration

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Configuration

Byte-Wide Multi-Device AP Configuration

The simpler method for multi-device AP configuration is the byte-wide multi-device
AP configuration. In the byte-wide multi-device AP configuration, the LSB of the
DATA[7..0]pin from the flash and master device (set to the AP configuration
scheme) is connected to the slave devices set to the FPP configuration scheme, as
shown in Figure 8–8.

Figure 8–8. Byte-Wide Multi-Device AP Configuration

VCCIO (1)
VCCIO (1)

VCCIO (1)
10 kΩ VCCIO (2) VCCIO (2)
10 kΩ

10 kΩ
10 kΩ 10 kΩ
nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE

nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE

nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE
nCE nCEO nCE nCEO nCE nCEO N.C. (3)

GND
CLK DCLK
RST# nRESET
CE# FLASH_nCE
OE# nOE
ADV# nAVD
MSEL[3..0] (4) MSEL[3..0] (4) MSEL[3..0] (4)
WE# nWE
DQ[7..0] DQ[7..0]
WAIT I/O (5) DATA[7..0] DATA[7..0]
DQ[15:0] DATA[15..0] DCLK DCLK
A[24:1] PADD[23..0]

Cyclone IV E
Numonyx P30/P33 Flash Master Device Cyclone IV E Slave Device Cyclone IV E Slave Device

Buffers (6)

Notes to Figure 8–8:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Connect the pull-up resistor to the VCCIO supply voltage of the I/O bank in which the nCE pin resides.
(3) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(4) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. You must set the master device in AP mode and the slave
devices in FPP mode. To connect MSEL[3..0] for the master device in AP mode and the slave devices in FPP mode, refer to Table 8–5 on
page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(5) The AP configuration ignores the WAIT signal during configuration mode. However, if you are accessing flash during user mode with user logic,
you can optionally use the normal I/O to monitor the WAIT signal from the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash.
(6) Connect the repeater buffers between the Cyclone IV E master device and slave devices for DATA[15..0] and DCLK. All I/O inputs must
maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. The output resistance of the repeater buffers must fit the maximum overshoot equation outlined in
“Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O Requirements” on page 8–5.

Word-Wide Multi-Device AP Configuration

The more efficient setup is one in which some of the slave devices are connected to the
LSB of the DATA[7..0]and the remaining slave devices are connected to the MSB of
the DATA[15..8]. In the word-wide multi-device AP configuration, the nCEO pin of
the master device enables two separate daisy chains of slave devices, allowing both
chains to be programmed concurrently, as shown in Figure 8–9.

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Configuration

Figure 8–9. Word-Wide Multi-Device AP Configuration

VCCIO (1)
VCCIO (1)
VCCIO (1)

10 k VCCIO (2) VCCIO (2)

10 k 10 k

10 k 10 k

nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE

nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE

nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE
nCE nCEO nCE nCEO nCE nCEO N.C. (3)

GND
CLK DCLK
RST# nRESET
CE# FLASH_nCE
OE# nOE
ADV# nAVD
MSEL[3..0] (4) MSEL[3..0] (4) MSEL[3..0] (4)
WE# nWE DQ[7..0] DQ[7..0]
WAIT I/O (5) DATA[7..0] DATA[7..0]
DQ[15:0] DATA[15..0] DCLK DCLK
A[24:1] PADD[23..0]

Cyclone IV E
Numonyx P30/P33 Flash Master Device Cyclone IV E Slave Device Cyclone IV E Slave Device

VCCIO (1)
Buffers (6)

10 k
nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE

nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE
nCE nCEO nCE nCEO N.C. (3)

DQ[15..8]

MSEL[3..0] (4) MSEL[3..0] (4)

DATA[7..0] DATA[7..0]
DCLK DCLK
DQ[15..8]

Cyclone IV E Slave Device Cyclone IV E Slave Device

Notes to Figure 8–9:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Connect the pull-up resistor to the VCCIO supply voltage of the I/O bank in which the nCE pin resides.
(3) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(4) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. You must set the master device in AP mode and the slave
devices in FPP mode. To connect MSEL[3..0] for the master device in AP mode and the slave devices in FPP mode, refer to Table 8–5 on
page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(5) The AP configuration ignores the WAIT signal during configuration mode. However, if you are accessing flash during user mode with user logic,
you can optionally use the normal I/O pin to monitor the WAIT signal from the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash.
(6) Connect the repeater buffers between the Cyclone IV E master device and slave devices for DATA[15..0] and DCLK. All I/O inputs must
maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. The output resistance of the repeater buffers must fit the maximum overshoot equation outlined in
“Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O Requirements” on page 8–5.

1 In a multi-device AP configuration, the board trace length between the parallel flash
and the master device must follow the recommendations listed in Table 8–9.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–27
Configuration

The nSTATUS and CONF_DONE pins on all target devices are connected together with
external pull-up resistors, as shown in Figure 8–8 on page 8–25 and Figure 8–9 on
page 8–26. These pins are open-drain bidirectional pins on the devices. When the first
device asserts nCEO (after receiving all its configuration data), it releases its
CONF_DONE pin. However, the subsequent devices in the chain keep this shared
CONF_DONE line low until they receive their configuration data. When all target
devices in the chain receive their configuration data and release CONF_DONE, the
pull-up resistor drives a high level on this line and all devices simultaneously enter
initialization mode.

Guidelines for Connecting Parallel Flash to Cyclone IV E Devices for an AP Interface

For single- and multi-device AP configuration, the board trace length and loading
between the supported parallel flash and Cyclone IV E devices must follow the
recommendations listed in Table 8–9. These recommendations also apply to an AP
configuration with multiple bus masters.

Table 8–9. Maximum Trace Length and Loading for AP Configuration

Maximum Board Trace Length from

Cyclone IV E AP Pins Cyclone IV E Device to Flash Device Maximum Board Load (pF)
(inches)
DCLK 6 15
DATA[15..0] 6 30
PADD[23..0] 6 30
nRESET 6 30
Flash_nCE 6 30
nOE 6 30
nAVD 6 30
nWE 6 30
I/O (1) 6 30
Note to Table 8–9:
(1) The AP configuration ignores the WAIT signal from the flash during configuration mode. However, if you are
accessing flash during user mode with user logic, you can optionally use the normal I/O to monitor the WAIT signal
from the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash.

Configuring With Multiple Bus Masters

Similar to the AS configuration scheme, the AP configuration scheme supports
multiple bus masters for the parallel flash. For another master to take control of the
AP configuration bus, the master must assert nCONFIG low for at least 500 ns to reset
the master Cyclone IV E device and override the weak 10-k pull-down resistor on
the nCE pin. This resets the master Cyclone IV E device and causes it to tri-state its AP
configuration bus. The other master device then takes control of the AP configuration
bus. After the other master device is done, it releases the AP configuration bus, then
releases the nCE pin, and finally pulses nCONFIG low to restart the configuration.
In the AP configuration scheme, multiple masters share the parallel flash. Similar to
the AS configuration scheme, the bus control is negotiated by the nCE pin.

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Configuration

Figure 8–10 shows the AP configuration with multiple bus masters.

Figure 8–10. AP Configuration with Multiple Bus Masters

Other Master Device (6)

nCONFIG (8)
V (1)
CCIO
V (1) V (1)

DQ[15:0]
A[24:1]
CCIO CCIO

I/O (7)
RST#

ADV#

WAIT
WE#
OE#
CLK

CE#
10 k
10 k 10 k

nCONFIG

nSTATUS

CONF_DONE
nCE
10 k
nCEO (2)

GND
CLK DCLK (5)
RST# nRESET
CE# FLASH_nCE
OE# nOE
ADV# nAVD
MSEL[3..0] (3)
WE# nWE
WAIT I/O (4)
DQ[15:0] DATA[15..0] (5)
A[24:1] PADD[23..0]

Cyclone IV E
Numonyx P30/P33 Flash Master Device

Notes to Figure 8–10:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(3) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect MSEL[3..0], refer to Table 8–5 on
page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(4) The AP configuration ignores the WAIT signal during configuration mode. However, if you are accessing flash during user mode with user logic,
you can optionally use the normal I/O to monitor the WAIT signal from the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash.
(5) When cascading Cyclone IV E devices in a multi-device AP configuration, connect the repeater buffers between the master device and slave
devices for DATA[15..0] and DCLK. All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. The output resistance of the repeater buffers
must fit the maximum overshoot equation outlined in “Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O Requirements” on page 8–5.
(6) The other master device must fit the maximum overshoot equation outlined in “Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O Requirements” on page 8–5.
(7) The other master device can control the AP configuration bus by driving the nCE to high with an output high on the I/O pin.
(8) The other master device can pulse nCONFIG if it is under system control and not tied to VCCIO.

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Configuration

Figure 8–11 shows the recommended balanced star routing for multiple bus master
interfaces to minimize signal integrity issues.

Figure 8–11. Balanced Star Routing

External
Master Device

N (2)
DCLK

M (1) N (2)
Cyclone IV E
Master Device

Numonyx Flash

Notes to Figure 8–11:

(1) Altera recommends that M does not exceed 6 inches, as listed in Table 8–9 on page 8–27.
(2) Altera recommends using a balanced star routing. Keep the N length equal and as short as possible to minimize
reflection noise from the transmission line. The M length is applicable for this setup.

Estimating AP Configuration Time

AP configuration time is dominated by the time it takes to transfer data from the
parallel flash to Cyclone IV E devices. This parallel interface is clocked by the
Cyclone IV E DCLK output (generated from an internal oscillator). The DCLK
minimum frequency when using the 40-MHz oscillator is 20 MHz (50 ns). In
word-wide cascade programming, the DATA[15..0] bus transfers a 16-bit word and
essentially cuts configuration time to approximately 1/16 of the AS configuration
time. Equation 8–4 and Equation 8–5 show the configuration time calculations.

Equation 8–4.

RBF Size   ------------------------------------------------------- = estimated maximum configuration time

maximum DCLK period
 16 bits per DCLK cycle 

Equation 8–5.

9,600,000 bits   ------------- = 30 ms

50 ns
 16 bit

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Configuration

Programming Parallel Flash Memories

Supported parallel flash memories are external non-volatile configuration devices.
They are industry standard microprocessor flash memories. For more information
about the supported families for the commodity parallel flash, refer to Table 8–8 on
page 8–21.
Cyclone IV E devices in a single- or multiple-device chain support in-system
programming of a parallel flash using the JTAG interface with the flash loader
megafunction. The board intelligent host or download cable uses the four JTAG pins
on Cyclone IV E devices to program the parallel flash in system, even if the host or
download cable cannot access the configuration pins of the parallel flash.

f For more information about using the JTAG pins on Cyclone IV E devices to program
the parallel flash in-system, refer to AN 478: Using FPGA-Based Parallel Flash Loader
(PFL) with the Quartus II Software.

In the AP configuration scheme, the default configuration boot address is 0×010000

when represented in 16-bit word addressing in the supported parallel flash memory
(Figure 8–12). In the Quartus II software, the default configuration boot address is
0×020000 because it is represented in 8-bit byte addressing. Cyclone IV E devices
configure from word address 0×010000, which is equivalent to byte address 0×020000.

1 The Quartus II software uses byte addressing for the default configuration boot
address. You must set the start address field to 0×020000.

The default configuration boot address allows the system to use special parameter
blocks in the flash memory map. Parameter blocks are at the top or bottom of the
memory map. Figure 8–12 shows the configuration boot address in the AP
configuration scheme. You can change the default configuration default boot address
0×010000 to any desired address using the APFC_BOOT_ADDR JTAG instruction. For
more information about the APFC_BOOT_ADDR JTAG instruction, refer to “JTAG
Instructions” on page 8–56.

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Configuration

Figure 8–12. Configuration Boot Address in AP Flash Memory Map

Bottom Parameter Flash Memory Top Parameter Flash Memory

128-Kbit
Other data/code parameter area

Other data/code

Cyclone IV E Cyclone IV E
Default Default
Boot Boot
Address Configuration Address
Data
Configuration
Data
x010000 (1) x010000 (1)
x00FFFF x00FFFF

128-Kbit Other data/code

parameter area

x000000 16-bit word x000000 16-bit word

bit[15] bit[0] bit[15] bit[0]

Note to Figure 8–12:

(1) The default configuration boot address is x010000 when represented in 16-bit word addressing.

PS Configuration
You can perform PS configuration on Cyclone IV devices with an external intelligent
host, such as a MAX® II device, microprocessor with flash memory, or a download
cable. In the PS scheme, an external host controls the configuration. Configuration
data is clocked into the target Cyclone IV device through DATA[0] at each rising edge
of DCLK.
If your system already contains a common flash interface (CFI) flash memory, you can
use it for Cyclone IV device configuration storage as well. The MAX II PFL feature
provides an efficient method to program CFI flash memory devices through the JTAG
interface and the logic to control the configuration from the flash memory device to
the Cyclone IV device.

f For more information about the PFL, refer to AN 386: Using the Parallel Flash Loader
with the Quartus II Software.

1 Cyclone IV devices do not support enhanced configuration devices for PS

configuration.

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8–32 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Configuration

PS Configuration Using an External Host

In the PS configuration scheme, you can use an intelligent host such as a MAX II
device or microprocessor that controls the transfer of configuration data from a
storage device, such as flash memory, to the target Cyclone IV device. You can store
the configuration data in .rbf, .hex, or .ttf format.
Figure 8–13 shows the configuration interface connections between a Cyclone IV
device and an external host device for single-device configuration.

Figure 8–13. Single-Device PS Configuration Using an External Host

Memory Cyclone IV
VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) Device
ADDR DATA[0]

10 kΩ 10 kΩ
MSEL[ ] (3)
CONF_DONE
nSTATUS
External Host nCE nCEO N.C. (2)
(MAX II Device or GND
Microprocessor) DATA[0] (4)
nCONFIG
DCLK (4)

Notes to Figure 8–13:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistor to a supply that provides an acceptable input signal for the device. VCC must be high
enough to meet the VIH specification of the I/O on the device and the external host.
(2) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(3) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect the MSEL pins,
refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly
to VCCA or GND.
(4) All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. DATA[0] and DCLK must fit the maximum overshoot
outlined in Equation 8–1 on page 8–5.

To begin the configuration, the external host device must generate a low-to-high
transition on the nCONFIG pin. When nSTATUS is pulled high, the external host
device must place the configuration data one bit at a time on DATA[0]. If you use
configuration data in .rbf, .ttf, or .hex, you must first send the LSB of each data byte.
For example, if the .rbf contains the byte sequence 02 1B EE 01 FA, the serial bitstream
you must send to the device is:
0100-0000 1101-1000 0111-0111 1000-0000 0101-1111
Cyclone IV devices receive configuration data on DATA[0] and the clock is received
on DCLK. Data is latched into the device on the rising edge of DCLK. Data is
continuously clocked into the target device until CONF_DONE goes high and the
device enters initialization state.

1 Two DCLK falling edges are required after CONF_DONE goes high to begin the
initialization of the device.

INIT_DONE is released and pulled high when initialization is complete. The external
host device must be able to detect this low-to-high transition which signals the device
has entered user mode. When initialization is complete, the device enters user mode.
In user mode, the user I/O pins no longer have weak pull-up resistors and function as
assigned in your design.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–33
Configuration

To ensure DCLK and DATA[0] are not left floating at the end of configuration, the
MAX II device must drive them either high or low, whichever is convenient on your
board. The DATA[0] pin is available as a user I/O pin after configuration. In the PS
scheme, the DATA[0] pin is tri-stated by default in user mode and must be driven by
the external host device. To change this default option in the Quartus II software,
select the Dual-Purpose Pins tab of the Device and Pin Options dialog box.
The configuration clock (DCLK) speed must be below the specified system frequency
to ensure correct configuration. No maximum DCLK period exists, which means you
can pause configuration by halting DCLK for an indefinite amount of time.
The external host device can also monitor CONF_DONE and INIT_DONE to ensure
successful configuration. The CONF_DONE pin must be monitored by the external
device to detect errors and to determine when programming is complete. If all
configuration data is sent, but CONF_DONE or INIT_DONE has not gone high, the
external device must reconfigure the target device.
Figure 8–14 shows how to configure multiple devices using an external host device.
This circuit is similar to the PS configuration circuit for a single device, except that
Cyclone IV devices are cascaded for multi-device configuration.

Figure 8–14. Multi-Device PS Configuration Using an External Host

Memory VCCIO (2)

VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) Cyclone IV Device 1 Cyclone IV Device 2
ADDR DATA[0]
10 k
10 k 10 k (4)
MSEL[ ] MSEL[ ] (4)
CONF_DONE CONF_DONE
nSTATUS nSTATUS
External Host nCE nCEO nCE nCEO N.C. (3)
(MAX II Device or GND
Microprocessor) DATA[0] (5) DATA[0] (5)
nCONFIG nCONFIG
DCLK (5) DCLK (5)

Buffers (5)

Notes to Figure 8–14:

(1) The pull-up resistor must be connected to a supply that provides an acceptable input signal for all devices in the
chain. VCC must be high enough to meet the VIH specification of the I/O on the device and the external host.
(2) Connect the pull-up resistor to the VCCIO supply voltage of the I/O bank in which the nCE pin resides.
(3) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(4) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect the MSEL pins,
refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly
to VCCA or GND.
(5) All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. DATA[0] and DCLK must fit the maximum overshoot
outlined in Equation 8–1 on page 8–5.

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8–34 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Configuration

After the first device completes configuration in a multi-device configuration chain,

its nCEO pin drives low to activate the nCE pin of the second device, which prompts
the second device to begin configuration. The second device in the chain begins
configuration in one clock cycle. Therefore, the transfer of data destinations is
transparent to the external host device. nCONFIG, nSTATUS, DCLK, DATA[0], and
CONF_DONE configuration pins are connected to every device in the chain. To ensure
signal integrity and prevent clock skew problems, configuration signals may require
buffering. Ensure that DCLK and DATA lines are buffered. All devices initialize and
enter user mode at the same time because all CONF_DONE pins are tied together.
If any device detects an error, configuration stops for the entire chain and you must
reconfigure the entire chain because all nSTATUS and CONF_DONE pins are tied
together. For example, if the first device flags an error on nSTATUS, it resets the chain
by pulling its nSTATUS pin low. This behavior is similar to a single device detecting
an error.
You can have multiple devices that contain the same configuration data in your
system. To support this configuration scheme, all device nCE inputs are tied to GND,
while the nCEO pins are left floating. nCONFIG, nSTATUS, DCLK, DATA[0], and
CONF_DONE configuration pins are connected to every device in the chain. To ensure
signal integrity and prevent clock skew problems, configuration signals may require
buffering. Ensure that the DCLK and DATA lines are buffered. Devices must be of the
same density and package. All devices start and complete configuration at the same
time.
Figure 8–15 shows a multi-device PS configuration when both Cyclone IV devices are
receiving the same configuration data.

Figure 8–15. Multi-Device PS Configuration When Both Devices Receive the Same Data

Memory
VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) Cyclone IV Master Device Cyclone IV Slave Device
ADDR DATA[0]
10 k 10 k (3)
MSEL[ ] MSEL[ ] (3)
CONF_DONE CONF_DONE
nSTATUS nSTATUS
External Host nCE nCEO N.C. (2) nCE nCEO N.C. (2)
(MAX II Device or GND GND
Microprocessor) DATA[0] (4) DATA[0] (4)
nCONFIG nCONFIG
DCLK (4) DCLK (4)

Buffers (4)

Notes to Figure 8–15:

(1) You must connect the pull-up resistor to a supply that provides an acceptable input signal for all devices in the chain.
VCC must be high enough to meet the VIH specification of the I/O on the device and the external host.
(2) The nCEO pins of both devices are left unconnected or used as user I/O pins when configuring the same
configuration data into multiple devices.
(3) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect the MSEL pins,
refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly
to VCCA or GND.
(4) All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. DATA[0] and DCLK must fit the maximum overshoot
outlined in Equation 8–1 on page 8–5.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–35
Configuration

PS Configuration Timing
A PS configuration must meet the setup and hold timing parameters and the
maximum clock frequency. When using a microprocessor or another intelligent host
to control the PS interface, ensure that you meet these timing requirements.
Figure 8–16 shows the timing waveform for PS configuration when using an external
host device.

Figure 8–16. PS Configuration Timing Waveform (Note 1)

tCF2ST1
tCFG

nCONFIG tCF2CK

nSTATUS (2) tSTATUS

tCF2ST0 t CLK
CONF_DONE (3)
tCH tCL
tCF2CD
tST2CK

DCLK (4)
tDH
DATA[0] Bit 0 Bit 1 Bit 2 Bit 3 Bit n (5)
tDSU

User I/O Tri-stated with internal pull-up resistor User Mode

INIT_DONE

tCD2UM

Notes to Figure 8–16:

(1) The beginning of this waveform shows the device in user mode. In user mode, nCONFIG, nSTATUS, and
CONF_DONE are at logic-high levels. When nCONFIG is pulled low, a reconfiguration cycle begins.
(2) After power up, the Cyclone IV device holds nSTATUS low during POR delay.
(3) After power up, before and during configuration, CONF_DONE is low.
(4) In user mode, drive DCLK either high or low when using the PS configuration scheme, whichever is more convenient.
When using the AS configuration scheme, DCLK is a Cyclone IV device output pin and must not be driven externally.
(5) Do not leave the DATA[0]pin floating after configuration. Drive the DATA[0]pin high or low, whichever is more
convenient.

Table 8–10 lists the PS configuration timing parameters for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 8–10. PS Configuration Timing Parameters For Cyclone IV Devices (Part 1 of 2) (Note 1)
Minimum Maximum
Symbol Parameter Unit
Cyclone IV (2) Cyclone IV E (3) Cyclone IV (2) Cyclone IV E (3)
nCONFIG low to
tCF2CD — 500 ns
CONF_DONE low
nCONFIG low to
tCF2ST0 — 500 ns
nSTATUS low
nCONFIG low pulse
tCFG 500 — ns
width
nSTATUS low pulse
tSTATUS 45 230 (4) µs
width

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Configuration

Table 8–10. PS Configuration Timing Parameters For Cyclone IV Devices (Part 2 of 2) (Note 1)
Minimum Maximum
Symbol Parameter Unit
Cyclone IV (2) Cyclone IV E (3) Cyclone IV (2) Cyclone IV E (3)

nCONFIG high to
tCF2ST1 — 230 (5) µs
nSTATUS high
nCONFIG high to first
tCF2CK 230 (4) — µs
rising edge on DCLK
nSTATUS high to first
tST2CK 2 — µs
rising edge of DCLK
Data hold time after
tDH 0 — ns
rising edge on DCLK
CONF_DONE high to
tCD2UM 300 650 µs
user mode (6)
CONF_DONE high to
tCD2CU 4 × maximum DCLK period — —
CLKUSR enabled
CONF_DONE high to
tCD2UMC user mode with tCD2CU + (3,192 × CLKUSR period) — —
CLKUSR option on
Data setup time before
tDSU 5 8 — — ns
rising edge on DCLK
tCH DCLK high time 3.2 6.4 — — ns
tCL DCLK low time 3.2 6.4 — — ns
tCLK DCLK period 7.5 15 — — ns
fMAX DCLK frequency (7) — — 133 66 MHz
Notes to Table 8–10:
(1) This information is preliminary.
(2) Applicable for Cyclone IV GX and Cyclone IV E devices with 1.2-V core voltage.
(3) Applicable for Cyclone IV E devices with 1.0-V core voltage.
(4) This value is applicable if you do not delay configuration by extending the nCONFIG or nSTATUS low pulse width.
(5) This value is applicable if you do not delay configuration by externally holding the nSTATUS low.
(6) The minimum and maximum numbers apply only if you choose the internal oscillator as the clock source for starting the device.
(7) Cyclone IV E devices with 1.0-V core voltage have slower FMAX when compared with Cyclone IV GX devices with 1.2-V core voltage.

PS Configuration Using a Download Cable

In this section, the generic term “download cable” includes the Altera USB-Blaster
USB port download cable, MasterBlaster™ serial and USB communications cable,
ByteBlaster II parallel port download cable, the ByteBlasterMV ™ parallel port
download cable, and the EthernetBlaster communications cable.
In the PS configuration with a download cable, an intelligent host (such as a PC)
transfers data from a storage device to the Cyclone IV device through the download
cable.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–37
Configuration

The programming hardware or download cable then places the configuration data
one bit at a time on the DATA[0] pin of the device. The configuration data is clocked
into the target device until CONF_DONE goes high. The CONF_DONE pin must have an
external 10-k pull-up resistor for the device to initialize.
When you use a download cable, setting the Auto-restart configuration after error
option does not affect the configuration cycle because you must manually restart
configuration in the Quartus II software if an error occurs. Additionally, the Enable
user-supplied start-up clock (CLKUSR) option has no effect on device initialization,
because this option is disabled in the .sof when programming the device with the
Quartus II Programmer and download cable. Therefore, if you turn on the CLKUSR
option, you do not have to provide a clock on CLKUSR when you configure the device
with the Quartus II Programmer and a download cable.
Figure 8–17 shows PS configuration for Cyclone IV devices with a download cable.

Figure 8–17. PS Configuration Using a Download Cable

VCCA (1)

(2) 10 kΩ

VCCA (1) VCCA (1)

VCCA (1)
VCCA (1)
10 kΩ 10 kΩ 10 kΩ
(2) Cyclone IV Device 10 kΩ
CONF_DONE
nSTATUS

MSEL[ ] (5)
Download Cable 10-Pin Male
nCE nCEO N.C. (4) Header (Top View)
GND
DCLK
DATA[0] Pin 1 VCCA (6)
nCONFIG

GND
VIO (3)

Shield
GND

Notes to Figure 8–17:

(1) You must connect the pull-up resistor to the same supply voltage as the VCCA supply.
(2) The pull-up resistors on DATA[0] and DCLK are only required if the download cable is the only configuration
scheme used on your board. This is to ensure that DATA[0] and DCLK are not left floating after configuration. For
example, if you also use a configuration device, the pull-up resistors on DATA[0] and DCLK are not required.
(3) Pin 6 of the header is a VIO reference voltage for the MasterBlaster output driver. VIO must match the VCCA of the
device. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide. With the USB-Blaster,
ByteBlaster II, ByteBlaster MV, and EthernetBlaster, this pin is a no connect.
(4) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(5) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect the MSEL pins,
refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9 for PS configuration schemes.
Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(6) Power up the VCC of the ByteBlaster II, USB-Blaster, or ByteBlasterMV cable with a 2.5-V supply from VCCA.
Third-party programmers must switch to 2.5 V. Pin 4 of the header is a VCC power supply for the MasterBlaster cable.
The MasterBlaster cable can receive power from either 5.0- or 3.3-V circuit boards, DC power supply, or 5.0 V from
the USB cable. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide.

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Configuration

You can use a download cable to configure multiple Cyclone IV device configuration
pins. nCONFIG, nSTATUS, DCLK, DATA[0], and CONF_DONE are connected to every
device in the chain. All devices in the chain utilize and enter user mode at the same
time because all CONF_DONE pins are tied together.
In addition, the entire chain halts configuration if any device detects an error because
the nSTATUS pins are tied together. Figure 8–18 shows the PS configuration for
multiple Cyclone IV devices using a MasterBlaster, USB-Blaster, ByteBlaster II, or
ByteBlasterMV cable.

Figure 8–18. Multi-Device PS Configuration Using a Download Cable

VCCA (1)

10 kΩ Download Cable
VCCA (1) (2) 10-Pin Male Header

VCCA (1) VCCA (1)

10 kΩ (Passive Serial Mode)
10 kΩ 10 kΩ
Cyclone IV Device 1
(2) Pin 1
VCCIO (4) CONF_DONE VCCA (7)
nSTATUS
10 kΩ DCLK
MSEL[ ] (6) GND
VCCA (1) VIO (3)
nCE
10 kΩ
GND
DATA[0] nCEO
nCONFIG GND

Cyclone IV Device 2
CONF_DONE
nSTATUS
MSEL[ ] DCLK
(6)

nCEO N.C. (5)

nCE

DATA[0]
nCONFIG

Notes to Figure 8–18:

(1) You must connect the pull-up resistor to the same supply voltage as the VCCA supply.
(2) The pull-up resistors on DATA[0] and DCLK are only required if the download cable is the only configuration
scheme used on your board. This ensures that DATA[0] and DCLK are not left floating after configuration. For
example, if you also use a configuration device, the pull-up resistors on DATA[0] and DCLK are not required.
(3) Pin 6 of the header is a VIO reference voltage for the MasterBlaster output driver. VIO must match the VCCA of the
device. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide. When using the
ByteBlasterMV download cable, this pin is a no connect. When using USB-Blaster, ByteBlaster II, and EthernetBlaster
cables, this pin is connected to nCE when it is used for AS programming. Otherwise, it is a no connect.
(4) Connect the pull-up resistor to the VCCIO supply voltage of the I/O bank in which the nCE pin resides.
(5) The nCEO pin of the last device in the chain is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin.
(6) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect MSEL for PS
configuration schemes, refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect
the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(7) Power up the VCC of the ByteBlaster II, USB-Blaster, or ByteBlasterMV cable with a 2.5 V supply from VCCA. Third-party
programmers must switch to 2.5 V. Pin 4 of the header is a VCC power supply for the MasterBlaster cable. The
MasterBlaster cable can receive power from either 5.0- or 3.3-V circuit boards, DC power supply, or 5.0 V from the
USB cable. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–39
Configuration

FPP Configuration
The FPP configuration in Cyclone IV devices is designed to meet the increasing
demand for faster configuration time. Cyclone IV devices are designed with the
capability of receiving byte-wide configuration data per clock cycle.
You can perform FPP configuration of Cyclone IV devices with an intelligent host,
such as a MAX II device or microprocessor with flash memory. If your system already
contains a CFI flash memory, you can use it for the Cyclone IV device configuration
storage as well. The MAX II PFL feature in MAX II devices provides an efficient
method to program CFI flash memory devices through the JTAG interface and the
logic to control configuration from the flash memory device to the Cyclone IV device.

f For more information about the PFL, refer to AN 386: Using the Parallel Flash Loader
with the Quartus II Software.

1 FPP configuration is supported in EP4CGX30 (only for F484 package), EP4CGX50,

EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, EP4CGX150, and all Cyclone IV E devices.

1 The FPP configuration is not supported in E144 package of Cyclone IV E devices.

1 Cyclone IV devices do not support enhanced configuration devices for FPP

configuration.

FPP Configuration Using an External Host

FPP configuration using an external host provides a fast method to configure
Cyclone IV devices. In the FPP configuration scheme, you can use an external host
device to control the transfer of configuration data from a storage device, such as flash
memory, to the target Cyclone IV device. You can store configuration data in an .rbf,
.hex, or .ttf format. When using the external host, a design that controls the
configuration process, such as fetching the data from flash memory and sending it to
the device, must be stored in the external host device. Figure 8–19 shows the
configuration interface connections between the Cyclone IV devices and an external
device for single-device configuration.

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Configuration

Figure 8–19. Single-Device FPP Configuration Using an External Host

Memory
VCCIO(1) VCCIO(1) Cyclone IV Device
ADDR DATA[7..0]
10 k 10 k
MSEL[3..0] (3)
CONF_DONE
nSTATUS
External Host nCE nCEO N.C. (2)
(MAX II Device or GND
Microprocessor) DATA[7..0] (4)
nCONFIG
DCLK (4)

Notes to Figure 8–19:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistor to a supply that provides an acceptable input signal for the device. VCC must be high
enough to meet the VIH specification of the I/O on the device and the external host.
(2) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(3) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect the MSEL pins,
refer to Table 8–4 on page 8–8 and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(4) All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. DATA[7..0] and DCLK must fit the maximum
overshoot outlined in Equation 8–1 on page 8–5.

After nSTATUS is released, the device is ready to receive configuration data and the
configuration stage begins. When nSTATUS is pulled high, the external host device
places the configuration data one byte at a time on the DATA[7..0]pins.
Cyclone IV devices receive configuration data on the DATA[7..0] pins and the clock
is received on the DCLK pin. Data is latched into the device on the rising edge of DCLK.
Data is continuously clocked into the target device until CONF_DONE goes high. The
CONF_DONE pin goes high one byte early in FPP configuration mode. The last byte is
required for serial configuration (AS and PS) modes.

1 Two DCLK falling edges are required after CONF_DONE goes high to begin
initialization of the device.

Supplying a clock on CLKUSR does not affect the configuration process. After the
CONF_DONE pin goes high, CLKUSR is enabled after the time specified as tCD2CU. After
this time period elapses, Cyclone IV devices require 3,192 clock cycles to initialize
properly and enter user mode. For more information about the supported CLKUSR
fMAX value for Cyclone IV devices, refer to Table 8–11 on page 8–43.
The INIT_DONE pin is released and pulled high when initialization is complete. The
external host device must be able to detect this low-to-high transition, which signals
the device has entered user mode. When initialization is complete, the device enters
user mode. In user mode, the user I/O pins no longer have weak pull-up resistors and
function as assigned in your design.
To ensure that DCLK and DATA[0] are not left floating at the end of the configuration,
the MAX II device must drive them either high or low, whichever is convenient on
your board. The DATA[0] pin is available as a user I/O pin after configuration. When
you choose the FPP scheme in the Quartus II software, the DATA[0] pin is tri-stated
by default in user mode and must be driven by the external host device. To change
this default option in the Quartus II software, select the Dual-Purpose Pins tab of the
Device and Pin Options dialog box.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–41
Configuration

The DCLK speed must be below the specified system frequency to ensure correct
configuration. No maximum DCLK period exists, which means you can pause
configuration by halting DCLK for an indefinite amount of time.
The external host device can also monitor the CONF_DONE and INIT_DONE pins to
ensure successful configuration. The CONF_DONE pin must be monitored by the
external device to detect errors and to determine when programming is complete. If
all configuration data is sent, but CONF_DONE or INIT_DONE has not gone high, the
external device must reconfigure the target device.
Figure 8–20 shows how to configure multiple devices with a MAX II device. This
circuit is similar to the FPP configuration circuit for a single device, except the
Cyclone IV devices are cascaded for multi-device configuration.

Figure 8–20. Multi-Device FPP Configuration Using an External Host

Memory VCCIO (2)

VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1)
Cyclone IV Device 1 Cyclone IV Device 2
ADDR DATA[7..0]
10 k
10 k 10 k (4)
MSEL[3..0] MSEL[3..0] (4)
CONF_DONE CONF_DONE
nSTATUS nSTATUS
External Host nCE nCEO nCE nCEO N.C. (3)
(MAX II Device or GND
Microprocessor) DATA[7..0] (5) DATA[7..0] (5)
nCONFIG nCONFIG
DCLK (5) DCLK (5)

Buffers (5)

Notes to Figure 8–20:

(1) The pull-up resistor must be connected to a supply that provides an acceptable input signal for all devices in the
chain. VCC must be high enough to meet the VIH specification of the I/O on the device and the external host.
(2) Connect the pull-up resistor to the VCCIO supply voltage of the I/O bank in which the nCE pin resides.
(3) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(4) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect the MSEL pins,
refer to Table 8–4 on page 8–8 and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(5) All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. DATA[7..0] and DCLK must fit the maximum
overshoot outlined in Equation 8–1 on page 8–5.

After the first device completes configuration in a multi-device configuration chain,

its nCEO pin drives low to activate the nCE pin of the second device, which prompts
the second device to begin configuration. The second device in the chain begins
configuration in one clock cycle; therefore, the transfer of data destinations is
transparent to the MAX II device. All other configuration pins (nCONFIG, nSTATUS,
DCLK, DATA[7..0], and CONF_DONE) are connected to every device in the chain.
Configuration signals may require buffering to ensure signal integrity and prevent
clock skew problems. Ensure that the DCLK and DATA lines are buffered. All devices
initialize and enter user mode at the same time, because all device CONF_DONE pins
are tied together.
All nSTATUS and CONF_DONE pins are tied together and if any device detects an error,
configuration stops for the entire chain and the entire chain must be reconfigured. For
example, if the first device flags an error on nSTATUS, it resets the chain by pulling its
nSTATUS pin low. This behavior is similar to a single device detecting an error.

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Configuration

Figure 8–21 shows multi-device FPP configuration when both Cyclone IV devices are
receiving the same configuration data. Configuration pins (nCONFIG, nSTATUS,
DCLK, DATA[7..0], and CONF_DONE) are connected to every device in the chain.
Configuration signals may require buffering to ensure signal integrity and prevent
clock skew problems. Ensure that the DCLK and DATA lines are buffered. Devices must
be of the same density and package. All devices start and complete configuration at
the same time.

Figure 8–21. Multi-Device FPP Configuration Using an External Host When Both Devices Receive the
Same Data

Memory
VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) Cyclone IV Device 1 Cyclone IV Device 2
ADDR DATA[7..0]
10 k 10 k (3)
MSEL[3..0] MSEL[3..0] (3)
CONF_DONE CONF_DONE
nSTATUS nSTATUS
External Host nCE nCEO N.C. (2) nCE nCEO N.C. (2)
(MAX II Device or GND GND
Microprocessor) DATA[7..0] (4) DATA[7..0] (4)
nCONFIG nCONFIG
DCLK (4) DCLK (4)

Buffers (4)

Notes to Figure 8–21:

(1) You must connect the pull-up resistor to a supply that provides an acceptable input signal for all devices in the chain.
VCC must be high enough to meet the VIH specification of the I/O on the device and the external host.
(2) The nCEO pins of both devices are left unconnected or used as user I/O pins when configuring the same
configuration data into multiple devices.
(3) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect the MSEL pins,
refer to Table 8–4 on page 8–8 and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(4) All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. DATA[7..0] and DCLK must fit the maximum
overshoot outlined in Equation 8–1 on page 8–5.

You can use a single configuration chain to configure Cyclone IV devices with other
Altera devices that support FPP configuration. To ensure that all devices in the chain
complete configuration at the same time or that an error flagged by one device starts
reconfiguration in all devices, tie all the CONF_DONE and nSTATUS pins together.

f For more information about configuring multiple Altera devices in the same
configuration chain, refer to Configuring Mixed Altera FPGA Chains in volume 2 of the
Configuration Handbook.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–43
Configuration

FPP Configuration Timing

Figure 8–22 shows the timing waveform for the FPP configuration when using an
external host.

Figure 8–22. FPP Configuration Timing Waveform (Note 1)

tCF2ST1
tCFG

nCONFIG tCF2CK

nSTATUS (2) tSTATUS

tCF2ST0 t CLK
CONF_DONE (3) tCH tCL
tCF2CD
tST2CK
(4)
DCLK
tDH
(5)
DATA[7..0] Byte 0 Byte 1 Byte 2 Byte 3 Byte n-1 Byte n User Mode
tDSU

User I/O Tri-stated with internal pull-up resistor User Mode

INIT_DONE

tCD2UM

Notes to Figure 8–22:

(1) The beginning of this waveform shows the device in user mode. In user mode, nCONFIG, nSTATUS, and
CONF_DONE are at logic-high levels. When nCONFIG is pulled low, a reconfiguration cycle begins.
(2) After power up, the Cyclone IV device holds nSTATUS low during POR delay.
(3) After power up, before and during configuration, CONF_DONE is low.
(4) Do not leave DCLK floating after configuration. It must be driven high or low, whichever is more convenient.
(5) DATA[7..0] is available as a user I/O pin after configuration; the state of the pin depends on the dual-purpose pin
settings.

Table 8–11 lists the FPP configuration timing parameters for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 8–11. FPP Timing Parameters for Cyclone IV Devices (Part 1 of 2) (Note 1)
Minimum Maximum
Symbol Parameter Unit
Cyclone IV (2) Cyclone IV E (3) Cyclone IV (2) Cyclone IV E (3)
nCONFIG low to
tCF2CD — 500 ns
CONF_DONE low
nCONFIG low to
tCF2ST0 — 500 ns
nSTATUS low
nCONFIG low
tCFG 500 — ns
pulse width
nSTATUS low
tSTATUS 45 230 (4) µs
pulse width
nCONFIG high to
tCF2ST1 — 230 (5) µs
nSTATUS high
nCONFIG high to
tCF2CK first rising edge on 230 (4) — µs
DCLK

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Configuration

Table 8–11. FPP Timing Parameters for Cyclone IV Devices (Part 2 of 2) (Note 1)
Minimum Maximum
Symbol Parameter Unit
Cyclone IV (2) Cyclone IV E (3) Cyclone IV (2) Cyclone IV E (3)

nSTATUS high to
tST2CK first rising edge of 2 — µs
DCLK
Data hold time after
tDH rising edge on 0 — ns
DCLK
CONF_DONE high
tCD2UM 300 650 µs
to user mode (6)
CONF_DONE high
tCD2CU to CLKUSR 4 × maximum DCLK period — —
enabled
CONF_DONE high
tCD2UMC to user mode with tCD2CU + (3,192 × CLKUSR period) — —
CLKUSR option on
Data setup time
tDSU before rising edge 5 8 — — ns
on DCLK
tCH DCLK high time 3.2 6.4 — — ns
tCL DCLK low time 3.2 6.4 — — ns
tCLK DCLK period 7.5 15 — — ns
DCLK frequency
fMAX — — 133 66 MHz
(7)
Notes to Table 8–11:
(1) This information is preliminary.
(2) Applicable for Cyclone IV GX and Cyclone IV E with 1.2-V core voltage.
(3) Applicable for Cyclone IV E with 1.0-V core voltage.
(4) This value is applicable if you do not delay configuration by extending the nCONFIG or nSTATUS low pulse width.
(5) This value is applicable if you do not delay configuration by externally holding the nSTATUS low.
(6) The minimum and maximum numbers apply only if you choose the internal oscillator as the clock source for starting the device.
(7) Cyclone IV E devices with 1.0-V core voltage have slower FMAX when compared with Cyclone IV GX devices with 1.2-V core voltage.

JTAG Configuration
JTAG has developed a specification for boundary-scan testing (BST). The BST
architecture offers the capability to efficiently test components on PCBs with tight
lead spacing. The BST architecture can test pin connections without using physical
test probes and capture functional data while a device is normally operating. You can
also use the JTAG circuitry to shift configuration data into the device. The Quartus II
software automatically generates .sof for JTAG configuration with a download cable
in the Quartus II software Programmer.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–45
Configuration

f For more information about the JTAG boundary-scan testing, refer to the JTAG
Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

JTAG instructions have precedence over any other configuration modes. Therefore,
JTAG configuration can take place without waiting for other configuration modes to
complete. For example, if you attempt JTAG configuration in Cyclone IV devices
during PS configuration, PS configuration terminates and JTAG configuration begins.
If the MSEL pins are set to AS mode, the Cyclone IV device does not output a DCLK
signal when JTAG configuration takes place.
The four required pins for a device operating in JTAG mode are TDI, TDO, TMS, and
TCK. All the JTAG input pins are powered by the VCCIO pin and support the LVTTL
I/O standard only. All user I/O pins are tri-stated during JTAG configuration.
Table 8–12 explains the function of each JTAG pin.

Table 8–12. Dedicated JTAG Pins

Pin Name Pin Type Description
Serial input pin for instructions as well as test and programming data. Data shifts in on the
Test data rising edge of TCK. If the JTAG interface is not required on the board, the JTAG circuitry is
TDI
input disabled by connecting this pin to VCC. TDI pin has weak internal pull-up resistors (typically 25
k).
Serial data output pin for instructions as well as test and programming data. Data shifts out on
Test data the falling edge of TCK . The pin is tri-stated if data is not being shifted out of the device. If the
TDO
output JTAG interface is not required on the board, the JTAG circuitry is disabled by leaving this pin
unconnected.
Input pin that provides the control signal to determine the transitions of the TAP controller
state machine. Transitions in the state machine occur on the rising edge of TCK. Therefore,
Test mode
TMS TMS must be set up before the rising edge of TCK. TMS is evaluated on the rising edge of
select
TCK. If the JTAG interface is not required on the board, the JTAG circuitry is disabled by
connecting this pin to VCC. TMS pin has weak internal pull-up resistors (typically 25 k).
The clock input to the BST circuitry. Some operations occur at the rising edge, while others
Test clock occur at the falling edge. If the JTAG interface is not required on the board, the JTAG circuitry
TCK
input is disabled by connecting this pin to GND. The TCK pin has an internal weak pull-down
resistor.

You can download data to the device through the USB-Blaster, MasterBlaster,
ByteBlaster II, or ByteBlasterMV download cable, or the EthernetBlaster
communications cable during JTAG configuration. Configuring devices with a cable is
similar to programming devices in-system. Figure 8–23 and Figure 8–24 show the
JTAG configuration of a single Cyclone IV device.
For device using VCCIO of 2.5, 3.0, and 3.3 V, refer to Figure 8–23. All I/O inputs must
maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V because JTAG pins do not have the internal
PCI clamping diodes to prevent voltage overshoot when using VCCIO of 2.5, 3.0, and
3.3 V. You must power up the VCC of the download cable with a 2.5-V supply from
VCCA. For device using V CCIO of 1.2, 1.5, and 1.8 V, refer to Figure 8–24. You can power
up the VCC of the download cable with the supply from VCCIO.

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Configuration

Figure 8–23. JTAG Configuration of a Single Device Using a Download Cable (2.5, 3.0, and 3.3-V
VCCIO Powering the JTAG Pins)
VCCA

(7)
VCCIO (1)
VCCA
VCCIO (1) 10 kΩ
Cyclone IV Device (7)
10 kΩ nCE (4) TCK
TDO
GND
N.C. (5) nCEO
TMS Download Cable 10-Pin Male
nSTATUS TDI Header (Top View)
CONF_DONE
(2) nCONFIG
(2) Pin 1 VCCA (6)
MSEL[ ]
(2) DATA[0]
(2) DCLK
GND
VIO (3)

1 kΩ

GND GND

Notes to Figure 8–23:

(1) Connect these pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Connect the nCONFIG and MSEL pins to support a non-JTAG configuration scheme. If you only use JTAG
configuration, connect the nCONFIG pin to logic-high and the MSEL pins to GND. In addition, pull DCLK and
DATA[0] to either high or low, whichever is convenient on your board.
(3) Pin 6 of the header is a VIO reference voltage for the MasterBlaster output driver. VIO must match the device’s VCCA.
For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide. When using the USB-Blaster,
ByteBlaster II, ByteBlasterMV, and EthernetBlaster cables, this pin is a no connect.
(4) The nCE pin must be connected to GND or driven low for successful JTAG configuration.
(5) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(6) Power up the VCC of the EthernetBlaster, ByteBlaster II, USB-Blaster, or ByteBlasterMV cable with a 2.5-V supply from
VCCA. Third-party programmers must switch to 2.5 V. Pin 4 of the header is a VCC power supply for the MasterBlaster
cable. The MasterBlaster cable can receive power from either 5.0- or 3.3-V circuit boards, DC power supply, or 5.0 V
from the USB cable. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide.
(7) Resistor value can vary from 1 k to 10 k..

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–47
Configuration

Figure 8–24. JTAG Configuration of a Single Device Using a Download Cable (1.5-V or 1.8-V VCCIO
Powering the JTAG Pins)
VCCIO

(7)
VCCIO (1)
VCCIO
VCCIO (1) 10 kΩ
Cyclone IV Device (7)
10 kΩ nCE (4) TCK
TDO
GND
N.C. (5) nCEO
TMS Download Cable 10-Pin Male
nSTATUS TDI Header (Top View)
CONF_DONE
(2) nCONFIG
(2) Pin 1 VCCIO (6)
MSEL[ ]
(2) DATA[0]
(2) DCLK
GND
VIO (3)

1 kΩ

GND GND

Notes to Figure 8–24:

(1) Connect these pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Connect the nCONFIG and MSEL pins to support a non-JTAG configuration scheme. If you only use JTAG
configuration, connect the nCONFIG pin to logic-high and the MSEL pins to GND. In addition, pull DCLK and
DATA[0] to either high or low, whichever is convenient on your board.
(3) In the USB-Blaster and ByteBlaster II cables, this pin is connected to nCE when it is used for AS programming;
otherwise it is a no connect.
(4) The nCE must be connected to GND or driven low for successful JTAG configuration.
(5) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(6) Power up the VCC of the EthernetBlaster, ByteBlaster II or USB-Blaster cable with supply from VCCIO. The
Ethernet-Blaster, ByteBlaster II, and USB-Blaster cables do not support a target supply voltage of 1.2 V. For the target
supply voltage value, refer to the ByteBlaster II Download Cable User Guide, the USB-Blaster Download Cable User
Guide, and the EthernetBlaster Communications Cable User Guide.
(7) Resistor value can vary from 1 k to 10 k..

To configure a single device in a JTAG chain, the programming software places all
other devices in bypass mode. In bypass mode, devices pass programming data from
the TDI pin to the TDO pin through a single bypass register without being affected
internally. This scheme enables the programming software to program or verify the
target device. Configuration data driven into the device appears on the TDO pin one
clock cycle later.
The Quartus II software verifies successful JTAG configuration after completion. At
the end of configuration, the software checks the state of CONF_DONE through the
JTAG port. When Quartus II generates a .jam for a multi-device chain, it contains
instructions so that all the devices in the chain are initialized at the same time. If
CONF_DONE is not high, the Quartus II software indicates that configuration has
failed. If CONF_DONE is high, the software indicates that configuration was successful.
After the configuration bitstream is serially sent using the JTAG TDI port, the TCK
port clocks an additional clock cycles to perform device initialization.

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8–48 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Configuration

You can perform JTAG testing on Cyclone IV devices before, during, and after
configuration. Cyclone IV devices support the BYPASS, IDCODE, and SAMPLE
instructions during configuration without interrupting configuration. All other JTAG
instructions can only be issued by first interrupting configuration and
reprogramming I/O pins with the ACTIVE_DISENGAGE and CONFIG_IO
instructions.
The CONFIG_IO instruction allows you to configure the I/O buffers through the
JTAG port and interrupts configuration when issued after the ACTIVE_DISENGAGE
instruction. This instruction allows you to perform board-level testing prior to
configuring the Cyclone IV device or waiting for a configuration device to complete
configuration. Prior to issuing the CONFIG_IO instruction, you must issue the
ACTIVE_DISENGAGE instruction. This is because in Cyclone IV devices, the
CONFIG_IO instruction does not hold nSTATUS low until reconfiguration, so you
must disengage the active configuration mode controller when active configuration is
interrupted. The ACTIVE_DISENGAGE instruction places the active configuration
mode controllers in an idle state prior to JTAG programming. Additionally, the
ACTIVE_ENGAGE instruction allows you to re-engage a disengaged active
configuration mode controller.

1 You must follow a specific flow when executing the ACTIVE_DISENGAGE,

CONFIG_IO, and ACTIVE_ENGAGE JTAG instructions in Cyclone IV devices.

The chip-wide reset (DEV_CLRn) and chip-wide output enable (DEV_OE) pins in
Cyclone IV devices do not affect JTAG boundary-scan or programming operations.
Toggling these pins do not affect JTAG operations (other than the usual
boundary-scan operation).
When designing a board for JTAG configuration of Cyclone IV devices, consider the
dedicated configuration pins. Table 8–13 describes how you must connect these pins
during JTAG configuration.

Table 8–13. Dedicated Configuration Pin Connections During JTAG Configuration

Signal Description
On all Cyclone IV devices in the chain, nCE must be driven low by connecting it to GND, pulling it low
through a resistor, or driving it by some control circuitry. For devices that are also in multi-device AS, AP,
nCE
PS, or FPP configuration chains, you must connect the nCE pins to GND during JTAG configuration or
JTAG configured in the same order as the configuration chain.
nCEO On all Cyclone IV devices in the chain, nCEO is left floating or connected to the nCE of the next device.
These pins must not be left floating. These pins support whichever non-JTAG configuration that you used
MSEL
in production. If you only use JTAG configuration, tie these pins to GND.
Driven high by connecting to the V CCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides and pulling up through
nCONFIG
a resistor or driven high by some control circuitry.
Pull to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides through a 10-k resistor. When configuring
nSTATUS
multiple devices in the same JTAG chain, each nSTATUS pin must be pulled up to the VCCIO individually.
Pull to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides through a 10-k resistor. When configuring
multiple devices in the same JTAG chain, each CONF_DONE pin must be pulled up to VCCIO supply of the
CONF_DONE
bank in which the pin resides individually. CONF_DONE going high at the end of JTAG configuration
indicates successful configuration.
DCLK Must not be left floating. Drive low or high, whichever is more convenient on your board.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–49
Configuration

When programming a JTAG device chain, one JTAG-compatible header is connected

to several devices. The number of devices in the JTAG chain is limited only by the
drive capability of the download cable. When four or more devices are connected in a
JTAG chain, Altera recommends buffering the TCK, TDI, and TMS pins with an
on-board buffer.
JTAG-chain device programming is ideal when the system contains multiple devices,
or when testing your system with JTAG BST circuitry. Figure 8–25 and Figure 8–26
show multi-device JTAG configuration.
For devices using 2.5-, 3.0-, and 3.3-V VCCIO supply, you must refer to Figure 8–25. All
I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V because JTAG pins do not
have the internal PCI clamping diodes to prevent voltage overshoot when using 2.5-,
3.0-, and 3.3- V VCCIO supply. You must power up the VCC of the download cable with a
2.5-V VCCA supply. For device using VCCIO of 1.2, 1.5 V, and 1.8 V, refer to Figure 8–26.
You can power up the VCC of the download cable with the supply from VCCIO.

Figure 8–25. JTAG Configuration of Multiple Devices Using a Download Cable (2.5, 3.0, and 3.3-V VCCIO Powering the JTAG
Pins)
Download Cable VCCIO (1)
VCCA VCCIO(1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1)
10-Pin Male Header

10 kΩ Cyclone IV Device 10 kΩ Cyclone IV Device 10 kΩ 10 kΩ Cyclone IV Device 10 kΩ

Pin 1 (6) 10 kΩ
VCCA (5) V nSTATUS
CCA nSTATUS nSTATUS
(2) DATA[0] (2) DATA[0] (2) DATA[0]
(6) (2) DCLK (2) DCLK (2) DCLK
(2) nCONFIG CONF_DONE (2) nCONFIG CONF_DONE (2) nCONFIG CONF_DONE
(2) MSEL[ ] (2) MSEL[ ] (2) MSEL[ ]
(2) nCEO (2) nCEO (2) nCEO
VIO nCE (4) nCE (4) nCE (4)
(3)

TDI TDO TDI TDO TDI TDO

TMS TCK TMS TCK TMS TCK

1 kΩ

Notes to Figure 8–25:

(1) Connect these pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Connect the nCONFIG and MSEL pins to support a non-JTAG configuration scheme. If you only use a JTAG configuration, connect the nCONFIG
pin to logic-high and the MSEL pins to GND. In addition, pull DCLK and DATA[0] to either high or low, whichever is convenient on your board.
(3) Pin 6 of the header is a VIO reference voltage for the MasterBlaster output driver. VIO must match the VCCA of the device. For this value, refer to the
MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide. In the ByteBlasterMV cable, this pin is a no connect. In the USB-Blaster and
ByteBlaster II cables, this pin is connected to nCE when it is used for AS programming, otherwise it is a no connect.
(4) You must connect the nCE pin to GND or driven low for successful JTAG configuration.
(5) Power up the VCC of the ByteBlaster II, USB-Blaster, or ByteBlasterMV cable with a 2.5-V supply from VCCA. Third-party programmers must switch
to 2.5 V. Pin 4 of the header is a VCC power supply for the MasterBlaster cable. The MasterBlaster cable can receive power from either 5.0- or 3.3-V
circuit boards, DC power supply, or 5.0 V from the USB cable. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User
Guide.
(6) Resistor value can vary from 1 k to 10 k..

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Configuration

Figure 8–26. JTAG Configuration of Multiple Devices Using a Download Cable (1.2, 1.5, and 1.8-V VCCIO Powering the JTAG
Pins)

Download Cable VCCIO VCCIO VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1) VCCIO (1)
10-Pin Male Header
10 kΩ 10 kΩ Cyclone IV Device 10 kΩ 10 kΩ 10 kΩ
Pin 1 (6) Cyclone IV Device 10 kΩ Cyclone IV Device
VCCIO (5)
VCCIO (1) nSTATUS nSTATUS nSTATUS
(2) DATA[0] (2) DATA[0] (2) DATA[0]
(6) (2) DCLK (2) DCLK (2) DCLK
(2) nCONFIG CONF_DONE (2) nCONFIG CONF_DONE (2) nCONFIG CONF_DONE
(2) MSEL[ ] (2) MSEL[ ] (2) MSEL[ ]
(2) nCEO (2) nCEO (2) nCEO
VIO nCE (4) nCE (4) nCE (4)
(3)

TDI TDO TDI TDO TDI TDO

TMS TCK TMS TCK TMS TCK

1 kΩ

Notes to Figure 8–26:

(1) Connect these pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Connect the nCONFIG and MSEL pins to support a non-JTAG configuration scheme. If you only use a JTAG configuration, connect the nCONFIG
pin to logic-high and the MSEL pins to GND. In addition, pull DCLK and DATA[0] to either high or low, whichever is convenient on your board.
(3) In the USB-Blaster and ByteBlaster II cable, this pin is connected to nCE when it is used for AS programming, otherwise it is a no connect.
(4) You must connect the nCE pin to GND or driven low for successful JTAG configuration.
(5) Power up the VCC of the ByteBlaster II or USB-Blaster cable with supply from VCCIO. The ByteBlaster II and USB-Blaster cables do not support a
target supply voltage of 1.2 V. For the target supply voltage value, refer to the ByteBlaster II Download Cable User Guide and the USB-Blaster
Download Cable User Guide.
(6) Resistor value can vary from 1 k to 10 k..

1 If a non-Cyclone IV device is cascaded in the JTAG-chain, TDO of the non-Cyclone IV

device driving into TDI of the Cyclone IV device must fit the maximum overshoot
outlined in Equation 8–1 on page 8–5.

The CONF_DONE and nSTATUS signals are shared in multi-device AS, AP, PS, and FPP
configuration chains to ensure that the devices enter user mode at the same time after
configuration is complete. When the CONF_DONE and nSTATUS signals are shared
among all the devices, you must configure every device when JTAG configuration is
performed.
If you only use JTAG configuration, Altera recommends that you connect the circuitry
as shown in Figure 8–25 or Figure 8–26, in which each of the CONF_DONE and
nSTATUS signals are isolated so that each device can enter user mode individually.
After the first device completes configuration in a multi-device configuration chain,
its nCEO pin drives low to activate the nCE pin of the second device, which prompts
the second device to begin configuration. Therefore, if these devices are also in a JTAG
chain, ensure that the nCE pins are connected to GND during JTAG configuration or
that the devices are JTAG configured in the same order as the configuration chain. As
long as the devices are JTAG configured in the same order as the multi-device
configuration chain, the nCEO of the previous device drives the nCE pin of the next
device low when it has successfully been JTAG configured. You can place other Altera
devices that have JTAG support in the same JTAG chain for device programming and
configuration.

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Configuration

1 JTAG configuration allows an unlimited number of Cyclone IV devices to be cascaded

in a JTAG chain.

f For more information about configuring multiple Altera devices in the same
configuration chain, refer to the Configuring Mixed Altera FPGA Chains chapter in
volume 2 of the Configuration Handbook.

Figure 8–27 shows JTAG configuration with a Cyclone IV device and a

microprocessor.

Figure 8–27. JTAG Configuration of a Single Device Using a Microprocessor

Cyclone IV Device
Memory
nCE(3)
ADDR DATA
N.C. nCEO MSEL[ ] (2)
(2) nCONFIG VCCIO (1)
(2) DATA[0] VCCIO (1)
(2) DCLK 10 kΩ
TDI (4) 10 kΩ
Microprocessor TCK (4) TDO
TMS (4) nSTATUS
CONF_DONE

Notes to Figure 8–27:

(1) You must connect the pull-up resistor to a supply that provides an acceptable input signal for all devices in the chain.
(2) Connect the nCONFIG and MSEL pins to support a non-JTAG configuration scheme. If you only use a JTAG
configuration, connect the nCONFIG pin to logic-high and the MSEL pins to GND. In addition, pull DCLK and
DATA[0] to either high or low, whichever is convenient on your board.
(3) You must connect the nCE pin to GND or driven low for successful JTAG configuration.
(4) All I/O inputs must maintain a maximum AC voltage of 4.1 V. Signals driving into TDI, TMS, and TCK must fit the
maximum overshoot outlined in Equation 8–1 on page 8–5.

Configuring Cyclone IV Devices with Jam STAPL

Jam™ STAPL, JEDEC standard JESD-71, is a standard file format for in-system
programmability (ISP) purposes. Jam STAPL supports programming or configuration
of programmable devices and testing of electronic systems, using the IEEE 1149.1
JTAG interface. Jam STAPL is a freely licensed open standard. The Jam Player
provides an interface for manipulating the IEEE Std. 1149.1 JTAG TAP state machine.

f For more information about JTAG and Jam STAPL in embedded environments, refer
to AN 425: Using Command-Line Jam STAPL Solution for Device Programming. To
download the Jam Player, visit the Altera website (www.altera.com).

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Configuration

Configuring Cyclone IV Devices with the JRunner Software Driver

The JRunner software driver allows you to configure Cyclone IV devices through the
ByteBlaster II or ByteBlasterMV cables in JTAG mode. The supported programming
input file is in .rbf format. The JRunner software driver also requires a Chain
Description File (.cdf) generated by the Quartus II software. The JRunner software
driver is targeted for embedded JTAG configuration. The source code is developed for
the Windows NT operating system (OS). You can customize the code to make it run
on your embedded platform.

1 The .rbf used by the JRunner software driver cannot be a compressed .rbf because the
JRunner software driver uses JTAG-based configuration. During JTAG-based
configuration, the real-time decompression feature is not available.

f For more information about the JRunner software driver, refer to AN 414: JRunner
Software Driver: An Embedded Solution for PLD JTAG Configuration and the source files
on the Altera website at (www.altera.com).

Combining JTAG and AS Configuration Schemes

You can combine the AS configuration scheme with the JTAG-based configuration
(Figure 8–28). This setup uses two 10-pin download cable headers on the board. One
download cable is used in JTAG mode to configure the Cyclone IV device directly
through the JTAG interface. The other download cable is used in AS mode to program
the serial configuration device in-system through the AS programming interface. If
you try configuring the device using both schemes simultaneously, JTAG
configuration takes precedence and AS configuration terminates.

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Configuration

Figure 8–28. Combining JTAG and AS Configuration Schemes

VCCIO (1) VCCIO(1) VCCIO (1)

10 kΩ 10 kΩ 10 kΩ
Cyclone IV Device VCCA
nSTATUS
CONF_DONE nCEO N.C.
(8)
nCONFIG
nCE (9)
CLKUSR VCCA
3.3 V 3.3 V (4)
Serial 10kΩ 3.3 V 3.3 V MSEL[ ]
Configuration (8)
Device GND
(6) Download Cable
DATA DATA[0] TCK (JTAG Mode)
DCLK 10-Pin Male Header
DCLK TDO
(top view)
nCS nCSO (7) TMS
ASDI ASDO (7) TDI Pin 1 VCCA (5)

Pin 1 3.3 V (2) VIO (3)

1 kΩ

10 pf 10 pf GND

Download Cable 10 pf
(AS Mode) GND GND
10-Pin Male Header
10 pf GND

(6) GND

Notes to Figure 8–28:

(1) Connect these pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) Power up the VCC of the EthernetBlaster, ByteBlaster II, or USB-Blaster cable with the 3.3-V supply.
(3) Pin 6 of the header is a VIO reference voltage for the MasterBlaster output driver.The VIO must match the VCCA of the
device. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide. When using the
ByteBlasterMV download cable, this pin is a no connect. When using the USB-Blaster and ByteBlaster II cables, this
pin is connected to nCE when it is used for AS programming, otherwise it is a no connect.
(4) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect MSEL for AS
configuration schemes, refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect
the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(5) Power up the VCC of the EthernetBlaster, ByteBlaster II, USB-Blaster, or ByteBlasterMV cable with a 2.5-V VCCA supply.
Third-party programmers must switch to 2.5 V. Pin 4 of the header is a VCC power supply for the MasterBlaster cable.
The MasterBlaster cable can receive power from either 5.0- or 3.3-V circuit boards, DC power supply, or 5.0 V from
the USB cable. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide.
(6) You must place the diodes and capacitors as close as possible to the Cyclone IV device. Altera recommends using
the Schottky diode, which has a relatively lower forward diode voltage (VF) than the switching and Zener diodes, for
effective voltage clamping.
(7) These pins are dual-purpose I/O pins. The nCSO pin functions as FLASH_nCE pin in AP mode. The ASDO pin
functions as DATA[1] pin in AP and FPP modes.
(8) Resistor value can vary from 1 k to 10 k..
(9) Only Cyclone IV GX devices have an option to select CLKUSR (40 MHz maximum) as the external clock source for
DCLK.

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Programming Serial Configuration Devices In-System with the JTAG Interface

Cyclone IV devices in a single- or multiple-device chain support in-system
programming of a serial configuration device with the JTAG interface through the SFL
design. The intelligent host or download cable of the board can use the four JTAG pins
on the Cyclone IV device to program the serial configuration device in system, even if
the host or download cable cannot access the configuration pins (DCLK, DATA, ASDI,
and nCS pins).
The SFL design is a JTAG-based in-system programming solution for Altera serial
configuration devices. The SFL is a bridge design for the Cyclone IV device that uses
their JTAG interface to access the EPCS JTAG Indirect Configuration Device
Programming (.jic) file and then uses the AS interface to program the EPCS device.
Both the JTAG interface and AS interface are bridged together inside the SFL design.
In a multiple device chain, you must only configure the master device that controls
the serial configuration device. Slave devices in the multiple device chain that are
configured by the serial configuration device do not have to be configured when
using this feature. To successfully use this feature, set the MSEL pins of the master
device to select the AS configuration scheme (Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on
page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9). The serial configuration device in-system
programming through the Cyclone IV device JTAG interface has three stages, which
are described in the following sections:
■ “Loading the SFL Design”
■ “ISP of the Configuration Device” on page 8–55
■ “Reconfiguration” on page 8–56

Loading the SFL Design

The SFL design is a design inside the Cyclone IV device that bridges the JTAG
interface and AS interface with glue logic.
The intelligent host uses the JTAG interface to configure the master device with a SFL
design. The SFL design allows the master device to control the access of four serial
configuration device pins, also known as the Active Serial Memory Interface (ASMI)
pins, through the JTAG interface. The ASMI pins are serial clock input (DCLK), serial
data output (DATA), AS data input (ASDI), and active-low chip select (nCS) pins.
If you configure a master device with an SFL design, the master device enters user
mode even though the slave devices in the multiple device chain are not being
configured. The master device enters user mode with a SFL design even though the
CONF_DONE signal is externally held low by the other slave devices in chain.
Figure 8–29 shows the JTAG configuration of a single Cyclone IV device with a SFL
design.

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Figure 8–29. Programming Serial Configuration Devices In-System Using the JTAG Interface
VCCA

VCCIO (1) (9)

VCCA
VCCIO (1) 10 kΩ
Cyclone IV Device (9)
Serial Configuration 10 kΩ
nCE (4) TCK
Device VCCIO (1)
TDO
GND
10 kΩ N.C. (5) nCEO
TMS Download Cable 10-Pin Male
nSTATUS TDI Header (Top View)
CONF_DONE
nCONFIG
Serial
25 Ω (7) (2) MSEL[ ] Flash Pin 1
DATA DATA[0] VCCA (6)
DCLK DCLK Loader
nCS nCSO (8)
ASDI ASDO (8) GND
VIO (3)

CLKUSR (10)
1 kΩ

GND GND

Notes to Figure 8–29:

(1) Connect the pull-up resistors to the VCCIO supply of the bank in which the pin resides.
(2) The MSEL pin settings vary for different configuration voltage standards and POR time. To connect MSEL for AS
configuration schemes, refer to Table 8–3 on page 8–8, Table 8–4 on page 8–8, and Table 8–5 on page 8–9. Connect
the MSEL pins directly to VCCA or GND.
(3) Pin 6 of the header is a VIO reference voltage for the MasterBlaster output driver. The VIO must match the VCCA of the
device. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide. When using the
ByteBlasterMV download cable, this pin is a no connect. When using USB-Blaster, ByteBlaster II, and EthernetBlaster
cables, this pin is connected to nCE when it is used for AS programming, otherwise it is a no connect.
(4) You must connect the nCE pin to GND or driven low for successful JTAG configuration.
(5) The nCEO pin is left unconnected or used as a user I/O pin when it does not feed the nCE pin of another device.
(6) Power up the VCC of the EthernetBlaster, ByteBlaster II, USB-Blaster, or ByteBlasterMV cable with a 2.5- V VCCA supply.
Third-party programmers must switch to 2.5 V. Pin 4 of the header is a VCC power supply for the MasterBlaster cable.
The MasterBlaster cable can receive power from either 5.0- or 3.3-V circuit boards, DC power supply, or 5.0 V from
the USB cable. For this value, refer to the MasterBlaster Serial/USB Communications Cable User Guide.
(7) Connect the series resistor at the near end of the serial configuration device.
(8) These pins are dual-purpose I/O pins. The nCSO pin functions as FLASH_nCE pin in AP mode. The ASDO pin
functions as DATA[1] pin in AP and FPP modes.
(9) Resistor value can vary from 1 k to 10 k..
(10) Only Cyclone IV GX devices have an option to select CLKUSR (40 MHz maximum) as the external clock source for
DCLK.

ISP of the Configuration Device

In the second stage, the SFL design in the master device allows you to write the
configuration data for the device chain into the serial configuration device with the
Cyclone IV device JTAG interface. The JTAG interface sends the programming data
for the serial configuration device to the Cyclone IV device first. The Cyclone IV
device then uses the ASMI pins to send the data to the serial configuration device.

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Reconfiguration
After the configuration data is successfully written into the serial configuration
device, the Cyclone IV device does not automatically start reconfiguration. The
intelligent host issues the PULSE_NCONFIG JTAG instruction to initialize the
reconfiguration process. During reconfiguration, the master device is reset and the
SFL design no longer exists in the Cyclone IV device and the serial configuration
device configures all the devices in the chain with the user design.

f For more information about the SFL, refer to AN 370: Using the Serial FlashLoader with
Quartus II Software.

JTAG Instructions

f For more information about the JTAG binary instruction code, refer to the JTAG
Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

I/O Reconfiguration
Use the CONFIG_IO instruction to reconfigure the I/O configuration shift register
(IOCSR) chain. This instruction allows you to perform board-level testing prior to
configuring the Cyclone IV device or waiting for a configuration device to complete
configuration. After the configuration is interrupted and JTAG testing is complete,
you must reconfigure the part through the PULSE_NCONFIG JTAG instruction or by
pulsing the nCONFIG pin low.
You can issue the CONFIG_IO instruction any time during user mode.
You must meet the following timing restrictions when using the CONFIG_IO
instruction:
■ The CONFIG_IO instruction cannot be issued when the nCONFIG pin is low
■ You must observe a 230 s minimum wait time after any of the following
conditions:
■ nCONFIG pin goes high
■ Issuing the PULSE_NCONFIG instruction
■ Issuing the ACTIVE_ENGAGE instruction, before issuing the CONFIG_IO
instruction
■ You must wait 230 s after power up, with the nCONFIG pin high before issuing
the CONFIG_IO instruction (or wait for the nSTATUS pin to go high)
Use the ACTIVE_DISENGAGE instruction with the CONFIG_IO instruction to
interrupt configuration. Table 8–14 lists the sequence of instructions to use for various
CONFIG_IO usage scenarios.

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Configuration

Table 8–14. JTAG CONFIG_IO (without JTAG_PROGRAM) Instruction Flows (Note 1)

Configuration Scheme and Current State of the Cyclone IV Device

Prior to User Mode

JTAG Instruction User Mode Power Up
(Interrupting Configuration)

PS FPP AS AP PS FPP AS AP PS FPP AS AP

ACTIVE_DISENGAGE O O O 0 O O O 0 — — — —
CONFIG_IO R R R R R R R R NA NA NA NA
JTAG Boundary Scan
Instructions (no O O O 0 O O O 0 — — — —
JTAG_PROGRAM)
ACTIVE_ENGAGE R (2) R (2) R (2) R (2) — — — —
PULSE_NCONFIG A A A (3) A (3) A A O 0 — — — —
Pulse nCONFIG pin A (3) A (3) O 0 — — — —
JTAG TAP Reset R R R R R R R R — — — —
Notes to Table 8–14:
(1) You must execute “R” indicates that the instruction before the next instruction, “O” indicates the optional instruction, “A” indicates
that the instruction must be executed, and “NA” indicates that the instruction is not allowed in this mode.
(2) Required if you use ACTIVE_DISENGAGE.
(3) Neither of the instruction is required if you use ACTIVE_ENGAGE.

The CONFIG_IO instruction does not hold nSTATUS low until reconfiguration. You
must disengage the AS or AP configuration controller by issuing the
ACTIVE_DISENGAGE and ACTIVE_ENGAGE instructions when active configuration is
interrupted. You must issue the ACTIVE_DISENGAGE instruction alone or prior to the
CONFIG_IO instruction if the JTAG_PROGRAM instruction is to be issued later
(Table 8–15). This puts the active configuration controllers into the idle state. The
active configuration controller is re-engaged after user mode is reached through JTAG
programming (Table 8–15).

1 While executing the CONFIG_IO instruction, all user I/Os are tri-stated.

If reconfiguration after interruption is performed using configuration modes (rather

than using JTAG_PROGRAM), it is not necessary to issue the ACTIVE_DISENGAGE
instruction prior to CONFIG_IO. You can start reconfiguration by either pulling
nCONFIG low for at least 500 ns or issuing the PULSE_NCONFIG instruction. If the
ACTIVE_DISENGAGE instruction was issued and the JTAG_PROGRAM instruction fails
to enter user mode, you must issue the ACTIVE_ENGAGE instruction to reactivate the
active configuration controller. Issuing the ACTIVE_ENGAGE instruction also triggers
reconfiguration in configuration modes; therefore, it is not necessary to pull nCONFIG
low or issue the PULSE_NCONFIG instruction.

ACTIVE_DISENGAGE
The ACTIVE_DISENGAGE instruction places the active configuration controller (AS
and AP) into an idle state prior to JTAG programming. The two purposes of placing
the active controller in an idle state are:
■ To ensure that it is not trying to configure the device during JTAG programming

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■ To allow the controllers to properly recognize a successful JTAG programming

that results in the device reaching user mode
The ACTIVE_DISENGAGE instruction is required before JTAG programming
regardless of the current state of the Cyclone IV device if the MSEL pins are set to an
AS or AP configuration scheme. If the ACTIVE_DISENGAGE instruction is issued
during a passive configuration scheme (PS or FPP), it has no effect on the Cyclone IV
device. Similarly, the CONFIG_IO instruction is issued after an ACTIVE_DISENGAGE
instruction, but is no longer required to properly halt configuration. Table 8–15 lists
the required, recommended, and optional instructions for each configuration mode.
The ordering of the required instructions is a hard requirement and must be met to
ensure functionality.

Table 8–15. JTAG Programming Instruction Flows (Note 1)

Configuration Scheme and Current State of the Cyclone IV Device

Prior to User Mode (Interrupting

JTAG Instruction User Mode Power Up
Configuration)

PS FPP AS AP PS FPP AS AP PS FPP AS AP

ACTIVE_DISENGAGE O O R R O O O R O O R R
CONFIG_IO Rc Rc O O O O O 0 NA NA NA NA
Other JTAG instructions O O O O O O O 0 O O O 0
JTAG_PROGRAM R R R R R R R R R R R R
CHECK_STATUS Rc Rc Rc Rc Rc Rc Rc Rc Rc Rc Rc Rc
JTAG_STARTUP R R R R R R R R R R R R
JTAG TAP Reset/other
R R R R R R R R R R R R
instruction
Note to Table 8–15:
(1) “R” indicates that the instruction must be executed before the next instruction, “O” indicates the optional instruction, “Rc” indicates the recommended
instruction, and “NA” indicates that the instruction is not allowed in this mode.

In the AS or AP configuration scheme, the ACTIVE_DISENGAGE instruction puts the

active configuration controller into idle state. If a successful JTAG programming is
executed, the active controller is automatically re-engaged after user mode is reached
through JTAG programming. This causes the active controller to transition to their
respective user mode states.

If JTAG programming fails to get the Cyclone IV device to enter user mode and
re-engage active programming, there are available methods to achieve this:
■ In AS configuration scheme, you can re-engage the AS controller by moving the
JTAG TAP controller to the reset state or by issuing the ACTIVE_ENGAGE
instruction.
■ In AP configuration scheme, the only way to re-engage the AP controller is to issue
the ACTIVE_ENGAGE instruction. In this case, asserting the nCONFIG pin does not
re-engage either active controller.

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Configuration

ACTIVE_ENGAGE
The ACTIVE_ENGAGE instruction allows you to re-engage a disengaged active
controller. You can issue this instruction any time during configuration or user mode
to re-engage an already disengaged active controller, as well as trigger
reconfiguration of the Cyclone IV device in the active configuration scheme.
The ACTIVE_ENGAGE instruction functions as the PULSE_NCONFIG instruction when
the device is in the PS or FPP configuration schemes. The nCONFIG pin is disabled
when the ACTIVE_ENGAGE instruction is issued.

1 Altera does not recommend using the ACTIVE_ENGAGE instruction, but it is provided
as a fail-safe instruction for re-engaging the active configuration controller (AS and
AP).

Overriding the Internal Oscillator

This feature allows you to override the internal oscillator during the active
configuration scheme. The AS and AP configuration controllers use the internal
oscillator as the clock source. You can change the clock source to CLKUSR through the
JTAG instruction.
The EN_ACTIVE_CLK and DIS_ACTIVE_CLK JTAG instructions toggle on or off
whether or not the active clock is sourced from the CLKUSR pin or the internal
configuration oscillator. To source the active clock from the CLKUSR pin, issue the
EN_ACTIVE_CLK instruction. This causes the CLKUSR pin to become the active clock
source. When using the EN_ACTIVE_CLK instruction, you must enable the internal
oscillator for the clock change to occur. By default, the configuration oscillator is
disabled after configuration and initialization is complete as well as the device has
entered user mode.
However, the internal oscillator is enabled in user mode by any of the following
conditions:
■ A reconfiguration event (for example, driving the nCONFIG pin to go low)
■ Remote update is enabled
■ Error detection is enabled
You must clock the CLKUSR pin at two times the expected DCLK frequency. The
CLKUSR pin allows a maximum frequency of 80 MHz (40 MHz DCLK). Normally, a
test instrument uses the CLKUSR pin when it wants to drive its own clock to control
the AS state machine.
To revert the clock source back to the configuration oscillator, issue the
DIS_ACTIVE_CLK instruction. After you issue the DIS_ACTIVE_CLK instruction,
you must continue to clock the CLKUSR pin for 10 clock cycles. Otherwise, even
toggling the nCONFIG pin does not revert the clock source and reconfiguration does
not occur. A POR reverts the clock source back to the configuration oscillator.
Toggling the nCONFIG pin or driving the JTAG state machine to reset state does not
revert the clock source.

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EN_ACTIVE_CLK
The EN_ACTIVE_CLK instruction causes the CLKUSR pin signal to replace the internal
oscillator as the clock source. When using the EN_ACTIVE_CLK instruction, you must
enable the internal oscillator for the clock change to occur. After this instruction is
issued, other JTAG instructions can be issued while the CLKUSR pin signal remains as
the clock source. The clock source is only reverted back to the internal oscillator by
issuing the DIS_ACTIVE_CLK instruction or a POR.

DIS_ACTIVE_CLK
The DIS_ACTIVE_CLK instruction breaks the CLKUSR enable latch set by the
EN_ACTIVE_CLK instruction and causes the clock source to revert back to the internal
oscillator. After the DIS_ACTIVE_CLK instruction is issued, you must continue to
clock the CLKUSR pin for 10 clock cycles.

1 You must clock the CLKUSR pin at two times the expected DCLK frequency. The
CLKUSR pin allows a maximum frequency of 80 MHz (40 MHz DCLK).

Changing the Start Boot Address of the AP Flash

In the AP configuration scheme (for Cyclone IV E devices only), you can change the
default configuration boot address of the parallel flash memory to any desired
address using the APFC_BOOT_ADDR JTAG instruction.

APFC_BOOT_ADDR
The APFC_BOOT_ADDR instruction is for Cyclone IV E devices only and allows you to
define a start boot address for the parallel flash memory in the AP configuration
scheme.
This instruction shifts in a start boot address for the AP flash. When this instruction
becomes the active instruction, the TDI and TDO pins are connected through a 22-bit
active boot address shift register. The shifted-in boot address bits get loaded into the
22-bit AP boot address update register, which feeds into the AP controller. The content
of the AP boot address update register can be captured and shifted-out of the active
boot address shift register from TDO.
The boot address in the boot address shift register and update register are shifted to
the right (in the LSB direction) by two bits versus the intended boot address. The
reason for this is that the two LSB of the address are not accessible. When this boot
address is fed into the AP controller, two 0s are attached in the end as LSB, thereby
pushing the shifted-in boot address to the left by two bits, which become the actual
AP boot address the AP controller gets.
If you have enabled the remote update feature, the APFC_BOOT_ADDR instruction sets
the boot address for the factory configuration only.

1 The APFC_BOOT_ADDR instruction is retained after reconfiguration while the system

board is still powered on. However, you must reprogram the instruction whenever
you restart the system board.

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Configuration

Device Configuration Pins

Table 8–16 through Table 8–19 describe the connections and functionality of all the
configuration related pins on Cyclone IV devices. Table 8–16 and Table 8–17 list the
device pin configuration for the Cyclone IV GX and Cyclone IV E, respectively.

Table 8–16. Configuration Pin Summary for Cyclone IV GX Devices

Bank Description Input/Output Dedicated Powered By Configuration Mode
8 Data[4:2] Input — VCCIO FPP
3 Data[7:5] Input — VCCIO FPP
9 nCSO (2) Output — VCCIO AS
3 CRC_ERROR Output — VCCIO/Pull-up (1) Optional, all modes
9 DATA[0] (2) Input Yes VCCIO PS, FPP, AS
Input VCCIO FPP
9 DATA[1]/ASDO (2) —
Output VCCIO AS
3 INIT_DONE Output — Pull-up Optional, all modes
3 nSTATUS Bidirectional Yes Pull-up All modes
9 nCE Input Yes VCCIO All modes
Input VCCIO PS, FPP
9 DCLK (2) Yes
Output VCCIO AS
3 CONF_DONE Bidirectional Yes Pull-up All modes
9 TDI Input Yes VCCIO JTAG
9 TMS Input Yes VCCIO JTAG
9 TCK Input Yes VCCIO JTAG
9 nCONFIG Input Yes VCCIO All modes
8 CLKUSR Input — VCCIO Optional
3 nCEO Output — VCCIO Optional, all modes
3 MSEL Input Yes VCCINT All modes
9 TDO Output Yes VCCIO JTAG
6 DEV_OE Input — VCCIO Optional
6 DEV_CLRn Input — VCCIO Optional
Notes to Table 8–16:
(1) The CRC_ERROR pin is a dedicated output by default. Optionally, you can enable the CRC_ERROR pin as an open-drain output in the CRC
Error Detection tab of the Device and Pin Options dialog box.
(2) To tri-state AS configuration pins in the AS configuration scheme, turn on the Enable input tri-state on active configuration pins in user mode
option from the Device and Pin Options dialog box. This tri-states DCLK, nCSO, Data[0], and Data[1]/ASDO pins. Dual-purpose pins
settings for these pins are ignored. To set these pins to different settings, turn off the Enable input tri-state on active configuration pins in
user mode option and set the desired setting from the Dual-purpose Pins Setting menu.

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Table 8–17. Configuration Pin Summary for Cyclone IV E Devices (Part 1 of 2)

Bank Description Input/Output Dedicated Powered By Configuration Mode
nCSO (1),
1 Output — VCCIO AS, AP
FLASH_nCE (2)
6 CRC_ERROR (3) Output — VCCIO/Pull-up (4) Optional, all modes
Input VCCIO PS, FPP, AS
1 DATA[0] (1), (2) Yes
Bidirectional VCCIO AP
Input VCCIO FPP
DATA[1] (2) /ASDO
1 Output — VCCIO AS
(1)
Bidirectional VCCIO AP
Input VCCIO FPP
8 DATA[7..2] (2) —
Bidirectional VCCIO AP
8 DATA[15..8] (2) Bidirectional — VCCIO AP
6 INIT_DONE Output — Pull-up Optional, all modes
1 nSTATUS Bidirectional Yes Pull-up All modes
1 nCE Input Yes VCCIO All modes
Input VCCIO PS, FPP
1 DCLK (1), (2) Yes
Output VCCIO AS, AP
6 CONF_DONE Bidirectional Yes Pull-up All modes
1 TDI Input Yes VCCIO JTAG
1 TMS Input Yes VCCIO JTAG
1 TCK Input Yes VCCIO JTAG
1 nCONFIG Input Yes VCCIO All modes
6 CLKUSR Input — VCCIO Optional
6 nCEO Output — VCCIO Optional, all modes
6 MSEL[] Input Yes VCCINT All modes
1 TDO Output Yes VCCIO JTAG
7 PADD[14..0] Output — VCCIO AP
8 PADD[19..15] Output — VCCIO AP
6 PADD[23..20] Output — VCCIO AP
1 nRESET Output — VCCIO AP
6 nAVD Output — VCCIO AP
6 nOE Output — VCCIO AP
6 nWE Output — VCCIO AP
5 DEV_OE Input — VCCIO Optional, AP

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Table 8–17. Configuration Pin Summary for Cyclone IV E Devices (Part 2 of 2)

Bank Description Input/Output Dedicated Powered By Configuration Mode
5 DEV_CLRn Input — VCCIO Optional, AP
Notes to Table 8–17:
(1) To tri-state AS configuration pins in the AS configuration scheme, turn-on the Enable input tri-state on active configuration pins in user mode
option from the Device and Pin Options dialog box. This tri-states DCLK, nCSO, Data[0], and Data[1]/ASDO pins. Dual-purpose pins
settings for these pins are ignored. To set these pins to different settings, turn off the Enable input tri-state on active configuration pins in
user mode option and set the desired setting from the Dual-purpose Pins Setting menu.
(2) To tri-state AP configuration pins in the AP configuration scheme, turn-on the Enable input tri-state on active configuration pins in user mode
option from the Device and Pin Options dialog box. This tri-states DCLK, Data[0..15], FLASH_nCE, and other AP pins. Dual-purpose
pins settings for these pins are ignored. To set these pins to different settings, turn off the Enable input tri-state on active configuration pins
in user mode option and set the desired setting from the Dual-purpose Pins Setting menu.
(3) The CRC_ERROR pin is not available in Cyclone IV E devices with 1.0-V core voltage.
(4) The CRC_ERROR pin is a dedicated output by default. Optionally, you can enable the CRC_ERROR pin as an open-drain output in the CRC
Error Detection tab of the Device and Pin Options dialog box.

Table 8–18 describes the dedicated configuration pins. You must properly connect
these pins on your board for successful configuration. You may not need some of
these pins for your configuration schemes.

Table 8–18. Dedicated Configuration Pins on the Cyclone IV Device (Part 1 of 4)

User Configuration
Pin Name Pin Type Description
Mode Scheme
Configuration input that sets the Cyclone IV device configuration
scheme. You must hardwire these pins to VCCA or GND. The
MSEL N/A All Input
MSEL pins have internal 9-k pull-down resistors that are
always active.
Configuration control input. Pulling this pin low with external
circuitry during user mode causes the Cyclone IV device to lose
nCONFIG N/A All Input its configuration data, enter a reset state, and tri-state all I/O
pins. Returning this pin to a logic-high level starts a
reconfiguration.
The Cyclone IV device drives nSTATUS low immediately after
power-up and releases it after the POR time.
■ Status output—if an error occurs during configuration,
nSTATUS is pulled low by the target device.
■ Status input—if an external source (for example, another
Cyclone IV device) drives the nSTATUS pin low during
Bidirectional configuration or initialization, the target device enters an
nSTATUS N/A All error state.
open-drain
Driving nSTATUS low after configuration and initialization does
not affect the configured device. If you use a configuration
device, driving nSTATUS low causes the configuration device
to attempt to configure the device, but because the device
ignores transitions on nSTATUS in user mode, the device does
not reconfigure. To start a reconfiguration, you must pull
nCONFIG low.

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Configuration

Table 8–18. Dedicated Configuration Pins on the Cyclone IV Device (Part 2 of 4)

User Configuration
Pin Name Pin Type Description
Mode Scheme
■ Status output—the target Cyclone IV device drives the
CONF_DONE pin low before and during configuration. After
all the configuration data is received without error and the
initialization cycle starts, the target device releases
CONF_DONE.
Bidirectional ■ Status input—after all the data is received and CONF_DONE
CONF_DONE N/A All
open-drain goes high, the target device initializes and enters user mode.
The CONF_DONE pin must have an external 10-k pull-up
resistor in order for the device to initialize.
Driving CONF_DONE low after configuration and initialization
does not affect the configured device. Do not connect bus holds
or ADC to CONF_DONE pin.
Active-low chip enable. The nCE pin activates the Cyclone IV
device with a low signal to allow configuration. You must hold
nCE pin low during configuration, initialization, and user-mode.
In a single-device configuration, you must tie the nCE pin low.
nCE N/A All Input
In a multi-device configuration, nCE of the first device is tied
low while its nCEO pin is connected to nCE of the next device in
the chain. You must hold the nCE pin low for successful JTAG
programming of the device.
Output that drives low when configuration is complete. In a
single-device configuration, you can leave this pin floating or
use it as a user I/O pin after configuration. In a multi-device
N/A if configuration, this pin feeds the nCE pin of the next device. The
option nCEO of the last device in the chain is left floating or used as a
is on. Output user I/O pin after configuration.
nCEO All
I/O if open-drain If you use the nCEO pin to feed the nCE pin of the next device,
option use an external 10-k pull-up resistor to pull the nCEO pin high
is off. to the VCCIO voltage of its I/O bank to help the internal weak
pull-up resistor.
If you use the nCEO pin as a user I/O pin after configuration, set
the state of the pin on the Dual-Purpose Pin settings.
Output control signal from the Cyclone IV device to the serial
configuration device in AS mode that enables the configuration
device. This pin functions as nCSO in AS mode and
nCSO, FLASH_nCE in AP mode.
I/O AS, AP (1) Output
FLASH_nCE Output control signal from the Cyclone IV device to the parallel
flash in AP mode that enables the flash. Connects to the CE# pin
on the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash. (1)
This pin has an internal pull-up resistor that is always active.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–65
Configuration

Table 8–18. Dedicated Configuration Pins on the Cyclone IV Device (Part 3 of 4)

User Configuration
Pin Name Pin Type Description
Mode Scheme
In PS and FPP configuration, DCLK is the clock input used to
clock data from an external source into the target Cyclone IV
device. Data is latched into the device on the rising edge of
DCLK.
In AS mode, DCLK is an output from the Cyclone IV device that
provides timing for the configuration interface. It has an internal
pull-up resistor (typically 25 k) that is always active.
Input (PS,
PS, FPP, AS, FPP). In AP mode, DCLK is an output from the Cyclone IV E device
DCLK N/A that provides timing for the configuration interface. (1)
AP (1) Output (AS,
AP) (1) In AS or AP configuration schemes, this pin is driven into an
inactive state after configuration completes. Alternatively, in
active schemes, you can use this pin as a user I/O during user
mode. In PS or FPP schemes that use a control host, you must
drive DCLK either high or low, whichever is more convenient. In
passive schemes, you cannot use DCLK as a user I/O in user
mode. Toggling this pin after configuration does not affect the
configured device.
Data input. In serial configuration modes, bit-wide configuration
data is presented to the target Cyclone IV device on the
DATA[0] pin.
In AS mode, DATA[0] has an internal pull-up resistor that is
Input (PS, always active. After AS configuration, DATA[0] is a dedicated
PS, FPP, AS, FPP, AS). input pin with optional user control.
DATA[0] I/O
AP (1) Bidirectional
(AP) (1) After PS or FPP configuration, DATA[0] is available as a user
I/O pin. The state of this pin depends on the Dual-Purpose Pin
settings.
After AP configuration, DATA[0]is a dedicated bidirectional pin
with optional user control. (1)
The DATA[1] pin functions as the ASDO pin in AS mode. Data
input in non-AS mode. Control signal from the Cyclone IV device
to the serial configuration device in AS mode used to read out
configuration data.
In AS mode, DATA[1] has an internal pull-up resistor that is
always active. After AS configuration, DATA[1] is a dedicated
output pin with optional user control.
Input (FPP). In a PS configuration scheme, DATA[1] functions as a user I/O
DATA[1]/ FPP, AS, AP Output (AS). pin during configuration, which means it is tri-stated.
I/O
ASDO (1) Bidirectional After FPP configuration, DATA[1] is available as a user I/O pin
(AP) (1) and the state of this pin depends on the Dual-Purpose Pin
settings.
In an AP configuration scheme, for Cyclone IV E devices only,
the byte-wide or word-wide configuration data is presented to
the target Cyclone IV E device on DATA[7..0] or
DATA[15..0], respectively. After AP configuration,
DATA[1]is a dedicated bidirectional pin with optional user
control. (1)

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Configuration

Table 8–18. Dedicated Configuration Pins on the Cyclone IV Device (Part 4 of 4)

User Configuration
Pin Name Pin Type Description
Mode Scheme
In an AS or PS configuration scheme, DATA[7..2] function
as user I/O pins during configuration, which means they are
tri-stated.
After FPP configuration, DATA[7..2] are available as user I/O
Inputs pins and the state of these pin depends on the Dual-Purpose
(FPP). Pin settings.
DATA[7..2] I/O FPP, AP (1)
Bidirectional In an AP configuration scheme, for Cyclone IV E devices only,
(AP) (1) the byte-wide or word-wide configuration data is presented to
the target Cyclone IV E device on DATA[7..0] or
DATA[15..0], respectively. After AP configuration,
DATA[7..2]are dedicated bidirectional pins with optional
user control. (1)
Data inputs. Word-wide configuration data is presented to the
target Cyclone IV E device on DATA[15..0].
In a PS, FPP, or AS configuration scheme, DATA[15:8]
DATA[15..8] I/O AP (1) Bidirectional function as user I/O pins during configuration, which means
they are tri stated.
After AP configuration, DATA[15:8]are dedicated
bidirectional pins with optional user control.
In AP mode, it is a 24-bit address bus from the Cyclone IV E
PADD[23..0] I/O AP (1) Output device to the parallel flash. Connects to the A[24:1]bus on
the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash.
Active-low reset output. Driving the nRESET pin low resets the
nRESET I/O AP (1) Output parallel flash. Connects to the RST# pin on the Numonyx P30 or
P33 flash.
Active-low address valid output. Driving the nAVD pin low
during read or write operation indicates to the parallel flash that
nAVD I/O AP (1) Output
a valid address is present on the PADD[23..0]address bus.
Connects to the ADV# pin on the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash.
Active-low output enable to the parallel flash. During the read
operation, driving the nOE pin low enables the parallel flash
nOE I/O AP (1) Output
outputs (DATA[15..0]). Connects to the OE# pin on the
Numonyx P30 or P33 flash.
Active-low write enable to the parallel flash. During the write
operation, driving the nWE pin low indicates to the parallel flash
nWE I/O AP (1) Output
that data on the DATA[15..0]bus is valid. Connects to the
WE# pin on the Numonyx P30 or P33 flash.
Note to Table 8–18:
(1) The AP configuration scheme is for Cyclone IV E devices only.

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–67
Configuration

Table 8–19 lists the optional configuration pins. If you do not enable these optional
configuration pins in the Quartus II software, they are available as general-purpose
user I/O pins. Therefore, during configuration, these pins function as user I/O pins
and are tri-stated with weak pull-up resistors.

Table 8–19. Optional Configuration Pins

Pin Name User Mode Pin Type Description
Optional user-supplied clock input synchronizes the
initialization of one or more devices. This pin is enabled by
turning on the Enable user-supplied start-up clock (CLKUSR)
option in the Quartus II software.
N/A if option is on.
CLKUSR Input In AS configuration for Cyclone IV GX devices, you can use this
I/O if option is off.
pin as an external clock source to generate the DCLK by
changing the clock source option in the Quartus II software in
the Configuration tab of the Device and Pin Options dialog
box.
Status pin is used to indicate when the device has initialized and
is in user-mode. When nCONFIG is low, the INIT_DONE pin
is tri-stated and pulled high due to an external 10-k pull-up
resistor during the beginning of configuration. After the option
bit to enable INIT_DONE is programmed into the device
(during the first frame of configuration data), the INIT_DONE
pin goes low. When initialization is complete, the INIT_DONE
pin is released and pulled high and the device enters user
N/A if option is on. Output mode. Thus, the monitoring circuitry must be able to detect a
INIT_DONE low-to-high transition. This pin is enabled by turning on the
I/O if option is off. open-drain
Enable INIT_DONE output option in the Quartus II software.
The functionality of this pin changes if the Enable OCT_DONE
option is enabled in the Quartus II software. This option
controls whether the INIT_DONE signal is gated by the
OCT_DONE signal, which indicates the power-up on-chip
termination (OCT) calibration is complete. If this option is
turned off, the INIT_DONE signal is not gated by the
OCT_DONE signal.
Optional pin that allows you to override all tri-states on the
device. When this pin is driven low, all I/O pins are tri-stated;
N/A if option is on. when this pin is driven high, all I/O pins behave as
DEV_OE Input
I/O if option is off. programmed. This pin is enabled by turning on the Enable
device-wide output enable (DEV_OE) option in the Quartus II
software.
Optional pin that allows you to override all clears on all device
registers. When this pin is driven low, all registers are cleared;
N/A if option is on. when this pin is driven high, all registers behave as
DEV_CLRn Input
I/O if option is off. programmed. You can enable this pin by turning on the Enable
device-wide reset (DEV_CLRn) option in the Quartus II
software.

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Remote System Upgrade

Remote System Upgrade

Cyclone IV devices support remote system upgrade in AS and AP configuration
schemes. You can also implement remote system upgrade with advanced Cyclone IV
features such as real-time decompression of configuration data in the AS
configuration scheme.

1 Remote system upgrade is not supported in a multi-device configuration chain for

any configuration scheme.

Functional Description
The dedicated remote system upgrade circuitry in Cyclone IV devices manages
remote configuration and provides error detection, recovery, and status information.
A Nios® II processor or a user logic implemented in the Cyclone IV device logic array
provides access to the remote configuration data source and an interface to the
configuration memory.

1 Configuration memory refers to serial configuration devices (EPCS) or supported

parallel flash memory, depending on the configuration scheme that is used.

The remote system upgrade process of the Cyclone IV device consists of the following
steps:
1. A Nios II processor (or user logic) implemented in the Cyclone IV device logic
array receives new configuration data from a remote location. The connection to
the remote source is a communication protocol, such as the transmission control
protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), peripheral component interconnect (PCI),
user datagram protocol (UDP), universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter
(UART), or a proprietary interface.
2. The Nios II processor (or user logic) writes this new configuration data into a
configuration memory.
3. The Nios II processor (or user logic) starts a reconfiguration cycle with the new or
updated configuration data.
4. The dedicated remote system upgrade circuitry detects and recovers from any
error that might occur during or after the reconfiguration cycle and provides error
status information to the user design.
Figure 8–30 shows the steps required for performing remote configuration updates
(the numbers in Figure 8–30 coincide with steps 1–3).

Figure 8–30. Functional Diagram of Cyclone IV Device Remote System Upgrade

Data Cyclone IV
Development Configuration
Device
Location Data Memory
Control Module
Data

Device Configuration
3

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Remote System Upgrade

Figure 8–31 shows the block diagrams to implement remote system upgrade in
Cyclone IV devices.

Figure 8–31. Remote System Upgrade Block Diagrams for AS and AP Configuration Schemes
Serial Configuration Device Parallel Flash Memory

Cyclone IV Device Cyclone IV E Device

Nios Processor or User Logic Nios Processor or User Logic

Serial Configuration Device Supported Parallel Flash

The MSEL pin setting in the remote system upgrade mode is the same as the standard
configuration mode. Standard configuration mode refers to normal Cyclone IV device
configuration mode with no support for remote system upgrades (the remote system
upgrade circuitry is disabled). When using remote system upgrade in Cyclone IV
devices, you must enable the remote update mode option setting in the Quartus II
software.

Enabling Remote Update

You can enable or disable remote update for Cyclone IV devices in the Quartus II
software before design compilation (in the Compiler Settings menu). To enable remote
update in the compiler settings of the project, perform the following steps:
1. On the Assignments menu, click Device. The Settings dialog box appears.
2. Click Device and Pin Options. The Device and Pin Options dialog box appears.
3. Click the Configuration tab.
4. From the Configuration Mode list, select Remote.
5. Click OK.
6. In the Settings dialog box, click OK.

Configuration Image Types

When using remote system upgrade, Cyclone IV device configuration bitstreams are
classified as factory configuration images or application configuration images. An
image, also referred to as a configuration, is a design loaded into the device that
performs certain user-defined functions. Each device in your system requires one
factory image or with addition of one or more application images. The factory image
is a user-defined fall-back or safe configuration and is responsible for administering
remote updates with the dedicated circuitry. Application images implement
user-defined functionality in the target Cyclone IV device. You can include the default
application image functionality in the factory image.

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Remote System Upgrade

Remote System Upgrade Mode

In remote update mode, Cyclone IV devices load the factory configuration image after
power up. The user-defined factory configuration determines the application
configuration to be loaded and triggers a reconfiguration cycle. The factory
configuration can also contain application logic.
When used with configuration memory, the remote update mode allows an
application configuration to start at any flash sector boundary. Additionally, the
remote update mode features a user watchdog timer that can detect functional errors
in an application configuration.

Remote Update Mode

In AS configuration scheme, when a Cyclone IV device is first powered up in remote
update, it loads the factory configuration located at address
boot_address[23:0] = 24b'0. Altera recommends storing the factory
configuration image for your system at boot address 24b'0, which corresponds to the
start address location 0×000000 in the serial configuration device. A factory
configuration image is a bitstream for the Cyclone IV device in your system that is
programmed during production and is the fall-back image when an error occurs. This
image is stored in non-volatile memory and is never updated or modified using
remote access.
When you use the AP configuration in Cyclone IV E devices, the Cyclone IV E device
loads the default factory configuration located at the following address after device
power-up in remote update mode:
boot_address[23:0] = 24'h010000 = 24'b1 0000 0000 0000 0000.
You can change the default factory configuration address to any desired address using
the APFC_BOOT_ADDR JTAG instruction. The factory configuration image is stored in
non-volatile memory and is never updated or modified using remote access. This
corresponds to the default start address location 0×010000 represented in 16-bit
word addressing (or the updated address if the default address is changed) in the
supported parallel flash memory. For more information about the application of the
APFC_BOOT_ADDR JTAG instruction in AP configuration scheme, refer to the “JTAG
Instructions” on page 8–56.

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Remote System Upgrade

The factory configuration image is user-designed and contains soft logic (Nios II
processor or state machine and the remote communication interface) to:
■ Process any errors based on status information from the dedicated remote system
upgrade circuitry
■ Communicate with the remote host and receive new application configurations
and store the new configuration data in the local non-volatile memory device
■ Determine the application configuration to be loaded into the Cyclone IV device
■ Enable or disable the user watchdog timer and load its time-out value (optional)
■ Instruct the dedicated remote system upgrade circuitry to start a reconfiguration
cycle
Figure 8–32 shows the transitions between the factory configuration and application
configuration in remote update mode.

Figure 8–32. Transitions Between Configurations in Remote Update Mode

Configuration Error

Application 1
Power Up Configuration
Set Control Register
and Reconfigure

Reload a Different Application

Factory
Configuration Configuration
Error Reload a Different Application

Application n
Set Control Register Configuration
and Reconfigure

Configuration Error

After power up or a configuration error, the factory configuration logic writes the
remote system upgrade control register to specify the address of the application
configuration to be loaded. The factory configuration also specifies whether or not to
enable the user watchdog timer for the application configuration and, if enabled,
specifies the timer setting.

1 Only valid application configurations designed for remote update mode include the
logic to reset the timer in user mode. For more information about the user watchdog
timer, refer to the “User Watchdog Timer” on page 8–78.

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Remote System Upgrade

If there is an error while loading the application configuration, the remote system
upgrade status register is written by the dedicated remote system upgrade circuitry of
the Cyclone IV device to specify the cause of the reconfiguration.
The following actions cause the remote system upgrade status register to be written:
■ nSTATUS driven low externally
■ Internal cyclical redundancy check (CRC) error
■ User watchdog timer time-out
■ A configuration reset (logic array nCONFIG signal or external nCONFIG pin
assertion)
The Cyclone IV device automatically loads the factory configuration when an error
occurs. This user-designed factory configuration reads the remote system upgrade
status register to determine the reason for reconfiguration. Then the factory
configuration takes the appropriate error recovery steps and writes to the remote
system upgrade control register to determine the next application configuration to be
loaded.
When Cyclone IV devices successfully load the application configuration, they enter
user mode. In user mode, the soft logic (the Nios II processor or state machine and the
remote communication interface) assists the Cyclone IV device in determining when a
remote system update is arriving. When a remote system update arrives, the soft logic
receives the incoming data, writes it to the configuration memory device and triggers
the device to load the factory configuration. The factory configuration reads the
remote system upgrade status register, determines the valid application configuration
to load, writes the remote system upgrade control register accordingly, and starts
system reconfiguration.

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Remote System Upgrade

Dedicated Remote System Upgrade Circuitry

This section describes the implementation of the Cyclone IV device remote system
upgrade dedicated circuitry. The remote system upgrade circuitry is implemented in
hard logic. This dedicated circuitry interfaces with the user-defined factory
application configurations implemented in the Cyclone IV device logic array to
provide the complete remote configuration solution. The remote system upgrade
circuitry contains the remote system upgrade registers, a watchdog timer, and state
machines that control those components. Figure 8–33 shows the data path of the
remote system upgrade block.

Figure 8–33. Remote System Upgrade Circuit Data Path (Note 1)

Status Register (SR) Internal Oscillator/

CLKUSR
Previous Previous Current Control Register
State State State Bit [38..0]
Register 2 Register 1 Logic
Bit[30..0] Bit[30..0] Bit[31..0]

Logic

Update Register
Bit [38..0] update

RSU
Master
State
Logic Machine

RSU
Shift Register Reconfiguration timeout User
State Watchdog
din dout din dout Timer
Machine
Bit [40..39] Bit [38..0]
capture

clkout capture update

Logic
clkin

RU_DIN RU_SHIFTnLD RU_CAPTnUPDT RU_CLK (2) RU_DOUT RU_nCONFIG RU_nRSTIMER

Logic Array

Notes to Figure 8–33:

(1) The RU_DOUT, RU_SHIFTnLD, RU_CAPTnUPDT, RU_CLK, RU_DIN,RU_nCONFIG, and RU_nRSTIMER signals are internally controlled
by the ALTREMOTE_UPDATE megafunction.
(2) The RU_CLK refers to the ALTREMOTE_UPDATE megafunction block "clock" input. For more information, refer to the Remote Update Circuitry
(ALTREMOTE_UPDATE) Megafunction User Guide.

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Remote System Upgrade

Remote System Upgrade Registers

The remote system upgrade block contains a series of registers that stores the
configuration addresses, watchdog timer settings, and status information. Table 8–20
lists these registers.

Table 8–20. Remote System Upgrade Registers

Register Description
This register is accessible by the logic array and allows the update, status, and control registers to be written
Shift
and sampled by user logic. Write access is enabled in remote update mode for factory configurations to allow
register
writing to the update register. Write access is disabled for all application configurations in remote update mode.
This register contains the current configuration address, the user watchdog timer settings, one option bit for
checking early CONF_DONE, and one option bit for selecting the internal oscillator as the startup state
Control
machine clock. During a read operation in an application configuration, this register is read into the shift
register
register. When a reconfiguration cycle is started, the contents of the update register are written into the control
register.
This register contains data similar to that in the control register. However, it can only be updated by the factory
Update configuration by shifting data into the shift register and issuing an update operation. When a reconfiguration
register cycle is triggered by the factory configuration, the control register is updated with the contents of the update
register. During a read in a factory configuration, this register is read into the shift register.
This register is written by the remote system upgrade circuitry on every reconfiguration to record the cause of
Status
the reconfiguration. This information is used by the factory configuration to determine the appropriate action
register
following a reconfiguration. During a capture cycle, this register is read into the shift register.

The control and status registers of the remote system upgrade are clocked by the
10-MHz internal oscillator (the same oscillator that controls the user watchdog timer)
or the CLKUSR. However, the shift and update registers of the remote system upgrade
are clocked by the maximum frequency of 40-MHz user clock input (RU_CLK). There
is no minimum frequency for RU_CLK.

Remote System Upgrade Control Register

The remote system upgrade control register stores the application configuration
address, the user watchdog timer settings, and option bits for a application
configuration. In remote update mode for the AS configuration scheme, the control
register address bits are set to all zeros (24'b0) at power up to load the AS factory
configuration. In remote update mode for the AP configuration scheme, the control
register address bits are set to 24'h010000 (24'b1 0000 0000 0000 0000) at power
up to load the AP default factory configuration. However, for the AP configuration
scheme, you can change the default factory configuration address to any desired
address using the APFC_BOOT_ADDR JTAG instruction. Additionally, a factory
configuration in remote update mode has write access to this register.
Figure 8–34 shows the control register bit positions. Table 8–21 defines the control
register bit contents. The numbers in Figure 8–34 show the bit position of a setting in a
register. For example, bit number 35 is the enable bit for the watchdog timer.

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Remote System Upgrade

Figure 8–34. Remote System Upgrade Control Register

38 37 36 35 34 33 12 11 0

Rsv2 Cd_early Osc_int Wd_en Rsv1 Ru_address[21..0] Wd_timer[11..0]

Table 8–21. Remote System Upgrade Control Register Contents

Control Register Bit Value Definition
User watchdog time-out value (most significant 12 bits of
Wd_timer[11..0] 12'b000000000000 29-bit count value:
{Wd_timer[11..0],17'b1000})
Configuration address (most significant 22 bits of 24-bit
boot address value:
Ru_address[21..0] 22'b0000000000000000000000
boot_address[23:0] =
{Ru_address[21..0],2'b0})
Rsv1 1'b0 Reserved bit
Wd_en 1'b1 User watchdog timer enable bit
Osc_int (1) 1'b1 Internal oscillator as startup state machine clock enable bit
Cd_early (1) 1'b1 Early CONF_DONE check
Rsv2 1'b1 Reserved bit
Note to Table 8–21:
(1) Option bit for the application configuration.

When enabled, the early CONF_DONE check (Cd_early) option bit ensures that there
is a valid configuration at the boot address specified by the factory configuration and
that it is of the proper size. If an invalid configuration is detected or the CONF_DONE
pin is asserted too early, the device resets and then reconfigures the factory
configuration image. The internal oscillator (as the startup state machine clock
[Osc_int] option bit) ensures a functional startup clock to eliminate the hanging of
startup. When all option bits are turned on, they provide complete coverage for the
programming and startup portions of the application configuration. Altera
recommends turning on both the Cd_early and Osc_int option bits.

1 The Cd_early and Osc_int option bits for the application configuration must be
turned on by the factory configuration.

Remote System Upgrade Status Register

The remote system upgrade status register specifies the reconfiguration trigger
condition. The various trigger and error conditions include:
■ Cyclical redundancy check (CRC) error during application configuration
■ nSTATUS assertion by an external device due to an error
■ Cyclone IV device logic array triggers a reconfiguration cycle, possibly after
downloading a new application configuration image
■ External configuration reset (nCONFIG) assertion
■ User watchdog timer time out

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Remote System Upgrade

Table 8–22 lists the contents of the current state logic in the status register, when the
remote system upgrade master state machine is in factory configuration or
application configuration accessing the factory information or application
information, respectively. The status register bit in Table 8–22 lists the bit positions in
a 32-bit logic.

Table 8–22. Remote System Upgrade Current State Logic Contents In Status Register
Remote System Upgrade Status
Definition Description
Master State Machine Register Bit
Master state machine The current state of the remote system upgrade
31:30
current state master state machine
29:24 Reserved bits Padding bits that are set to all 0’s
Factory information (1)
The current 24-bit boot address that was used by
23:0 Boot address the configuration scheme as the start address to
load the current configuration.
Master state machine The current state of the remote system upgrade
31:30
current state master state machine
User watchdog timer The current state of the user watchdog enable,
Application information 1 (2) 29
enable bit which is active high
User watchdog timer
28:0 The current entire 29-bit watchdog time-out value.
time-out value
Master state machine The current state of the remote system upgrade
31:30
current state master state machine
Application information 2 (2) 29:24 Reserved bits Padding bits that are set to all 0’s
The current 24-bit boot address that was used as the
23:0 Boot address
start address to load the current configuration
Notes to Table 8–22
(1) The remote system upgrade master state machine is in factory configuration.
(2) The remote system upgrade master state machine is in application configuration.

The previous two application configurations are available in the previous state
registers (previous state register 1 and previous state register 2), but only for
debugging purposes.
Table 8–23 lists the contents of previous state register 1 and previous state register 2 in
the status register. The status register bit in Table 8–23 shows the bit positions in a
3-bit register. The previous state register 1 and previous state register 2 have the same
bit definitions. The previous state register 1 reflects the current application
configuration and the previous state register 2 reflects the previous application
configuration.

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Remote System Upgrade

Table 8–23. Remote System Upgrade Previous State Register 1 and Previous State Register 2 Contents in Status Register
Status Register Bit Definition Description
30 nCONFIG source
One-hot, active-high field that describes the reconfiguration source
29 CRC error source that caused the Cyclone IV device to leave the previous application
28 nSTATUS source configuration. If there is a tie, the higher bit order indicates
27 User watchdog timer source precedence. For example, if nCONFIG and remote system upgrade
nCONFIG reach the reconfiguration state machine at the same time,
Remote system upgrade the nCONFIG precedes the remote system upgrade nCONFIG.
26
nCONFIG source
Master state machine The state of the master state machine during reconfiguration causes
25:24
current state the Cyclone IV device to leave the previous application configuration.
The address used by the configuration scheme to load the previous
23:0 Boot address
application configuration.

If a capture is inappropriately done while capturing a previous state before the system
has entered remote update application configuration for the first time, a value outputs
from the shift register to indicate that the capture is incorrectly called.

Remote System Upgrade State Machine

The remote system upgrade control and update registers have identical bit
definitions, but serve different roles (Table 8–20 on page 8–74). While both registers
can only be updated when the device is loaded with a factory configuration image,
the update register writes are controlled by the user logic, and the control register
writes are controlled by the remote system upgrade state machine.
In factory configurations, the user logic should send the option bits (Cd_early and
Osc_int), the configuration address, and watchdog timer settings for the next
application configuration bit to the update register. When the logic array
configuration reset (RU_nCONFIG) goes high, the remote system upgrade state
machine updates the control register with the contents of the update register and
starts system reconfiguration from the new application page.

1 To ensure the successful reconfiguration between the pages, assert the RU_nCONFIG
signal for a minimum of 250 ns. This is equivalent to strobing the reconfig input of
the ALTREMOTE_UPDATE megafunction high for a minimum of 250 ns.

If there is an error or reconfiguration trigger condition, the remote system upgrade

state machine directs the system to load a factory or application configuration (based
on mode and error condition) by setting the control register accordingly.
Table 8–24 lists the contents of the control register after such an event occurs for all
possible error or trigger conditions.
The remote system upgrade status register is updated by the dedicated error
monitoring circuitry after an error condition, but before the factory configuration is
loaded.

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8–78 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Remote System Upgrade

Table 8–24. Control Register Contents After an Error or Reconfiguration Trigger Condition
Reconfiguration Error/Trigger Control Register Setting In Remote Update
nCONFIG reset All bits are 0
nSTATUS error All bits are 0
CORE triggered reconfiguration Update register
CRC error All bits are 0
Wd time out All bits are 0

User Watchdog Timer

The user watchdog timer prevents a faulty application configuration from indefinitely
stalling the device. The system uses the timer to detect functional errors after an
application configuration is successfully loaded into the Cyclone IV device.
The user watchdog timer is a counter that counts down from the initial value loaded
into the remote system upgrade control register by the factory configuration. The
counter is 29 bits wide and has a maximum count value of 229. When specifying the
user watchdog timer value, specify only the most significant 12 bits. The remote
system upgrade circuitry appends 17'b1000 to form the 29-bits value for the watchdog
timer. The granularity of the timer setting is 217 cycles. The cycle time is based on the
frequency of the 10-MHz internal oscillator or CLKUSR (maximum frequency of
40 MHz).

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Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices 8–79
Remote System Upgrade

Table 8–25 lists the operating range of the 10-MHz internal oscillator.

Table 8–25. 10-MHz Internal Oscillator Specifications

Minimum Typical Maximum Unit

5 6.5 10 MHz

The user watchdog timer begins counting after the application configuration enters
device user mode. This timer must be periodically reloaded or reset by the application
configuration before the timer expires by asserting RU_nRSTIMER. If the application
configuration does not reload the user watchdog timer before the count expires, a
time-out signal is generated by the remote system upgrade dedicated circuitry. The
time-out signal tells the remote system upgrade circuitry to set the user watchdog
timer status bit (Wd) in the remote system upgrade status register and reconfigures the
device by loading the factory configuration.

1 To allow the remote system upgrade dedicated circuitry to reset the watchdog timer,
you must assert the RU_nRSTIMER signal active for a minimum of 250 ns. This is
equivalent to strobing the reset_timer input of the ALTREMOTE_UPDATE
megafunction high for a minimum of 250 ns.

Errors during configuration are detected by the CRC engine. Functional errors must
not exist in the factory configuration because it is stored and validated during
production and is never updated remotely.

1 The user watchdog timer is disabled in factory configurations and during the
configuration cycle of the application configuration. It is enabled after the application
configuration enters user mode.

Quartus II Software Support

Implementation in your design requires a remote system upgrade interface between
the Cyclone IV device logic array and remote system upgrade circuitry. You must also
generate configuration files for production and remote programming of the system
configuration memory. The Quartus II software provides these features.
The two implementation options, ALTREMOTE_UPDATE megafunction and remote
system upgrade atom, are for the interface between the remote system upgrade
circuitry and the device logic array interface. Using the megafunction block instead of
creating your own logic saves design time and offers more efficient logic synthesis
and device implementation.

f For more information about the ALTREMOTE_UPDATE megafunction, refer to the

Remote Update Circuitry (ALTREMOTE_UPDATE) Megafunction User Guide.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

8–80 Chapter 8: Configuration and Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices
Document Revision History

Document Revision History

Table 8–26 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 8–26. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.1 release.
■ Added Cyclone IV E new device package information.
December 2010 1.3
■ Updated Table 8–7, Table 8–10, and Table 8–11.
■ Minor text edits.
Updated for the Quartus II software 10.0 release:
■ Updated “Power-On Reset (POR) Circuit”, “Configuration and JTAG Pin I/O
July 2010 1.2 Requirements”, and “Reset” sections.
■ Updated Figure 8–10.
■ Updated Table 8–16 and Table 8–17.
Updated for the Quartus II software 9.1 SP1 release:
■ Added“Overriding the Internal Oscillator” and “AP Configuration (Supported Flash
Memories)” sections.
■ Updated “JTAG Instructions” section.

February 2010 1.1 ■ Added Table 8–6.

■ Updated Table 8–2, Table 8–3, Table 8–4, Table 8–6, Table 8–11, Table 8–13,
Table 8–14, Table 8–15, and Table 8–18.
■ Updated Figure 8–4, Figure 8–5, Figure 8–6, Figure 8–13, Figure 8–14,
Figure 8–15, Figure 8–17, Figure 8–18, Figure 8–23, Figure 8–24, Figure 8–25,
Figure 8–26, Figure 8–27, Figure 8–28, and Figure 8–29.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 9. SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51009-1.1

This chapter describes the cyclical redundancy check (CRC) error detection feature in
user mode and how to recover from soft errors.

1 Configuration error detection is supported in all Cyclone® IV devices including

Cyclone IV GX devices, Cyclone IV E devices with 1.0-V core voltage, and
Cyclone IV E devices with 1.2-V core voltage. However, user mode error detection is
only supported in Cyclone IV GX devices and Cyclone IV E devices with 1.2-V core
voltage.

Dedicated circuitry built into Cyclone IV devices consists of a CRC error detection
feature that can optionally check for a single-event upset (SEU) continuously and
automatically.
In critical applications used in the fields of avionics, telecommunications, system
control, medical, and military applications, it is important to be able to:
■ Confirm the accuracy of the configuration data stored in an FPGA device
■ Alert the system to an occurrence of a configuration error
Using the CRC error detection feature for Cyclone IV devices does not impact fitting
or performance.
This chapter contains the following sections:
■ “Configuration Error Detection” on page 9–1
■ “User Mode Error Detection” on page 9–2
■ “Automated SEU Detection” on page 9–3
■ “CRC_ERROR Pin” on page 9–3
■ “Error Detection Block” on page 9–4
■ “Error Detection Timing” on page 9–5
■ “Software Support” on page 9–7
■ “Recovering from CRC Errors” on page 9–10

Configuration Error Detection

1 Configuration error detection is available in all Cyclone IV devices including
Cyclone IV GX devices, Cyclone IV E devices with 1.0-V core voltage, and
Cyclone IV E devices with 1.2-V core voltage.

Configuration error detection determines if the configuration data received through

an external memory device is corrupted during configuration. To validate the
configuration data, the Quartus® II software uses a function to calculate the CRC
value for each configuration data frame and stores the frame-based CRC value in the
configuration data as part of the configuration bit stream.

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9–2 Chapter 9: SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices
User Mode Error Detection

During configuration, Cyclone IV devices use the same methodology to calculate the
CRC value based on the frame of data that is received and compares it against the
frame CRC value in the data stream. Configuration continues until either the device
detects an error or all the values are calculated.
In addition to the frame-based CRC value, the Quartus II software generates a 32-bit
CRC value for the whole configuration bit stream. This 32-bit CRC value is stored in
the 32-bit storage register at the end of the configuration and is used for user mode
error detection that is discussed in “User Mode Error Detection”.

User Mode Error Detection

1 User mode error detection is available in Cyclone IV GX and Cyclone IV E devices
with 1.2-V core voltage. Cyclone IV E devices with 1.0-V core voltage do not support
user mode error detection.

Soft errors are changes in a configuration random-access memory (CRAM) bit state
due to an ionizing particle. Cyclone IV devices have built-in error detection circuitry
to detect data corruption by soft errors in the CRAM cells.
This error detection capability continuously computes the CRC of the configured
CRAM bits based on the contents of the device and compares it with the
pre-calculated CRC value obtained at the end of the configuration. If the CRCs match,
there is no error in the current configuration CRAM bits. The process of error
detection continues until the device is reset (by setting nCONFIG to low).
The Cyclone IV device error detection feature does not check memory blocks and I/O
buffers. These device memory blocks support parity bits that are used to check the
contents of memory blocks for any error. The I/O buffers are not verified during error
detection because the configuration data uses flip-flops as storage elements that are
more resistant to soft errors. Similar flip-flops are used to store the pre-calculated CRC
and other error detection circuitry option bits.
The error detection circuitry in Cyclone IV devices uses a 32-bit CRC IEEE 802
standard and a 32-bit polynomial as the CRC generator. Therefore, a single 32-bit CRC
calculation is performed by the device. If a soft error does not occur, the resulting
32-bit signature value is 0x00000000, that results in a 0 on the CRC_ERROR output
signal. If a soft error occurs in the device, the resulting signature value is non-zero and
the CRC_ERROR output signal is 1.
You can inject a soft error by changing the 32-bit CRC storage register in the CRC
circuitry. After verifying the induced failure, you can restore the 32-bit CRC value to
the correct CRC value with the same instruction and inserting the correct value.

1 Before updating it with a known bad value, Altera recommends reading out the
correct value.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 9: SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices 9–3
Automated SEU Detection

In user mode, Cyclone IV devices support the CHANGE_EDREG JTAG instruction, that
allows you to write to the 32-bit storage register. You can use Jam™ STAPL files (.jam)
to automate the testing and verification process. You can only execute this instruction
when the device is in user mode, and it is a powerful design feature that enables you
to dynamically verify the CRC functionality in-system without having to reconfigure
the device. You can then use the CRC circuit to check for real errors induced by an
SEU.
Table 9–1 describes the CHANGE_EDREG JTAG instructions.

Table 9–1. CHANGE_EDREG JTAG Instruction

JTAG Instruction Instruction Code Description
CHANGE_EDREG 00 0001 0101 This instruction connects the 32-bit CRC storage register between TDI and TDO.
Any precomputed CRC is loaded into the CRC storage register to test the operation
of the error detection CRC circuitry at the CRC_ERROR pin.

1 After the test completes, Altera recommends that you power cycle the device.

Automated SEU Detection

Cyclone IV devices offer on-chip circuitry for automated checking of SEU detection.
Applications that require the device to operate error-free at high elevations or in close
proximity to earth’s north or south pole require periodic checks to ensure continued
data integrity. The error detection cyclic redundancy code feature controlled by the
Device and Pin Options dialog box in the Quartus II software uses a 32-bit CRC
circuit to ensure data reliability and is one of the best options for mitigating SEU.
You can implement the error detection CRC feature with existing circuitry in
Cyclone IV devices, eliminating the need for external logic. The CRC is computed by
the device during configuration and checked against an automatically computed CRC
during normal operation. The CRC_ERROR pin reports a soft error when configuration
CRAM data is corrupted. You must decide whether to reconfigure the FPGA by
strobing the nCONFIG pin low or ignore the error.

CRC_ERROR Pin
A specific CRC_ERROR error detection pin is required to monitor the results of the
error detection circuitry during user mode. Table 9–2 describes the CRC_ERROR pin.

Table 9–2. Cyclone IV Device CRC_ERROR Pin Description

CRC_ERROR Pin Type Description
Dedicated Output or Open By default, the Quartus II software sets the CRC_ERROR pin as a dedicated output. If the
Drain Output (Optional) CRC_ERROR pin is used as a dedicated output, you must ensure that the VCCIO of the bank
in which the pin resides meets the input voltage specification of the system receiving the
signal. Optionally, you can set this pin to be an open-drain output by enabling the option in
the Quartus II software from the Error Detection CRC tab of the Device and Pin Options
dialog box. Using the pin as an open-drain provides an advantage on the voltage leveling.
To use this pin as open-drain, you can tie this pin to VCCIO of Bank 1 through a 10-k pull-up
resistor. Alternatively, depending on the voltage input specification of the system receiving
the signal, you can tie the pull-up resistor to a different pull-up voltage.

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9–4 Chapter 9: SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices
Error Detection Block

f The CRC_ERROR pin information for Cyclone IV devices is reported in the Cyclone IV
Devices Pin-Outs on the Altera® website.

1 WYSIWYG is an optimization technique that performs optimization on a VQM

(Verilog Quartus Mapping) netlist in the Quartus II software.

Error Detection Block

Table 9–3 lists the types of CRC detection to check the configuration bits.

Table 9–3. Types of CRC Detection to Check the Configuration Bits

First Type of CRC Detection Second Type of CRC Detection
■ CRAM error checking ability (32-bit CRC) ■ 16-bit CRC embedded in every configuration data frame.
during user mode, for use by the ■ During configuration, after a frame of data is loaded into the device, the
CRC_ERROR pin. pre-computed CRC is shifted into the CRC circuitry.
■ There is only one 32-bit CRC value. This ■ Simultaneously, the CRC value for the data frame shifted-in is calculated.
value covers all the CRAM data. If the pre-computed CRC and calculated CRC values do not match,
nSTATUS is set low.
■ Every data frame has a 16-bit CRC. Therefore, there are many 16-bit CRC
values for the whole configuration bit stream.
■ Every device has a different length of configuration data frame.

This section focuses on the first type—the 32-bit CRC when the device is in user
mode.

Error Detection Registers

There are two sets of 32-bit registers in the error detection circuitry that store the
computed CRC signature and pre-calculated CRC value. A non-zero value on the
signature register causes the CRC_ERROR pin to set high.
Figure 9–1 shows the block diagram of the error detection block and the two related
32-bit registers: the signature register and the storage register.

Figure 9–1. Error Detection Block Diagram

Error Detection Control Signals

State Machine Compute & Compare
CRC

32
32

32-bit Storage 32-bit Signature

Register Register

32

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Chapter 9: SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices 9–5
Error Detection Timing

Table 9–4 defines the registers shown in Figure 9–1.

Table 9–4. Error Detection Registers

Register Function
32-bit signature This register contains the CRC signature. The signature register contains the result of the user
register mode calculated CRC value compared against the pre-calculated CRC value. If no errors are
detected, the signature register is all zeros. A non-zero signature register indicates an error in the
configuration CRAM contents.
The CRC_ERROR signal is derived from the contents of this register.
32-bit storage register This register is loaded with the 32-bit pre-computed CRC signature at the end of the configuration
stage. The signature is then loaded into the 32-bit CRC circuit (called the Compute and Compare
CRC block, as shown in Figure 9–1) during user mode to calculate the CRC error. This register
forms a 32-bit scan chain during execution of the CHANGE_EDREG JTAG instruction. The
CHANGE_EDREG JTAG instruction can change the content of the storage register. Therefore, the
functionality of the error detection CRC circuitry is checked in-system by executing the instruction
to inject an error during the operation. The operation of the device is not halted when issuing the
CHANGE_EDREG instruction.

Error Detection Timing

When the error detection CRC feature is enabled through the Quartus II software, the
device automatically activates the CRC process upon entering user mode after
configuration and initialization is complete.
The CRC_ERROR pin is driven low until the error detection circuitry detects a
corrupted bit in the previous CRC calculation. After the pin goes high, it remains high
during the next CRC calculation. This pin does not log the previous CRC calculation.
If the new CRC calculation does not contain any corrupted bits, the CRC_ERROR pin is
driven low. The error detection runs until the device is reset.
The error detection circuitry runs off an internal configuration oscillator with a divisor
that sets the maximum frequency.
Table 9–5 lists the minimum and maximum error detection frequencies.

Table 9–5. Minimum and Maximum Error Detection Frequencies for Cyclone IV Devices

Error Detection Maximum Error Minimum Error

Valid Divisors (2n)
Frequency Detection Frequency Detection Frequency
80 MHz/2n 80 MHz 312.5 kHz 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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9–6 Chapter 9: SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices
Error Detection Timing

You can set a lower clock frequency by specifying a division factor in the Quartus II
software (for more information, refer to “Software Support”). The divisor is a power
of two (2), where n is between 0 and 8. The divisor ranges from one through 256. Refer
to Equation 9–1.

Equation 9–1.

80 MHz
Error detection frequency = -------------------
n
2

CRC calculation time depends on the device and the error detection clock frequency.
Table 9–6 lists the estimated time for each CRC calculation with minimum and
maximum clock frequencies for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 9–6. CRC Calculation Time

Device Minimum Time (ms) (1) Maximum Time (s) (2)
EP4CE6 (3) 5 2.29
EP4CE10 (3) 5 2.29
EP4CE15 (3) 7 3.17
EP4CE22 (3) 9 4.51
Cyclone IV E EP4CE30 (3) 15 7.48
EP4CE40 (3) 15 7.48
EP4CE55 (3) 23 11.77
EP4CE75 (3) 31 15.81
EP4CE115 (3) 45 22.67
EP4CGX15 6 2.93
EP4CGX22 12 5.95
12 5.95
EP4CGX30
34 (4) 17.34 (4)
Cyclone IV GX
EP4CGX50 34 17.34
EP4CGX75 34 17.34
EP4CGX110 62 31.27
EP4CGX150 62 31.27
Notes to Table 9–6:
(1) The minimum time corresponds to the maximum error detection clock frequency and may vary with different processes, voltages, and
temperatures (PVT).
(2) The maximum time corresponds to the minimum error detection clock frequency and may vary with different PVT.
(3) Only applicable for device with 1.2-V core voltage
(4) Only applicable for the F484 device package.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 9: SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices 9–7
Software Support

Software Support
Enabling the CRC error detection feature in the Quartus II software generates the
CRC_ERROR output to the optional dual purpose CRC_ERROR pin.
To enable the error detection feature using CRC, perform the following steps:
1. Open the Quartus II software and load a project using Cyclone IV devices.
2. On the Assignments menu, click Settings. The Settings dialog box appears.
3. In the Category list, select Device. The Device page appears.
4. Click Device and Pin Options. The Device and Pin Options dialog box appears as
shown in Figure 9–2.
5. In the Device and Pin Options dialog box, click the Error Detection CRC tab.
6. Turn on Enable error detection CRC.
7. In the Divide error check frequency by box, enter a valid divisor as documented
in Table 9–5 on page 9–5.

1 The divisor value divides the frequency of the configuration oscillator

output clock. This output clock is used as the clock source for the error
detection process.

8. Click OK.

Figure 9–2. Enabling the Error Detection CRC Feature in the Quartus II Software

© February 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

9–8 Chapter 9: SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices
Software Support

Accessing Error Detection Block Through User Logic

The error detection circuit stores the computed 32-bit CRC signature in a 32-bit
register, which is read out by user logic from the core. The cycloneiv_crcblock
primitive is a WYSIWYG component used to establish the interface from the user
logic to the error detection circuit. The cycloneiv_crcblock primitive atom
contains the input and output ports that must be included in the atom. To access the
logic array, the cycloneiv_crcblock WYSIWYG atom must be inserted into your
design.
Figure 9–3 shows the error detection block diagram in FPGA devices and shows the
interface that the WYSIWYG atom enables in your design.

Figure 9–3. Error Detection Block Diagram

80 MHz Internal Chip Oscillator

Clock Divider
(1 to 256 Factor)

VCC

CRC_ERROR
Pre-Computed CRC (Shown in BIDIR Mode)
(Saved in the Option Register)

Error Detection
Logic

CRC_ERROR
SRAM CRC

REGOUT
Bits Computation SHIFTNLD

LDSRC
CLK

Logic Array

1 The user logic is affected by the soft error failure, so reading out the 32-bit CRC
signature through the regout should not be relied upon to detect a soft error. You
should rely on the CRC_ERROR output signal itself, because this CRC_ERROR output
signal cannot be affected by a soft error.

To enable the cycloneiv_crcblock WYSIWYG atom, you must name the atom for
each Cyclone IV device accordingly.

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Chapter 9: SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices 9–9
Software Support

Example 9–1 shows an example of how to define the input and output ports of a
WYSIWYG atom in a Cyclone IV device.
Example 9–1. Error Detection Block Diagram
cycloneiv_crcblock<crcblock_name>

.clk(<clock source>),

.shiftnld(<shiftnld source>),

.ldsrc(<ldsrc source>),

.crcerror(<crcerror out destination>),

.regout(<output destination>),

);

Table 9–7 lists the input and output ports that you must include in the atom.
Table 9–7. CRC Block Input and Output Ports (Part 1 of 2)
Port Input/Output Definition
<crcblock_name> Input Unique identifier for the CRC block, and represents any identifier name that is legal
for the given description language (for example, Verilog HDL, VHDL, and AHDL).
This field is required.
.clk(<clock Input This signal designates the clock input of this cell. All operations of this cell are with
source> respect to the rising edge of the clock. Whether it is the loading of the data into the
cell or data out of the cell, it always occurs on the rising edge. This port is
required.
.shiftnld Input This signal is an input into the error detection block. If shiftnld=1, the data is
(<shiftnld shifted from the internal shift register to the regout at each rising edge of clk.
source>) If shiftnld=0, the shift register parallel loads either the pre-calculated CRC
value or the update register contents, depending on the ldsrc port input. To do
this, the shiftnld must be driven low for at least two clock cycles. This port is
required.
.ldsrc (<ldsrc Input This signal is an input into the error detection block. If ldsrc=0, the
source>) pre-computed CRC register is selected for loading into the 32-bit shift register at
the rising edge of clk when shiftnld=0. If ldsrc=1, the signature register
(result of the CRC calculation) is selected for loading into the shift register at the
rising edge of clk when shiftnld=0. This port is ignored when
shiftnld=1. This port is required.

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9–10 Chapter 9: SEU Mitigation in Cyclone IV Devices
Recovering from CRC Errors

Table 9–7. CRC Block Input and Output Ports (Part 2 of 2)

Port Input/Output Definition
.crcerror Output This signal is the output of the cell that is synchronized to the internal oscillator of
(<crcerror the device (80-MHz internal oscillator) and not to the clk port. It asserts high if
indicator the error block detects that a SRAM bit has flipped and the internal CRC
output>) computation has shown a difference with respect to the pre-computed value. You
must connect this signal either to an output pin or a bidirectional pin. If it is
connected to an output pin, you can only monitor the CRC_ERROR pin (the core
cannot access this output). If the CRC_ERROR signal is used by core logic to read
error detection logic, you must connect this signal to a BIDIR pin. The signal is
fed to the core indirectly by feeding a BIDIR pin that has its output enable port
connected to V CC (see Figure 9–3 on page 9–8).
.regout Output This signal is the output of the error detection shift register synchronized to the
(<registered clk port to be read by core logic. It shifts one bit at each cycle, so you should
output>) clock the clk signal 31 cycles to read out the 32 bits of the shift register.

Recovering from CRC Errors

The system that the Altera FPGA resides in must control device reconfiguration. After
detecting an error on the CRC_ERROR pin, strobing the nCONFIG low directs the
system to perform the reconfiguration at a time when it is safe for the system to
reconfigure the FPGA.
When the data bit is rewritten with the correct value by reconfiguring the device, the
device functions correctly.
While soft errors are uncommon in Altera devices, certain high-reliability applications
might require a design to account for these errors.

Document Revision History

Table 9–8 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 9–8. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
February 2009 1.1 Updated for the Quartus II software version 9.1 SP1 release:
■ Updated “Configuration Error Detection” section.
■ Updated Table 9–6.
■ Added Cyclone IV E devices in Table 9–6.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

 10. JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for
Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51010-1.1

This chapter describes the boundary-scan test (BST) features that are supported in
Cyclone IV devices. The features are similar to Cyclone III devices, unless stated in
this chapter.
Cyclone IV devices (Cyclone IV E devices and Cyclone IV GX devices) support IEEE
Std. 1149.1. Cyclone IV GX devices also support IEEE Std. 1149.6. The IEEE Std. 1149.6
(AC JTAG) is only supported on the high-speed serial interface (HSSI) transceivers in
Cyclone IV GX devices. The purpose of IEEE Std. 1149.6 is to enable board-level
connectivity checking between transmitters and receivers that are AC coupled.
This chapter includes the following sections:
■ “IEEE Std. 1149.6 Boundary-Scan Register” on page 10–2
■ “BST Operation Control” on page 10–3
■ “I/O Voltage Support in a JTAG Chain” on page 10–5
■ “Boundary-Scan Description Language Support” on page 10–6

f For more information about the JTAG instructions code with descriptions and IEEE
Std.1149.1 BST guidelines, refer to the IEEE 1149.1 (JTAG) Boundary-Scan Testing for
Cyclone III Devices chapter.

f For more information about the following topics, refer to AN 39: IEEE 1149.1 (JTAG)
Boundary-Scan Testing in Altera Devices:

■ IEEE Std. 1149.1 BST architecture and circuitry

■ TAP controller state-machine
■ Instruction mode

© February 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

10–2 Chapter 10: JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices
IEEE Std. 1149.6 Boundary-Scan Register

IEEE Std. 1149.6 Boundary-Scan Register

The boundary-scan cell (BSC) for HSSI transmitters (GXB_TX[p,n]) and receivers
(GXB_RX[p,n]) in Cyclone IV GX devices are different from the BSCs for I/O pins.
Figure 10–1 shows the Cyclone IV GX HSSI transmitter boundary-scan cell.

Figure 10–1. HSSI Transmitter BSC with IEEE Std. 1149.6 BST Circuitry for Cyclone IV GX Devices

BSCAN PMA

SDOUT
AC JTAG
Output
0 BSTX1 Buffer
0 OE
D Q D Q 1
1

Pad
Mission
0 (DATAOUT)
D Q D Q 0 Tx Output
Buffer
1 BS0EB nOE
1
Pad
OE Logic
M0 RHZ

0
0 OE
BSTX0
D Q D Q AC JTAG
1 Output
1 Buffer

MEM_INIT SDIN SHIFT CLK UPDATE HIGHZ AC_TEST AC_MODE

MODE

Capture Update
Registers

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Chapter 10: JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices 10–3
BST Operation Control

Figure 10–2 shows the Cyclone IV GX HSSI receiver BSC.

Figure 10–2. HSSI Receiver BSC with IEEE Std. 1149.6 BST Circuitry for the Cyclone IV GX Devices

BSCAN PMA

SDOUT BSRX1 AC JTAG Test

Receiver

Hysteretic
Memory
0
BSOUT1
D Q Pad
Mission
1 (DATAIN) Rx Input
Optional INTEST/RUNBIST Buffer
not supported Pad

BSRX0 AC JTAG Test

Receiver
0
BSOUT0 Hysteretic
D Q
Memory
1

HIGHZ SDIN SHIFT CLK UPDATE AC_TEST MEM_INIT

MODE AC_MODE

Capture Update
Registers

f For more information about Cyclone IV devices user I/O boundary-scan cells, refer to
the IEEE 1149.1 (JTAG) Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone III Devices chapter.

BST Operation Control

Table 10–1 lists the boundary-scan register length for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 10–1. Boundary-Scan Register Length for Cyclone IV Devices (Part 1 of 2)

Device Boundary-Scan Register Length
EP4CE6 603
EP4CE10 603
EP4CE15 1080
EP4CE22 732
EP4CE30 1632
EP4CE40 1632
EP4CE55 1164
EP4CE75 1314
EP4CE115 1620
EP4CGX15 260
EP4CGX22 494
EP4CGX30 (1) 494
EP4CGX50 1006

© February 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

10–4 Chapter 10: JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices
BST Operation Control

Table 10–1. Boundary-Scan Register Length for Cyclone IV Devices (Part 2 of 2)

Device Boundary-Scan Register Length
EP4CGX75 1006
EP4CGX110 1495
EP4CGX150 1495
Note to Table 10–1:
(1) For the F484 package of the EP4CGX30 device, the boundary-scan register length is 1006.

Table 10–2 lists the IDCODE information for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 10–2. IDCODE Information for 32-Bit Cyclone IV Devices

IDCODE (32 Bits) (1)
Device Version Part Number Manufacturer Identity LSB
(4 Bits) (16 Bits) (11 Bits) (1 Bit) (2)
EP4CE6 0000 0010 0000 1111 0001 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CE10 0000 0010 0000 1111 0001 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CE15 0000 0010 0000 1111 0010 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CE22 0000 0010 0000 1111 0011 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CE30 0000 0010 0000 1111 0100 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CE40 0000 0010 0000 1111 0100 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CE55 0000 0010 0000 1111 0101 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CE75 0000 0010 0000 1111 0110 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CE115 0000 0010 0000 1111 0111 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CGX15 0000 0010 1000 0000 0001 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CGX22 0000 0010 1000 0001 0010 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CGX30 (3) 0000 0010 1000 0000 0010 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CGX30 (4) 0000 0010 1000 0001 0011 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CGX50 0000 0010 1000 0010 0011 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CGX75 0000 0010 1000 0000 0011 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CGX110 0000 0010 1000 0001 0100 000 0110 1110 1
EP4CGX150 0000 0010 1000 0000 0100 000 0110 1110 1
Notes to Table 10–2:
(1) The MSB is on the left.
(2) The IDCODE LSB is always 1.
(3) The IDCODE is applicable for all packages except for the F484 package.
(4) The IDCODE is applicable for the F484 package only.

IEEE Std.1149.6 mandates the addition of two new instructions: EXTEST_PULSE and
EXTEST_TRAIN. These two instructions enable edge-detecting behavior on the signal
path containing the AC pins.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 10: JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices 10–5
I/O Voltage Support in a JTAG Chain

EXTEST_PULSE
The instruction code for EXTEST_PULSE is 0010001111. The EXTEST_PULSE
instruction generates three output transitions:
■ Driver drives data on the falling edge of TCK in UPDATE_IR/DR.
■ Driver drives inverted data on the falling edge of TCK after entering the
RUN_TEST/IDLE state.
■ Driver drives data on the falling edge of TCK after leaving the RUN_TEST/IDLE
state.

EXTEST_TRAIN
The instruction code for EXTEST_TRAIN is 0001001111. The EXTEST_TRAIN
instruction behaves the same as the EXTEST_PULSE instruction with one exception.
The output continues to toggle on the TCK falling edge as long as the test access port
(TAP) controller is in the RUN_TEST/IDLE state.

1 These two instruction codes are only supported in post-configuration mode for
Cyclone IV GX devices.

I/O Voltage Support in a JTAG Chain

A Cyclone IV device operating in BST mode uses four required pins: TDI, TDO, TMS,
and TCK. The TDO output pin and all JTAG input pins are powered by the VCCIO power
supply of I/O Banks (I/O Bank 9 for Cyclone IV GX devices and I/O Bank 1 for
Cyclone IV E devices).
A JTAG chain can contain several different devices. However, you must use caution if
the chain contains devices that have different VCCIO levels. The output voltage level of
the TDO pin must meet the specification of the TDI pin it drives. For example, a device
with a 3.3-V TDO pin can drive a device with a 5.0-V TDI pin because 3.3 V meets the
minimum TTL-level VIH for the 5.0-V TDI pin.

1 For multiple devices in a JTAG chain with the 3.0-V/3.3-V I/O standard, you must
connect a 25- series resistor on a TDO pin driving a TDI pin.

You can also interface the TDI and TDO lines of the devices that have different VCCIO
levels by inserting a level shifter between the devices. If possible, the JTAG chain
should have a device with a higher VCCIO level driving a device with an equal or lower
VCCIO level. This way, a level shifter may be required only to shift the TDO level to a
level acceptable to the JTAG tester.

© February 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

10–6 Chapter 10: JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices
Boundary-Scan Description Language Support

Figure 10–3 shows the JTAG chain of mixed voltages and how a level shifter is
inserted in the chain.

Figure 10–3. JTAG Chain of Mixed Voltages

Must be
3.3-V
tolerant

TDI 3.3-V 2.5-V

VCCIO VCCIO

Tester

TDO Level 1.5-V 1.8-V

Shifter VCCIO VCCIO

Shift TDO to Must be Must be

level accepted by 1.8-V 2.5-V
tester if necessary tolerant tolerant

Boundary-Scan Description Language Support

The boundary-scan description language (BSDL), a subset of VHDL, provides a
syntax that allows you to describe the features of an IEEE Std. 1149.1/IEEE Std. 1149.6
BST-capable device that can be tested.

f For more information about how to download BSDL files for IEEE Std.
1149.1-compliant Cyclone IV E devices, refer to IEEE Std. 1149.1 BSDL Files.

f For more information about how to download BSDL files for IEEE Std.
1149.6-compliant Cyclone IV GX devices, refer to IEEE Std. 1149.6 BSDL Files.

f You can also generate BSDL files (pre-configuration and post-configuration) for
IEEE Std. 1149.1/IEEE Std. 1149.6-compliant Cyclone IV devices with the Quartus® II
software version 9.1 SP1 and later. For more information about the procedure to
generate BSDL files using the Quartus II software, refer to BSDL Files Generation in
Quartus II.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 10: JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices 10–7
Document Revision History

Document Revision History

Table 10–3 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 10–3. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Added Cyclone IV E devices in Table 10–1 and Table 10–2 for the Quartus II
software version 9.1 SP1 release.
February 2010 1.1
■ Updated Figure 10–1 and Figure 10–2.
■ Minor text edits.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

© February 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

10–8 Chapter 10: JTAG Boundary-Scan Testing for Cyclone IV Devices
Document Revision History

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © February 2010 Altera Corporation

 11. Power Requirements for
Cyclone IV Devices

CYIV-51011-1.2

This chapter describes information about external power supply requirements,

hot-socketing specifications, power-on reset (POR) requirements, and their
implementation in Cyclone IV devices.
This chapter includes the following sections:
■ “External Power Supply Requirements” on page 11–1
■ “Hot-Socketing Specifications” on page 11–2
■ “Hot-socketing Feature Implementation” on page 11–3
■ “Power-On Reset Circuitry” on page 11–3

External Power Supply Requirements

This section describes the different external power supplies required to power
Cyclone IV devices. Table 11–1 and Table 11–2 list the descriptions of external power
supply pins for Cyclone IV GX and Cyclone IV E devices, respectively.

f For each Altera recommended power supply’s operating conditions, refer to the
Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

f For power supply pin connection guidelines and power regulator sharing, refer to the
Cyclone IV Device Family Pin Connection Guidelines.

Table 11–1. Power Supply Descriptions for the Cyclone IV GX Devices (Part 1 of 2)
Power Supply Pin Nominal Voltage Level (V) Description
Core voltage, PCI Express (PCIe) hard IP block, and
VCCINT 1.2 transceiver physical coding sublayer (PCS) power
supply
VCCA (1) 2.5 PLL analog power supply
VCCD_PLL 1.2 PLL digital power supply
VCCIO (2) 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.5, 3.0, 3.3 I/O banks power supply
VCC_CLKIN (3), (4) 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.5, 3.0, 3.3 Differential clock input pins power supply
VCCH_GXB 2.5 Transceiver output (TX) buffer power supply
Transceiver physical medium attachment (PMA) and
VCCA_GXB 2.5
auxiliary power supply

© July 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

11–2 Chapter 11: Power Requirements for Cyclone IV Devices
Hot-Socketing Specifications

Table 11–1. Power Supply Descriptions for the Cyclone IV GX Devices (Part 2 of 2)
Power Supply Pin Nominal Voltage Level (V) Description
VCCL_GXB 1.2 Transceiver PMA and auxiliary power supply
Notes to Table 11–1:
(1) You must power up VCCA even if the phase-locked loop (PLL) is not used.
(2) I/O banks 3, 8, and 9 contain configuration pins. You can only power up the VCCIO level of I/O banks 3 and 9 to 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.0 V, or 3.3 V.
For Fast Passive Parallel (FPP) configuration mode, you must power up the VCCIO level of I/O bank 8 to 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.0 V, or 3.3 V.
(3) All device packages of EP4CGX15, EP4CGX22, and device package F169 and F324 of EP4CGX30 devices have two VCC_CLKIN dedicated
clock input I/O located at Banks 3A and 8A. Device package F484 of EP4CGX30, all device packages of EP4CGX50, EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110,
and EP4CGX150 devices have four VCC_CLKIN dedicated clock input I/O bank located at banks 3A, 3B, 8A, and 8B.
(4) You must set VCC_CLKIN to 2.5 V if the CLKIN is used as high-speed serial interface (HSSI) refclk. VCC_CLKIN located at I/O banks
3B and 8B only support a nominal voltage level of 2.5 V for LVDS input function because they are dedicated for HSSI refclk. For EP4CGX50,
EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices, the single-ended input CLK support is available for dedicated input CLK pins at I/O banks
3B and 8B.

Table 11–2. Power Supply Descriptions for the Cyclone IV E Devices

Power Supply Pin Nominal Voltage Level (V) Description
VCCINT 1.0, 1.2 Core voltage power supply
VCCA (1) 2.5 PLL analog power supply
VCCD_PLL 1.0, 1.2 PLL digital power supply
VCCIO (2) 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.5, 3.0, 3.3 I/O banks power supply
Notes to Table 11–2:
(1) You must power up VCCA even if the PLL is not used.
(2) I/O banks 1, 6, 7, and 8 contain configuration pins.

Hot-Socketing Specifications
Cyclone IV devices are hot-socketing compliant without the need for any external
components or special design requirements. Hot-socketing support in Cyclone IV
devices has the following advantages:
■ You can drive the device before power up without damaging the device.
■ I/O pins remain tri-stated during power up. The device does not drive out before
or during power-up. Therefore, it does not affect other buses in operation.

Devices Driven Before Power-Up

You can drive signals into regular Cyclone IV E I/O pins and transceiver
Cyclone IV GX I/O pins before or during power up or power down without
damaging the device. Cyclone IV devices support any power-up or power-down
sequence to simplify system-level designs.

I/O Pins Remain Tri-stated During Power-Up

The output buffers of Cyclone IV devices are turned off during system power up or
power down. Cyclone IV devices do not drive out until the device is configured and
working in recommended operating conditions. The I/O pins are tri-stated until the
device enters user mode.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © July 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 11: Power Requirements for Cyclone IV Devices 11–3
Hot-socketing Feature Implementation

1 The user I/O pins and dual-purpose I/O pins have weak pull-up resistors, which are
always enabled (after POR) before and during configuration. The weak pull up
resistors are not enabled prior to POR.

A possible concern for semiconductor devices in general regarding hot socketing is

the potential for latch up. Latch up can occur when electrical subsystems are hot
socketed into an active system. During hot socketing, the signal pins may be
connected and driven by the active system before the power supply can provide
current to the VCC of the device and ground planes. This condition can lead to latch up
and cause a low-impedance path from VCC to GND in the device. As a result, the
device extends a large amount of current, possibly causing electrical damage.
The design of the I/O buffers and hot-socketing circuitry ensures that Cyclone IV
devices are immune to latch up during hot-socketing.

f For more information about the hot-socketing specification, refer to the Cyclone IV
Device Datasheet chapter and the Hot-Socketing and Power-Sequencing Feature and Testing
for Altera Devices white paper.

Hot-socketing Feature Implementation

The hot-socketing circuit does not include the CONF_DONE, nCEO, and nSTATUS pins
to ensure that they are able to operate during configuration. The expected behavior
for these pins is to drive out during power-up and power-down sequences.

1 Altera uses GND as reference for hot-socketing operation and I/O buffer designs. To
ensure proper operation, Altera recommends connecting the GND between boards
before connecting the power supplies. This prevents the GND on your board from
being pulled up inadvertently by a path to power through other components on your
board. A pulled up GND can otherwise cause an out-of-specification I/O voltage or
current condition with the Altera device.

Power-On Reset Circuitry

Cyclone IV devices contain POR circuitry to keep the device in a reset state until the
power supply voltage levels have stabilized during power up. During POR, all user
I/O pins are tri-stated until the power supplies reach the recommended operating
levels. In addition, the POR circuitry also ensures the V CCIO level of I/O banks that
contain configuration pins reach an acceptable level before configuration is triggered.
The POR circuit of the Cyclone IV device monitors the VCCINT, VCCA, and VCCIO that
contain configuration pins during power-on. You can power up or power down the
VCCINT, VCCA, and V CCIO pins in any sequence. The VCCINT, VCCA, and VCCIO must have a
monotonic rise to their steady state levels. All VCCA pins must be powered to 2.5V
(even when PLLs are not used), and must be powered up and powered down at the
same time.
After the Cyclone IV device enters the user mode, the POR circuit continues to
monitor the VCCINT and VCCA pins so that a brown-out condition during user mode is
detected. If the V CCINT or VCCA voltage sags below the POR trip point during user
mode, the POR circuit resets the device. If the VCCIO voltage sags during user mode,
the POR circuit does not reset the device.

© July 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1

11–4 Chapter 11: Power Requirements for Cyclone IV Devices
Document Revision History

In some applications, it is necessary for a device to wake up very quickly to begin

operation. Cyclone IV devices offer the Fast-On feature to support fast wake-up time
applications. The MSEL pin settings determine the POR time (tPOR) of the device.

f For more information about the MSEL pin settings, refer to the Configuration and
Remote System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

f For more information about the POR specifications, refer to the Cyclone IV Device
Datasheet chapter.

Document Revision History

Table 11–3 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 11–3. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.0 release.
July 2010 1.2 ■ Updated “I/O Pins Remain Tri-stated During Power-Up” section.
■ Updated Table 11–1.
Updated Table 11–1 and Table 11–2 for the Quartus II software version 9.1 SP1
February 2010 1.1
release.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 1 © July 2010 Altera Corporation

 Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

101 Innovation Drive

San Jose, CA 95134
www.altera.com

CYIV-5V2-1.4
Copyright © 2010 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, the stylized Altera logo, specific device designations, and all other
words and logos that are identified as trademarks and/or service marks are, unless noted otherwise, the trademarks and service marks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other
countries. RSDS and PPDS are registered trademarks of National Semiconductor. All other product or service names are the property of their respective holders. Altera products
are protected under numerous U.S. and foreign patents and pending applications, maskwork rights, and copyrights. Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products
to current specifications in accordance with Altera's standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera as-
sumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Altera
Corporation. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published information and before placing orders for products
or services.
 Contents

Chapter Revision Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Additional Information
About this Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Info-vii
How to Contact Altera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Info-vii
Typographic Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Info-vii

Section I. Transceivers
Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1

Chapter 1. Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture

Transceiver Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Architectural Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Transmitter Channel Datapath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
TX Phase Compensation FIFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Byte Serializer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
8B/10B Encoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Miscellaneous Transmitter PCS Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Serializer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Transmitter Output Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Receiver Channel Datapath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Receiver Input Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Clock Data Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Automatic Lock Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Manual Lock Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Deserializer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Word Aligner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Deskew FIFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Rate Match FIFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
8B/10B Decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Byte Deserializer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Byte Ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
RX Phase Compensation FIFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Miscellaneous Receiver PCS Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Transceiver Clocking Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Input Reference Clocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Transceiver Channel Datapath Clocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Non-Bonded Channel Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-28
Bonded Channel Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Interface Clocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-39
Calibration Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-41
PCI-Express Hard IP Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-42
Transceiver Functional Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-43
Basic Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-43
Low-Latency PCS Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-45
Transmitter in Electrical Idle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-46
Signal Detect at Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-46
Receiver Spread Spectrum Clocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-46

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

ii Contents

PCI Express (PIPE) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-48

PIPE Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-49
Receiver Detection Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-50
Electrical Idle Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-51
Signal Detect at Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-51
Lane Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-52
Clock Rate Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-52
Low-Latency Synchronous PCIe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-52
Fast Recovery from P0s State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-52
Electrical Idle Inference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-53
Compliance Pattern Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-53
Reset Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-54
GIGE Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-54
Running Disparity Preservation with Idle Ordered Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-57
Lane Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-57
Clock Frequency Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-57
Serial RapidIO Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-59
Lane Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-60
Clock Frequency Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-61
XAUI Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-61
XGMII and PCS Code Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-64
Channel Deskewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-65
Lane Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-66
Clock Rate Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-67
Deterministic Latency Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-68
Registered Mode Phase Compensation FIFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-70
Receive Bit-Slip Indication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-70
Transmit Bit-Slip Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-70
PLL PFD feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-70
SDI Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-71
Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-73
Reverse Parallel Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-73
Serial Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-74
Reverse Serial Loopback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-75
Self Test Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-76
BIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-76
PRBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-77
Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-79
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-86

Chapter 2. Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down

User Reset and Power-Down Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Blocks Affected by the Reset and Power-Down Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Transceiver Reset Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
All Supported Functional Modes Except the PCIe Functional Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Bonded Channel Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Non-Bonded Channel Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
PCIe Functional Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
PCIe Reset Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
PCIe Initialization/Compliance Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
PCIe Normal Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Dynamic Reconfiguration Reset Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Reset Sequence in PLL Reconfiguration Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Reset Sequence in Channel Reconfiguration Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Contents iii

Power Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21

Simulation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Reference Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23

Chapter 3. Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Offset Cancellation Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Functional Simulation of the Offset Cancellation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
PMA Controls Reconfiguration Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Method 1: Using logical_channel_address to Reconfigure Specific Transceiver Channels . . . . 3-12
Method 2: Writing the Same Control Signals to Control All the Transceiver Channels . . . . . . . 3-14
Method 3: Writing Different Control Signals for all the Transceiver Channels at the Same
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Transceiver Channel Reconfiguration Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Channel Interface Reconfiguration Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20
Data Rate Reconfiguration Mode Using RX Local Divider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Control and Status Signals for Channel Reconfiguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
PLL Reconfiguration Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Error Indication During Dynamic Reconfiguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Functional Simulation of the Dynamic Reconfiguration Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

iv Contents

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Chapter Revision Dates

The chapters in this book, Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2, were revised on the
following dates. Where chapters or groups of chapters are available separately, part
numbers are listed.

Chapter 1 Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture

Revised: December 2010
Part Number: CYIV-52001-3.2

Chapter 2 Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down

Revised: December 2010
Part Number: CYIV-52002-1.1

Chapter 3 Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration

Revised: December 2010
Part Number: CYIV-52003-2.0

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

vi Chapter Revision Dates

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Additional Information

About this Handbook

This handbook provides comprehensive information about the Altera® Cyclone® IV
family of devices.

How to Contact Altera

For the most up-to-date information about Altera products, see the following table.

Contact
Contact (Note 1) Method Address
Technical support Website www.altera.com/support
Technical training Website www.altera.com/training
Email [email protected]
Non-technical support (General) Email [email protected]
(Software Licensing) Email [email protected]
Note:
(1) You can also contact your local Altera sales office or sales representative.

Typographic Conventions
The following table shows the typographic conventions that this document uses.

Visual Cue Meaning

Bold Type with Initial Capital Indicates command names, dialog box titles, dialog box options, and other GUI
Letters labels. For example, Save As dialog box. For GUI elements, capitalization matches
the GUI.
bold type Indicates directory names, project names, disk drive names, file names, file name
extensions, dialog box options, software utility names, and other GUI labels. For
example, \qdesigns directory, d: drive, and chiptrip.gdf.
Italic Type with Initial Capital Letters Indicates document titles. For example, AN 519: Cyclone IV Design Guidelines.
Italic type Indicates variables. For example, n + 1.
Variable names are enclosed in angle brackets (< >). For example, <file name> and
<project name>.pof.
Initial Capital Letters Indicates keyboard keys and menu names. For example, Delete key and the Options
menu.
“Subheading Title” Quotation marks indicate references to sections within a document and titles of
Quartus II Help topics. For example, “Typographic Conventions.”

© July 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

Info–xii Additional Information

Visual Cue Meaning

Courier type Indicates signal, port, register, bit, block, and primitive names. For example, data1,
tdi, and input. Active-low signals are denoted by suffix n. For example,
resetn.
Indicates command line commands and anything that must be typed exactly as it
appears. For example, c:\qdesigns\tutorial\chiptrip.gdf.
Also indicates sections of an actual file, such as a Report File, references to parts of
files (for example, the AHDL keyword SUBDESIGN), and logic function names (for
example, TRI).
1., 2., 3., and Numbered steps indicate a list of items when the sequence of the items is important,
a., b., c., and so on. such as the steps listed in a procedure.
■ ■ Bullets indicate a list of items when the sequence of the items is not important.
1 The hand points to information that requires special attention.
A caution calls attention to a condition or possible situation that can damage or
c
destroy the product or your work.
A warning calls attention to a condition or possible situation that can cause you
w
injury.
r The angled arrow instructs you to press Enter.
f The feet direct you to more information about a particular topic.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © July 2010 Altera Corporation

 Section I. Transceivers

This section provides a complete overview of all features relating to the Cyclone® IV
device transceivers. This section includes the following chapters:
■ Chapter 1, Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
■ Chapter 2, Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
■ Chapter 3, Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration

Revision History
Refer to the chapter for its own specific revision history. For information about when
the chapter was updated, refer to the Chapter Revision Dates section, which appears
in the complete handbook.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–2 Chapter :

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 1. Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture

CYIV-52001-3.2

Cyclone® IV GX devices include up to eight full-duplex transceivers at serial data

rates between 600 Mbps and 3.125 Gbps in a low-cost FPGA. Table 1–1 lists the
supported Cyclone IV GX transceiver channel serial protocols.

Table 1–1. Serial Protocols Supported by the Cyclone IV GX Transceiver Channels —Preliminary
F324 and smaller F484 and larger
Protocol Data Rate (Gbps)
packages packages
PCI Express® (PCIe®) (1) 2.5 v v
Gbps Ethernet (GbE) 1.25 v v
Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) 0.6144, 1.2288, 2.4576, and 3.072 v (2) v
OBSAI 0.768, 1.536, and 3.072 v(2) v
XAUI 3.125 — v
HD-SDI at 1.485 and 1.4835
Serial digital interface (SDI) — v
3G-SDI at 2.97 and 2.967
Serial RapidIO® (SRIO) 1.25, 2.5, and 3.125 — v
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
1.5 and 3.0 — v
(SATA) (3)
V-by-one (3) 3.0 — v
Display Port (3) 1.62 and 2.7 — v
Notes to Table 1–1:
(1) Provides the physical interface for PCI Express (PIPE)-compliant interface that supports Gen1 ×1, ×2, and ×4 initial lane width configurations.
When implementing ×1 or ×2 interface, remaining channels in the transceiver block are available to implement other protocols.
(2) Supports data rates up to 2.5 Gbps only.
(3) Compliance to protocol specification is pending characterization.

You can implement these protocols through the ALTGX MegaWizard™ Plug-In
Manager, which also offers the highly flexible Basic functional mode to implement
proprietary serial protocols at the following serial data rates:
■ 600 Mbps to 2.5 Gbps for devices in F324 and smaller packages
■ 600 Mbps to 3.125 Gbps for devices in F484 and larger packages
For descriptions of the ports available when instantiating a transceiver using the
ALTGX megafunction, refer to “Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists” on page 1–79.

f For more information about Cyclone IV transceivers that run at 2.97 Gbps data rate,
refer to the Cyclone IV Device Family Pin Connection Guidelines.

1 The Cyclone IV GX device includes a hard intellectual property (IP) implementation

of the PCIe MegaCore® functions, supporting Gen1 ×1, ×2, and ×4 initial lane widths
configured in the root port or endpoint mode. For more information, refer to “PCI-
Express Hard IP Block” on page 1–42.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–2 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Architecture

Transceiver Architecture
Cyclone IV GX devices offer either one or two transceiver blocks per device,
depending on the package. Each block consists of four full-duplex (transmitter and
receiver) channels, located on the left side of the device (in a die-top view). Figure 1–1
and Figure 1–2 show the die-top view of the transceiver block and related resource
locations in Cyclone IV GX devices.

Figure 1–1. F324 and Smaller Packages with Transceiver Channels for Cyclone IV GX Devices

MPLL_2 F324 and smaller

packages

Channel 3 (1)

Channel 2 (1) PCIe

hard IP
Transceiver
Block GXBL0 Channel 1

Channel 0

Calibration Block

MPLL_1

Note to Figure 1–1:

(1) Channel 2 and Channel 3 are not available in the F169 and smaller packages.

Figure 1–2. F484 and Larger Packages with Transceiver Channels for Cyclone IV GX Devices

F484 and larger

MPLL_8 GPLL_2 packages

Channel 3

Transceiver Channel 2
Not applicable in
Block GXBL1 F484 package
Channel 1

Channel 0

MPLL_7

MPLL_6

Channel 3

Channel 2 PCIe
Transceiver hard IP
Block GXBL0 Channel 1

Channel 0

Calibration Block

MPLL_5 GPLL_1

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–3
Architectural Overview

For more information about the transceiver architecture, refer to the following
sections:
■ “Architectural Overview” on page 1–3
■ “Transmitter Channel Datapath” on page 1–4
■ “Receiver Channel Datapath” on page 1–10
■ “Transceiver Clocking Architecture” on page 1–24
■ “Transceiver Channel Datapath Clocking” on page 1–26
■ “FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Interface Clocking” on page 1–39
■ “Calibration Block” on page 1–41
■ “PCI-Express Hard IP Block” on page 1–42

Architectural Overview
Figure 1–3 shows the Cyclone IV GX transceiver channel datapath.
Figure 1–3. Transceiver Channel Datapath for Cyclone IV GX Devices

Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA

FPGA
Fabric

tx_dataout
Tx Phase
tx_datain Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

Rx

rx_datain
rx_dataout Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO

Each transceiver channel consists of a transmitter and a receiver datapath. Each

datapath is further structured into the following:
■ Physical media attachment (PMA)—includes analog circuitry for I/O buffers,
clock data recovery (CDR), serializer/deserializer (SERDES), and programmable
pre-emphasis and equalization to optimize serial data channel performance.
■ Physical coding sublayer (PCS)—includes hard logic implementation of digital
functionality within the transceiver that is compliant with supported protocols.
Outbound parallel data from the FPGA fabric flows through the transmitter PCS and
PMA, is transmitted as serial data. Received inbound serial data flows through the
receiver PMA and PCS into the FPGA fabric. The transceiver supports the following
interface widths:
■ FPGA fabric-transceiver PCS—8, 10, 16, or 20 bits
■ PMA-PCS—8 or 10 bits

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Transmitter Channel Datapath

f The transceiver channel interfaces through the PIPE when configured for PCIe
protocol implementation. The PIPE is compliant with version 2.00 of the PHY Interface
for the PCI Express Architecture specification.

Transmitter Channel Datapath

The following sections describe the Cyclone IV GX transmitter channel datapath
architecture as shown in Figure 1–3:
■ TX Phase Compensation FIFO
■ Byte Serializer
■ 8B/10B Encoder
■ Serializer
■ Transmitter Output Buffer

TX Phase Compensation FIFO

The TX phase compensation FIFO compensates for the phase difference between the
low-speed parallel clock and the FPGA fabric interface clock, when interfacing the
transmitter channel to the FPGA fabric (directly or through the PIPE and
PCIe hard IP). The FIFO is four words deep, with latency between two to three
parallel clock cycles. Figure 1–4 shows the TX phase compensation FIFO block
diagram.

Figure 1–4. TX Phase Compensation FIFO Block Diagram

TX Phase tx_phase_comp_fifo_error
Compensation
FIFO Data output to
tx_datain[x..0] (1)
the byte serializer
wr_clk rd_clk or the 8B/10B encoder

Note to Figure 1–4:

(1) The x refers to the supported 8-, 10-, 16-, or 20-bits transceiver channel width.

1 The FIFO can operate in registered mode, contributing to only one parallel clock cycle
of latency in Deterministic Latency functional mode. For more information, refer to
“Deterministic Latency Mode” on page 1–68.

For more information about FIFO clocking, refer to “FPGA Fabric-Transceiver

Interface Clocking” on page 1–39.

Byte Serializer
The byte serializer divides the input datapath width by two to allow transmitter
channel operation at higher data rates while meeting the maximum FPGA fabric
frequency limit. This module is required in configurations that exceed the maximum
FPGA fabric-transceiver interface clock frequency limit and optional in configurations
that do not.

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Transmitter Channel Datapath

f For the FPGA fabric-transceiver interface frequency specifications, refer to the Cyclone
IV Device Data Sheet.

For example, when operating an EP4CGX150 transmitter channel at 3.125 Gbps

without byte serializer, the FPGA fabric frequency is 312.5 MHz (3.125 Gbps/10). This
implementation violates the frequency limit and is not supported. Channel operation
at 3.125 Gbps is supported when byte serializer is used, where the FPGA fabric
frequency is 156.25 MHz (3.125 Gbps/20).
The byte serializer forwards the least significant byte first, followed by the most
significant byte.

8B/10B Encoder
The optional 8B/10B encoder generates 10-bit code groups with proper disparity from
the 8-bit data and 1-bit control identifier as shown in Figure 1–5.

f The encoder is compliant with Clause 36 of the IEEE 802.3 Specification.

Figure 1–5. 8B/10B Encoder Block Diagram

8

tx_ctrlenable
10
8B/10B Encoder
tx_forcedisp

tx_dispval

The 1-bit control identifier (tx_ctrlenable) port controls the 8-bit translation to
either a 10-bit data word (Dx.y) or a 10-bit control word (Kx.y). Figure 1–6 shows the
8B/10B encoding operation with the tx_ctrlenable port, where the second 8'hBC
data is encoded as a control word when tx_ctrlenable port is asserted, while the
rest of the data is encoded as a data word.

Figure 1–6. Control and Data Word Encoding with the 8B/10B Encoder

clock

tx_datain[7..0] 83 78 BC BC 0F 00 BF 3C

tx_ctrlenable

code group D3.4 D24.3 D28.5 K28.5 D15.0 D0.0 D31.5 D28.1

1 The IEEE 802.3 8B/10B encoder specification identifies only a set of 8-bit characters
for which the tx_ctrlenable port should be asserted. If you assert
tx_ctrlenable port for any other set of characters, the 8B/10B encoder might
encode the output 10-bit code as an invalid code (it does not map to a valid Dx.y or
Kx.y code), or an unintended valid Dx.y code, depending on the value entered. It is
possible for a downstream 8B/10B decoder to decode an invalid control word into a
valid Dx.y code without asserting any code error flags. Altera recommends not to
assert tx_ctrlenable port for unsupported 8-bit characters.

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Transmitter Channel Datapath

The following describes the 8B/10B encoder behavior in reset condition (as shown in
Figure 1–7):
■ During reset, the 8B/10B encoder ignores the inputs (tx_datain and
tx_ctrlenable ports) from the FPGA fabric and outputs the K28.5 pattern from
the RD- column continuously until the tx_digitalreset port is deasserted.
■ Upon deassertion of the tx_digitalreset port, the 8B/10B encoder starts with
a negative disparity and transmits three K28.5 code groups for synchronization
before it starts encoding and transmitting data on its output.
■ Due to some pipelining of the transmitter PCS, some "don't cares" (10'hxxx) are
sent before the three synchronizing K28.5 code groups.

Figure 1–7. 8B/10B Encoder Behavior in Reset Condition

clock

tx_digitalreset

dataout[9..0] K28.5- K28.5- K28.5- xxx xxx K28.5- K28.5+ K28.5- Dx.y+

During reset Don’t cares after reset Synchronization Normal

operation

The encoder supports forcing the running disparity to either positive or negative
disparity with tx_forcedisp and tx_dispval ports. Figure 1–8 shows an example
of tx_forcedisp and tx_dispval port use, where data is shown in hexadecimal
radix.

Figure 1–8. Force Running Disparity Operation

n n+1 n+2 n+3 n+4 n+5 n+6 n+7

clock

txin[7..0] BC

tx_ctrlenable

tx_forcedisp

tx_dispval

Current Disparity RD- RD+ RD+ RD- RD+ RD- RD- RD+

dataout[9..0] 17C 283 17C 283 17C 283

In this example, a series of K28.5 code groups are continuously sent. The stream
alternates between a positive disparity K28.5 (RD+) and a negative disparity K28.5
(RD-) to maintain a neutral overall disparity. The current running disparity at time
n + 1 indicates that the K28.5 in time n + 2 should be encoded with a negative
disparity. Because tx_forcedisp is high at time n + 2, and tx_dispval is low, the

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–7
Transmitter Channel Datapath

K28.5 at time n + 2 is encoded as a positive disparity code group. In the same example,
the current running disparity at time n + 5 indicates that the K28.5 in time n + 6 should
be encoded with a positive disparity. Because tx_forcedisp is high at time n + 6,
and tx_dispval is high, the K28.5 at time n + 6 is encoded as a negative disparity
code group.

Miscellaneous Transmitter PCS Features

The transmitter PCS supports the following additional features:
■ Polarity inversion—corrects accidentally swapped positive and negative signals
from the serial differential link during board layout by inverting the polarity of
each bit. An optional tx_invpolarity port is available to dynamically invert the
polarity of every bit of the 8-bit or 10-bit input data to the serializer in the
transmitter datapath. Figure 1–9 shows the transmitter polarity inversion feature.

Figure 1–9. Transmitter Polarity Inversion

Output from transmitter PCS Converted data output to the

transmitter serializer
0 MSB 1 MSB
1 0
1 0
1 0
tx_invpolarity = HIGH
0 1
0 1
0 1
1 0
0 1
0 LSB 1 LSB

1 tx_invpolarity is a dynamic signal and might cause initial disparity

errors at the receiver of an 8B/10B encoded link. The downstream system
must be able to tolerate these disparity errors.

■ Bit reversal—reverses the transmit bit order from LSB-to-MSB (default) to

MSB-to-LSB at the input to the serializer. For example, input data to serializer
D[7..0] is rewired to D[0..7] for 8-bit data width, and D[9..0] is rewired to
D[0..9] for 10-bit data width. Figure 1–10 shows the transmitter bit reversal
feature.

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Transmitter Channel Datapath

Figure 1–10. Transmitter Bit Reversal Operation in Basic Single-Width Mode

Converted data output to the

Output from transmitter PCS
transmitter serializer

D[9] D[0]

D[8] D[1]

D[7] D[2]

D[6] D[3]
TX bit reversal option enabled in
the ALTGX MegaWizard D[5] D[4]

D[4] D[5]

D[3] D[6]

D[2] D[7]

D[1] D[8]

D[0] D[9]

■ Input bit-flip—reverses the bit order at a byte level at the input of the transmitter
phase compensation FIFO. For example, if the 16-bit parallel transmitter data at
the tx_datain port is '10111100 10101101' (16'hBCAD), selecting this option
reverses the input data to the transmitter phase compensation FIFO to '00111101
10110101' (16'h3DB5).
■ Bit-slip control—delays the data transmission by a number of specified bits to the
serializer with the tx_bitslipboundaryselect port. For usage details, refer to
the “Transmit Bit-Slip Control” on page 1–70.

Serializer
The serializer converts the low-speed parallel 8-bit or 10-bit data from the transmitter
PCS to high-speed serial data for the transmitter output buffer. The serializer operates
with a high-speed clock at half of the serial data rate. The serializer transmission
sequence is LSB to MSB.

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Transmitter Channel Datapath

Transmitter Output Buffer

Figure 1–11 shows the transmitter output buffer block diagram.

Figure 1–11. Transmitter Output Buffer Block Diagram

GXB_TXp

50 or 75 

+ VCM-
Programmable
Pre-emphasis
and VOD 50 or 75 
GXB_TXn

Receiver
Detect (1)

Note to Figure 1–11:

(1) Receiver detect function is specific for PCIe protocol implementation only. For more information, refer to “PCI
Express (PIPE) Mode” on page 1–48.

The Cyclone IV GX transmitter output buffers support the 1.5-V PCML I/O standard
and are powered by VCCH_GXB power pins with 2.5-V supply. The 2.5-V supply on
VCCH_GXB pins are regulated internally to 1.5-V for the transmitter output buffers.
The transmitter output buffers support the following additional features:
■ Programmable differential output voltage (VOD)—customizes the VOD up to
1200 mV to handle different trace lengths, various backplanes, and various
receiver requirements.
■ Programmable pre-emphasis—boosts high-frequency components in the
transmitted signal to maximize the data eye opening at the far-end. The
high-frequency components might be attenuated in the transmission media due to
data-dependent jitter and intersymbol interference (ISI) effects. The requirement
for pre-emphasis increases as the data rates through legacy backplanes increase.
■ Programmable differential on-chip termination (OCT)—provides calibrated OCT
at differential 100  or 150 with on-chip transmitter common mode voltage
(VCM) at 0.65 V. VCM is tri-stated when you disable the OCT to use external
termination.

1 Disable OCT to use external termination if the link requires a 85  termination, such
as when you are interfacing with certain PCIe Gen1 or Gen2 capable devices.

f The Cyclone IV GX transmitter output buffers are current-mode drivers. The resulting
VOD voltage is therefore a function of the transmitter termination value. For lists of
supported VOD settings, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Data Sheet.

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Receiver Channel Datapath

Receiver Channel Datapath

The following sections describe the Cyclone IV GX receiver channel datapath
architecture as shown in Figure 1–3 on page 1–3:
■ “Receiver Input Buffer” on page 1–10
■ “Clock Data Recovery” on page 1–13
■ “Deserializer” on page 1–14
■ “Word Aligner” on page 1–15
■ “Deskew FIFO” on page 1–20
■ “Rate Match FIFO” on page 1–21
■ “8B/10B Decoder” on page 1–21
■ “Byte Deserializer” on page 1–22
■ “Byte Ordering” on page 1–22
■ “RX Phase Compensation FIFO” on page 1–23

Receiver Input Buffer

Table 1–2 lists the electrical features supported by the Cyclone IV GX receiver input
buffer.

Table 1–2. Electrical Features Supported by the Receiver Input Buffer

Programmable Common
I/O Standard Coupling
Mode Voltage (V)
1.4-V PCML 0.82 AC, DC
1.5-V PCML 0.82 AC, DC
2.5-V PCML 0.82 AC
LVPECL 0.82 AC
LVDS 0.82 AC, DC (1)
Note to Table 1–2:
(1) DC coupling is supported for LVDS with lower on-chip common mode voltage of 0.82 V.

The high-speed serial link can be AC- or DC-coupled, depending on the serial
protocol implementation. In an AC-coupled link, the AC-coupling capacitor blocks
the transmitter DC common mode voltage as shown in Figure 1–12. Receiver OCT
and on-chip biasing circuitry automatically restores the common mode voltage. The
biasing circuitry is also enabled by enabling OCT. If you disable the OCT, then you
must externally terminate and bias the receiver. AC-coupled links are required for
PCIe, GbE, Serial RapidIO, SDI, XAUI, SATA, V-by-One and Display Port protocols.

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Receiver Channel Datapath

Figure 1–12. AC-Coupled Link with OCT

Transmitter AC Coupling Receiver

Capacitor
Physical Medium

Physical Medium
AC Coupling
Capacitor
TX Termination RX Termination

TX RX
VCM VCM

In a DC-coupled link, the transmitter DC common mode voltage is seen unblocked at

the receiver input buffer as shown in Figure 1–13. The link common mode voltage
depends on the transmitter common mode voltage and the receiver common mode
voltage. When using the receiver OCT and on-chip biasing circuitry in a DC coupled
link, you must ensure the transmitter common mode voltage is compatible with the
receiver common mode requirements. If you disable the OCT, you must terminate and
bias the receiver externally and ensure compatibility between the transmitter and the
receiver common mode voltage.

Figure 1–13. DC-Coupled Link with OCT

Transmitter Receiver

Physical Medium

Physical Medium

TX Termination RX Termination

TX RX
VCM VCM

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1–12 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Receiver Channel Datapath

Figure 1–14 shows the receiver input buffer block diagram.

Figure 1–14. Receiver Input Buffer Block Diagram

Receiver Input Buffer

Equalization
rx_datain and To CDR
DC Gain
Circuitry

50 or 75 
50  or 75  Signal
Threshold Signal
Detection Detect
Circuitry

RX
VCM

The receiver input buffers support the following features:

■ Programmable equalization—boosts the high-frequency gain of the incoming
signal up to 7 dB. This compensates for the low-pass filter effects of the
transmission media. The amount of high-frequency gain required depends on the
loss characteristics of the physical medium.
■ Programmable DC gain—provides equal boost to incoming signal across the
frequency spectrum with DC gain settings up to 6 dB.
■ Programmable differential OCT—provides calibrated OCT at 100  or 150 with
on-chip receiver common mode voltage at 0.82 V. The common mode voltage is tri-
stated when you disable the OCT to use external termination.
■ Offset cancellation—corrects the analog offset voltages that might exist from
process variations between the positive and negative differential signals in the
equalizer stage and CDR circuit.
■ Signal detection—detects if the signal level present at the receiver input buffer is
higher than the threshold with a built-in signal threshold detection circuitry. The
circuitry has a hysteresis response that filters out any high-frequency ringing
caused by ISI effects or high-frequency losses in the transmission medium.
Detection is indicated by the assertion of the rx_signaldetect signal. Signal
detection is only supported when 8B/10B encoder/decoder block is enabled.
When not supported, the rx_signaldetect signal is forced high, bypassing the
signal detection function.

1 Disable OCT to use external termination if the link requires a 85  termination, such
as when you are interfacing with certain PCIe Gen1 or Gen2 capable devices.

f For specifications on programmable equalization and DC gain settings, refer to the

Cyclone IV Device Data Sheet.

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Receiver Channel Datapath

Clock Data Recovery

Each receiver channel has an independent CDR unit to recover the clock from the
incoming serial data stream. The high-speed recovered clock is used to clock the
deserializer for serial-to-parallel conversion of the received input data, and low-speed
recovered clock to clock the receiver PCS blocks. Figure 1–15 illustrates the CDR unit
block diagram.

Figure 1–15. CDR Unit Block Diagram (Note 1)

CDR clocks
from MPLL /2
(2)

rx_locktorefclk High-speed recovered

rx_locktodata LTR/LTD Phase clock (for deserializer)
rx_signaldetect(3) Controller Interpolator Clock
rx_freqlocked Low-speed recovered
Divider
clock (for receiver PCS)
Sampling
Clocks
rx_datain Up
Phase
Detector Down

Notes to Figure 1–15:

(1) EP4CGX30 (F484 package), EP4CGX50, and EP4CGX75 devices support optional wider spread of asynchronous
spread-spectrum clocking (SSC) with triangular frequency modulation profile only. For the supported SSC spread
range, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Data Sheet.
(2) Optional RX local divider for CDR clocks from multipurpose PLL is only available in each CDR unit for EP4CGX30
(F484 package), EP4CGX50, and EP4CGX75 devices. This block is used with the transceiver dynamic reconfiguration
feature. For more information, refer to the Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration chapter and AN 609: Implementing
Dynamic Reconfiguration in Cyclone IV GX Devices.
(3) CDR state transition in automatic lock mode is not dependent on rx_signaldetect signal, except when
configured in PCI Express (PIPE) mode only.

Each CDR unit gets the reference clock from one of the two multipurpose
phase-locked loops (PLLs) adjacent to the transceiver block. The CDR works by
tracking the incoming data with a phase detector and finding the optimum sampling
clock phase from the phase interpolator unit. The CDR operations are controlled by
the LTR/LTD controller block, where the CDR may operate in the following states:
■ Lock-to-reference (LTR) state—phase detector disabled and CDR ignores incoming
data
■ Lock-to-data (LTD) state—phase detector enabled and CDR tracks incoming data
to find the optimum sampling clock phase
State transitions are supported with automatic lock mode and manual lock mode.

Automatic Lock Mode

Upon receiver power-up and reset cycle, the CDR is put into LTR state. Transition to
the LTD state is performed automatically when both of the following conditions are
met:
■ Signal detection circuitry indicates the presence of valid signal levels at the
receiver input buffer. This condition is valid for PCI Express (PIPE) mode only.
CDR transitions are not dependent on signal detection circuitry in other modes.

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Receiver Channel Datapath

■ The recovered clock is within the configured part per million (PPM) frequency
threshold setting with respect to the CDR clocks from multipurpose PLL.
Actual lock time depends on the transition density of the incoming data and the PPM
difference between the receiver input reference clock and the upstream transmitter
reference clock.
Transition from the LTD state to the LTR state occurs when either of the following
conditions is met:
■ Signal detection circuitry indicates the absence of valid signal levels at the receiver
input buffer. This condition is valid for PCI Express (PIPE) mode only. CDR
transitions are not dependent on signal detection circuitry in other modes.
■ The recovered clock is not within the configured PPM frequency threshold setting
with respect to CDR clocks from multipurpose PLLs.
In automatic lock mode, the switch from LTR to LTD states is indicated by the
assertion of the rx_freqlocked signal and the switch from LTD to LTR states
indicated by the de-assertion of the rx_freqlocked signal.

Manual Lock Mode

State transitions are controlled manually by using rx_locktorefclk and
rx_locktodata ports. The LTR/LTD controller sets the CDR state depending on the
logic level on the rx_locktorefclk and rx_locktodata ports. This mode
provides the flexibility to control the CDR for a reduced lock time compared to the
automatic lock mode. In automatic lock mode, the LTR/LTD controller relies on the
PPM detector and the phase relationship detector to set the CDR in LTR or LTD mode.
The PPM detector and phase relationship detector reaction times can be too long for
some applications that require faster CDR lock time.
In manual lock mode, the rx_freqlocked signal is asserted when the CDR is in LTD
state and de-asserted when CDR is in LTR state. For descriptions of
rx_locktorefclk and rx_locktodata port controls, refer to Table 1–27 on
page 1–80.

1 If you do not enable the optional rx_locktorefclk and rx_locktodata ports,

the Quartus II software automatically configures the LTR/LTD controller in automatic
lock mode.

f The recommended transceiver reset sequence varies depending on the CDR lock
mode. For more information about the reset sequence recommendations, refer to the
Reset Control and Power Down for Cyclone IV GX Devices chapter.

Deserializer
The deserializer converts received serial data from the receiver input buffer to parallel
8- or 10-bit data. Serial data is assumed to be received from the LSB to the MSB. The
deserializer operates with the high-speed recovered clock from the CDR with the
frequency at half of the serial data rate.

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Receiver Channel Datapath

Word Aligner
Figure 1–16 shows the word aligner block diagram. The word aligner receives parallel
data from the deserializer and restores the word boundary based on a pre-defined
alignment pattern that must be received during link synchronization. The word
aligner supports three operational modes as listed in Table 1–3.

Figure 1–16. Word Aligner Block Diagram

Word Aligner

data from Receiver Bit-Slip

deserializer Polarity Circuitry
Inversion
Synchronization
rx_enapatternalign Receiver
State Machine parallel data to
rx_bitslip Bit
next PCS block
Manual Reversal
rx_invpolarity Alignment rx_bitslipboundaryselectout
rx_revbitorderwa rx_rlv
Run Length
Violation rx_syncstatus
rx_patterndetect

Table 1–3. Word Aligner Modes

Allowed Word Alignment
Modes PMA-PCS Interface Widths
Pattern Lengths
8-bit 16 bits
Manual Alignment
10-bit 7 or 10 bits
8-bit 16 bits
Bit-Slip
10-bit 7 or 10 bits
Automatic Synchronization State
10-bit 7 or 10 bits
Machine

Manual Alignment Mode

In manual alignment mode, the rx_enapatternalign port controls the word
aligner with either an 8- or 10-bit data width setting.
The 8-bit word aligner is edge-sensitive to the rx_enapatternalign signal. A
rising edge on rx_enapatternalign signal after deassertion of the
rx_digitalreset signal triggers the word aligner to look for the word alignment
pattern in the received data stream. It updates the word boundary if it finds the word
alignment pattern in a new word boundary. Any word alignment pattern received
thereafter in a different word boundary causes the word aligner to re-align to the new
word boundary only if there is a rising edge in the rx_enapatternalign signal.
The 10-bit word aligner is level-sensitive to the rx_enapatternalign signal. The
word aligner looks for the programmed 7-bit or 10-bit word alignment pattern in the
received data stream, if the rx_enapatternalign signal is held high. It updates the
word boundary if it finds the word alignment pattern in a new word boundary. If the
rx_enapatternalign signal is deasserted, the word aligner maintains the current
word boundary even when it receives the word alignment pattern in a new word
boundary.

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Receiver Channel Datapath

After updating the word boundary, word aligner status signals (rx_syncstatus
and rx_patterndetect) are driven high for one parallel clock cycle synchronous to
the most significant byte of the word alignment pattern. The rx_syncstatus and
rx_patterndetect signals have the same latency as the datapath and are
forwarded to the FPGA fabric to indicate the word aligner status. Any word
alignment pattern received thereafter in the same word boundary causes only the
rx_patterndetect signal to go high for one clock cycle.
Figure 1–17 shows the manual alignment mode word aligner operation in 10-bit data
width mode. In this example, a /K28.5/ (10'b0101111100) is specified as the word
alignment pattern.
The word aligner aligns to the /K28.5/ alignment pattern (red) in cycle n because the
rx_enapatternalign signal is asserted high. The rx_syncstatus signal goes
high for one clock cycle indicating alignment to a new word boundary. The
rx_patterndetect signal also goes high for one clock cycle to indicate initial word
alignment.
At time n + 1, the rx_enapatternalign signal is deasserted to instruct the word
aligner to lock the current word boundary.
The alignment pattern is detected again (green) in a new word boundary across cycles
n + 2 and n + 3. The word aligner does not align to this new word boundary because
the rx_enapatternalign signal is held low.
The /K28.5/ word alignment pattern is detected again (blue) in the current word
boundary during cycle n + 5 causing the rx_patterndetect signal to go high for
one parallel clock cycle.

Figure 1–17. Word Aligner in 10-bit Manual Alignment Mode

n n+1 n+2 n+3 n+4 n+5

rx_clock

rx_dataout[9..0] 111110000 0101111100 111110000 1111001010 1000000101 111110000 0101111100

MSB LSB MSB LSB

rx_enapatternalign

rx_patterndetect

rx_syncstatus

1 If the word alignment pattern is known to be unique and does not appear between
word boundaries, you can hold the rx_enapatternalign signal constantly high
because there is no possibility of false word alignment. If there is a possibility of the
word alignment pattern occurring across word boundaries, you must control the
rx_enapatternalign signal to lock the word boundary after the desired word
alignment is achieved to avoid re-alignment to an incorrect word boundary.

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Bit-Slip Mode
In bit-slip mode, the rx_bitslip port controls the word aligner operation. At every
rising edge of the rx_bitslip signal, the bit-slip circuitry slips one bit into the
received data stream, effectively shifting the word boundary by one bit. When the
received data after bit-slipping matches the programmed word alignment pattern, the
rx_patterndetect signal is driven high for one parallel clock cycle.

1 You can implement a bit-slip controller in the user logic that monitors either the
rx_patterndetect signal or the receiver data output (rx_dataout), and controls
the rx_bitslip port to achieve word alignment.

Figure 1–18 shows an example of the word aligner configured in bit-slip mode. For
this example, consider that 8'b11110000 is received back-to-back and
16'b0000111100011110 is specified as the word alignment pattern. A rising edge on the
rx_bitslip signal at time n + 1 slips a single bit 0 at the MSB position, forcing the
rx_dataout to 8'b01111000. Another rising edge on the rx_bitslip signal at time n
+ 5 forces rx_dataout to 8'b00111100. Another rising edge on the rx_bitslip signal
at time n + 9 forces rx_dataout to 8'b00011110. Another rising edge on the
rx_bitslip signal at time n + 13 forces the rx_dataout to 8'b00001111. At this
instance, rx_dataout in cycles n + 12 and n + 13 is 8'b00011110 and 8'b00001111,
respectively, which matches the specified 16-bit alignment pattern
16'b0000111100011110. This results in the assertion of the rx_patterndetect signal.

Figure 1–18. Word Aligner Configured in Bit-Slip Mode

n n+1 n+2 n+3 n+4 n+5 n+6 n+7 n+8 n + 9 n + 10 n + 11 n + 12 n + 13 n + 14

rx_clkout

rx_datain7..0] 11110000

rx_dataout[7..0] 11110000 01111000 00111100 00011110 00001111

rx_bitslip

rx_patterndetect

Automatic Synchronization State Machine Mode

In automatic synchronization state machine mode, the word aligner achieves
synchronization after receiving a specific number of synchronization code groups,
and falls out of synchronization after receiving a specific number of erroneous code
groups. This mode provides hysteresis during link synchronization, which is required
by protocols such as PCIe, GbE, XAUI, and Serial RapidIO.

1 This mode is only supported using the 8B/10B encoded data with 10-bit input to the
word aligner.

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1–18 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Receiver Channel Datapath

Table 1–4 lists the synchronization state machine parameters for the word aligner in
this mode.

Table 1–4. Synchronization State Machine Parameters

Parameter Allowed Values
Number of valid synchronization code groups or ordered sets
1–256
received to achieve synchronization
Number of erroneous code groups received to lose
1–64
synchronization
Number of continuous good code groups received to reduce
1–256
the error count by one

After deassertion of the rx_digitalreset signal in automatic synchronization state

machine mode, the word aligner starts looking for the word alignment pattern or
synchronization code groups in the received data stream. When the programmed
number of valid synchronization code groups or ordered sets are received, the
rx_syncstatus signal is driven high to indicate that synchronization is acquired.
The rx_syncstatus signal is constantly driven high until the programmed number
of erroneous code groups are received without receiving intermediate good groups;
after which the rx_syncstatus signal is driven low. The word aligner indicates loss
of synchronization (rx_syncstatus signal remains low) until the programmed
number of valid synchronization code groups are received again.
In addition to restoring word boundaries, the word aligner supports the following
features:
■ Programmable run length violation detection—detects consecutive 1s or 0s in the
data stream, and asserts run length violation signal (rx_rlv) when a preset run
length threshold (maximum number of consecutive 1s or 0s) is detected. The
rx_rlv signal in each channel is clocked by its parallel recovered clock and is
asserted for a minimum of two recovered clock cycles to ensure that the FPGA
fabric clock can latch the rx_rlv signal reliably because the FPGA fabric clock
might have phase differences, PPM differences (in asynchronous systems), or both,
with the recovered clock. Table 1–5 lists the run length violation circuit detection
capabilities.

Table 1–5. Run Length Violation Circuit Detection Capabilities

Detector Range Increment Step
Supported Data Width
Minimum Maximum Settings

8-bit 4 128 4
10-bit 5 160 5

■ Receiver polarity inversion—corrects accidental swapped positive and negative

signals from the serial differential link during board layout. This feature works by
inverting the polarity of every bit of the input data word to the word aligner,
which has the same effect as swapping the positive and negative signals of the
differential link. Inversion is dynamically controlled using rx_invpolarity
port. Figure 1–19 shows the receiver polarity inversion feature.

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–19
Receiver Channel Datapath

Figure 1–19. Receiver Polarity Inversion

Output from deserializer Input to word aligner

0 MSB 1 MSB
1 0
1 0
1 0
rx_invpolarity = HIGH
0 1
0 1
0 1
1 0
0 1
0 LSB 1 LSB

The generic receiver polarity inversion feature is different from the PCI Express (PIPE)
8B/10B polarity inversion feature. The generic receiver polarity inversion feature
inverts the polarity of the data bits at the input of the word aligner and is not available
in PCI Express (PIPE) mode. The PCI Express (PIPE) 8B/10B polarity inversion
feature inverts the polarity of the data bits at the input of the 8B/10B decoder and is
available only in PCI Express (PIPE) mode.

1 The rx_invpolarity signal is dynamic and might cause initial disparity errors in
an 8B/10B encoded link. The downstream system must be able to tolerate these
disparity errors.

■ Receiver bit reversal—by default, the Cyclone IV GX receiver assumes LSB to MSB
transmission. If the link transmission order is MSB to LSB, the receiver forwards
the incorrect reverse bit-ordered version of the parallel data to the FPGA fabric on
the rx_dataout port. The receiver bit reversal feature is available to correct this
situation. This feature is static in manual alignment and automatic
synchronization state machine mode. In bit-slip mode, you can dynamically
enable the receiver bit reversal using the rx_revbitorderwa port. When
enabled, the 8-bit or 10-bit data D[7..0] or D[9..0] at the output of the word
aligner is rewired to D[0..7] or D[0..9] respectively. Figure 1–20 shows the
receiver bit reversal feature.

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1–20 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Receiver Channel Datapath

Figure 1–20. Receiver Bit Reversal (Note 1)

Output of word aligner Output of word aligner

before RX bit reversal after RX bit reversal

D[9] D[0]

D[8] D[1]

D[7] D[2]

D[6] D[3]

D[5] rx_revbitordwa (1) = HIGH D[4]

D[4] D[5]

D[3] D[6]

D[2] D[7]

D[1] D[8]

D[0] D[9]

Note to Figure 1–20:

(1) The rx_revbitordwa port is dynamic and is only available when the word aligner is configured in bit-slip mode.

1 When using the receiver bit reversal feature to receive MSB-to-LSB

transmission, reversal of the word alignment pattern is required.

■ Receiver bit-slip indicator—provides the number of bits slipped in the word

aligner for synchronization with rx_bitslipboundaryselectout signal. For
usage details, refer to “Receive Bit-Slip Indication” on page 1–70.

Deskew FIFO
This module is only available when used for the XAUI protocol and is used to align all
four channels to meet the maximum skew requirement of 40 UI (12.8 ns) as seen at the
receiver of the four lanes. The deskew operation is compliant to the PCS deskew state
machine diagram specified in clause 48 of the IEEE P802.3ae specification.
The deskew circuitry consists of a 16-word deep deskew FIFO in each of the four
channels, and control logics in the central control unit of the transceiver block that
controls the deskew FIFO write and read operations in each channel.
For details about the deskew FIFO operations for channel deskewing, refer to “XAUI
Mode” on page 1–61.

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–21
Receiver Channel Datapath

Rate Match FIFO

In asynchronous systems, the upstream transmitter and local receiver can be clocked
with independent reference clocks. Frequency differences in the order of a few
hundred PPM can corrupt the data when latching from the recovered clock domain
(the same clock domain as the upstream transmitter reference clock) to the local
receiver reference clock domain. Figure 1–21 shows the rate match FIFO block
diagram.

Figure 1–21. Rate Match FIFO Block Diagram

10

10 Rate Match rx_rmfifodatainserted

FIFO
rx_rmfifodatadeleted
(20-word deep)
rx_rmfifofull
rx_fifoempty

The rate match FIFO compensates for small clock frequency differences of up to
±300 PPM (600 PPM total) between the upstream transmitter and the local receiver
clocks by performing the following functions:
■ Insert skip symbols when the local receiver reference clock frequency is greater
than the upstream transmitter reference clock frequency
■ Delete skip symbols when the local receiver reference clock frequency is less than
the upstream transmitter reference clock frequency
The 20-word deep rate match FIFO and logics control insertion and deletion of skip
symbols, depending on the PPM difference. The operation begins after the word
aligner synchronization status (rx_syncstatus) is asserted.

1 Rate match FIFO is only supported with 8B/10B encoded data and the word aligner
in automatic synchronization state machine mode.

8B/10B Decoder
The 8B/10B decoder receives 10-bit data and decodes it into an 8-bit data and a 1-bit
control identifier. The decoder is compliant with Clause 36 of the IEEE 802.3
specification.
Figure 1–22 shows the 8B/10B decoder block diagram.

Figure 1–22. 8B/10B Decoder Block Diagram

10
8B/10B Decoder rx_ctrldetect
rx_errdetect
rx_runningdisp
rx_disperr

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1–22 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Receiver Channel Datapath

Byte Deserializer
The byte deserializer halves the FPGA fabric-transceiver interface frequency while
doubles the parallel data width to the FPGA fabric.
For example, when operating an EP4CGX150 receiver channel at 3.125 Gbps with
deserialization factor of 10, the receiver PCS datapath runs at 312.5 MHz. The byte
deserializer converts the 10-bit data at 312.5 MHz into 20-bit data at 156.25 MHz
before forwarding the data to the FPGA fabric.

Byte Ordering
In the 16- or 20-bit FPGA fabric-transceiver interface, the byte deserializer receives
one data byte (8 or 10 bits) and deserializes it into two data bytes (16 or 20 bits).
Depending on when the receiver PCS logic comes out of reset, the byte ordering at the
output of the byte deserializer may not match the original byte ordering of the
transmitted data. The byte misalignment resulting from byte deserialization is
unpredictable because it depends on which byte is being received by the byte
deserializer when it comes out of reset.
Figure 1–23 shows a scenario where the most significant byte and the least significant
byte of the two-byte transmitter data appears straddled across two word boundaries
after the data is deserialized at the receiver.

Figure 1–23. Example of Byte Deserializer at the Receiver

Transmitter Receiver

tx_datain[15..8] D2 D2 D2 D1 D3 D5 xx rx_dataout[15..8]
Byte xx D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 xx Byte
Serializer Deserializer
tx_datain[7..0] D1 D1 D1 xx D2 D4 D6 rx_dataout[7..0]

The byte ordering block restores the proper byte ordering by performing the
following actions:
■ Look for the user-programmed byte ordering pattern in the byte-deserialized data
■ Inserts a user-programmed pad byte if the user-programmed byte ordering
pattern is found in the most significant byte position
You must select a byte ordering pattern that you know appears at the least significant
byte position of the parallel transmitter data.
The byte ordering block is supported in the following receiver configurations:
■ 16-bit FPGA fabric-transceiver interface, 8B/10B disabled, and the word aligner in
manual alignment mode. Program a custom 8-bit byte ordering pattern and 8-bit
pad byte.
■ 16-bit FPGA fabric-transceiver interface, 8B/10B enabled, and the word aligner in
automatic synchronization state machine mode. Program a custom 9-bit byte
ordering pattern and 9-bit pad byte. The MSB of the 9-bit byte ordering pattern
and pad byte represents the control identifier of the 8B/10B decoded data.

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–23
Receiver Channel Datapath

The byte ordering block operates in either word-alignment-based byte ordering or

user-controlled byte ordering modes.
In word-alignment-based byte ordering mode, the byte ordering block starts looking
for the byte ordering pattern in the byte-deserialized data and restores the order if
necessary when it detects a rising edge on the rx_syncstatus signal. Whenever the
byte ordering pattern is found, the rx_byteorderalignstatus signal is asserted
regardless if the pad byte insertion is necessary. If the byte ordering block detects
another rising edge on the rx_syncstatus signal from the word aligner, it deasserts
the rx_byteorderalignstatus signal and repeats the byte ordering operation.
In user-controlled byte ordering mode, the byte ordering operation is user-triggered
using rx_enabyteord port. A rising edge on rx_enabyteord port triggers the byte
ordering block to start looking for the byte ordering pattern in the byte-deserialized
data and restores the order if necessary. When the byte ordering pattern is found, the
rx_byteorderalignstatus signal is asserted regardless if a pad byte insertion is
necessary.

RX Phase Compensation FIFO

The RX phase compensation FIFO compensates for the phase difference between the
parallel receiver clock and the FPGA fabric interface clock, when interfacing the
receiver channel to the FPGA fabric (directly or through the PIPE and PCIe hard IP
blocks). The FIFO is four words deep, with latency between two to three parallel clock
cycles.
Figure 1–24 shows the RX phase compensation FIFO block diagram.

Figure 1–24. RX Phase Compensation FIFO Block Diagram

rx_phase_comp_fifo_error
RX Phase
Compensation rx_dataout[x..0] (1)
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk

Note to Figure 1–24:

(1) Parameter x refers to the transceiver channel width, where 8, 10, 16, or 20 bits are supported.

1 The FIFO can operate in registered mode, contributing to only one parallel clock cycle
of latency in the Deterministic Latency functional mode. For more information, refer
to “Deterministic Latency Mode” on page 1–68. For more information about FIFO
clocking, refer to “FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Interface Clocking” on page 1–39.

Miscellaneous Receiver PCS Feature

The receiver PCS supports the following additional feature:
■ Output bit-flip—reverses the bit order at a byte level at the output of the receiver
phase compensation FIFO. For example, if the 16-bit parallel receiver data at the
output of the receiver phase compensation FIFO is '10111100 10101101'
(16'hBCAD), enabling this option reverses the data on rx_dataout port to
'00111101 10110101' (16'h3DB5).

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1–24 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Transceiver Clocking Architecture

The multipurpose PLLs and general-purpose PLLs located on the left side of the
device generate the clocks required for the transceiver operation. The following
sections describe the Cyclone IV GX transceiver clocking architecture:
■ “Input Reference Clocking” on page 1–24
■ “Transceiver Channel Datapath Clocking” on page 1–26
■ “FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Interface Clocking” on page 1–39

Input Reference Clocking

When used for transceiver, the left PLLs synthesize the input reference clock to
generate the required clocks for the transceiver channels. Figure 1–25 and Figure 1–26
show the sources of input reference clocks for PLLs used in the transceiver operation.

1 Clock output from PLLs in the FPGA core cannot feed into PLLs used by the
transceiver as input reference clock.

Figure 1–25. PLL Input Reference Clocks in Transceiver Operation for F324 and Smaller Packages
(Note 1), (2)
REFCLK1

MPLL_2

Transceiver
Block
GXBL0

MPLL_1

REFCLK0

Notes to Figure 1–25:

(1) The REFCLK0 and REFCLK1 pins are dual-purpose CLK, REFCLK, or DIFFCLK pins that reside in banks 3A and
8A respectively.
(2) Using any clock input pins other than the designated REFCLK pins as shown here to drive the MPLLs may have
reduced jitter performance.

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–25
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Figure 1–26. PLL Input Reference Clocks in Transceiver Operation for F484 and Larger Packages
(Note 1), (2), (3)

REFCLK[5..4] REFCLK3

MPLL_8 GPLL_2

Transceiver
Block
GXBL1

MPLL_7 Not applicable in

F484 package

MPLL_6

Transceiver
Block
GXBL0

MPLL_5 GPLL_1

REFCLK[1..0] REFCLK2

Notes to Figure 1–26:

(1) The REFCLK2 and REFCLK3 pins are dual-purpose CLKIO, REFCLK, or DIFFCLK pins that reside in banks 3A
and 8A respectively.
(2) The REFCLK[1..0] and REFCLK[5..4] pins are dual-purpose differential REFCLK or DIFFCLK pins that
reside in banks 3B and 8B respectively. These clock input pins do not have access to the clock control blocks and
GCLK networks. For more details, refer to the Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.
(3) Using any clock input pins other than the designated REFCLK pins as shown here to drive the MPLLs and GPLLs
may have reduced jitter performance.

The input reference clocks reside in banks 3A, 3B, 8A, and 8B have dedicated
VCC_CLKIN3A, VCC_CLKIN3B, VCC_CLKIN8A, and VCC_CLKIN8B power supplies separately in their
respective I/O banks to avoid the different power level requirements in the same
bank for general purpose I/Os (GPIOs). Table 1–6 lists the supported I/O standard
for the REFCLK pins.

Table 1–6. REFCLK I/O Standard Support

VCC_CLKIN Level I/O Pin Type
HSSI
I/O Standard Coupling Termination Supported
Protocol Input Output Column I/O Row I/O
Banks
LVDS ALL Differential Off-chip 2.5 V Not Supported Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
LVPECL ALL AC (Needs Off-chip 2.5 V Not Supported Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
off-chip
ALL Off-chip 2.5 V Not Supported Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
1.2 V, 1.5 V, resistor to
ALL restore Off-chip 2.5 V Not Supported Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
3.3 V PCML
ALL VCM) Off-chip 2.5 V Not Supported Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
Differential
HCSL PCIe Off-chip 2.5 V Not Supported Yes No 3A, 3B, 8A, 8B
DC

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1–26 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Figure 1–27 shows an example of the termination scheme for AC-coupled connections
for REFCLK pins.

Figure 1–27. AC-Coupled Termination Scheme for a Reference Clock

LVDS, LVPECL, PCML
(1.2 V, 1.5 V, 3.3 V)

Cyclone IV GX
VICM REFCLK
0.1 μF
Z0 = 50 Ω 50 Ω

Z0 = 50 Ω
0.1 μF 50 Ω

Note to Figure 1–27:

(1) VICM can be sourced from the 2.5-V supply with a voltage divider circuit (typically two 1-k resistors).

Figure 1–28 shows an example termination scheme for the REFCLK pin when
configured as a HCSL input.

Figure 1–28. Termination Scheme for a Reference Clock When Configured as HCSL (Note 1)

Rs (2) Cyclone IV GX
PCI Express REFCLK +
(HCSL)
REFCLK
Rs (2)
Source
REFCLK -

50 Ω 50 Ω

Notes to Figure 1–28:

(1) No biasing is required if the reference clock signals are generated from a clock source that conforms to the PCIe
specification.
(2) Select values as recommended by the PCIe clock source vendor.

Transceiver Channel Datapath Clocking

Channel datapath clocking varies with channel configuration options and PCS
configurations. This section describes the clock distribution from the left PLLs for
transceiver channels and the datapath clocking in various supported configurations.
Table 1–7 lists the clocks generated by the PLLs for transceiver datapath.

Table 1–7. PLL Clocks for Transceiver Datapath

Clock Usage
CDR clocks Receiver CDR unit
High-speed clock Transmitter serializer block in PMA
Transmitter PCS blocks
Low-speed clock
Receiver PCS blocks when rate match FIFO enabled

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–27
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

The CDR unit in each receiver channel gets the CDR clocks from one of the two
multipurpose PLLs directly adjacent to the transceiver block. The CDR clocks
distribution network is segmented by bidirectional tri-state buffers as shown in
Figure 1–29 and Figure 1–30. This requires the CDR clocks from either one of the two
multipurpose PLLs to drive a number of contiguous segmented paths to reach the
intended receiver channel. Interleaving the CDR clocks from the two multipurpose
PLLs is not supported.
For example, based on Figure 1–29, a combination of MPLL_1 driving receiver
channels 0, 1, and 3, while MPLL_2 driving receiver channel 2 is not supported. In this
case, only one multipurpose PLL can be used for the receiver channels.

Figure 1–29. CDR Clocking for Transceiver Channels in F324 and Smaller Packages

MPLL_2

Ch3
(1) CDR
Ch2
Transceiver (1) CDR CDR
Block clocks
GXBL0 Ch1 CDR

Ch0 CDR

MPLL_1

Note to Figure 1–29:

(1) Transceiver channels 2 and 3 are not available for devices in F169 and smaller packages.

Figure 1–30. CDR Clocking for Transceiver Channels in F484 and Larger Packages

MPLL_8

Ch3 CDR

Ch2 CDR
Transceiver CDR
Block clocks
GXBL1 Ch1 CDR

Ch0 CDR

MPLL_7 Not applicable in

F484 package

MPLL_6

Ch3 CDR

Ch2 CDR
Transceiver CDR
Block clocks
GXBL0 Ch1 CDR

Ch0 CDR

MPLL_5

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1–28 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

1 In any configuration, a receiver channel cannot source CDR clocks from other PLLs
beyond the two multipurpose PLLs directly adjacent to transceiver block where the
channel resides.

The Cyclone IV GX transceivers support non-bonded (×1) and bonded (×2 and ×4)
channel configurations. The two configurations differ in regards to clocking and
phase compensation FIFO control. Bonded configuration provides a relatively lower
channel-to-channel skew between the bonded channels than in non-bonded
configuration. Table 1–8 lists the supported conditions in non-bonded and bonded
channel configurations.

Table 1–8. Supported Conditions in Non-Bonded and Bonded Channel Configurations

Channel Supported Channel
Description
Configuration Operation Mode
■ Transmitter Only
Non-bonded ■ Low-speed clock in each channel is sourced independently ■ Receiver Only
(×1) ■ Phase compensation FIFO in each channel has its own pointers and control logic ■ Transmitter and
Receiver
■ Low-speed clock in each bonded channel is sourced from a common bonded clock
path for lower channel-to-channel skew
■ Phase compensation FIFOs in bonded channels share common pointers and control ■ Transmitter Only
Bonded (×2 logic for equal latency through the FIFOs in all bonded channels
and ×4) ■ Transmitter and
■ ×2 bonded configuration is supported with channel 0 and channel 1 in a transceiver Receiver
block
■ ×4 bonded configuration is supported with all four channels in a transceiver block

Non-Bonded Channel Configuration

In non-bonded channel configuration, the high- and low-speed clocks for each
channel are sourced independently. The phase compensation FIFOs in each channel
has its own pointers and control logic. When implementing multi-channel serial
interface in non-bonded channel configuration, the clock skew and unequal latency
results in larger channel-to-channel skew.

1 Altera recommends using bonded channel configuration (×2 or ×4) when

implementing multi-channel serial interface for a lower channel-to-channel skew.

In a transceiver block, the high- and low-speed clocks for each channel are distributed
primarily from one of the two multipurpose PLLs directly adjacent to the block.
Transceiver channels for devices in F484 and larger packages support additional
clocking flexibility. In these packages, some channels support high-speed and low-
speed clock distribution from PLLs beyond the two multipurpose PLLs directly
adjacent to the block.

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–29
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Table 1–9 lists the high- and low-speed clock sources for each channel.

Table 1–9. High- and Low-Speed Clock Sources for Each Channel in Non-Bonded Channel Configuration
High- and Low-Speed Clocks Sources
Package Transceiver Block Transceiver Channel
Option 1 Option 2
F324 and smaller GXBL0 All channels MPLL_1 MPLL_2
Channels 0, 1 MPLL_5/GPLL_1 MPLL_6
GXBL0 MPLL_6/MPLL_7
Channels 2, 3 MPLL_5
F484 and larger (1)
Channels 0, 1 MPLL_7/MPLL_6 MPLL_8
GXBL1 (1)
Channels 2, 3 MPLL_7 MPLL_8/GPLL_2
Note to Table 1–9:
(1) MPLL_7 and GXBL1 are not applicable for transceivers in F484 package

Figure 1–31 and Figure 1–32 show the high- and low-speed clock distribution for
transceivers in F324 and smaller packages, and in F484 and larger packages in
non-bonded channel configuration.

Figure 1–31. Clock Distribution in Non-Bonded Channel Configuration for Transceivers in F324 and
Smaller Packages
(2)
MPLL_2
(3)
Ch3 TX PMA
(1)
Ch2 TX PMA
Transceiver (1)
Block TX PMA
GXBL0 Ch1
TX PMA
Ch0

MPLL_1

Notes to Figure 1–31:

(1) Transceiver channels 2 and 3 are not available for devices in F169 and smaller packages.
(2) High-speed clock.
(3) Low-speed clock.

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Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Figure 1–32. Clock Distribution in Non-Bonded Channel Configuration for Transceivers in F484 and
Larger Packages

(1)
MPLL_8 GPLL_2
(2) (3)

TX PMA
Ch3

TX PMA
Ch2
Transceiver
Block TX PMA
GXBL1 Ch1
TX PMA
Ch0

MPLL_7 Not applicable in

(3) F484 package
MPLL_6
(3)

TX PMA
Ch3

TX PMA
Ch2
Transceiver
Block TX PMA
GXBL0 Ch1
TX PMA
Ch0

(1) GPLL_1
MPLL_5
(3)
(2)

Notes to Figure 1–32:

(1) High-speed clock.
(2) Low-speed clock.
(3) These PLLs have restricted clock driving capability and may not reach all connected channels. For details, refer to
Table 1–9.

The transceiver datapath clocking varies in non-bonded channel configuration

depending on the PCS configuration.
Figure 1–33 shows the datapath clocking in transmitter only operation. In this mode,
each channel selects the high- and low-speed clock from one of the supported PLLs.
The high-speed clock feeds to the serializer for parallel to serial operation. The
low-speed clock feeds to the following blocks in the transmitter PCS:
■ 8B/10B encoder
■ read clock of the byte serializer
■ read clock of the TX phase compensation FIFO
When the byte serializer is enabled, the low-speed clock frequency is halved before
feeding into the read clock of TX phase compensation FIFO. The low-speed clock is
available in the FPGA fabric as tx_clkout port, which can be used in the FPGA
fabric to send transmitter data and control signals.

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–31
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Figure 1–33. Transmitter Only Datapath Clocking in Non-Bonded Channel Configuration

Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA
FPGA
Fabric

PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

tx_dataout
Tx Phase
tx_datain Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk high-speed
clock
/2
tx_clkout low-speed clock

Figure 1–34 shows the datapath clocking in receiver only operation. In this mode, the
receiver PCS supports configuration without the rate match FIFO. The CDR unit in
the channel recovers the clock from the received serial data and generates the high-
speed recovered clock for the deserializer, and low-speed recovered clock for
forwarding to the receiver PCS. The low-speed recovered clock feeds to the following
blocks in the receiver PCS:
■ word aligner
■ 8B/10B decoder
■ write clock of byte deserializer
■ byte ordering
■ write clock of RX phase compensation FIFO
When the byte deserializer is enabled, the low-speed recovered clock frequency is
halved before feeding into the write clock of the RX phase compensation FIFO. The
low-speed recovered clock is available in the FPGA fabric as rx_clkout port, which
can be used in the FPGA fabric to capture receiver data and status signals.

Figure 1–34. Receiver Only Datapath Clocking without Rate Match FIFO in Non-Bonded Channel Configuration

FPGA Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

Fabric
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

Rx

rx_datain
rx_dataout Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO

CDR clock
rx_coreclk (1)

/2
rx_clkout low-speed recovered clock

Note to Figure 1–34:

(1) High-speed recovered clock.

When the transceiver is configured for transmitter and receiver operation in

non-bonded channel configuration, the receiver PCS supports configuration with and
without the rate match FIFO. The difference is only at the receiver datapath clocking.
The transmitter datapath clocking is identical to transmitter only operation mode as
shown in Figure 1–33.

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1–32 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Figure 1–35 shows the datapath clocking in the transmitter and receiver operation
mode with the rate match FIFO. The receiver datapath clocking in configuration
without the rate match FIFO is identical to Figure 1–34.
In configuration with the rate match FIFO, the CDR unit in the receiver channel
recovers the clock from received serial data and generates the high-speed recovered
clock for the deserializer, and low-speed recovered clock for forwarding to the
receiver PCS. The low-speed recovered clock feeds to the following blocks in the
receiver PCS:
■ word aligner
■ write clock of rate match FIFO
The low-speed clock that is used in the transmitter PCS datapath feeds the following
blocks in the receiver PCS:
■ read clock of rate match FIFO
■ 8B/10B decoder
■ write clock of byte deserializer
■ byte ordering
■ write clock of RX phase compensation FIFO
When the byte deserializer is enabled, the low-speed clock frequency is halved before
feeding into the write clock of RX phase compensation FIFO. The low-speed clock is
available in the FPGA fabric as tx_clkout port, which can be used in the FPGA
fabric to send transmitter data and control signals, and capture receiver data and
status signals.

Figure 1–35. Transmitter and Receiver Datapath Clocking with Rate Match FIFO in Non-Bonded Channel Configuration
Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA
FPGA
Fabric
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

tx_dataout
tx_datain

Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk

high-speed
clock
/2
low-speed clock
tx_clkout

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

rx_dataout

Rx

rx_datain
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk

CDR clock
(1) (2)

/2

Notes to Figure 1–35:

(1) Low-speed recovered clock.
(2) High-speed recovered clock.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–33
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Bonded Channel Configuration

In bonded channel configuration, the low-speed clock for the bonded channels share a
common bonded clock path that reduces clock skew between the bonded channels.
The phase compensation FIFOs in bonded channels share a set of pointers and control
logic that results in equal FIFO latency between the bonded channels. These features
collectively result in lower channel-to-channel skew when implementing
multi-channel serial interface in bonded channel configuration.
In a transceiver block, the high-speed clock for each bonded channels is distributed
independently from one of the two multipurpose PLLs directly adjacent to the block.
The low-speed clock for bonded channels is distributed from a common bonded clock
path that selects from one of the two multipurpose PLLs directly adjacent to the block.
Transceiver channels for devices in F484 and larger packages support additional
clocking flexibility for ×2 bonded channels. In these packages, the ×2 bonded channels
support high-speed and low-speed bonded clock distribution from PLLs beyond the
two multipurpose PLLs directly adjacent to the block. Table 1–10 lists the high- and
low-speed clock sources for the bonded channels.

Table 1–10. High- and Low-Speed Clock Sources for Bonded Channels in Bonded Channel
Configuration

Transceiver High- and Low-Speed Clocks Source

Package Bonded Channels
Block Option 1 Option 2
F324 and ×2 in channels 0, 1
GXBL0 MPLL_1 MPLL_2
smaller ×4 in all channels
MPLL_5/
×2 in channels 0, 1 MPLL_6
GXBL0 GPLL_1
×4 in all channels MPLL_5 MPLL_6
F484 and larger
MPLL_7/
×2 in channels 0, 1 MPLL_8
GXBL1 (1) MPLL_6
×4 in all channels MPLL_7 MPLL_8
Note to Table 1–10:
(1) GXBL1 is not available for transceivers in F484 package.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–34 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

1 When implementing ×2 bonded channel configuration in a transceiver block,

remaining channels 2 and 3 are available to implement other non-bonded channel
configuration.

Figure 1–36 and Figure 1–37 show the independent high-speed clock and bonded
low-speed clock distributions for transceivers in F324 and smaller packages, and in
F484 and larger packages in bonded (×2 and ×4) channel configuration.

Figure 1–36. Clock Distribution in Bonded (×2 and ×4) Channel Configuration for Transceivers in
F324 and Smaller Packages.

2 Bonded Channel Configuration 4 Bonded Channel Configuration

+
(2) (2)
MPLL_2 MPLL_2
(3) (3)
Ch3 TX PMA Ch3 TX PMA
(1) (1)
Ch2 TX PMA Ch2 TX PMA
Transceiver (1) Transceiver (1)
Block TX PMA Block TX PMA
GXBL0 Ch1 GXBL0 Ch1
TX PMA TX PMA
Ch0 (4) Ch0 (4)

MPLL_1 MPLL_1

Notes to Figure 1–36:

(1) Transceiver channels 2 and 3 are not available for devices in F169 and smaller packages.
(2) High-speed clock.
(3) Low-speed clock.
(4) Bonded common low-speed clock path.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–35
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Figure 1–37. Clock Distribution in Bonded (×2 and ×4) Channel Configuration for Transceivers in F324 and Smaller Packages

2 Bonded Channel Configuration 4 Bonded Channel Configuration

+
(1) (1)
MPLL_8 GPLL_2 MPLL_8
(2) (2)

TX PMA TX PMA
Ch3 Ch3

TX PMA TX PMA
Ch2 Ch2
Transceiver Transceiver
Block TX PMA Block TX PMA
GXBL1 Ch1 GXBL1 Ch1
TX PMA TX PMA
Ch0 (3) Ch0 (3)

MPLL_7 Not applicable in MPLL_7 Not applicable in

F484 package F484 package
MPLL_6
(4) MPLL_6

TX PMA TX PMA
Ch3 Ch3

TX PMA TX PMA
Ch2 Ch2
Transceiver Transceiver
Block TX PMA Block TX PMA
GXBL0 Ch1 GXBL0 Ch1
TX PMA TX PMA
Ch0 (3) Ch0 (3)

(1) GPLL_1 (1)

MPLL_5 MPLL_5
(4)
(2) (2)

Notes to Figure 1–37:

(1) High-speed clock.
(2) Low-speed clock.
(3) Bonded common low-speed clock path.
(4) These PLLs have restricted clock driving capability and may not reach all connected channels. For details, refer to Table 1–10.

The channel datapath clocking is similar between bonded channels in ×2 and ×4

configurations.
Figure 1–38 shows the datapath clocking in Transmitter Only operation for ×2 and ×4
bonded configurations. In these configurations, each bonded channel selects the
high-speed clock from one the supported PLLs. The high-speed clock in each bonded
channel feeds the respective serializer for parallel to serial operation. The common
bonded low-speed clock feeds to each bonded channel that is used for the following
blocks in each transmitter PCS channel:
■ 8B/10B encoder
■ read clock of byte serializer
■ read clock of TX phase compensation FIFO

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–36 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

When the byte serializer is enabled, the common bonded low-speed clock frequency is
halved before feeding to the read clock of TX phase compensation FIFO. The common
bonded low-speed clock is available in FPGA fabric as coreclkout port, which can
be used in FPGA fabric to send transmitter data and control signals to the bonded
channels.

Figure 1–38. Transmitter Only Datapath Clocking in Bonded Channel Configuration

Transmitter Channel PCS 3 Transmitter Channel PMA 3

FPGA
Fabric

tx_dataout[3]
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
high-speed
tx_coreclk[3]
clock
/2

Transmitter Channel PCS 2 Transmitter Channel PMA 2

tx_dataout[2]
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
high-speed
tx_coreclk[2]
clock
/2

coreclkout /2
Transmitter Channel PCS 1 Transmitter Channel PMA 1

tx_dataout[1]
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
high-speed
tx_coreclk[1]
clock
/2
low-speed clock
Transmitter Channel PCS 0 Transmitter Channel PMA 0

tx_dataout[0]
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
high-speed
tx_coreclk[0]
clock
/2
In 2 Bonded Channel Configuration
+
In 4 Bonded Channel Configuration
+

1 Bonded channel configuration is not available for Receiver Only channel operation
because each of the channels are individually clocked by its recovered clock.

For Transmitter and Receiver operation in bonded channel configuration, the receiver
PCS supports configuration with rate match FIFO, and configuration without rate
match FIFO. Figure 1–39 shows the datapath clocking in Transmitter and Receiver
operation with rate match FIFO in ×2 and ×4 bonded channel configurations. For
Transmitter and Receiver operation in bonded channel configuration without rate
match FIFO, the datapath clocking is identical to Figure 1–38 for the bonded
transmitter channels, and Figure 1–34 on page 1–31 for the receiver channels.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–37
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

Figure 1–39. Transmitter and Receiver Datapath Clocking with Rate Match FIFO in Bonded Channel Configuration

Transmitter Channel PCS 3 Transmitter Channel PMA 3

FPGA
Fabric

PIPE Interface

tx_dataout[3]
PCIe Hard IP
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk[3]

high-speed
clock
/2

Receiver Channel PCS 3 Receiver Channel PMA 3

rx_datain[3]
Rx
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk[3]

CDR clock
(1) (2)

/2

Transmitter Channel PCS 2 Transmitter Channel PMA 2

tx_dataout[2]
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk[2]

high-speed
clock
/2

Receiver Channel PCS 2 Receiver Channel PMA 2

rx_datain[2]
Rx
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk[2]

CDR clock
(1) (2)

/2

coreclkout /2
Transmitter Channel PCS 1 Transmitter Channel PMA 1

tx_dataout[1]
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk[1]

high-speed
clock
/2
low-speed clock

Receiver Channel PCS 1 Receiver Channel PMA 1

rx_datain[1]
Rx
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk[1]

CDR clock
(1) (2)

/2

Transmitter Channel PCS 0 Transmitter Channel PMA 0

tx_dataout[0]

Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk[0]

high-speed
clock
/2

Receiver Channel PCS 0 Receiver Channel PMA 0

rx_datain[0]

Rx
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk[0]

CDR clock
(1) (2)

/2
In 2 Bonded Channel Configuration
+

In 4 Bonded Channel Configuration

+

Notes to Figure 1–39:

(1) Low-speed recovered clock.
(2) High-speed recovered clock.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–38 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

In configuration with rate match FIFO, the transmitter datapath clocking is identical
to Transmitter Only operation as shown in Figure 1–38. In each bonded receiver
channel, the CDR unit recovers the clock from serial received data and generates the
high- and low-speed recovered clock for each bonded channel. The high-speed
recovered clock feeds the channel's deserializer, and low-speed recovered clock is
forwarded to receiver PCS. The individual low-speed recovered clock feeds to the
following blocks in the receiver PCS:
■ word aligner
■ write clock of rate match FIFO
The common bonded low-speed clock that is used in all bonded transmitter PCS
datapaths feeds the following blocks in each bonded receiver PCS:
■ read clock of rate match FIFO
■ 8B/10B decoder
■ write clock of byte deserializer
■ byte ordering
■ write clock of RX phase compensation FIFO
When the byte deserializer is enabled, the common bonded low-speed clock
frequency is halved before feeding to the write clock of RX phase compensation FIFO.
The common bonded low-speed clock is available in FPGA fabric as coreclkout
port, which can be used in FPGA fabric to send transmitter data and control signals,
and capture receiver data and status signals from the bonded channels.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–39
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Interface Clocking

The FPGA fabric-transceiver interface clocks consists of clock signals from the FPGA
fabric to the transceiver blocks, and from the transceiver blocks to the FPGA fabric.
These clock resources use the global clock networks (GCLK) in the FPGA core.

f For information about the GCLK resources in the Cyclone IV GX devices, refer to
Clock Networks and PLLs in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

Table 1–11 lists the FPGA fabric-transceiver interface clocks.

Table 1–11. FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Interface Clocks

Clock Name Clock Description Interface Direction
tx_clkout Phase compensation FIFO clock Transceiver to FPGA fabric
rx_clkout Phase compensation FIFO clock Transceiver to FPGA fabric
coreclkout Phase compensation FIFO clock Transceiver to FPGA fabric
125MHz receiver detect clock in PIPE
fixed_clk FPGA fabric to transceiver
mode
reconfig_clk (1), Transceiver dynamic reconfiguration and
FPGA fabric to transceiver
(2) offset cancellation clock
cal_blk_clk (2) Transceiver calibration block clock FPGA fabric to transceiver
Notes to Table 1–11:
(1) Offset cancellation process that is executed after power cycle requires reconfig_clk clock. The reconfig_clk must be driven with a
free-running clock and not derived from the transceiver blocks.
(2) For the supported clock frequency range, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Data Sheet.

In the transmitter datapath, TX phase compensation FIFO forms the FPGA

fabric-transmitter interface. Data and control signals for the transmitter are clocked
with the FIFO write clock. The FIFO write clock supports automatic clock selection by
the Quartus II software (depending on channel configuration), or user-specified clock
from tx_coreclk port. Table 1–12 details the automatic TX phase compensation
FIFO write clock selection by the Quartus II software.

1 The Quartus II software assumes automatic clock selection for TX phase

compensation FIFO write clock if you do not enable the tx_coreclk port.

Table 1–12. Automatic TX Phase Compensation FIFO Write Clock Selection

Channel Configuration Quartus II Selection
tx_clkout clock feeds the FIFO write clock. tx_clkout is forwarded through the transmitter
Non-bonded
channel from low-speed clock, which also feeds the FIFO read clock.
coreclkout clock feeds the FIFO write clock for the bonded channels. coreclkout clock is
Bonded
the common bonded low-speed clock, which also feeds the FIFO read clock in the bonded channels.

When using user-specified clock option, ensure that the clock feeding tx_coreclk
port has 0 PPM difference with the TX phase compensation FIFO read clock.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–40 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Clocking Architecture

In the receiver datapath, RX phase compensation FIFO forms the receiver-FPGA

fabric interface. Data and status signals from the receiver are clocked with the FIFO
read clock. The FIFO read clock supports automatic clock selection by the Quartus II
software (depending on channel configuration), or user-specified clock from
rx_coreclk port. Table 1–13 details the automatic RX phase compensation FIFO
read clock selection by the Quartus II software.

1 The Quartus II software assumes automatic clock selection for RX phase

compensation FIFO read clock if you do not enable the rx_coreclk port.

Table 1–13. Automatic RX Phase Compensation FIFO Read Clock Selection

Channel Configuration Quartus II Selection
tx_clkout clock feeds the FIFO read clock. tx_clkout is forwarded
With rate match FIFO
through the receiver channel from low-speed clock, which also feeds the FIFO
(1)
write clock and transmitter PCS.
Non-bonded
rx_clkout clock feeds the FIFO read clock. rx_clkout is forwarded
Without rate match
through the receiver channel from low-speed recovered clock, which also feeds
FIFO
the FIFO write clock.
coreclkout clock feeds the FIFO read clock for the bonded channels.
With rate match FIFO
coreclkout clock is the common bonded low-speed clock, which also feeds
(1)
the FIFO read clock and transmitter PCS in the bonded channels.
Bonded
rx_clkout clock feeds the FIFO read clock. rx_clkout is forwarded
Without rate match
through the receiver channel from low-speed recovered clock, which also feeds
FIFO
the FIFO write clock.
Note to Table 1–13:
(1) Configuration with rate match FIFO is supported in transmitter and receiver operation.

When using user-specified clock option, ensure that the clock feeding rx_coreclk
port has 0 PPM difference with the RX phase compensation FIFO write clock.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–41
Calibration Block

Calibration Block
This block calibrates the OCT resistors and the analog portions of the transceiver
blocks to ensure that the functionality is independent of process, voltage, and
temperature (PVT) variations.
Figure 1–40 shows the location of the calibration block and how it is connected to the
transceiver blocks.
Figure 1–40. Transceiver Calibration Blocks Location and Connection

GXBL1 (1)

Cyclone IV GX
GXBL0 Device

Calibration
Block
RREF
2KΩ

Note to Figure 1–40:

(1) Transceiver block GXBL1 is only available for devices in F484 and larger packages.

The calibration block internally generates a constant internal reference voltage,

independent of PVT variations and uses this voltage and the external reference
resistor on the RREF pin to generate constant reference currents. The OCT calibration
circuit calibrates the OCT resistors present in the transceiver channels. Figure 1–41
shows the calibration block diagram.
Figure 1–41. Input Signals to the Calibration Blocks (Note 1)

RREF pin (2) Calibration Block

cal_blk_clk (3)
cal_blk_powerdown (4) Internal
Reference
Voltage
Generator
Reference
Signal

OCT Calibration Analog Block Analog Block

OCT Calibration Control
Circuit Calibration Circuit Calibration Control

Notes to Figure 1–41:

(1) All transceiver channels use the same calibration block clock and power down signals.
(2) Connect a 2 k (tolerance max ± 1%) external resistor to the RREF pin to ground. The RREF resistor connection in
the board must be free from any external noise.
(3) Supports up to 125 MHz clock frequency. Use either dedicated global clock or divide-down logic from the FPGA fabric
to generate a slow clock on the local clock routing.
(4) The calibration block restarts the calibration process following deassertion of the cal_blk_powerdown signal.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–42 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
PCI-Express Hard IP Block

PCI-Express Hard IP Block

Figure 1–42 shows the block diagram of the PCIe hard IP block implementing the
PHY MAC, Data Link Layer, and Transaction Layer for PCIe interfaces. The PIPE
interface is used as the interface between the transceiver and the hard IP block.
Figure 1–42. PCI Express Hard IP High-Level Block Diagram

PCIe Hard IP
Clock & Reset Selection

TL
PCIe Protocol Stack Interface
Adapter

Local
Virtual Mnmt IF
Channel (LMI)
Retry
Buffer
RX PCIe
Buffer Reconfig

The hard IP block supports 1, 2, or 4 initial lane configurations with a maximum

payload of 256 bytes at Gen1 frequency. The application interface is 64 bits with a data
width of 16 bits per channel running at up to 125 MHz. As a hard macro and a verified
block, it uses very few FPGA resources, while significantly reducing design risk and
the time required to achieve timing closure. It is compliant with the PCI Express Base
Specification 1.1. You do not have to pay a licensing fee to use this module.
Configuring the hard IP block requires using the PCI Express Compiler.

f For more information about the hard IP block, refer to the PCI Express Compiler User
Guide.

Figure 1–43 shows the lane placement requirements when implementing PCIe with
hard IP block.

Figure 1–43. PCIe with Hard IP Block Lane Placement Requirements (Note 1)
Transceiver
Block GXBL0

PCIe Lane 3 Channel 3

PCIe Lane 2 Channel 2

PCIe
hard IP
PCIe Lane 1 Channel 1

PCIe Lane 0 Channel 0

Note to Figure 1–43:

(1) Applicable for PCIe ×1, ×2, and ×4 implementations with hard IP blocks only.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–43
Transceiver Functional Modes

Transceiver Functional Modes

The Cyclone IV GX transceiver supports the functional modes as listed in Table 1–14
for protocol implementation.

Table 1–14. Transceiver Functional Modes for Protocol Implementation

Functional Mode Protocol Key Feature Reference
Proprietary, SATA, V- Low latency PCS, transmitter in electrical idle, signal “Basic Mode” on
Basic
by-One, Display Port detect at receiver, wider spread asynchronous SSC page 1–43
PIPE ports, receiver detect, transmitter in electrical
PCI Express PCIe Gen1 with PIPE idle, electrical idle inference, signal detect at receiver, “PCI Express (PIPE)
(PIPE) Interface fast recovery, protocol-compliant word aligner and Mode” on page 1–48
rate match FIFO, synchronous SSC
Running disparity preservation, protocol-compliant
“GIGE Mode” on
GIGE GbE word aligner and rate match FIFO, recovered clock
page 1–54
port for applications such as Synchronous Ethernet
“Serial RapidIO Mode”
Serial RapidIO SRIO Protocol-compliant word aligner
on page 1–59
Deskew FIFO, protocol-compliant word aligner and “XAUI Mode” on
XAUI XAUI
rate match FIFO page 1–61
Deterministic Proprietary, CPRI, TX PLL phase frequency detector (PFD) feedback, “Deterministic Latency
Latency OBSAI registered mode FIFO, TX bit-slip control Mode” on page 1–68
“SDI Mode” on
SDI SDI High-speed SERDES, CDR
page 1–71

Basic Mode
The Cyclone IV GX transceiver channel datapath is highly flexible in Basic mode to
implement proprietary protocols. SATA, V-by-One, and Display Port protocol
implementations in Cyclone IV GX transceiver are supported with Basic mode.
Figure 1–44 shows the transceiver channel datapath supported in Basic mode.

Figure 1–44. Transceiver Channel Datapath in Basic Mode

Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA
FPGA
Fabric
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

tx_dataout
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

Rx
rx_datain

Byte Byte Rate

Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–44 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–45 and Figure 1–46 show the supported transceiver configurations in Basic
mode with the 8-bit and 10-bit PMA-PCS interface width respectively.

Figure 1–45. Supported Transceiver Configurations in Basic Mode with the 8-bit PMA-PCS Interface
Width

Functional Mode
Basic (8-Bit PMA-PCS Interface Width)

Channel Bonding
×1, ×2, ×4

Low-Latency PCS
Disabled Enabled

Word Aligner (Pattern Length) Manual Alignment Bit Slip

Disabled
(16-Bit) (16-Bit)

8B/10B Encoder/Decoder Disabled Disabled Disabled

Rate Match FIFO

Disabled Disabled Disabled

Byte SERDES
Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled

0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6-

Data Rate (Gbps) 1.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6-
1.25 2.5 1.25 2.5 1.25 1.25

Byte Ordering Disabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Width 8-Bit 16-Bit 16-Bit 8-Bit 16-Bit 8-Bit 16-Bit

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
75- 37.5- 37.5- 75- 37.5- 75- 37.5-
Interface Frequency (MHz) 125 125 125 125 125 125 125
75- 37.5- 37.5- 75- 37.5- 75- 37.5-
156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25

Applicable for devices in Applicable for devices in

F324 and smaller packages F484 and larger packages

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–45
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–46. Transceiver Configurations in Basic Mode with a 10-Bit Wide PMA-to-PCS Interface

Functional Mode
Basic (10-Bit PMA-PCS Interface Width)

Channel Bonding
×1, ×2, ×4

Low-Latency PCS
Disabled Enabled

Word Aligner Manual Alignment Bit Slip Automatic Synchronization

(Pattern Length) Disabled
(7-Bit, 10-Bit) (7-Bit, 10-Bit) State Machine (7-Bit, 10-Bit)

8B/10B
Encoder/Decoder Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled

Rate Match FIFO

Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Enabled Disabled

Byte SERDES
Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled

0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6-
Data Rate (Gbps)
1.25 2.5 1.25 2.5 1.25 2.5 1.25 2.5 1.25 2.5 1.25 2.5 1.25 2.5 1.25 2.5
0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6-
1.5625 3.125 1.5625 3.125 1.5625 3.125 1.5625 3.125 1.5625 3.125 1.5625 3.125 1.5625 3.125 1.5625 3.125

Byte Ordering
Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled

FPGA Fabric-to-
Transceiver 10-Bit 20-Bit 8-Bit 16-Bit 10-Bit 20-Bit 8-Bit 16-Bit 10-Bit 20-Bit 8-Bit 16-Bit 16-Bit 8-Bit 16-Bit 10-Bit 20-Bit
Interface Width

FPGA Fabric-to- 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30-
Transceiver 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125 125
Interface 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30-
Fredquency (MHz) 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25

Applicable for devices in Applicable for devices in

F324 and smaller packages F484 and larger packages

In Basic mode, the transceiver supports the following additional options:

■ low-latency PCS operation
■ transmitter in electrical idle
■ receiver signal detect
■ receiver spread spectrum clocking

Low-Latency PCS Operation

When configured in low-latency PCS operation, the following blocks in the
transceiver PCS are bypassed, resulting in a lower latency PCS datapath:
■ 8B/10B encoder and decoder
■ word aligner
■ rate match FIFO
■ byte ordering

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1–46 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–47 shows the transceiver channel datapath in Basic mode with low-latency
PCS operation.
.

Figure 1–47. Transceiver Channel Datapath in Basic Mode with Low-Latency PCS Operation
Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA
FPGA
Fabric

PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

tx_dataout
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

Rx

rx_datain
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO

Transmitter in Electrical Idle

The transmitter buffer supports electrical idle state, where when enabled, the
differential output buffer driver is tri-stated. During electrical idle, the output buffer
assumes the common mode output voltage levels. For details about the electrical idle
features, refer to “PCI Express (PIPE) Mode” on page 1–48.

1 The transmitter in electrical idle feature is required for compliance to the version 2.00
of PHY Interface for the PCI Express (PIPE) Architecture specification for PCIe
protocol implementation.

Signal Detect at Receiver

Signal detect at receiver is only supported when 8B/10B encoder/decoder block is
enabled.

Receiver Spread Spectrum Clocking

The CDR supports optional wider spread of asynchronous SSC (triangular frequency
modulation profile only) in EP4CGX30 (F484 package), EP4CGX50, and EP4CGX75
devices only. You can turn on the SSC input clocking tracking capability on the
receiver channel by checking the Enable the Spread Spectrum feature option in the
'Rx Analog' page of the ALTGX Megawizard.

1 You should use different MPLLs to clock your TX and RX channel separately, if you
plan to use spread spectrum clocking modulation on the transmitter side. This is to
ensure the input reference clock to the RX channel is not SSC modulated. You can
separate the TX and RX MPLLs by instantiating the TX only and RX only modes in
the 'What is the operation mode?' setting in the ALTGX Megawizard and connect two
separate input reference clocks to the TX only and RX only channels respectively.

The following describes the SATA, V-by-One, and Display Port protocol support
using Basic mode.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

SATA
SATA is a computer bus standard that transfers data between the motherboard and
mass storage devices inside and outside the computer. Cyclone IV GX transceiver in
Basic mode supports SATA 1.0 implementation at 1.5 Gbps, and SATA 2.0
implementation at 3.0 Gbps. The following are the options offered in Basic mode that
fulfills SATA protocol implementation:
■ Asynchronous SSC support for 0.5% down-spread with 30 kHz - 33 kHz
modulation
■ Supported for receiver in EP4CGX30 (F484 package), EP4CGX50, and
EP4CGX75 devices with CDR in manual lock mode
■ Out-of-Band (OOB) signaling support
■ Supported with putting transmitter in electrical idle state by tri-stating the
output buffer, and receiver signal detection for detecting OOB signals.

1 Clock rate compensation function must be implemented in the user logic as the
receiver rate match FIFO in the PCS compensates up to ±300 PPM between the
upstream transmitter and local receiver clocks. With SSC, the SATA specification
requires clock rate compensation that works up to +350 to -5350 PPM.

V-by-One
V-by-One is a serial interface standard developed to support the higher frame rates
and the higher resolutions required by next-generation flat-panel display.
Cyclone IV GX transceiver in Basic mode supports V-by-One implementation at
3.0 Gbps. Asynchronous SSC with wider spread is supported for receiver in
EP4CGX30 (F484 package), EP4CGX50, and EP4CGX75 devices with CDR in manual
lock mode.

1 Packer and unpacker, scrambling and descrambling, and clock rate compensation
functions must be implemented in the user logics.

Display Port
Display Port is a digital display interface standard that defines the digital
audio/video interconnect, intended to be used primarily between a computer and its
display monitor, or a computer and a home-theater system. Cyclone IV GX
transceiver in Basic mode supports physical layer implementation of the Display Port
protocol, specification revision of 1.1a. Display Port protocol implementation is
supported in ×1, ×2, and ×4 lanes configuration, at both data rate of 1.62 Gbps and
2.7 Gbps. Asynchronous SSC with wider spread is supported for receiver in
EP4CGX30 (F484 package), EP4CGX50, and EP4CGX75 devices with CDR in manual
lock mode.

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1–48 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

PCI Express (PIPE) Mode

PIPE mode provides the transceiver channel datapath configuration that supports ×1,
×2, and ×4 initial lane width for PCIe Gen1 signaling rate with PIPE interface
implementation. The Cyclone IV GX transceiver provides following features in PIPE
mode:
■ PIPE interface
■ receiver detection circuitry
■ electrical idle control
■ signal detect at receiver
■ lane synchronization with compliant state machine
■ clock rate compensation with rate match FIFO
■ Low-Latency Synchronous PCIe
■ fast recovery from P0s state
■ electrical idle inference
■ compliance pattern transmission
■ reset requirement
Figure 1–48 shows the transceiver channel datapath and clocking when configured in
PIPE mode with ×1 channel configuration.
.

Figure 1–48. Transceiver Channel Datapath and Clocking when Configured in PIPE Mode with ×1 Channel Configuration
Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA
FPGA
Fabric
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

tx_dataout
tx_datain

Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk

high-speed
clock
tx_clkout

/2
low-speed clock

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

rx_dataout

Rx

rx_datain
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk

CDR clock
(1) (2)

/2

Notes to Figure 1–48:

(1) Low-speed recovered clock.
(2) High-speed recovered clock.

Configuring the hard IP module requires using the PCI Express Compiler. When
configuring the transceiver for PCIe implementation with hard IP module, the byte
serializer and deserializer are not enabled, providing an 8-bit transceiver-PIPE-hard
IP data interface width running at 250 MHz clock frequency.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

f For more information about PCIe implementation with hard IP module, refer to the
PCI Express Compiler User Guide.

Figure 1–49 shows the transceiver configuration in PIPE mode.

Figure 1–49. Transceiver Configuration in PIPE Mode

Functional Mode
PCI Express (PIPE)

Channel Bonding
×1, ×2, ×4

Low-Latency PCS
Disabled

Word Aligner (Pattern Length) Automatic Synchronization

State Machine (10-Bit)

8B/10B Encoder/Decoder Enabled

Rate Match FIFO

Enabled

Byte SERDES
Enabled

Data Rate (Gbps) 2.5

Byte Ordering Disabled

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Width 16-Bit

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Frequency (MHz) 125

1 When configuring the transceiver into PIPE mode using ALTGX megafunction for
PCIe implementation, the PHY-MAC, data link and transaction layers must be
implemented in user logics. The PCIe hard IP block is bypassed in this configuration.

PIPE Interface
The PIPE interface provides a standard interface between the PCIe-compliant PHY
and MAC layer as defined by the version 2.00 of the PIPE Architecture specification
for Gen1 (2.5 Gbps) signaling rate. Any core or IP implementing the PHY MAC, data
link, and transaction layers that supports PIPE 2.00 can be connected to the
Cyclone IV GX transceiver configured in PIPE mode. Table 1–15 lists the PIPE-specific
ports available from the Cyclone IV GX transceiver configured in PIPE mode and the
corresponding port names in the PIPE 2.00 specification.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

Table 1–15. Transceiver-FPGA Fabric Interface Ports in PIPE Mode

Transceiver Port Name PIPE 2.00 Port Name

tx_datain[15..0] (1) TxData[15..0]

tx_ctrlenable[1..0] (1) TxDataK[1..0]
rx_dataout[15..0] (1) RxData[15..0]
rx_ctrldetect[1..0] (1) RxDataK[1..0]
tx_detectrxloop TxDetectRx/Loopback
tx_forceelecidle TxElecIdle
tx_forcedispcompliance TxCompliance
pipe8b10binvpolarity RxPolarity
powerdn[1..0] (2) PowerDown[1..0]
pipedatavalid RxValid
pipephydonestatus PhyStatus
pipeelecidle RxElecIdle
pipestatus RxStatus[2..0]
Notes to Table 1–15:
(1) When used with PCIe hard IP block, the byte SERDES is not used. In this case, the data ports are 8 bits wide and
control identifier is 1 bit wide.
(2) Cyclone IV GX transceivers do not implement power saving measures in lower power states (P0s, P1, and P2),
except when putting the transmitter buffer in electrical idle in the lower power states.

Receiver Detection Circuitry

In PIPE mode, the transmitter supports receiver detection function with a built-in
circuitry in the transmitter PMA. The PCIe protocol requires the transmitter to detect
if a receiver is present at the far end of each lane as part of the link training and
synchronization state machine sequence. This feature requires the following
conditions:
■ transmitter output buffer to be tri-stated
■ have OCT utilization
■ 125 MHz clock on the fixedclk port
The circuit works by sending a pulse on the common mode of the transmitter. If an
active PCIe receiver is present at the far end, the time constant of the step voltage on
the trace is higher compared to when the receiver is not present. The circuitry
monitors the time constant of the step signal seen on the trace to decide if a receiver
was detected.
Figure 1–50 and Figure 1–51 show the detection mechanism example for a successful
and unsuccessful receiver detection scenarios respectively. The tx_forceelecidle
port must be asserted at least 10 parallel clock cycles prior to assertion of
tx_detectrxloop port to ensure the transmitter buffer is properly tri-stated.
Detection completion is indicated by pipephydonestatus assertion, with detection
successful indicated by 3'b011 on pipestatus[2..0] port, or detection
unsuccessful by 3'b000 on pipestatus[2..0] port.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–50. Example of Successful Receiver Detect Operation

powerdown[1..0] 2'b10(P1)

tx_detectrxloopback

pipephydonestatus

pipestatus[2..0] 3'b000 3'b011

Figure 1–51. Example of Unsuccessful Receiver Detect Operation

powerdown[1..0] 2'b10(P1)

tx_detectrxloopback

pipephydonestatus

pipestatus[2..0] 3'b000

Electrical Idle Control

The Cyclone IV GX transceivers support transmitter buffer in electrical idle state
using the tx_forceelecidle port. During electrical idle, the transmitter buffer
differential and common mode output voltage levels are compliant to the PCIe Base
Specification 2.0 for Gen1 signaling rate.
Figure 1–52 shows the relationship between assertion of the tx_forceelecidle
port and the transmitter buffer output on the tx_dataout port.
Figure 1–52. Transmitter Buffer Electrical Idle State

tx_forcelecidle

tx_dataout

<8 ns (1) >20 ns (2)

Notes to Figure 1–52:

(1) The protocol requires the transmitter buffer to transition to a valid electrical idle after sending an electrical idle
ordered set within 8 ns.
(2) The protocol requires transmitter buffer to stay in electrical idle for a minimum of 20 ns for Gen1 signaling rate.

Signal Detect at Receiver

In PIPE mode, signal detection is supported with the built-in signal threshold
detection circuitry. When electrical idle inference is not enabled, the
rx_signaldetect signal is inverted and available as pipeelecidle port in the
PIPE interface.

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1–52 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Lane Synchronization
In PIPE mode, the word aligner is configured in automatic synchronization state
machine mode that complies with the PCIe specification. Table 1–16 lists the
synchronization state machine parameters that implement the PCIe-compliant
synchronization.

Table 1–16. Synchronization State Machine Parameters (Note 1)

Parameter Value
Number of valid synchronization (/K28.5/) code groups received to achieve
4
synchronization
Number of erroneous code groups received to lose synchronization 17
Number of continuous good code groups received to reduce the error count by
16
one
Note to Table 1–16:
(1) The word aligner supports 10-bit pattern lengths in PIPE mode.

Clock Rate Compensation

In PIPE mode, the rate match FIFO compensates up to ±300 PPM (600 PPM total)
difference between the upstream transmitter and the local receiver reference clock. In
PIPE mode, the rate match FIFO operation is compliant to the version 2.0 of the PCIe
Base Specification. The PCIe protocol requires the receiver to recognize a skip (SKP)
ordered set, and inserts or deletes only one SKP symbol per SKP ordered set received
to prevent the rate match FIFO from overflowing or underflowing. The SKP ordered
set is a /K28.5/ comma (COM) symbol followed by one to five consecutive /K28.0/
SKP symbols, which are sent by transmitter during the inter-packet gap.
The rate match operation begins after the synchronization state machine in the word
aligner indicates synchronization is acquired, as indicated with logic high on
rx_syncstatus signal. Rate match FIFO insertion and deletion events are
communicated to FPGA fabric on the pipestatus[2..0] port from each channel.

Low-Latency Synchronous PCIe

In PIPE mode, the Cyclone IV GX transceiver supports a lower latency in synchronous
PCIe by reducing the latency across the rate match FIFO. In synchronous PCIe, the
system uses a common reference clocking that gives a 0 PPM difference between the
upstream transmitter's and local receiver's reference clock.

f When using common reference clocking, the transceiver supports spread-spectrum

clocking. For more information about the SSC support in PCIe Express (PIPE) mode,
refer to the Cyclone IV Device Data Sheet.

Fast Recovery from P0s State

The PCIe protocol defines fast training sequences for bit and byte synchronization to
transition from L0s to L0 (PIPE P0s to P0) power states. The PHY must acquire bit and
byte synchronization when transitioning from L0s to L0 state between 16 ns to 4 µs.
Each Cyclone IV GX receiver channel has built-in fast recovery circuit that allows the
receiver to meet the requirement when enabled.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

Electrical Idle Inference

In PIPE mode, the Cyclone IV GX transceiver supports inferring the electrical idle
condition at each receiver instead of detecting the electrical idle condition using
analog circuitry, as defined in the version 2.0 of PCIe Base Specification. The inference
is supported using rx_elecidleinfersel[2..0] port, with valid driven values
as listed in Table 1–17 in each link training and status state machine substate.

Table 1–17. Electrical Idle Inference Conditions

rx_elecidleinfersel Link Training and Status
Description
[2..0] State Machine State
Absence of update_FC or alternatively skip ordered set in 128 s
3'b100 L0
window
3'b101 Recovery.RcvrCfg Absence of TS1 or TS2 ordered set in 1280 UI interval
Recovery.Speed when
3'b101 successful speed Absence of TS1 or TS2 ordered set in 1280 UI interval
negotiation = 1'b1
Recovery.Speed when
3'b110 successful speed Absence of an exit from electrical idle in 2000 UI interval
negotiation = 1'b0
3'b111 Loopback.Active (as slave) Absence of an exit from electrical idle in 128 s window

The electrical idle inference module drives the pipeelecidle signal high in each
receiver channel when an electrical idle condition is inferred. The electrical idle
inference module cannot detect electrical idle exit condition based on the reception of
the electrical idle exit ordered set, as specified in the PCI Express (PIPE) Base
Specification.

1 When enabled, the electrical idle inference block uses electrical idle ordered set
detection from the fast recovery circuitry to drive the pipeelecidle signal.

Compliance Pattern Transmission

In PIPE mode, the Cyclone IV GX transceiver supports compliance pattern
transmission which requires the first /K28.5/ code group of the compliance pattern to
be encoded with negative current disparity. This requirement is supported using a
tx_forcedispcompliance port that when driven with logic high, the transmitter
data on the tx_datain port is transmitted with negative current running disparity.
The compliance pattern is a repeating sequence of the four code groups: /K28.5/;
/D21.5/; /K28.5/; /D10.2/. Figure 1–53 shows the compliance pattern transmission
where the tx_forcedispcompliance port must be asserted in the same parallel
clock cycle as /K28.5/D21.5/ of the compliance pattern on tx_datain[15..0]
port.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–53. Compliance Pattern Transmission Support in PCI Express (PIPE) Mode
/K28.5/D21.5/ /K28.5/D10.2/ /K28.5/D21.5/ /K28.5/D10.2/

tx_datain[15..0] B5BC 4ABC B5BC 4ABC

tx_ctrldetect[1..0] 01

tx_forcedispcompliance

Reset Requirement
Cyclone IV GX devices meets the PCIe reset time requirement from device power up
to the link active state with the configuration schemes listed in Table 1–17.

Table 1–18. Electrical Idle Inference Conditions

Device Configuration Scheme Configuration Time (ms)
EP4CGX15 Passive serial (PS) 51
EP4CGX22 PS 92
EP4CGX30 (1) PS 92
EP4CGX50 Fast passive parallel (FPP) 41
EP4CGX75 FPP 41
EP4CGX110 FPP 70
EP4CGX150 FPP 70
Note to Table 1–18:
(1) EP4CGX30 device in F484 package fulfills the PCIe reset time requirement using FPP configuration scheme with
configuration time of 41 ms.

GIGE Mode
GIGE mode provides the transceiver channel datapath configuration for GbE
(specifically the 1000 Base-X physical layer device (PHY) standard) protocol
implementation. The Cyclone IV GX transceiver provides the PMA and the following
PCS functions as defined in the IEEE 802.3 specification for 1000 Base-X PHY:
■ 8B/10B encoding and decoding
■ synchronization
■ upstream transmitter and local receiver clock frequency compensation (rate
matching)

1 Cyclone IV GX transceivers do not have built-in support for some PCS functions such
as auto-negotiation state machine, collision-detect, and carrier-sense. If required, you
must implement these functions in a user logic or external circuits.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

The 1000 Base-X PHY is defined by IEEE 802.3 standard as an intermediate or

transition layer that interfaces various physical media with the media access control
(MAC) in a GbE system. The 1000 Base-X PHY, which has a physical interface data
rate of 1.25 Gbps consists of the PCS, PMA, and physical media dependent (PMD)
layers. Figure 1–54 shows the 1000 Base-X PHY in LAN layers.

Figure 1–54. 1000 Base-X PHY in a GbE OSI Reference Model

LAN CSMA/DC Layers (1)

Higher Layers

Logical Link Control (LLC) or other MAC client

MAC Control (Optional)

MAC

Reconcilation
GMII (2)
PCS

PMA 1000 Base-X PHY

PMD

Medium

Notes to Figure 1–54:

(1) CSMA/CD = Carrier-Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
(2) GMII = gigabit medium independent interface

Figure 1–55 shows the transceiver channel datapath and clocking when configured in
GIGE mode.
Figure 1–55. Transceiver Channel Datapath and Clocking when Configured in GIGE Mode

Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA

FPGA
Fabric
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

tx_dataout
Tx Phase
tx_datain Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk

high-speed
clock

low-speed clock
tx_clkout

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

Rx
rx_dataout Byte Byte Rate rx_datain
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk

CDR clock
(1) (2)

rx_recovclkout (3)

Notes to Figure 1–55:

(1) Low-speed recovered clock.
(2) High-speed recovered clock.
(3) Optional rx_recovclkout port from CDR low-speed recovered clock is available for applications such as Synchronous Ethernet.

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1–56 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–56 shows the transceiver configuration in GIGE mode.

Figure 1–56. Transceiver Configuration in GIGE Mode

Functional Mode
GIGE

Channel Bonding
×1

Low-Latency PCS
Disabled

Word Aligner (Pattern Length) Automatic Synchronization

State Machine (7-bit, 10-Bit)

8B/10B Encoder/Decoder Enabled

Rate Match FIFO

Enabled

Byte SERDES
Disabled

Data Rate (Gbps) 1.25

Byte Ordering Disabled

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Width 8-Bit

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Frequency (MHz) 125

When configured in GIGE mode, three encoded comma (/K28.5/) code groups are
transmitted automatically after deassertion of tx_digitalreset and before
transmitting user data on the tx_datain port. This could affect the synchronization
state machine behavior at the receiver.
Depending on when you start transmitting the synchronization sequence, there could
be an even or odd number of encoded data (/Dx.y/) code groups transmitted
between the last of the three automatically sent /K28.5/ code groups and the first
/K28.5/ code group of the synchronization sequence. If there is an even number of
/Dx.y/ code groups received between these two /K28.5/ code groups, the first
/K28.5/ code group of the synchronization sequence begins at an odd code group
boundary. An IEEE802.3-compliant GIGE synchronization state machine treats this as
an error condition and goes into the Loss-of-Sync state.
Figure 1–57 shows an example of even numbers of /Dx.y/ between the last
automatically sent /K28.5/ and the first user-sent /K28.5/. The first user-sent
/K28.5/ code group received at an odd code group boundary in cycle n + 3 takes the
receiver synchronization state machine in Loss-of-Sync state. The first
synchronization ordered-set /K28.5/Dx.y/ in cycles n + 3 and n + 4 is discounted and
three additional ordered sets are required for successful synchronization.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–57. Example of Reset Condition in GIGE Mode

n n+1 n+2 n+3 n+4

clock

tx_digitalreset

tx_dataout K28.5 xxx K28.5 K28.5 K28.5 Dx.y Dx.y K28.5 Dx.y K28.5 Dx.y K28.5 Dx.y

Running Disparity Preservation with Idle Ordered Set

During idle ordered sets transmission in GIGE mode, the transmitter ensures a
negative running disparity at the end of an idle ordered set. Any /Dx.y/, except for
/D21.5/ (part of /C1/ ordered set) or /D2.2/ (part of /C2/ ordered set) following a
/K28.5/ is automatically replaced with either of the following:
■ A /D5.6/ (/I1/ ordered set) if the running disparity before /K28.5/ is positive
■ A /D16.2/ (/I2/ ordered set) if the running disparity before /K28.5/ is negative

Lane Synchronization
In GIGE mode, the word aligner is configured in automatic synchronization state
machine mode that complies with the IEEE P802.3ae standard. A synchronization
ordered set is a /K28.5/ code group followed by an odd number of valid /Dx.y/ code
groups. Table 1–19 lists the synchronization state machine parameters that
implements the GbE-compliant synchronization.

Table 1–19. Synchronization State Machine Parameters (Note 1)

Parameter Value
Number of valid synchronization ordered sets received to achieve
3
synchronization
Number of erroneous code groups received to lose synchronization 4
Number of continuous good code groups received to reduce the error count by
4
one
Note to Table 1–19:
(1) The word aligner supports 7-bit and 10-bit pattern lengths in GIGE mode.

Clock Frequency Compensation

In GIGE mode, the rate match FIFO compensates up to ±100 PPM (200 PPM total)
difference between the upstream transmitter and the local receiver reference clock.
The GIGE protocol requires the transmitter to send idle ordered sets /I1/
(/K28.5/D5.6/) and /I2/ (/K28.5/D16.2/) during inter-packet gaps, adhering to the
rules listed in the IEEE 802.3 specification.
The rate match operation begins after the synchronization state machine in the word
aligner indicates synchronization has been acquired by driving the rx_syncstatus
signal high. The rate match FIFO deletes or inserts both symbols of the /I2/ ordered
sets (/K28.5/ and /D16.2/) to prevent the rate match FIFO from overflowing or
underflowing. It can insert or delete as many /I2/ ordered sets as necessary to
perform the rate match operation.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

1 If you have the auto negotiation state machine in the FPGA fabric, the rate match
FIFO is also capable of deleting or inserting the first two bytes of the /C2/ ordered set
(/K28.5/D2.2/Dx.y/Dx.y/) to prevent the rate match FIFO from overflowing or
under running during the auto negotiation phase.

The status flags rx_rmfifodatadeleted and rx_rmfifodatainserted to

indicate rate match FIFO deletion and insertion events, respectively, are forwarded to
the FPGA fabric. These two flags are asserted for two clock cycles for each deleted and
inserted /I2/ ordered set.
Figure 1–58 shows an example of rate match FIFO deletion where three symbols must
be deleted. Because the rate match FIFO can only delete /I2/ ordered sets, it deletes
two /I2/ ordered sets (four symbols deleted).

Figure 1–58. Example of Rate Match FIFO Deletion in GIGE Mode

/I2/ Skip Symbol Deleted

First /I2/ Skip Second /I2/ Skip Third /I2/ Skip

Ordered Set Ordered Set Ordered Set

datain Dx.y K28.5 D16.2 K28.5 D16.2 K28.5 D16.2 Dx.y

dataout Dx.y K28.5 D16.2 Dx.y

rx_rmfifodatadeleted

Figure 1–59 shows an example of rate match FIFO insertion in the case where one
symbol must be inserted. Because the rate match FIFO can only insert /I2/ ordered
sets, it inserts one /I2/ ordered set (two symbols inserted).

Figure 1–59. Example of Rate Match FIFO Insertion in GIGE Mode

First /I2/ Second /I2/
Ordered Set Ordered Set

datain Dx.y K28.5 D16.2 K28.5 D16.2

dataout Dx.y K28.5 D16.2 K28.5 D16.2 K28.5 D16.2 Dx.y

rx_rmfifodatainserted

1 The rate match FIFO does not insert or delete code groups automatically to overcome
FIFO empty or full conditions. In this case, the rate match FIFO asserts the
rx_rmfifofull and rx_rmfifoempty flags for at least two recovered clock cycles
to indicate rate match FIFO full and empty conditions, respectively. You must then
assert the rx_digitalreset signal to reset the receiver PCS blocks.

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Transceiver Functional Modes

Serial RapidIO Mode

Serial RapidIO mode provides the non-bonded (×1) transceiver channel datapath
configuration for SRIO protocol implementation. The Cyclone IV GX transceiver
provides the PMA and the following PCS functions:
■ 8B/10B encoding and decoding
■ lane synchronization state machine

1 Cyclone IV GX transceivers do not have built-in support for some PCS functions such
as pseudo-random idle sequence generation and lane alignment in ×4 bonded
channel configuration. If required, you must implement these functions in a user
logics or external circuits.

The RapidIO Trade Association defines a high-performance, packet-switched

interconnect standard to pass data and control information between microprocessors,
digital signals, communications, network processes, system memories, and peripheral
devices. The SRIO physical layer specification defines serial protocol running at
1.25 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, and 3.125 Gbps in either single-lane (×1) or bonded four-lane (×4)
at each line rate. Cyclone IV GX transceivers support single-lane (×1) configuration at
all three line rates. Four ×1 channels configured in Serial RapidIO mode can be
instantiated to achieve one non-bonded ×4 SRIO link. When implementing four ×1
SRIO channels, the receivers do not have lane alignment or deskew capability.
Figure 1–60 shows the transceiver channel datapath and clocking when configured in
Serial RapidIO mode.

Figure 1–60. Transceiver Channel Datapath and Clocking when Configured in Serial RapidIO Mode

Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA

FPGA
Fabric
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

tx_dataout
tx_datain

Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk

high-speed
clock
/2
low-speed clock
tx_clkout

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

rx_dataout

Rx

rx_datain
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
(1)
rx_coreclk

CDR clock
(3) (2)

/2

Notes to Figure 1–60:

(1) Optional rate match FIFO.
(2) High-speed recovered clock.
(3) Low-speed recovered clock.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–60 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–61 shows the transceiver configuration in Serial RapidIO mode.

Figure 1–61. Transceiver Configuration in Serial RapidIO Mode

Functional Mode
SRIO

Channel Bonding
×1

Low-Latency PCS
Disabled

Word Aligner (Pattern Length) Automatic Synchronization

State Machine (10-Bit)

8B/10B Encoder/Decoder Enabled

Rate Match FIFO

Enabled Disabled

Byte SERDES
Enabled Enabled

Data Rate (Gbps) 1.25/2.5/ 1.25/2.5/

3.125 3.125

Byte Ordering Disabled Disabled

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Width 16-Bit 16-Bit

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver 62.5/125/ 62.5/125/

Interface Frequency (MHz) 156.25 156.25

Lane Synchronization
In Serial RapidIO mode, the word aligner is compliant to the SRIO Specification 1.3
and is configured in automatic synchronization state machine mode with the
parameter settings as listed in Table 1–20.

Table 1–20. Synchronization State Machine Parameters (Note 1)

Parameter Value
Number of valid synchronization (/K28.5/) code groups received to achieve
127
synchronization
Number of erroneous code groups received to lose synchronization 3
Number of continuous good code groups received to reduce the error count by
255
one
Note to Table 1–20:
(1) The word aligner supports 10-bit pattern lengths in SRIO mode.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–61
Transceiver Functional Modes

Clock Frequency Compensation

In Serial RapidIO mode, the rate match FIFO compensates up to ±100 PPM (200 PPM
total) difference between the upstream transmitter and the local receiver reference
clock.
Rate matcher is an optional block available for selection in Serial RapidIO mode.
However, this block is not fully compliant to the SRIO specification. When enabled in
the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager, the default settings are:
■ control pattern 1 = K28.5 with positive disparity
■ skip pattern 1 = K29.7 with positive disparity
■ control pattern 2 = K28.5 with negative disparity
■ skip pattern 2 = K29.7 with negative disparity
When enabled, the rate match FIFO operation begins after the link is synchronized
(indicated by assertion of rx_syncstatus from the word aligner). When the rate
matcher receives either of the two 10-bit control patterns followed by the respective
10-bit skip pattern, it inserts or deletes the 10-bit skip pattern as necessary to avoid the
rate match FIFO from overflowing or under-running. The rate match FIFO can
delete/insert a maximum of one skip pattern from a cluster.

1 The rate match FIFO may perform multiple insertion or deletion if the PPM difference
is more than the allowable 200 PPM range. Ensure that the PPM difference in your
system is less than 200 PPM.

XAUI Mode
XAUI mode provides the bonded (×4) transceiver channel datapath configuration for
XAUI protocol implementation. The Cyclone IV GX transceivers configured in XAUI
mode provides the following functions:
■ XGMII-to-PCS code conversion at transmitter datapath
■ PCS-to-XGMII code conversion at receiver datapath
■ channel deskewing of four lanes
■ 8B/10B encoding and decoding
■ IEEE P802.3ae-compliant synchronization state machine
■ clock rate compensation
The XAUI is a self-managed interface to transparently extend the physical reach of the
XGMII between the reconciliation sublayer and the PHY layer in the 10 Gbps LAN as
shown in Figure 1–62. The XAUI interface consists of four lanes, each running at
3.125 Gbps with 8B/10B encoded data for a total of actual 10 Gbps data throughput.
At the transmit side of the XAUI interface, the data and control characters are
converted within the XGMII extender sublayer into an 8B/10B encoded data stream.
Each data stream is then transmitted across a single differential pair running at 3.125
Gbps. At the XAUI receiver, the incoming data is decoded and mapped back to the 32-
bit XGMII format. This provides a transparent extension of the physical reach of the
XGMII and also reduces the interface pin count.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–62 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–62. XAUI in 10 Gbps LAN Layers

LAN CSMA/DC Layers

Higher Layers

LLC or other MAC client

MAC Control (Optional)

MAC

Reconcilation
XGMII
XGMII Extended Sublayer
Optional XGMII
XAUI
Extender
XGMII Extended Sublayer
XGMII
PCS

PMA PHY

PMD

Medium

10 Gbps

XAUI functions as a self-managed interface because code group synchronization,

channel deskew, and clock domain decoupling is handled with no upper layer
support requirements. This functionality is based on the PCS code groups that are
used during the inter-packet gap time and idle periods.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–63
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–63 shows the transceiver channel datapath and clocking when configured in
XAUI mode.

Figure 1–63. Transceiver Channel Datapath and Clocking when Configured in XAUI Mode
Transmitter Channel PCS 3 Transmitter Channel PMA 3
FPGA
Fabric

tx_dataout[3]
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk[3]

high-speed
clock
/2

Receiver Channel PCS 3 Receiver Channel PMA 3

rx_datain[3]
Rx
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk[3]

CDR clock
(1) (2) (3)

/2

Transmitter Channel PCS 2 Transmitter Channel PMA 2

tx_dataout[2]
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk[2]

high-speed
clock
/2

Receiver Channel PCS 2 Receiver Channel PMA 2

rx_datain[2]
Rx
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk[2]

CDR clock
(1) (2) (3)

/2
coreclkout /2
Transmitter Channel PCS 1 Transmitter Channel PMA 1

tx_dataout[1]
Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk[1]

high-speed
clock
/2
low-speed clock

Receiver Channel PCS 1 Receiver Channel PMA 1

rx_datain[1]
Rx
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk[1]

CDR clock
(1) (2) (3)

/2

Transmitter Channel PCS 0 Transmitter Channel PMA 0

tx_dataout[0]

Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk[0]

high-speed
clock
/2

Receiver Channel PCS 0 Receiver Channel PMA 0

rx_datain[0]

Rx
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk[0]

CDR clock
(1) (2) (3)

/2

Notes to Figure 1–63:

(1) Channel 1 low-speed recovered clock.
(2) Low-speed recovered clock.
(3) High-speed recovered clock.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–64 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–64 shows the transceiver configuration in XAUI mode.

Figure 1–64. Transceiver Configuration in XAUI Mode

Functional Mode
XAUI

Channel Bonding
×4

Low-Latency PCS
Disabled

Word Aligner (Pattern Length) Automatic Synchronization

State Machine (7-bit, 10-Bit)

8B/10B Encoder/Decoder Enabled

Deskew FIFO
Enabled

Rate Match FIFO Enabled

Byte SERDES
Enabled

Data Rate (Gbps) 3.125

Byte Ordering Disabled

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Width 16-Bit

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Frequency (MHz) 156.25

XGMII and PCS Code Conversions

In XAUI mode, the 8B/10B encoder in the transmitter datapath maps various 8-bit
XGMII codes to 10-bit PCS code groups as listed in Table 1–21.

Table 1–21. XGMII Character to PCS Code Groups Mapping (Part 1 of 2)

XGMII TXC (1) XGMII TXD (2), (3) PCS Code Group Description
0 00 through FF Dxx,y Normal data transmission
1 07 K28.0, K28.3, or K28.5 Idle in ||I||
1 07 K28.5 Idle in ||T||
1 9C K28.4 Sequence
1 FB K27.7 Start
1 FD K29.7 Terminate
1 FE K30.7 Error

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–65
Transceiver Functional Modes

Table 1–21. XGMII Character to PCS Code Groups Mapping (Part 2 of 2)

XGMII TXC (1) XGMII TXD (2), (3) PCS Code Group Description
1 Any other value K30.7 Invalid XGMII character
Notes to Table 1–21:
(1) Equivalent to tx_ctrlenable port.
(2) Equivalent to 8-bit input data to 8B/10B encoder.
(3) The values in XGMII TXD column are in hexadecimal.

8B/10B decoder in the receiver datapath maps received PCS code groups into specific
8-bit XGMII codes as listed in Table 1–22.

Table 1–22. PCS Code Groups to XGMII Character Mapping

XGMII RXC (1) XGMII RXD (2), (3) PCS Code Group Description
0 00 through FF Dxx,y Normal data transmission
1 07 K28.0, K28.3, or K28.5 Idle in ||I||
1 07 K28.5 Idle in ||T||
1 9C K28.4 Sequence
1 FB K27.7 Start
1 FD K29.7 Terminate
1 FE K30.7 Error
1 FE Invalid code group Received code group
Notes to Table 1–22:
(1) Equivalent to rx_ctrlenable port.
(2) Equivalent to 8-bit input data to 8B/10B encoder.
(3) The values in XGMII RXD column are in hexadecimal.

Channel Deskewing
The deskew FIFO in each of the four lanes expects to receive /A/ code group
simultaneously on all four channels during the inter-packet gap, as required by XAUI
protocol. The skew introduced in the physical medium and the receiver channels
might cause the /A/ code group to be received misaligned with respect to each other.
The deskew FIFO works to align the /A/ code group across the four channels, which
operation is compliant to the PCS deskew state machine diagram specified in
clause 48 of the IEEE P802.3ae specification. The deskew operation begins after link
synchronization is achieved on all four channels as indicated by the word aligner in
each channel. The following are the deskew FIFO operations:
■ Until the first /A/ code group is received, the deskew FIFO read and write
pointers in each channel are not incremented.
■ After the first /A/ code group is received, the write pointer starts incrementing for
each word received but the read pointer is frozen.
■ When all the four channels received the /A/ code group within 10 recovered clock
cycles of each other, the read pointer of all four deskew FIFOs is released
simultaneously, aligning the /A/ code group of all four channels in a column.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–66 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

■ Channel alignment is acquired if three additional aligned ||A|| columns are

observed at the output of the deskew FIFOs of the four channels after alignment of
the first ||A|| column.
■ Channel alignment is indicated by the assertion of rx_channelaligned signal.
■ After acquiring channel alignment, if four misaligned ||A|| columns are seen at
the output of the deskew FIFOs in all four channels with no aligned ||A||
columns in between, the rx_channelaligned signal is deasserted, indicating
loss of channel alignment.
Figure 1–65 shows lane skew at the receiver input and how the deskew FIFO uses the
/A/ code group to align the channels.

Figure 1–65. Deskew FIFO–Lane Skew at the Receiver Input

Lane 0 K K R A K R R K K R K R

Lane 1 K K R A K R R K K R K R
Lanes skew at
receiver input
Lane 2 K K R A K R R K K R K R

Lane 3 K K R A K R R K K R K R

Lane 0 K K R A K R R K K R K R

Lane 1 K K R A K R R K K R K R
Lanes are deskewed by lining
up the “Align”/A/ code groups
Lane 2 K K R A K R R K K R K R

Lane 3 K K R A K R R K K R K R

/A/ column

Lane Synchronization
In XAUI mode, the word aligner is configured in automatic synchronization state
machine mode that is compliant to the PCS synchronization state diagram specified in
clause 48 of the IEEE P802.3ae specification. Table 1–23 lists the synchronization state
machine parameters that implements the lane synchronization in XAUI mode.

Table 1–23. Synchronization State Machine Parameters (Note 1)

Parameter Value
Number of valid synchronization (/K28.5/) code groups received to achieve
4
synchronization
Number of erroneous code groups received to lose synchronization 4
Number of continuous good code groups received to reduce the error count by
4
one
Note to Table 1–23:
(1) The word aligner supports 7-bit and 10-bit pattern lengths in XAUI mode.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–67
Transceiver Functional Modes

Clock Rate Compensation

In XAUI mode, the rate match FIFO compensates up to ±100 PPM (200 PPM total)
difference between the upstream transmitter and the local receiver reference clock.
The XAUI protocol requires the transmitter to send /R/ (/K28.0/) code groups
simultaneously on all four lanes (denoted as ||R|| column) during inter-packet
gaps, adhering to rules listed in the IEEE P802.3ae specification.
The rate match operation begins after rx_syncstatus and rx_channelaligned
are asserted. The rx_syncstatus signal is from the word aligner, indicating that
synchronization is acquired on all four channels, while rx_channelaligned signal
is from the deskew FIFO, indicating channel alignment.
The rate match FIFO looks for the ||R|| column (simultaneous /R/ code groups on
all four channels) and deletes or inserts ||R|| columns to prevent the rate match
FIFO from overflowing or under running. The rate match FIFO can insert or delete as
many ||R|| columns as necessary to perform the rate match operation.
The rx_rmfifodatadeleted and rx_rmfifodatainserted flags that indicate
rate match FIFO deletion and insertion events, respectively, are forwarded to the
FPGA fabric. If an ||R|| column is deleted, the rx_rmfifodeleted flag from each
of the four channels goes high for one clock cycle per deleted ||R|| column. If an
||R|| column is inserted, the rx_rmfifoinserted flag from each of the four
channels goes high for one clock cycle per inserted ||R|| column.

1 The rate match FIFO does not insert or delete code groups automatically to overcome
FIFO empty or full conditions. In this case, the rate match FIFO asserts the
rx_rmfifofull and rx_rmfifoempty flags for at least three recovered clock
cycles to indicate rate match FIFO full and empty conditions, respectively. You must
then assert the rx_digitalreset signal to reset the receiver PCS blocks.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–68 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Deterministic Latency Mode

Deterministic Latency mode provides the transceiver configuration that allows no
latency uncertainty in the datapath and features to strictly control latency variation.
This mode supports non-bonded (×1) and bonded (×4) channel configurations, and is
typically used to support CPRI and OBSAI protocols that require accurate delay
measurements along the datapath. The Cyclone IV GX transceivers configured in
Deterministic Latency mode provides the following features:
■ registered mode phase compensation FIFO
■ receive bit-slip indication
■ transmit bit-slip control
■ PLL PFD feedback
Figure 1–66 shows the transceiver channel datapath and clocking when configured in
deterministic latency mode.

Figure 1–66. Transceiver Channel Datapath and Clocking when Configured in Deterministic Latency Mode

Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA

FPGA
Fabric
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

tx_dataout
tx_datain

Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
high-speed
clock
/2
low-speed clock
tx_clkout

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

rx_dataout

Rx

rx_datain
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO

CDR clock
(1)

/2
low-speed recovered clock
rx_clkout

Note to Figure 1–66:

(1) High-speed recovered clock.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–69
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–67 shows the transceiver configuration in Deterministic Latency mode.

Figure 1–67. Transceiver Configuration in Deterministic Latency Mode

Functional Mode
Deterministic Latency

Channel Bonding
×1, ×4

Low-Latency PCS
Disabled

Word Aligner (Pattern Length) Manual Alignment Bit Slip

(10-Bit) (10-Bit)

8B/10B Encoder/Decoder
Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled

Rate Match FIFO

Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled

Byte SERDES
Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled

Data Rate (Gbps) 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6- 0.6-
3.125 1.5625 3.125 1.5625 3.125 1.5625 3.125 1.5625

Byte Ordering Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Width 16-Bit 8-Bit 20-Bit 10-Bit 16-Bit 8-Bit 20-Bit 10-Bit

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30- 60- 30-
Interface Frequency (MHz) 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25 156.25

Both CPRI and OBSAI protocols define the serial interface connecting the base station
component (specifically channel cards) and remote radio heads (specifically radio
frequency cards) in a radio base station system with fiber optics. The protocols require
the accuracy of round trip delay measurement for single-hop and multi-hop
connections to be within ± 16.276 ns. The Cyclone IV GX transceivers support the
following CPRI and OBSAI line rates using Deterministic Latency mode:
■ CPRI —614.4 Mbps, 1.2288 Gbps, 2.4576 Gbps, and 3.072 Gbps
■ OBSAI—768 Mbps, 1.536 Gbps, and 3.072 Gbps

f For more information about deterministic latency implementation, refer to AN 610:

Implementing Deterministic Latency for CPRI and OBSAI Protocols in Stratix IV, HardCopy
IV, Arria II GX, and Cyclone IV Devices.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–70 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Registered Mode Phase Compensation FIFO

In Deterministic Latency mode, the RX phase compensation FIFO is set to registered
mode while the TX phase compensation FIFO supports optional registered mode.
When set into registered mode, the phase compensation FIFO acts as a register and
eliminates the latency uncertainty through the FIFOs.

Receive Bit-Slip Indication

The number of bits slipped in the word aligner for synchronization in manual
alignment mode is provided with the rx_bitslipboundaryselectout[4..0]
signal. For example, if one bit is slipped in word aligner to achieve synchronization,
the output on rx_bitslipboundaryselectout[4..0] signal shows a value of 1
(5'00001). The information from this signal helps in latency calculation through the
receiver as the number of bits slipped in the word aligner varies at each
synchronization.

Transmit Bit-Slip Control

The transmitter datapath supports bit-slip control to delay the serial data
transmission by a number of specified bits in PCS with
tx_bitslipboundaryselect[4..0] port. With 8- or 10-bit channel width, the
transmitter supports zero to nine bits of data slip. This feature helps to maintain a
fixed round trip latency by compensating latency variation from word aligner when
providing the appropriate values on tx_bitslipboundaryselect[4..0] port
based on values on rx_bitslipboundaryselectout[4..0] signal.

PLL PFD feedback

In Deterministic Latency mode, when transmitter input reference clock frequency is
the same as the low-speed clock, the PLL that clocks the transceiver supports PFD
feedback. When enabled, the PLL compensates for delay uncertainty in the low-speed
clock (tx_clkout in ×1 configuration or coreclkout in ×4 configuration) path
relative to input reference and the transmitter datapath latency is fixed relative to the
transmitter input reference clock.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–71
Transceiver Functional Modes

SDI Mode
SDI mode provides the non-bonded (×1) transceiver channel datapath configuration
for HD- and 3G-SDI protocol implementations.
Cyclone IV GX transceivers configured in SDI mode provides the serialization and
deserialization functions that supports the SDI data rates as listed in Table 1–24.

Table 1–24. Supported SDI Data Rates

SMPTE FPGA Fabric-to-
Configuration Data Rate (Mbps) Byte SERDES Usage
Standard (1) Transceiver Width
20-bit Used
1483.5
10-bit Not used
292M High definition (HD)
20-bit Used
1485
10-bit Not used
2967
424M Third-generation (3G) 20-bit Used
2970
Note to Table 1–24:
(1) Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).

1 SDI functions such as scrambling/de-scrambling, framing, and cyclic redundancy

check (CRC) must be implemented in the user logic.

Figure 1–68 shows the transceiver channel datapath and clocking when configured in
SDI mode.

Figure 1–68. Transceiver Channel Datapath and Clocking when Configured in SDI Mode

Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA

FPGA
Fabric
PIPE Interface
PCIe Hard IP

tx_dataout
tx_datain

Tx Phase
Comp Byte Serializer 8B/10B Encoder Serializer
FIFO
wr_clk rd_clk wr_clk rd_clk
tx_coreclk

high-speed
clock
/2
low-speed clock
tx_clkout

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel PMA

rx_dataout

Rx

rx_datain
Byte Byte Rate
Phase 8B/10B Deskew Word Deserial-
Order- De- Match CDR
Comp Decoder FIFO Aligner izer
ing serializer FIFO
FIFO
rx_coreclk

CDR clock
(1)

/2 low-speed recovered clock

rx_clkout

Note to Figure 1–68:

(1) High-speed recovered clock.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–72 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Functional Modes

Figure 1–69 shows the transceiver configuration in SDI mode.

Figure 1–69. Transceiver Configuration in SDI Mode

Functional Mode
SDI

Channel Bonding
×1 (HD or 3G)

Low-Latency PCS
Disabled Enabled

Word Aligner (Pattern Length) Bit Slip

Disabled
(7-bit, 10-Bit)

8B/10B Encoder/Decoder Disabled Disabled

Rate Match FIFO Disabled Disabled

Byte SERDES
Enabled Disabled Enabled Disabled

Data Rate (Gbps) HD - 1.4835/1.485 HD - 1.4835/1.485

HD - 1.4835/1.485 HD - 1.4835/1.485
3G - 2.967/2.97 3G - 2.967/2.97

Byte Ordering Disabled Disabled Disabled Disabled

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver
Interface Width 20-Bit 10-Bit 20-Bit 10-Bit

FPGA Fabric-to-Transceiver HD - 74.175/74.25 HD - 74.175/74.25

Interface Frequency (MHz) HD - 74.175/74.25 HD - 74.175/74.25
3G - 148.35/148.5 3G - 148.35/148.5

1 Altera recommends driving rx_bitslip port low in configuration where

low-latency PCS is not enabled. In SDI systems, the word alignment and framing
occurs after de-scrambling, which is implemented in the user logic. The word
alignment therefore is not useful, and keeping rx_bitslip port low avoids the word
aligner from inserting bits in the received data stream.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–73
Loopback

Loopback
Cyclone IV GX devices provide three loopback options that allow you to verify the
operation of different functional blocks in the transceiver channel. The following
loopback modes are available:
■ reverse parallel loopback (available only for PIPE mode)
■ serial loopback (available for all modes except PIPE mode)
■ reverse serial loopback (available for all modes except XAUI mode)

1 In each loopback mode, all transmitter buffer and receiver buffer settings are available
if the buffers are active, unless stated otherwise.

Reverse Parallel Loopback

The reverse parallel loopback option is only available for PIPE mode. In this mode,
the received serial data passes through the receiver CDR, deserializer, word aligner,
and rate match FIFO before looping back to the transmitter serializer and transmitted
out through the TX buffer, as shown in Figure 1–70. The received data is also available
to the FPGA fabric. This loopback mode is compliant with version 2.00 of the PHY
Interface for the PCI Express Architecture specification.
To enable the reverse parallel loopback mode, assert the tx_detectrxloopback
port in P0 power state.

Figure 1–70. PIPE Reverse Parallel Loopback Path (Note 1)

FPGA Transceiver
Fabric Tx PMA

Tx PCS Serializer

PCIe
PIPE Reverse parallel
hard
IF loopback path
IP
Rx PCS Rx PMA
Rate
Word Deserial-
Match CDR
Aligner izer
FIFO

Note to Figure 1–70:

(1) Grayed-Out Blocks are Not Active in this mode.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–74 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Loopback

Serial Loopback
The serial loopback option is available for all functional modes except PIPE mode. In
this mode, the data from the FPGA fabric passes through the transmitter channel and
looped back to the receiver channel, bypassing the receiver buffer, as shown in
Figure 1–71. The received data is available to the FPGA logic for verification. The
receiver input buffer is not active in this mode. With this option, you can check the
operation of all enabled PCS and PMA functional blocks in the transmitter and
receiver channels.
The transmitter channel sends the data to both the serial output port and the receiver
channel. The differential output voltage on the serial ports is based on the selected
VOD settings. The data is looped back to the receiver CDR and is retimed through
different clock domains. You must provide an alignment pattern for the word aligner
to enable the receiver channel to retrieve the byte boundary.

1 Serial loopback mode can only be dynamically enabled or disabled during user mode
by performing a dynamic channel reconfiguration.

Figure 1–71. Serial Loopback Path (Note 1)

FPGA Transceiver
Fabric
Tx PMA

Tx PCS Serializer

Serial
loopback
path
Rx PMA
To FPGA fabric
for verification
Rx PCS Deserializer CDR

Note to Figure 1–71:

(1) Grayed-Out Blocks are Not Active in this mode.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–75
Loopback

Reverse Serial Loopback

The reverse serial loopback mode is available for all functional modes except for
XAUI mode. The two reverse serial loopback options from the receiver to the
transmitter are:
■ Pre-CDR mode where data received through the RX input buffer is looped back to
the TX output buffer using the Reverse serial loopback (pre-CDR) option
■ Post-CDR mode where retimed data through the receiver CDR from the RX input
buffer is looped back to the TX output buffer using the Reverse serial loopback
option
The received data is also available to the FPGA logic. In the transmitter channel, only
the transmitter buffer is active.

1 The transmitter pre-emphasis feature is not available in reverse serial loopback (pre-
CDR) mode.

1 Reverse serial loopback modes can only be dynamically enabled or disabled during
user mode by performing a dynamic channel reconfiguration.

Figure 1–72 shows the two paths in reverse serial loopback mode.

Figure 1–72. Reverse Serial Loopback (Note 1)

FPGA Transceiver
Fabric Tx PMA Tx PMA

Tx PCS Serializer

(2) (3)

Rx PMA
To FPGA fabric
for verification
Rx PCS Deserializer CDR

Notes to Figure 1–72:

(1) Grayed-Out Blocks are Not Active in this mode.
(2) Post-CDR reverse serial loopback path.
(3) Pre-CDR reverse serial loopback path.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–76 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Self Test Modes

Self Test Modes

Each transceiver channel in the Cyclone IV GX device contains modules for pattern
generator and verifier. Using these built-in features, you can verify the functionality of
the functional blocks in the transceiver channel without requiring user logic. The self
test functionality is provided as an optional mechanism for debugging transceiver
channels.
There are three types of supported pattern generators and verifiers:
■ Built-in self test (BIST) incremental data generator and verifier—test the complete
transmitter PCS and receiver PCS datapaths for bit errors with parallel loopback
before the PMA blocks.
■ Pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) generator and verifier—the PRBS
generator and verifier interface with the serializer and deserializer in the PMA
blocks. The advantage of using a PRBS data stream is that the randomness yields
an environment that stresses the transmission medium. In the data stream, you
can observe both random jitter and deterministic jitter using a time interval
analyzer, bit error rate tester, or oscilloscope.
■ High frequency and low frequency pattern generator—the high frequency
patterns generate alternate ones and zeros and the low frequency patterns
generate five ones and five zeroes. These patterns do not have a corresponding
verifier.

1 The self-test features are only supported in Basic mode.

BIST
Figure 1–73 shows the datapath for BIST incremental data pattern test mode. The BIST
incremental data generator and verifier are located near the FPGA fabric in the PCS
block of the transceiver channel.

Figure 1–73. BIST Incremental Pattern Test Mode Datapath

FPGA Transceiver
Fabric
Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA
BIST Incremental
Pattern Generator

Tx Phase
Byte 8B/10B Serializer
Compensation
Serializer Encoder
FIFO

Receiver Channel PCS Parallel Receiver Channel PMA

BIST Incremental loopback
Pattern Verifier path

Rx Byte Byte
8B/10B Word De- Receiver
Compensation Ordering Deserial-
Decoder Aligner serializer CDR
FIFO izer

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–77
Self Test Modes

The incremental pattern generator and verifier are 16-bits wide. The generated pattern
increments from 00 to FF and passes through the TX PCS blocks, parallel looped back
to RX PCS blocks, and checked by the verifier. The pattern is also available as serial
data at the tx_dataout port. The differential output voltage of the transmitted serial
data on the tx_dataout port is based on the selected VOD settings. The incremental
data pattern is not available to the FPGA logic at the receiver for verification.
The following are the transceiver channel configuration settings in this mode:
■ PCS-FPGA fabric channel width: 16-bit
■ 8B/10B blocks: Enabled
■ Byte serializer/deserializer: Enabled
■ Word aligner: Automatic synchronization state machine mode
■ Byte ordering: Enabled
The rx_bisterr and rx_bistdone signals indicate the status of the verifier. The
rx_bisterr signal is asserted and stays high when detecting an error in the data.
The rx_bistdone signal is asserted and stays high when the verifier either receives a
full cycle of incremental pattern or it detects an error in the receiver data. You can
reset the incremental pattern generator and verifier by asserting the
tx_digitalreset and rx_digitalreset ports, respectively.

PRBS
Figure 1–74 shows the datapath for the PRBS, high and low frequency pattern test
modes. The pattern generator is located in TX PCS before the serializer, and PRBS
pattern verifier located in RX PCS after the word aligner.

Figure 1–74. PRBS Pattern Test Mode Datapath

FPGA Transceiver
Fabric
Transmitter Channel PCS Transmitter Channel PMA
PRBS, High Freq,
Low Freq Pattern
Generator

Tx Phase Serializer
Byte 8B/10B
Compensation
Serializer Encoder
FIFO

(1)

Receiver Channel PCS Receiver Channel

PRBS PMA
Verifier

Rx Rate De-
Byte Byte 8B/10B Word Receiver
Compensation Match serializer
Ordering Deserializer Decoder Aligner CDR
FIFO FIFO

Note to Figure 1–74:

(1) Serial loopback path is optional and can be enabled for the PRBS verifier to check the PRBS pattern

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

1–78 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Self Test Modes

Table 1–25 lists the supported PRBS, high and low frequency patterns, and
corresponding channel settings. The PRBS pattern repeats after completing an
iteration. The number of bits a PRBS X pattern sends before repeating the pattern is
2(X-1) bits.

Table 1–25. PRBS, High and Low Frequency Patterns, and Channel Settings
8-bit Channel Width 10-bit Channel Width

Maximum Maximum Maximum Maximum

Channel Channel
Data Rate Data Rate Data Rate Data Rate
Patterns Polynomial Width Word Width Word
(Gbps) for (Gbps) for (Gbps) for (Gbps) for
of Alignment of Alignment
F324 and F484 and F324 and F484 and
8 bits Pattern 10-bits Pattern
Smaller Larger Smaller Larger
(1) (1)
Packages Packages Packages Packages
PRBS 7 X7 + X6 + 1 Y 16’h3040 2.0 2.5 N — — —
PRBS 8 X8 + X7 +1 Y 16’hFF5A 2.0 2.5 N — — —
PRBS 10 X10 + X7 +1 N — — — Y 10’h3FF 2.5 3.125
PRBS 23 X23 + X18 +1 Y 16’hFFFF 2.0 2.5 N — — —
High
1010101010 Y — 2.0 2.5 Y — 2.5 3.125
frequency (2)
Low
Frequency 1111100000 N — — — Y — 2.5 3.125
(2)
Notes to Table 1–25:
(1) Channel width refers to the What is the channel width? option in the General screen of the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager. Based on the
selection, an 8 or 10 bits wide pattern is generated as indicated by a Yes (Y) or No (N).
(2) A verifier and associated rx_bistdone and rx_bisterr signals are not available for the specified patterns.

You can enable the serial loopback option to loop the generated PRBS patterns to the
receiver channel for verifier to check the PRBS patterns. When the PRBS pattern is
received, the rx_bisterr and rx_bistdone signals indicate the status of the
verifier. After the word aligner restores the word boundary, the rx_bistdone signal
is driven high when the verifier receives a complete pattern cycle and remains
asserted until it is reset using the rx_digitalreset port. After the assertion of
rx_bistdone, the rx_bisterr signal is asserted for a minimum of three
rx_clkout cycles when errors are detected in the data and deasserts if the following
PRBS sequence contains no error. You can reset the PRBS pattern generator and
verifier by asserting the tx_digitalreset and rx_digitalreset ports,
respectively.

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–79
Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists

Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists

Table 1–26 through Table 1–29 provide descriptions of the ports available when
instantiating a transceiver using the ALTGX megafunction. The ALTGX megafunction
requires a relatively small number of signals. There are also a large number of
optional signals that facilitate debugging by providing information about the state of
the transceiver.

Table 1–26. Transmitter Ports in ALTGX Megafunction for Cyclone IV GX

Input/
Block Port Name Clock Domain Description
Output
Synchronous to Parallel data input from the FPGA fabric to the transmitter.
tx_clkout (non-bonded
tx_datain Input ■ Bus width depends on channel width multiplied by number
modes) or coreclkout
of channels per instance.
(bonded modes)
FPGA fabric-transmitter interface clock in non-bonded modes
■ Each channel has a tx_clkout signal that can be used to
tx_clkout Output Clock signal
clock data (tx_datain) from the FPGA fabric into the
transmitter.
tx_coreclk Input Clock signal Optional write clock port for the TX phase compensation FIFO.
Synchronous to
tx_phase_comp_ tx_clkout (non-bonded TX phase compensation FIFO full or empty indicator.
Output
fifo_error modes) or coreclkout ■ A high level indicates FIFO is either full or empty.
(bonded modes)
Synchronous to 8B/10B encoder control or data identifier. This signal passes
tx_clkout (non-bonded through the TX Phase Compensation FIFO.
tx_ctrlenable Input
modes) or coreclkout ■ A high level to encode data as a /Kx.y/ control code group.
(bonded modes) ■ A low level to encode data as a /Dx.y/ data code group.
TX PCS
8B/10B encoder forcing disparity control. This signal passes
Synchronous to through the TX Phase Compensation FIFO.
tx_clkout (non-bonded ■ A high level to force encoding to positive or negative
tx_forcedisp Input
modes) or coreclkout disparity depending on the tx_dispval signal level.
(bonded modes) ■ A low level to allow default encoding according to the
8B/10B running disparity rules.
8B/10B encoder forcing disparity value. This signal passes
Synchronous to through the TX Phase Compensation FIFO.
tx_clkout (non-bonded ■ A high level to force encoding with a negative disparity code
tx_dispval Input
modes) or coreclkout group when tx_forcedisp port is asserted high.
(bonded modes) ■ A low level to force encoding with a positive disparity code
group when tx_forcedisp port is asserted high.
Asynchronous signal. Transmitter polarity inversion control.
tx_invpolarity Input Minimum pulse width is two ■ A high level to invert the polarity of every bit of the 8- or 10-
parallel clock cycles. bit input data to the serializer.
tx_bitslipboun Control the number of bits to slip before serializer.
Input Asynchronous signal.
daryselect ■ Valid values from 0 to 9

tx_dataout Output — Transmitter serial data output signal.

TX PMA Force the transmitter buffer to PIPE electrical idle signal levels.
tx_forceelec
Input Asynchronous signal. For equivalent signal defined in PIPE 2.00 specification, refer to
idle
Table 1–15 on page 1–50.

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1–80 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists

Table 1–27. Receiver Ports in ALTGX Megafunction for Cyclone IV GX (Part 1 of 3)

Input/
Block Port Name Clock Domain Description
Output
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non-
bonded modes with rate match FIFO),
rx_clkout (non-bonded modes Word alignment synchronization status indicator. This
rx_syncstatus Output without rate match FIFO), signal passes through the RX Phase Compensation FIFO.
coreclkout (bonded modes), or ■ Not available in bit-slip mode
rx_coreclk (when using the
optional rx_coreclk input)
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non-
bonded modes with rate match FIFO),
rx_clkout (non-bonded modes Indicates when the word alignment logic detects the
rx_patternde
Output without rate match FIFO), alignment pattern in the current word boundary. This signal
tect
coreclkout (bonded modes), or passes through the RX Phase Compensation FIFO.
rx_coreclk (when using the
optional rx_coreclk input)
Bit-slip control for the word aligner configured in bit-slip
Asynchronous signal. Minimum pulse mode.
rx_bitslip Input width is two ■ At every rising edge, word aligner slips one bit into the
parallel clock cycles. received data stream, effectively shifting the word
boundary by one bit.
Asynchronous signal. Driven for a
RX PCS minimum of two recovered clock Run-length violation indicator.
cycles in configurations without byte ■ A high pulse indicates that the number of consecutive 1s
rx_rlv Output
serializer and a minimum of three or 0s in the received data stream exceeds the
recovered clock cycles in programmed run length violation threshold.
configurations with byte serializer.
Generic receiver polarity inversion control.
Asynchronous signal. Minimum pulse
rx_invpolarity Input ■ A high level to invert the polarity of every bit of the 8- or
width is two parallel clock cycles.
10-bit data to the word aligner.
rx_enapattern Controls the word aligner operation configured in manual
Input Asynchronous signal.
align alignment mode.
Rate match FIFO insertion status indicator.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non- ■ A high level indicates the rate match pattern byte is
rx_rmfifodata
Output bonded modes) or coreclkout inserted to compensate for the PPM difference in the
inserted
(bonded modes) reference clock frequencies between the upstream
transmitter and the local receiver.
Rate match FIFO deletion status indicator.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non- ■ A high level indicates the rate match pattern byte is
rx_rmfifodata
Output bonded modes) or coreclkout deleted to compensate for the PPM difference in the
deleted
(bonded modes) reference clock frequencies between the upstream
transmitter and the local receiver.

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–81
Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists

Table 1–27. Receiver Ports in ALTGX Megafunction for Cyclone IV GX (Part 2 of 3)

Input/
Block Port Name Clock Domain Description
Output
Rate match FIFO full status indicator.
■ A high level indicates the rate match FIFO is full.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non-
■ Driven for a minimum of two serial clock cycles in
rx_rmfifofull Output bonded modes) or coreclkout
(bonded modes) configurations without a byte serializer and a minimum
of three recovered clock cycles in configurations with a
byte serializer.
Rate match FIFO empty status indicator.
■ A high level indicates the rate match FIFO is empty.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non-
■ Driven for a minimum of two serial clock cycles in
rx_rmfifoempty Output bonded modes) or coreclkout
(bonded modes) configurations without a byte serializer and a minimum
of three recovered clock cycles in configurations with a
byte serializer.
8B/10B decoder control or data identifier.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non- ■ A high level indicates received code group is a /Kx.y/
rx_ctrldetect Output bonded modes) or coreclkout control code group.
(bonded modes) ■ A low level indicates received code group is a /Dx.y/ data
code group.
8B/10B code group violation or disparity error indicator.
■ A high level indicates that a code group violation or
disparity error was detected on the associated received
code group.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non- ■ Use with the rx_disperr signal to differentiate
rx_errdetect Output bonded modes) or coreclkout between a code group violation or a disparity error as
(bonded modes) follows:[rx_errdetect:rx_disperr]
RX PCS 2'b00—no error
2'b10—code group violation
2'b11—disparity error or both
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non- 8B/10B disparity error indicator.
rx_disperr Output bonded modes) or coreclkout ■ A high level indicates that a disparity error was detected
(bonded modes) on the associated received code group.
8B/10B current running disparity indicator.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non- ■ A high level indicates a positive current running disparity
rx_runningdisp Output bonded modes) or coreclkout at the end of the decoded byte
(bonded modes) ■ A low level indicates a negative current running disparity
at the end of the decoded byte
Enable byte ordering control
rx_enabyteord Input Asynchronous signal ■ A low-to-high transition triggers the byte ordering block
to restart byte ordering operation.
Byte ordering status indicator.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non- ■ A high level indicates that the byte ordering block has
rx_byteorder
Output bonded modes) or coreclkout detected the programmed byte ordering pattern in the
alignstatus
(bonded modes) least significant byte of the received data from the byte
deserializer.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non- Parallel data output from the receiver to the FPGA fabric.
rx_dataout Output bonded modes) or coreclkout ■ Bus width depends on channel width multiplied by
(bonded modes) number of channels per instance.
FPGA fabric-receiver interface clock when rate match FIFO
rx_clkout Output Clock signal
is not used.

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1–82 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists

Table 1–27. Receiver Ports in ALTGX Megafunction for Cyclone IV GX (Part 3 of 3)

Input/
Block Port Name Clock Domain Description
Output
Optional read clock port for the RX phase compensation
rx_coreclk Output Clock signal
FIFO.
Synchronous to tx_clkout (non-
rx_phase_comp_ RX phase compensation FIFO full or empty indicator.
Output bonded modes) or coreclkout
RX PCS fifo_error
(bonded modes) ■ A high level indicates FIFO is either full or empty.

Indicate the number of bits slipped in the word aligner

rx_bitslipboun
Output Asynchronous signal. configured in manual alignment mode.
daryselectout
■ Values range from 0 to 9.

rx_datain Input N/A Receiver serial data input port.

Receiver CDR lock state indicator
rx_freqlocked Output Asynchronous signal ■ A high level indicates the CDR is in LTD state.

■ A low level indicates the CDR is in LTR state.

Receiver CDR LTD state control signal

■ A high level forces the CDR to LTD state
rx_locktodata Output Asynchronous signal
■ When deasserted, the receiver CDR lock state depends
on the rx_locktorefclk signal level.
Receiver CDR LTR state control signal.
■ The rx_locktorefclk and rx_locktodata
signals control whether the receiver CDR states as
follows:
rx_locktoref [rx_locktodata:rx_locktorefclk]
Output Asynchronous signal
RX PMA clk 2'b00—receiver CDR is in automatic lock mode
2b'01—receiver CDR is in manual lock mode (LTR
state)
2b'1x—receiver CDR is in manual lock mode (LTD
state)
Signal threshold detect indicator.
■ Available in Basic mode when 8B/10B encoder/decoder
rx_signalde is used, and in PIPE mode.
Output Asynchronous signal
tect ■ A high level indicates that the signal present at the
receiver input buffer is above the programmed signal
detection threshold value.
CDR low-speed recovered clock
rx_recovclkout Output Clock signal ■ Only available in the GIGE mode for applications such as
Synchronous Ethernet.

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Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–83
Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists

Table 1–28. PIPE Interface Ports in ALTGX Megafunction for Cyclone IV GX (Note 1) (Part 1 of 2)
Input/
Port Name Clock Domain Description
Output
125-MHz clock for receiver detect and offset cancellation only in PIPE
fixedclk Input Clock signal
mode.
Receiver detect or reverse parallel loopback control.
■ A high level in the P1 power state and tx_forceelecidle signal
asserted begins the receiver detection operation to determine if there is
tx_detectrx a valid receiver downstream. This signal must be deasserted when the
Input Asynchronous signal
loop pipephydonestatus signal indicates receiver detect completion.
■ A high level in the P0 power state with the tx_forceelecidle
signal deasserted dynamically configures the channel to support
reverse parallel loopback mode.
Force the 8B/10B encoder to encode with negative running disparity.
tx_forcedisp
Input Asynchronous signal ■ Assert only when transmitting the first byte of the PIPE-compliance
compliance
pattern to force the 8B/10B encoder with a negative running disparity.
pipe8b10binvpo
Input Asynchronous signal Invert the polarity of every bit of the 10-bit input to the 8B/10B decoder
larity
PIPE power state control.
■ Signal is 2 bits wide and is encoded as follows:
2'b00: P0 (Normal operation)
powerdn Input Asynchronous signal
2'b01: P0s (Low recovery time latency, low power state)
2'b10: P1 (Longer recovery time latency, lower power state)
2'b11: P2 (Lowest power state)
Valid data and control on the rx_dataout and rx_ctrldetect ports
pipedatavalid Output N/A
indicator.
PHY function completion indicator.
pipephydone
Output Asynchronous signal ■ Asserted for one clock cycle to communicate completion of several PHY
status
functions, such as power state transition and receiver detection.
Electrical idle detected or inferred at the receiver indicator.
■ When electrical idle inference is used, this signal is driven high when it
pipeelecidle Output Asynchronous signal infers an electrical idle condition
■ When electrical idle inference is not used, the rx_signaldetect
signal is inverted and driven on this port.
PIPE receiver status port.
■ Signal is 3 bits wide and is encoded as follows:
3'b000: Received data OK
3'b001: one SKP symbol added
3'b010: one SKP symbol removed
pipestatus Output N/A
3'b011: Receiver detected
3'b100: 8B/10B decoder error
3'b101: Elastic buffer overflow
3'b110: Elastic buffer underflow
3'b111: Received disparity error

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Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists

Table 1–28. PIPE Interface Ports in ALTGX Megafunction for Cyclone IV GX (Note 1) (Part 2 of 2)
Input/
Port Name Clock Domain Description
Output
rx_elecidle Controls the electrical idle inference mechanism as specified in Table 1–17
Input N/A
infersel on page 1–53
Note to Table 1–28:
(1) For equivalent signals defined in PIPE 2.00 specification, refer to Table 1–15 on page 1–50.

Table 1–29. Multipurpose PLL, General Purpose PLL and Miscellaneous Ports in ALTGX Megafunction for
Cyclone IV GX (Part 1 of 2)
Input/
Block Port Name Clock Domain Description
Output
Input reference clock for the PLL (multipurpose PLL or general
purpose PLL) used by the transceiver instance. When configured
with the transmitter and receiver channel configuration in
Deterministic Latency mode, multiple pll_inclk ports are
available as follows.
Configured with PLL PFD feedback—x is the number of channels
selected:
■ pll_inclk[x-1..0] are input reference clocks for each
pll_inclk Input Clock signal transmitter in the transceiver instance
■ pll_inclk[x+1..x] are input reference clocks for
receivers in the transceiver instance
PLL Configured without PLL PFD feedback:
■ pll_inclk[0] is input reference clock for transmitters in
the transceiver instance
■ pll_inclk[1] is input reference clock for receivers in the
transceiver instance
pll_locked Output Asynchronous signal PLL (used by the transceiver instance) lock indicator.
PLL (used by the transceiver instance) reset.
■ When asserted, the PLL is kept in reset state.
pll_areset Input Asynchronous signal
■ When deasserted, the PLL is active and locks to the input
reference clock.
coreclkout Output Clock signal FPGA fabric-transceiver interface clock in bonded modes.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture 1–85
Transceiver Top-Level Port Lists

Table 1–29. Multipurpose PLL, General Purpose PLL and Miscellaneous Ports in ALTGX Megafunction for
Cyclone IV GX (Part 2 of 2)
Input/
Block Port Name Clock Domain Description
Output
Transceiver block power down.
■ When asserted, all digital and analog circuitry in the PCS,
gxb_powerdown Input Asynchronous signal HSSI, CDR, and PCIe modules are powered down.
■ Asserting the gxb_powerdown signal does not power down
the refclk buffers.
Asynchronous signal.
The minimum pulse Transmitter PCS reset.
tx_digitalreset Input
Reset & width is two parallel ■ When asserted, the transmitter PCS blocks are reset.
Power clock cycles.
Down Asynchronous signal. Receiver PMA reset.
The minimum pulse
rx_analogreset Input ■ When asserted, analog circuitry in the receiver PMA block is
width is two parallel
clock cycles. reset.

Asynchronous signal.
The minimum pulse Receiver PCS reset.
rx_digitalreset Input
width is two parallel ■ When asserted, the receiver PCS blocks are reset.
clock cycles.
Dynamic reconfiguration clock.
■ Also used for offset cancellation except in PIPE mode.
reconfig_clk Input Clock signal
Reconfigu ■ For the supported frequency range for this clock, refer to the
ration Cyclone IV Device Data Sheet chapter.
reconfig_togxb Input Asynchronous signal From the dynamic reconfiguration controller.
reconfig_fromgxb Output Asynchronous signal To the dynamic reconfiguration controller.
Calibration cal_blk_clk Input Clock signal Clock for the transceiver calibration block.
Block cal_blk_powerdown Input Asynchronous signal Calibration block power down control.
BIST or PRBS test completion indicator.
■ A high level during BIST test mode indicates the verifier either
receives complete pattern cycle or detects an error and stays
asserted until being reset using the rx_digitalreset
rx_bistdone Output Asynchronous signal
port.
■ A high level during PRBS test mode indicates the verifier
receives complete pattern cycle and stays asserted until being
Test Mode reset using the rx_digitalreset port.
BIST or PRBS verifier error indicator
■ In BIST test mode, the signal stays asserted upon detecting an
error until being reset using the rx_digitalreset port.
rx_bisterr Output Asynchronous signal
■ In PRBS test mode, the signal asserts for a minimum of 3
rx_clkout clock cycles upon detecting an error and
deasserts if the following PRBS sequence contains no error.

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1–86 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Transceivers Architecture
Document Revision History

Document Revision History

Table 1–30 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 1–30. Document Revision History

Date Revision Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.1 release.
■ Updated Table 1–1, Table 1–5, Table 1–11, Table 1–14, Table 1–24, Table 1–25,
Table 1–26, Table 1–27, Table 1–28, and Table 1–29.
■ Updated “8B/10B Encoder”, “Transmitter Output Buffer”, “Receiver Input Buffer”,
“Clock Data Recovery”, “Miscellaneous Transmitter PCS Features”, “Miscellaneous
December 2010 3.2 Receiver PCS Feature”, “Input Reference Clocking”, “PCI Express (PIPE) Mode”,
“Channel Deskewing”, “Lane Synchronization”, “Serial Loopback”, and “Self Test
Modes” sections.
■ Added Figure 1–9, Figure 1–10, Figure 1–19, Figure 1–20, and Figure 1–43.
■ Updated Figure 1–53, Figure 1–55, Figure 1–59, Figure 1–60, Figure 1–69,
Figure 1–70, Figure 1–71, Figure 1–72, Figure 1–73, and Figure 1–74.
November 2010 3.1 Updated Introductory information.
■ Updated information for the Quartus II software version 10.0 release.

July 2010 3.0 ■ Reset control, power down, and dynamic reconfiguration information moved to
new Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down and Cyclone IV Dynamic
Reconfiguration chapters.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 2. Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power
Down

CYIV-52002-1.1

Cyclone® IV GX devices offer multiple reset signals to control transceiver channels

independently. The ALTGX Transceiver MegaWizard™ Plug-In Manager provides
individual reset signals for each channel instantiated in your design. It also provides
one power-down signal for each transceiver block.
This chapter includes the following sections:
■ “User Reset and Power-Down Signals” on page 2–1
■ “Transceiver Reset Sequences” on page 2–4
■ “Dynamic Reconfiguration Reset Sequences” on page 2–18
■ “Power Down” on page 2–21
■ “Simulation Requirements” on page 2–22
■ “Reference Information” on page 2–22
Figure 2–1 shows the reset control and power-down block for a Cyclone IV GX device.

Figure 2–1. Reset Control and Power-Down Block

tx_digitalreset

rx_digitalreset

rx_analogreset

Reset Controller

pll_areset

gxb_powerdown

User Reset and Power-Down Signals

Each transceiver channel in the Cyclone IV GX device has individual reset signals to
reset its physical coding sublayer (PCS) and physical medium attachment (PMA). The
transceiver block also has a power-down signal that affects the multipurpose
phase-locked loops (PLLs), general purpose PLLs, and all the channels in the
transceiver block.

1 All reset and power-down signals are asynchronous.

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2–2 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
User Reset and Power-Down Signals

Table 2–1 lists the reset signals available for each transceiver channel.

Table 2–1. Transceiver Channel Reset Signals

ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In
Description
Signal Manager Configurations
Provides asynchronous reset to all digital logic in
the transmitter PCS, including the XAUI transmit
■ Transmitter Only
tx_digitalreset (1) state machine.
■ Receiver and Transmitter
The minimum pulse width for this signal is two
parallel clock cycles.
Resets all digital logic in the receiver PCS,
including:
■ XAUI receiver state machines
■ GIGE receiver state machines
■ Receiver Only
rx_digitalreset (1) ■ XAUI channel alignment state machine
■ Receiver and Transmitter
■ BIST-PRBS verifier
■ BIST-incremental verifier
The minimum pulse width for this signal is two
parallel clock cycles.
Resets the receiver CDR present in the receiver
■ Receiver Only channel.
rx_analogreset
■ Receiver and Transmitter The minimum pulse width is two parallel clock
cycles.
Note to Table 2–1:
(1) Assert this signal until the clocks coming out of the multipurpose PLL and receiver CDR are stabilized. Stable parallel clocks are essential for
proper operation of transmitter and receiver phase-compensation FIFOs in the PCS.

Table 2–2 lists the power-down signals available for each transceiver block.

Table 2–2. Transceiver Block Power-Down Signals (Part 1 of 2)

Signal Description
Resets the transceiver PLL. The pll_areset signal is asserted in two conditions:
■ During reset sequence, the signal is asserted to reset the transceiver PLL. This signal is
pll_areset controlled by the user.
■ After the transceiver PLL is reconfigured, the signal is asserted high by the
ALTPLL_RECONFIG controller. This signal is not controlled by the user.
Powers down the entire transceiver block. When this signal is asserted, this signal powers
down the PCS and PMA in all the transceiver channels.
gxb_powerdown
This signal operates independently from the other reset signals. This signal is common to
the transceiver block.
A status signal. Indicates the status of the transmitter multipurpose PLLs or general
purpose PLLs.
pll_locked
■ A high level—indicates the multipurpose PLL or general purpose PLL is locked to the
incoming reference clock frequency.

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Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–3
User Reset and Power-Down Signals

Table 2–2. Transceiver Block Power-Down Signals (Part 2 of 2)

Signal Description
A status signal. Indicates the status of the receiver CDR lock mode.
rx_freqlocked ■ A high level—the receiver is in lock-to-data mode.
■ A low level—the receiver CDR is in lock-to-reference mode.
A status signal. An output from the ALTGX_RECONFIG block indicates the status of the
dynamic reconfiguration controller. This signal remains low for the first reconfig_clk
clock cycle after power up. It then gets asserted from the second reconfig_clk clock
cycle. Assertion on this signal indicates that the offset cancellation process is being
busy executed on the receiver buffer as well as the receiver CDR. When this signal is
deasserted, it indicates that offset cancellation is complete.
This busy signal is also used to indicate the dynamic reconfiguration duration such as in
analog reconfiguration mode and channel reconfiguration mode.

1 For more information about offset cancellation, refer to the Cyclone IV Dynamic
Reconfiguration chapter.

1 If none of the channels is instantiated in a transceiver block, the Quartus® II software

automatically powers down the entire transceiver block.

Blocks Affected by the Reset and Power-Down Signals

Table 2–3 lists the blocks that are affected by specific reset and power-down signals.

Table 2–3. Blocks Affected by Reset and Power-Down Signals (Part 1 of 2)

Transceiver Block rx_digitalreset rx_analogreset tx_digitalreset pll_areset gxb_powerdown
multipurpose PLLs and
— — — v —
general purpose PLLs
Transmitter Phase
— — v — v
Compensation FIFO
Byte Serializer — — v — v
8B/10B Encoder — — v — v
Serializer — — v — v
Transmitter Buffer — — — — v
Transmitter XAUI State
— — v — v
Machine
Receiver Buffer — — — — v
Receiver CDR — v — — v
Receiver Deserializer — — — — v
Receiver Word Aligner v — — — v
Receiver Deskew FIFO v — — — v
Receiver Clock Rate
v — — — v
Compensation FIFO
Receiver 8B/10B
v — — — v
Decoder
Receiver Byte
v — — — v
Deserializer

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2–4 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Transceiver Reset Sequences

Table 2–3. Blocks Affected by Reset and Power-Down Signals (Part 2 of 2)

Transceiver Block rx_digitalreset rx_analogreset tx_digitalreset pll_areset gxb_powerdown
Receiver Byte Ordering v — — — v
Receiver Phase
v — — — v
Compensation FIFO
Receiver XAUI State
v — — — v
Machine
BIST Verifiers v — — — v

Transceiver Reset Sequences

You can configure transceiver channels in Cyclone IV GX devices in various
configurations. In all functional modes except XAUI functional mode, transceiver
channels can be either bonded or non-bonded. In XAUI functional mode, transceiver
channels must be bonded. In PCI Express® (PCIe®) functional mode, transceiver
channels can be either bonded or non-bonded and need to follow a specific reset
sequence.
The two categories of reset sequences for Cyclone IV GX devices described in this
chapter are:
■ “All Supported Functional Modes Except the PCIe Functional Mode” on
page 2–5—describes the reset sequences in bonded and non-bonded
configurations.
■ “PCIe Functional Mode” on page 2–16—describes the reset sequence for the
initialization/compliance phase and the normal operation phase in PCIe
functional modes.

1 The busy signal remains low for the first reconfig_clk clock cycle. It then gets
asserted from the second reconfig_clk clock cycle. Subsequent deassertion of the
busy signal indicates the completion of the offset cancellation process. This busy
signal is required in transceiver reset sequences except for transmitter only channel
configurations. Refer to the reset sequences shown in Figure 2–2 and the associated
references listed in the notes for the figure.

1 Altera strongly recommends adhering to these reset sequences for proper operation of
the Cyclone IV GX transceiver.

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Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–5
Transceiver Reset Sequences

Figure 2–2 shows the transceiver reset sequences for Cyclone IV GX devices.

Figure 2–2. Transceiver Reset Sequences Chart

Transceiver
initialization reset
sequences

All supported PCI Express

Dynamic Reconfiguration functional modes (PIPE)
except PCI Express (PCIe)

Initialization/
Compliance and
Normal Operation
Phases (1)

Reset Sequence Reset Sequence Bonded Non-Bonded

for PLL for channel
reconfiguration mode reconfiguration mode

‘Receiver and ‘Receiver and

‘Transmitter Only’ ‘Transmitter Only’ ‘Receiver Only’
Transmitter’ Transmitter’
channel (2) channel (2) channel
channel channel

Receiver CDR Receiver CDR Receiver CDR Receiver CDR Receiver CDR Receiver CDR
in automatic in manual in automatic in manual in automatic in manual
lock mode lock mode lock mode lock mode lock mode lock mode
(3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)

Notes to Figure 2–2:

(1) Refer to the Timing Diagram in Figure 2–10.
(2) Refer to the Timing Diagram in Figure 2–3.
(3) Refer to the Timing Diagram in Figure 2–4.
(4) Refer to the Timing Diagram in Figure 2–5.
(5) Refer to the Timing Diagram in Figure 2–6.
(6) Refer to the Timing Diagram in Figure 2–7.
(7) Refer to the Timing Diagram in Figure 2–8.
(8) Refer to the Timing Diagram in Figure 2–9.

All Supported Functional Modes Except the PCIe Functional Mode

This section describes reset sequences for transceiver channels in bonded and
non-bonded configurations. Timing diagrams of some typical configurations are
shown to facilitate proper reset sequence implementation. In these functional modes,
you can set the receiver CDR either in automatic lock or manual lock mode.

1 In manual lock mode, the receiver CDR locks to the reference clock (lock-to-reference)
or the incoming serial data (lock-to-data), depending on the logic levels on the
rx_locktorefclk and rx_locktodata signals. With the receiver CDR in manual
lock mode, you can either configure the transceiver channels in the Cyclone IV GX
device in a non-bonded configuration or a bonded configuration. In a bonded
configuration, for example in XAUI mode, four channels are bonded together.

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2–6 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Transceiver Reset Sequences

Table 2–4 lists the lock-to-reference (LTR) and lock-to-data (LTD) controller lock
modes for the rx_locktorefclk and rx_locktodata signals.

Table 2–4. Lock-To-Reference and Lock-To-Data Modes

rx_locktorefclk rx_locktodata LTR/LTD Controller Lock Mode
1 0 Manual, LTR Mode
— 1 Manual, LTD Mode
0 0 Automatic Lock Mode

Bonded Channel Configuration

In a bonded channel configuration, you can reset all the bonded channels
simultaneously. Examples of bonded channel configurations are the XAUI, PCIe Gen1
×2 and ×4, and Basic ×2 and ×4 functional modes. In Basic ×2 and ×4 functional mode,
you can bond Transmitter Only channels together.
In XAUI mode, the receiver and transmitter channels are bonded. Each of the receiver
channels in this mode has its own rx_freqlocked output status signals. You must
consider the timing of these signals in the reset sequence.
Table 2–5 lists the reset and power-down sequences for bonded configurations under
the stated functional modes.

Table 2–5. Reset and Power-Down Sequences for Bonded Channel Configurations
Channel Set Up Receiver CDR Mode Refer to
Transmitter Only Basic ×2 and ×4 “Transmitter Only Channel” on page 2–6
Automatic lock mode for XAUI “Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver
Receiver and Transmitter
functional mode CDR in Automatic Lock Mode” on page 2–7
Manual lock mode for XAUI functional “Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver
Receiver and Transmitter
mode CDR in Manual Lock Mode” on page 2–9

Transmitter Only Channel

This configuration contains only a transmitter channel. If you create a Transmitter
Only instance in the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager in Basic ×4 functional
mode, use the reset sequence shown in Figure 2–3.

Figure 2–3. Sample Reset Sequence for Bonded and Non-Bonded Configuration Transmitter Only Channels

Reset and Power-Down Signals

1 s

1 2

pll_areset
4

tx_digitalreset

Output Status Signals

3

pll_locked

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Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–7
Transceiver Reset Sequences

As shown in Figure 2–3, perform the following reset procedure for the Transmitter
Only channel configuration:
1. After power up, assert pll_areset for a minimum period of 1 s (the time
between markers 1 and 2).
2. Keep the tx_digitalreset signal asserted during this time period. After you
de-assert the pll_areset signal, the multipurpose PLL starts locking to the
transmitter input reference clock.
3. When the multipurpose PLL locks, as indicated by the pll_locked signal going
high (marker 3), de-assert the tx_digitalreset signal (marker 4). At this point,
the transmitter is ready for transmitting data.

Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in Automatic Lock Mode

This configuration contains both a transmitter and receiver channel. When the
receiver CDR is in automatic lock mode, use the reset sequence shown in Figure 2–4.

Figure 2–4. Sample Reset Sequence for Bonded Configuration Receiver and Transmitter Channels—Receiver CDR in
Automatic Lock Mode

Reset Signals 1 µs

1 2

pll_areset
4

tx_digitalreset
6
rx_analogreset
8

rx_digitalreset

Output Status Signals 3

pll_locked
Two parallel clock cycles

busy (3)
7

rx_freqlocked[0]
7

rx_freqlocked[n] (1)

tLTD_Auto (2)

Notes to Figure 2–4:

(1) The number of rx_freqlocked[n] signals depend on the number of channels configured. n=number of channels.
(2) For tLTD_Auto duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(3) The busy signal is asserted and deasserted only during initial power up when offset cancellation occurs. In subsequent reset sequences, the
busy signal is asserted and deasserted only if there is a read or write operation to the ALTGX_RECONFIG megafunction.

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2–8 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Transceiver Reset Sequences

As shown in Figure 2–4, perform the following reset procedure for the receiver CDR
in automatic lock mode configuration:
1. After power up, assert pll_areset for a minimum period of 1 s (the time
between markers 1 and 2).
2. Keep the tx_digitalreset, rx_analogreset, and rx_digitalreset
signals asserted during this time period. After you deassert the pll_areset
signal, the multipurpose PLL starts locking to the input reference clock.
3. After the multipurpose PLL locks, as indicated by the pll_locked signal going
high, deassert the tx_digitalreset signal. At this point, the transmitter is
ready for data traffic.
4. For the receiver operation, after deassertion of busy signal, wait for two parallel
clock cycles to deassert the rx_analogreset signal.
5. Wait for the rx_freqlocked signal from each channel to go high. The
rx_freqlocked signal of each channel may go high at different times (indicated
by the slashed pattern at marker 7).
6. In a bonded channel group, when the rx_freqlocked signals of all the channels
has gone high, from that point onwards, wait for at least tLTD_Auto time for the
receiver parallel clock to be stable, then deassert the rx_digitalreset signal
(marker 8). At this point, all the receivers are ready for data traffic.

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Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–9
Transceiver Reset Sequences

Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in Manual Lock Mode

This configuration contains both a transmitter and receiver channel. When the
receiver CDR is in manual lock mode, use the reset sequence shown in Figure 2–5.

Figure 2–5. Sample Reset Sequence for Bonded Configuration Receiver and Transmitter Channels—Receiver CDR in Manual
Lock Mode
Reset Signals 1 µs

1 2
pll_areset
4
(txurstpcs) tx_digitalreset
6
(rxurstpma) rx_analogreset

(rxurstpcs) rx_digitalreset 8

tLTD_Manual (1)
CDR Control Signals
7
rx_locktorefclk[0]
7
rx_locktorefclk[n] (2)

tLTR_LTD_Manual (3)
7
rx_locktodata[0]

7
rx_locktodata[n] (2)

Output Status Signals

3
pll_locked
Two parallel clock cycles
5
busy (4)

Notes to Figure 2–5:

(1) For tLTD_Manual duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(2) The number of rx_locktorefclk[n] and rx_locktodata[n] signals depend on the number of channels configured. n=number of
channels.
(3) For tLTR_LTD_Manual duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(4) The busy signal is asserted and deasserted only during initial power up when offset cancellation occurs. In subsequent reset sequences, the
busy signal is asserted and deasserted only if there is a read or write operation to the ALTGX_RECONFIG megafunction.

As shown in Figure 2–5, perform the following reset procedure for the receiver CDR
in manual lock mode configuration:
1. After power up, assert pll_areset for a minimum period of 1 s (the time
between markers 1 and 2).
2. Keep the tx_digitalreset, rx_analogreset, rx_digitalreset, and
rx_locktorefclk signals asserted and the rx_locktodata signal deasserted
during this time period. After you deassert the pll_areset signal, the
multipurpose PLL starts locking to the input reference clock.

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2–10 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Transceiver Reset Sequences

3. After the multipurpose PLL locks, as indicated by the pll_locked signal going
high (marker 3), deassert the tx_digitalreset signal (marker 4). For the
receiver operation, after deassertion of the busy signal, wait for two parallel clock
cycles to deassert the rx_analogreset signal.
4. In a bonded channel group, wait for at least tLTR_LTD_Manual, then deassert
rx_locktorefclk and assert rx_locktodata (marker 7). At this point, the
receiver CDR of all the channels enters into lock-to-data mode and starts locking to
the received data.
5. After asserting the rx_locktodata signal, wait for at least tLTD_Manual before
deasserting rx_digitalreset (the time between markers 7 and 8). At this point,
the transmitter and receiver are ready for data traffic.

Non-Bonded Channel Configuration

In non-bonded channels, each channel in the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager
instance contains its own tx_digitalreset, rx_analogreset,
rx_digitalreset, and rx_freqlocked signals.
You can reset each channel independently. For example, if there are four non-bonded
channels, the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager provides four each of the
following signals: tx_digitalreset, rx_analogreset, rx_digitalreset, and
rx_freqlocked.
Table 2–6 lists the reset and power-down sequences for one channel in a non-bonded
configuration under the stated functional modes.

Table 2–6. Reset and Power-Down Sequences for Non-Bonded Channel Configurations
Channel Set Up Receiver CDR Mode Refer to
Transmitter Only Basic ×1 “Transmitter Only Channel” on page 2–10
“Receiver Only Channel—Receiver CDR in Automatic
Receiver Only Automatic lock mode
Lock Mode” on page 2–10
“Receiver Only Channel—Receiver CDR in Manual Lock
Receiver Only Manual lock mode
Mode” on page 2–12
“Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in
Receiver and Transmitter Automatic lock mode
Automatic Lock Mode” on page 2–13
“Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in
Receiver and Transmitter Manual lock mode
Manual Lock Mode” on page 2–14

1 Follow the same reset sequence for all the other channels in the non-bonded
configuration.

Transmitter Only Channel

This configuration contains only a transmitter channel. If you create a Transmitter
Only instance in the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager, use the same reset
sequence shown in Figure 2–3 on page 2–6.

Receiver Only Channel—Receiver CDR in Automatic Lock Mode

This configuration contains only a receiver channel. If you create a Receiver Only
instance in the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager with the receiver CDR in
automatic lock mode, use the reset sequence shown in Figure 2–6.

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Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–11
Transceiver Reset Sequences

Figure 2–6. Sample Reset Sequence of Receiver Only Channel—Receiver CDR in Automatic Lock Mode

Reset Signals

2
rx_analogreset
4

rx_digitalreset
Two parallel clock cycles

Output Status Signals

1

busy (2)

rx_freqlocked

tLTD_Auto (1)

Notes to Figure 2–6:

(1) For tLTD_Auto duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(2) The busy signal is asserted and deasserted only during initial power up when offset cancellation occurs. In subsequent reset sequences, the
busy signal is asserted and deasserted only if there is a read or write operation to the ALTGX_RECONFIG megafunction.

As shown in Figure 2–6, perform the following reset procedure for the receiver in
CDR automatic lock mode:
1. After power up, wait for the busy signal to be deasserted.
2. Keep the rx_digitalreset and rx_analogreset signals asserted during this
time period.
3. After the busy signal is deasserted, wait for another two parallel clock cycles, then
deassert the rx_analogreset signal.
4. Wait for the rx_freqlocked signal to go high.
5. When rx_freqlocked goes high (marker 3), from that point onwards, wait for
at least tLTD_Auto, then de-assert the rx_digitalreset signal (marker 4). At this
point, the receiver is ready to receive data.

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2–12 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Transceiver Reset Sequences

Receiver Only Channel—Receiver CDR in Manual Lock Mode

This configuration contains only a receiver channel. If you create a Receiver Only
instance in the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager with receiver CDR in manual
lock mode, use the reset sequence shown in Figure 2–7.

Figure 2–7. Sample Reset Sequence of Receiver Only Channel—Receiver CDR in Manual Lock Mode

Reset Signals
2
rx_analogreset

4
rx_digitalreset

tLTD_Manual (2)
CDR Control Signals
3

rx_locktorefclk

tLTR_LTD_Manual (1)
3
rx_locktodata

Two parallel clock cycles

Output Status Signals
1
busy (3)

Notes to Figure 2–7:

(1) For tLTR_LTD_Manual duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(2) For tLTD_Manual duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(3) The busy signal is asserted and deasserted only during initial power up when offset cancellation occurs. In subsequent reset sequences, the
busy signal is asserted and deasserted only if there is a read or write operation to the ALTGX_RECONFIG megafunction.

As shown in Figure 2–7, perform the following reset procedure for the receiver CDR
in manual lock mode:
1. After power up, wait for the busy signal to be asserted.
2. Keep the rx_digitalreset and rx_locktorefclk signals asserted and the
rx_locktodata signal deasserted during this time period.
3. After deassertion of the busy signal, wait for two parallel clock cycles to deassert
the rx_analogreset signal.
4. Wait for at least tLTR_LTD_Manual, then deassert the rx_locktorefclk signal. At the
same time, assert the rx_locktodata signal (marker 3).
5. Deassert rx_digitalreset at least tLTD_Manual (the time between markers 3 and 4)
after asserting the rx_locktodata signal. At this point, the receiver is ready to
receive data.

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Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–13
Transceiver Reset Sequences

Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in Automatic Lock Mode

This configuration contains both a transmitter and a receiver channel. If you create a
Receiver and Transmitter instance in the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager with
the receiver CDR in automatic lock mode, use the reset sequence shown in Figure 2–8.

Figure 2–8. Sample Reset Sequence of Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in Automatic Lock Mode

Reset Signals 1 µs

1 2

pll_areset
4
tx_digitalreset

6
rx_analogreset
8
rx_digitalreset
Two parallel clock cycles

Output Status Signals

5

busy (2)

pll_locked
7

rx_freqlocked

tLTD_Auto (1)

Notes to Figure 2–8:

(1) For tLTD_Auto duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(2) The busy signal is asserted and deasserted only during initial power up when offset cancellation occurs. In subsequent reset sequences, the
busy signal is asserted and deasserted only if there is a read or write operation to the ALTGX_RECONFIG megafunction.

As shown in Figure 2–8, perform the following reset procedure for the receiver in
CDR automatic lock mode:
1. After power up, assert pll_areset for a minimum period of 1 s (the time
between markers 1 and 2).
2. Keep the tx_digitalreset, rx_analogreset, and rx_digitalreset
signals asserted during this time period. After you deassert the pll_areset
signal, the multipurpose PLL starts locking to the transmitter input reference
clock.
3. After the multipurpose PLL locks, as indicated by the pll_locked signal going
high (marker 3), deassert tx_digitalreset. For receiver operation, after
deassertion of busy signal, wait for two parallel clock cycles to deassert the
rx_analogreset signal.
4. Wait for the rx_freqlocked signal to go high (marker 7).

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2–14 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Transceiver Reset Sequences

5. After the rx_freqlocked signal goes high, wait for at least tLTD_Auto, then deassert
the rx_digitalreset signal (marker 8). At this point, the transmitter and
receiver are ready for data traffic.

Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in Manual Lock Mode

This configuration contains both a transmitter and receiver channel. If you create a
Receiver and Transmitter instance in the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager with
the receiver CDR in manual lock mode, use the reset sequence shown in Figure 2–9.

Figure 2–9. Sample Reset Sequence of Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in Manual Lock Mode

Reset Signals 1 µs

1 2

pll_areset
4

tx_digitalreset
6

rx_analogreset
8

rx_digitalreset

tLTD_Manual (2)
CDR Control Signals
7

rx_locktorefclk

tLTR_LTD_Manual (1)
7
rx_locktodata
Two parallel clock cycles
Output Status Signals
5

busy (3)

3
pll_locked

Notes to Figure 2–9:

(1) For tLTR_LTD_Manual duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(2) For tLTD_Manual duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(3) The busy signal is asserted and deasserted only during initial power up when offset cancellation occurs. In subsequent reset sequences, the
busy signal is asserted and deasserted only if there is a read or write operation to the ALTGX_RECONFIG megafunction.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–15
Transceiver Reset Sequences

As shown in Figure 2–9, perform the following reset procedure for the receiver in
manual lock mode:
1. After power up, assert pll_areset for a minimum period of 1 s (the time
between markers 1 and 2).
2. Keep the tx_digitalreset, rx_analogreset, rx_digitalreset, and
rx_locktorefclk signals asserted and the rx_locktodata signal deasserted
during this time period. After you deassert the pll_areset signal, the
multipurpose PLL starts locking to the transmitter input reference clock.
3. After the multipurpose PLL locks, as indicated by the pll_locked signal going
high (marker 3), deassert tx_digitalreset. For receiver operation, after
deassertion of busy signal, wait for two parallel clock cycles to deassert the
rx_analogreset signal.
4. Wait for at least tLTR_LTD_Manual (the time between markers 6 and 7), then deassert the
rx_locktorefclk signal. At the same time, assert the rx_locktodata signal
(marker 7). At this point, the receiver CDR enters lock-to-data mode and the
receiver CDR starts locking to the received data.
5. Deassert rx_digitalreset at least tLTD_Manual (the time between markers 7 and 8)
after asserting the rx_locktodata signal. At this point, the transmitter and
receiver are ready for data traffic.

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2–16 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Transceiver Reset Sequences

PCIe Functional Mode

You can configure PCIe functional mode with or without the receiver clock rate
compensation FIFO in the Cyclone IV GX device. The reset sequence remains the
same whether or not you use the receiver clock rate compensation FIFO.

PCIe Reset Sequence

The PCIe protocol consists of an initialization/compliance phase and a normal
operation phase. The reset sequences for these two phases are described based on the
timing diagram in Figure 2–10.

Figure 2–10. Reset Sequence of PCIe Functional Mode (Note 1),(2)

Initialization / Compliance Phase Normal Operation Phase

Reset / Power Down Signals 1 μs

1 2

pll_areset
4

tx_digitalreset
6
rx_analogreset

7 11 12
rx_digitalreset
>_ two parallel
clock cycles
Two parallel
clock cycles
Output Status Signals
3
pll_locked

5
busy (5)
8 9 10

rx_freqlocked

tLTD_Manual (3)

tLTD_Auto (4) Ignore receive data

Notes to Figure 2–10:

(1) This timing diagram is drawn based on the PCIe Gen 1 ×1 mode.
(2) For bonded PCIe Gen 1 ×2 and ×4 modes, there will be additional rx_freqlocked[n] signal. n=number of channels.
(3) For tLTD_Manual duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(4) For tLTD_Auto duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(5) The busy signal is asserted and deasserted only during initial power up when offset cancellation occurs. In subsequent reset sequences, the
busy signal is asserted and deasserted only if there is a read or write operation to the ALTGX_RECONFIG megafunction.

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Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–17
Transceiver Reset Sequences

PCIe Initialization/Compliance Phase

After the device is powered up, a PCIe-compliant device goes through the compliance
phase during initialization. The rx_digitalreset signal must be deasserted
during this compliance phase to achieve transitions on the pipephydonestatus
signal, as expected by the link layer. The rx_digitalreset signal is deasserted
based on the assertion of the rx_freqlocked signal.
During the initialization/compliance phase, do not use the rx_freqlocked signal to
trigger a deassertion of the rx_digitalreset signal. Instead, perform the following
reset sequence:
1. After power up, assert pll_areset for a minimum period of 1 s (the time
between markers 1 and 2). Keep the tx_digitalreset, rx_analogreset, and
rx_digitalreset signals asserted during this time period. After you deassert
the pll_areset signal, the multipurpose PLL starts locking to the input
reference clock.
2. After the multipurpose PLL locks, as indicated by the pll_locked signal going
high (marker 3), deassert tx_digitalreset. For a receiver operation, after
deassertion of busy signal, wait for two parallel clock cycles to deassert the
rx_analogreset signal. After rx_analogreset is deasserted, the receiver
CDR starts locking to the receiver input reference clock.
3. Deassert both the rx_analogreset signal (marker 6) and rx_digitalreset
signal (marker 7) together, as indicated in Figure 2–10. After deasserting
rx_digitalreset, the pipephydonestatus signal transitions from the
transceiver channel to indicate the status to the link layer. Depending on its status,
pipephydonestatus helps with the continuation of the compliance phase. After
successful completion of this phase, the device enters into the normal operation
phase.

PCIe Normal Phase

For the normal PCIe phase:
1. After completion of the Initialization/Compliance phase, during the normal
operation phase at the Gen1 data rate, when the rx_freqlocked signal is
deasserted (marker 9 in Figure 2–10).
2. Wait for the rx_freqlocked signal to go high again. In this phase, the received
data is valid (not electrical idle) and the receiver CDR locks to the incoming data.
Proceed with the reset sequence after assertion of the rx_freqlocked signal.
3. After the rx_freqlocked signal goes high, wait for at least tLTD_Manual before
asserting rx_digitalreset (marker 12 in Figure 2–10) for two parallel receive
clock cycles so that the receiver phase compensation FIFO is initialized. For
bonded PCIe Gen 1 mode (×2 and ×4), wait for all the rx_freqlocked signals to
go high, then wait for tLTD_Manual before asserting rx_digitalreset for 2 parallel
clock cycles.

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2–18 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Dynamic Reconfiguration Reset Sequences

Dynamic Reconfiguration Reset Sequences

When using dynamic reconfiguration in data rate divisions in PLL reconfiguration or
channel reconfiguration mode, use the following reset sequences.

Reset Sequence in PLL Reconfiguration Mode

Use the example reset sequence shown in Figure 2–11 when you use the PLL dynamic
reconfiguration controller to change the data rate of the transceiver channel. In this
example, PLL dynamic reconfiguration is used to dynamically reconfigure the data
rate of the transceiver channel configured in Basic ×1 mode with the receiver CDR in
automatic lock mode.

Figure 2–11. Reset Sequence When Using the PLL Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller to Change
the Data Rate of the Transceiver Channel

Reset and Control Signals

5
tx_digitalreset
6
rx_analogreset
8
rx_digitalreset
1
pll_configupdate (1)
3
pll_areset (1)

Output Status Signals Five parallel clock cycles

2
pll_reconfig_done
4
pll_locked
7
rx_freqlocked
tLTD_Auto (2)

Notes to Figure 2–11:

(1) The pll_configupdate and pll_areset signals are driven by the ALTPLL_RECONFIG megafunction. For
more information, refer to AN 609: Implementing Dynamic Reconfiguration in Cyclone IV GX Devices and the
Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration chapter.
(2) For tLTD_Auto duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.

As shown in Figure 2–11, perform the following reset procedure when using the PLL
dynamic reconfiguration controller to change the configuration of the PLLs in the
transmitter channel:
1. Assert the tx_digitalreset, rx_analogreset, and rx_digitalreset
signals. The pll_configupdate signal is asserted (marker 1) by the
ALTPLL_RECONFIG megafunction after the final data bit is sent out. The
pll_reconfig_done signal is asserted (marker 2) to inform the
ALTPLL_RECONFIG megafunction that the scan chain process is completed. The
ALTPLL_RECONFIG megafunction then asserts the pll_areset signal (marker
3) to reset the transceiver PLL.

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Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–19
Dynamic Reconfiguration Reset Sequences

2. After the PLL is reset, wait for the pll_locked signal to go high (marker 4)
indicating that the PLL is locked to the input reference clock. After the assertion of
the pll_locked signal, deassert the tx_digitalreset signal (marker 5).
3. Wait at least five parallel clock cycles after the pll_locked signal is asserted to
deassert the rx_analogreset signal (marker 6).
4. When the rx_freqlocked signal goes high (marker 7), from that point onwards,
wait for at least tLTD_Auto time, then deassert the rx_digitalreset signal
(marker 8). At this point, the receiver is ready for data traffic.

Reset Sequence in Channel Reconfiguration Mode

Use the example reset sequence shown in Figure 2–12 when you are using the
dynamic reconfiguration controller to change the PCS settings of the transceiver
channel. In this example, the dynamic reconfiguration is used to dynamically
reconfigure the transceiver channel configured in Basic ×1 mode with receiver CDR in
automatic lock mode.

Figure 2–12. Reset Sequence When Using the Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller to Change the
PCS Settings of the Transceiver Channel
Reset and Control Signals 1 5

tx_digitalreset
1 6
rx_analogreset
1 8
rx_digitalreset

reconfig_mode_sel[2..0] New value

1
write_all

Five parallel clock cycles

Output Status Signals 2 3

busy (2)
4
channel_reconfig_done

7
rx_freqlocked

tLTD_Auto (1)

Notes to Figure 2–12:

(1) For tLTD_Auto duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(2) The busy signal is asserted and deasserted only during initial power up when offset cancellation occurs. In
subsequent reset sequences, the busy signal is asserted and deasserted only if there is a read or write operation to
the ALTGX_RECONFIG megafunction.

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2–20 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Dynamic Reconfiguration Reset Sequences

As shown in Figure 2–12, perform the following reset procedure when using the
dynamic reconfiguration controller to change the configuration of the transceiver
channel:
1. After power up and establishing that the transceiver is operating as desired, write
the desired new value in the appropriate registers (including
reconfig_mode_sel[2:0]) and subsequently assert the write_all signal
(marker 1) to initiate the dynamic reconfiguration.

f For more information, refer to the Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration

chapter.

2. Assert the tx_digitalreset, rx_analogreset, and rx_digitalreset

signals.
3. As soon as write_all is asserted, the dynamic reconfiguration controller starts
to execute its operation. This is indicated by the assertion of the busy signal
(marker 2).
4. Wait for the assertion of the channel_reconfig_done signal (marker 4) that
indicates the completion of dynamic reconfiguration in this mode.
5. Deassert the tx_digitalreset signal (marker 5). This signal must be
deasserted after assertion of the channel_reconfig_done signal (marker 4)
and before the deassertion of the rx_analogreset signal (marker 6).
6. Wait for at least five parallel clock cycles after assertion of the
channel_reconfig_done signal (marker 4) to deassert the rx_analogreset
signal (marker 6).
7. Lastly, wait for the rx_freqlocked signal to go high. After rx_freqlocked
goes high (marker 7), wait for tLTD_Auto to deassert the rx_digitalreset signal
(marker 8). At this point, the receiver is ready for data traffic.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–21
Power Down

Power Down
The Quartus II software automatically selects the power-down channel feature, which
takes effect when you configure the Cyclone IV GX device. All unused transceiver
channels and blocks are powered down to reduce overall power consumption. The
gxb_powerdown signal is an optional transceiver block signal. It powers down all
transceiver channels and all functional blocks in the transceiver block. The minimum
pulse width for this signal is 1 s. After power up, if you use the gxb_powerdown
signal, wait for deassertion of the busy signal, then assert the gxb_powerdown signal
for a minimum of 1 s. Lastly, follow the sequence shown in Figure 2–13.
The deassertion of the busy signal indicates proper completion of the offset
cancellation process on the receiver channel.

Figure 2–13. Sample Reset Sequence of a Receiver and Transmitter Channels-Receiver CDR in Automatic Lock Mode with
the Optional gxb_powerdown Signal (Note 1)
1 µs
Reset/Power Down Signals
2 3

gxb_powerdown

pll_areset
5

tx_digitalreset

6
rx_analogreset

8
rx_digitalreset

Output Status Signals

1

busy (3)

pll_locked
7

rx_freqlocked

tLTD_Auto (2)

Notes to Figure 2–13:

(1) The gxb_powerdown signal must not be asserted during the offset cancellation sequence.
(2) For tLTD_Auto duration, refer to the Cyclone IV Device Datasheet chapter.
(3) The busy signal is asserted and deasserted only during initial power up when offset cancellation occurs. In subsequent reset sequences, the
busy signal is asserted and deasserted only if there is a read or write operation to the ALTGX_RECONFIG megafunction.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

2–22 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Simulation Requirements

Simulation Requirements
The following are simulation requirements:
■ The gxb_powerdown port is optional. In simulation, if the gxb_powerdown port
is not instantiated, you must assert the tx_digitalreset, rx_digitalreset,
and rx_analogreset signals appropriately for correct simulation behavior.
■ If the gxb_powerdown port is instantiated, and the other reset signals are not
used, you must assert the gxb_powerdown signal for at least 1 s for correct
simulation behavior.
■ You can deassert the rx_digitalreset signal immediately after the
rx_freqlocked signal goes high to reduce the simulation run time. It is not
necessary to wait for tLTD_Auto (as suggested in the actual reset sequence).
■ The busy signal is deasserted after about 20 parallel reconfig_clk clock cycles
in order to reduce simulation run time. For silicon behavior in hardware, you can
follow the reset sequences described in the previous pages.
■ In PCIe mode simulation, you must assert the tx_forceelecidle signal for at
least one parallel clock cycle before transmitting normal data for correct
simulation behavior.

Reference Information
For more information about some useful reference terms used in this chapter, refer to
the links listed in Table 2–7.

Table 2–7. Reference Information

Terms Used in this Chapter Useful Reference Points
Automatic Lock Mode page 2–7
Bonded channel configuration page 2–6
busy page 2–3
Dynamic Reconfiguration Reset Sequences page 2–18
gxb_powerdown page 2–2
LTD page 2–6
LTR page 2–6
Manual Lock Mode page 2–9
Non-Bonded channel configuration page 2–10
PCIe page 2–16
pll_locked page 2–2
pll_areset page 2–2
rx_analogreset page 2–2
rx_digitalreset page 2–2
rx_freqlocked page 2–3
tx_digitalreset page 2–2

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Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down 2–23
Document Revision History

Document Revision History

Table 2–8 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 2–8. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.1 release.
■ Updated all pll_powerdown to pll_areset.
■ Added information about the busy signal in Figure 2–4, Figure 2–5, Figure 2–6,
Figure 2–7, Figure 2–8, Figure 2–9, Figure 2–10, Figure 2–12, and Figure 2–13.
December 2010 1.1 ■ Added information for clarity (“Receiver and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in
Manual Lock Mode”, “Receiver Only Channel—Receiver CDR in Automatic Lock
Mode”, “Receiver Only Channel—Receiver CDR in Manual Lock Mode”, “Receiver
and Transmitter Channel—Receiver CDR in Manual Lock Mode”, and “Reset
Sequence in Channel Reconfiguration Mode”).
■ Minor text edits.
July 2010 1.0 Initial release.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

2–24 Chapter 2: Cyclone IV Reset Control and Power Down
Document Revision History

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 3. Cyclone IV Dynamic
Reconfiguration

CYIV-52003-2.0

Cyclone® IV GX transceivers allow you to dynamically reconfigure different portions

of the transceivers without powering down any part of the device. This chapter
describes and provides examples about the different modes available for dynamic
reconfiguration.
You can use the ALTGX_RECONFIG and ALTPLL_RECONFIG controller instance to
reconfigure the physical medium attachment (PMA) controls, physical coding
sublayer (PCS), multipurpose phase locked loops (PLLs), and general purpose PLLs.
This chapter contains the following sections:
■ “Glossary of Terms” on page 3–1
■ “Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Architecture” on page 3–2
■ “Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes” on page 3–10
■ “Error Indication During Dynamic Reconfiguration” on page 3–33
■ “Functional Simulation of the Dynamic Reconfiguration Process” on page 3–34

Glossary of Terms
Table 3–1 lists the terms used in this chapter:

Table 3–1. Glossary of Terms Used in this Chapter (Part 1 of 2)

Term Description
Dynamic reconfiguration controller instance generated by the ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard™
ALTGX_RECONFIG Instance
Plug-In Manager.
ALTGX Instance Transceiver instance generated by the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager.
Dynamic PLL reconfiguration controller instance generated by the ALTPLL_RECONFIG
ALTPLL_RECONFIG Instance
Megawizard Plug-In Manager
Used whenever the concept of logical channel addressing is explained. This term does not refer
Logical Channel Addressing to the logical_channel_address port available in the ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard
Plug-In Manager.
A file with the .mif extension will be generated for .mif-based reconfiguration mode. It can be
either in Channel Reconfiguration mode or PLL Reconfiguration mode.
■ Channel Reconfiguration mode—this file contains information about the various ALTGX
MegaWizard Plug-In Manager options that you set. Each word in the .mif is 16 bits wide.
Memory Initialization File, also The dynamic reconfiguration controller writes information from the .mif into the
known as .mif transceiver channel.
■ PLL Reconfiguration mode—this file contains information about the various PLL
parameters and settings that you use to configure the transceiver PLL to different output
frequency. The .mif file is 144  1-bit size. During PLL reconfiguration mode, the PLL
reconfiguration controller shifts these 144-bit serially into the transceiver PLL.

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3–2 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Architecture

Table 3–1. Glossary of Terms Used in this Chapter (Part 2 of 2)

Term Description
Represents analog controls (Voltage Output Differential [VOD], Pre-emphasis, DC Gain, and
PMA controls Manual Equalization) as displayed in both the ALTGX and ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard
Plug-In Managers.
Refers to a transmitter channel, a receiver channel, or a duplex channel that has both PMA and
Transceiver channel
PCS blocks.

Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Architecture

The dynamic reconfiguration controller is a soft intellectual property (IP) that utilizes
FPGA-fabric resources. You can use only one controller per transceiver block. You
cannot use the dynamic reconfiguration controller to control multiple Cyclone IV
devices or any off-chip interfaces.
Figure 3–1 shows a conceptual view of the dynamic reconfiguration controller
architecture. For a detailed description of the inputs and outputs of the
ALTGX_RECONFIG instance, refer to “Error Indication During Dynamic
Reconfiguration” on page 3–33.

Figure 3–1. Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller

ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard Plug-In Manager ALTGX MegaWizard
Plug-In Manager
ALTGX_RECONFIG Instance
(Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller) ALTGX Instances

reconfig_fromgxb[n..0]
reconfig_clk
read
Analog controls reconfig_togxb[3..0]
write_all reconfig logic
PMA control ports (1)
data valid
reset_reconfig_address addr Parallel
Channel to busy
reconfig_data[15..0] reconfig Address
logic Translation
Serial error
reconfig_reset Converter
data

logical_channel_address[n..0]
Offset
rx_tx_duplex_sel[1..0] Cancellation
control logic reconfig_address_out[5..0]
reconfig_address_en
channel_reconfig_done

reconfig_mode_sel[2..0]

Note to Figure 3–1:

(1) The PMA control ports consist of the VOD, pre-emphasis, DC gain, and manual equalization controls.

1 You can use one ALTGX_RECONFIG instance to control multiple transceiver blocks.
However, you cannot use multiple ALTGX_RECONFIG instances to control one
transceiver block.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–3
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List

Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List

Table 3–2 lists the input control ports and output status ports of the dynamic
reconfiguration controller.

Table 3–2. Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List (ALTGX_RECONFIG Instance) (Part 1 of 6)
Input/
Port Name Description
Output

Clock Inputs to ALTGX_RECONFIG Instance

The frequency range of this clock depends on the following transceiver channel configuration
modes:
■ Receiver only (37.5 MHz to 50 MHz)
■ Receiver and Transmitter (37.5 MHz to 50 MHz)
reconfig_clk Input
■ Transmitter only (2.5 MHz to 50 MHz)
By default, the Quartus® II software assigns a global clock resource to this port. This clock must
be a free-running clock sourced from an I/O clock pin. Do not use dedicated transceiver REFCLK
pins or any clocks generated by transceivers.

ALTGX and ALTGX_RECONFIG Interface Signals

An output port in the ALTGX instance and an input port in the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance. This
signal is transceiver-block based. Therefore, the width of this signal increases in steps of 5 bits
per transceiver block.
In the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager, the width of this signal depends on the number of
channels you select in the What is the number of channels? option in the General screen.
For example, if you select the number of channels in the ALTGX instance as follows:
1  Channels  4, then the output port reconfig_fromgxb[4..0] = 5 bits
5  Channels  8, then the output port reconfig_fromgxb[9..0] = 10 bits
9  Channels  12, then the output port reconfig_fromgxb[14..0] = 15 bits
13  Channels  16, then the output port reconfig_fromgx[19..0] = 20 bits
reconfig_fromgxb
Input To connect the reconfig_fromgxb port between the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance and
[n..0]
multiple ALTGX instances, follow these rules:
■ Connect the reconfig_fromgxb[4..0] of ALTGX Instance 1 to the
reconfig_fromgxb[4..0] of the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance. Connect the
reconfig_fromgxb[] port of the next ALTGX instance to the next available bits of the
ALTGX_RECONFIG instance, and so on.
■ Connect the reconfig_fromgxb port of the ALTGX instance, which has the highest
What is the starting channel number? option, to the MSB of the reconfig_fromgxb
port of the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance.
The Quartus II Fitter produces a warning if the dynamic reconfiguration option is enabled in the
ALTGX instance but the reconfig_fromgxb and reconfig_togxb ports are not
connected to the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance.
An input port of the ALTGX instance and an output port of the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance. You
must connect the reconfig_togxb[3..0] input port of every ALTGX instance controlled
reconfig_togxb by the dynamic reconfiguration controller to the reconfig_togxb[3..0] output port of
Output
[3..0] the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance.
The width of this port is always fixed to 4 bits.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2

3–4 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List

Table 3–2. Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List (ALTGX_RECONFIG Instance) (Part 2 of 6)
Input/
Port Name Description
Output

FPGA Fabric and ALTGX_RECONFIG Interface Signals

Assert this signal for one reconfig_clk clock cycle to initiate a write transaction from the
ALTGX_RECONFIG instance to the ALTGX instance.
You can use this signal in two ways for .mif-based modes:
■ Continuous write operation—select the Enable continuous write of all the words needed for
write_all Input reconfiguration option to pulse the write_all signal only once for writing a whole .mif.
The What is the read latency of the MIF contents option is available for selection in this case
only. Enter the desired latency in terms of the reconfig_clk cycles.
■ Regular write operation—when the Enable continuous write of all the words needed for
reconfiguration option is disabled, every word of the .mif requires its own write cycle.
This signal is used to indicate the busy status of the dynamic reconfiguration controller during
offset cancellation. After the device powers up, this signal remains low for the first
reconfig_clk clock cycle. It then is asserted and remains high when the dynamic
reconfiguration controller performs offset cancellation on all the receiver channels connected to
the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance.
busy Output Deassertion of the busy signal indicates the successful completion of the offset cancellation
process.
■ PMA controls reconfiguration mode—this signal is high when the dynamic reconfiguration
controller performs a read or write transaction.
■ Channel reconfiguration modes—this signal is high when the dynamic reconfiguration
controller writes the .mif into the transceiver channel.
Assert this signal for one reconfig_clk clock cycle to initiate a read transaction. The read
port is applicable only to the PMA controls reconfiguration mode. The read port is available
read Input
when you select Analog controls in the Reconfiguration settings screen and select at least one
of the PMA control ports in the Analog controls screen.
Applicable only to PMA controls reconfiguration mode. This port indicates the validity of the
data read from the transceiver by the dynamic reconfiguration controller.
data_valid Output The data on the output read ports is valid only when the data_valid is high.
This signal is enabled when you enable at least one PMA control port used in read transactions,
for example tx_vodctrl_out.
This indicates that an unsupported operation was attempted. You can select this in the Error
checks screen. The dynamic reconfiguration controller deasserts the busy signal and asserts
error Output the error signal for two reconfig_clk cycles when you attempt an unsupported
operation. For more information, refer to “Error Indication During Dynamic Reconfiguration” on
page 3–33.
Enabled by the ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard Plug-In Manager when you enable the Use
'logical_channel_address' port for Analog controls reconfiguration option in the Analog
controls screen.
The width of the logical_channel_address port depends on the value you set in the
What is the number of channels controlled by the reconfig controller? option in the
Reconfiguration settings screen. This port can be enabled only when the number of channels
logical_channel_ controlled by the dynamic reconfiguration controller is more than one.
Input
address[n..0]
Number of channels controlled logical_channel_address
by the reconfiguration controller input port width
2 logical_channel_address[0]
3–4 logical_channel_address[1..0]
5–8 logical_channel_address[2..0]
9–16 logical_channel_address[3..0]

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Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–5
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List

Table 3–2. Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List (ALTGX_RECONFIG Instance) (Part 3 of 6)
Input/
Port Name Description
Output
This is a 2-bit wide signal. You can select this in the Error checks screen.
The advantage of using this optional port is that it allows you to reconfigure only the transmitter
portion of a channel, even if the channel configuration is duplex.
For a setting of:
rx_tx_duplex_sel ■ rx_tx_duplex_sel[1:0] = 2'b00—the transmitter and receiver portion of the
Input
[1..0] channel is reconfigured.
■ rx_tx_duplex_sel[1:0] = 2'b01—the receiver portion of the channel is
reconfigured.
■ rx_tx_duplex_sel[1:0] = 2'b10—the transmitter portion of the channel is
reconfigured.

Analog Settings Control/Status Signals

This is an optional transmit buffer VOD control signal. It is 3 bits per transmitter channel. The
number of settings varies based on the transmit buffer supply setting and the termination
resistor setting on the TX Analog screen of the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager.
The width of this signal is fixed to 3 bits if you enable either the Use 'logical_channel_address'
port for Analog controls reconfiguration option or the Use same control signal for all the
channels option in the Analog controls screen. Otherwise, the width of this signal is 3 bits per
channel.
The following shows the VOD values corresponding to the tx_vodctrl settings for 100-
termination.
For more information, refer to the “Programmable Output Differential Voltage” section of the
tx_vodctrl[2..0] Cyclone IV GX Device Datasheet chapter.
Input
(1)
tx_vodctrl[2:0] Corresponding ALTGX Corresponding VOD
instance settings settings (mV)
3’b001 1 400
3’b010 2 600
3’b011 3 800
3’b111 4 (2) 900 (2)
3’b100 5 1000
3’b101 6 1200
All other values => N/A

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3–6 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List

Table 3–2. Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List (ALTGX_RECONFIG Instance) (Part 4 of 6)
Input/
Port Name Description
Output
This is an optional pre-emphasis write control for the transmit buffer. Depending on what value
you set at this input, the controller dynamically writes the value to the pre-emphasis control
register of the transmit buffer.
The width of this signal is fixed to 5 bits if you enable either the Use 'logical_channel_address'
port for Analog controls reconfiguration option or the Use same control signal for all the
channels option in the Analog controls screen. Otherwise, the width of this signal is 5 bits per
channel.
tx_preemp[4..0] Corresponding ALTGX Corresponding pre-
instance settings emphasis setting (mA)
00000 0 Disabled
tx_preemp[4..0] 00001 1 0.5
Input
(1) 00101 5 1.0
01001 9 1.5
01101 13 2.0
10000 16 2.375
10001 17 2.5
10010 18 2.625
10011 19 2.75
10100 20 2.875
10101 21 3.0
All other values => N/A
This is an optional write control to write an equalization control value for the receive side of the
PMA.
The width of this signal is fixed to 4 bits if you enable either the Use 'logical_channel_address'
port for Analog controls reconfiguration option or the Use same control signal for all the
channels option in the Analog controls screen. Otherwise, the width of this signal is 4 bits per
channel.
rx_eqctrl[3..0]
Input rx_eqctrl[3..0] Corresponding ALTGX instance settings
(1)
0001 Low
0101 Medium Low
0100 Medium High
0111 High
All other values => N/A

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–7
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List

Table 3–2. Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List (ALTGX_RECONFIG Instance) (Part 5 of 6)
Input/
Port Name Description
Output
This is an optional equalizer DC gain write control.
The width of this signal is fixed to 2 bits if you enable either the Use 'logical_channel_address'
port for Analog controls reconfiguration option or the Use same control signal for all the
channels option in the Analog controls screen. Otherwise, the width of this signal is 2 bits per
channel.
The following values are the legal settings allowed for this signal:
rx_eqdcgain rx_eqdcgain[1..0] Corresponding ALTGX Corresponding
Input settings DC Gain value (dB)
[1..0] (1)
2’b00 0 0
2’b01 1 3 (2)
2’b11 2 6
All other values => N/A
For more information, refer to the “Programmable Equalization and DC Gain” section of the
Cyclone IV GX Device Datasheet chapter.
This is an optional transmit VOD read control signal. This signal reads out the value written into
the VOD control register. The width of this output signal depends on the number of channels
tx_vodctrl_out
Output controlled by the dynamic reconfiguration controller and also the configuration of the Use
[2..0]
'logical_channel_address' port for Analog controls reconfiguration option and the Use same
control signal for all the channels option.
This is an optional pre-emphasis read control signal. This signal reads out the value written by
its input control signal. The width of this output signal depends on the number of channels
tx_preemp_out
Output controlled by the dynamic reconfiguration controller and also the configuration of the Use
[4..0]
'logical_channel_address' port for Analog controls reconfiguration option and the Use same
control signal for all the channels option.
This is an optional read control signal to read the setting of equalization setting of the ALTGX
instance. The width of this output signal depends on the number of channels controlled by the
rx_eqctrl_out
Output dynamic reconfiguration controller and also the configuration of the Use
[3..0]
'logical_channel_address' port for Analog controls reconfiguration option and the Use same
control signal for all the channels option.
This is an optional equalizer DC gain read control signal. This signal reads out the settings of the
ALTGX instance DC gain. The width of this output signal depends on the number of channels
rx_eqdcgain_out
Output controlled by the dynamic reconfiguration controller and also the configuration of the Use
[1..0]
'logical_channel_address' port for Analog controls reconfiguration option and the Use same
control signal for all the channels option.

Transceiver Channel Reconfiguration Control/Status Signals

Set the following values at this signal to activate the appropriate dynamic reconfiguration mode:
3’b000 = PMA controls reconfiguration mode. This is the default value.
reconfig_mode_ 3’b001 = Channel reconfiguration mode
Input
sel[2..0](3) All other values => N/A
reconfig_mode_sel[] is available as an input only when you enable more than one
dynamic reconfiguration mode.

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3–8 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List

Table 3–2. Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List (ALTGX_RECONFIG Instance) (Part 6 of 6)
Input/
Port Name Description
Output
This signal is always available for you to select in the Channel reconfiguration screen. This
signal is applicable only in the dynamic reconfiguration modes grouped under Channel
reconfiguration mode including channel interface and Use RX local divider option.
reconfig_address
Output This signal represents the current address used by the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance when
_out[5..0] writing the .mif into the transceiver channel. This signal increments by 1, from 0 to the last
address, then starts at 0 again. You can use this signal to indicate the end of all the .mif write
transactions (reconfig_address_out[5..0] changes from the last address to 0 at the
end of all the .mif write transactions).
This is an optional signal you can select in the Channel reconfiguration screen. This signal is
applicable only in dynamic reconfiguration modes grouped under the Channel reconfiguration
reconfig_address option.
Output
_en The dynamic reconfiguration controller asserts reconfig_address_en to indicate that
reconfig_address_out[5..0] has changed. This signal is asserted only after the
dynamic reconfiguration controller completes writing one 16-bit word of the .mif.
This is an optional signal you can select in the Channel reconfiguration screen. This signal is
applicable only in dynamic reconfiguration modes grouped under the Channel reconfiguration
reset_reconfig_ option.
Input
address
Enable this signal and assert it for one reconfig_clk clock cycle if you want to reset the
reconfiguration address used by the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance during reconfiguration.
This signal is applicable only in the dynamic reconfiguration modes grouped under the Channel
reconfiguration option. This is a 16-bit word carrying the reconfiguration information. It is
reconfig_data
Input stored in a .mif that you must generate. The ALTGX_RECONFIG instance requires that you
[15..0]
provide reconfig_data [15..0]on every .mif write transaction using the write_all
signal.
You can use this signal to reset all the reconfiguration process in Channel reconfiguration
reconfig_reset (4) Input mode. Asserting this port will reset all the register in the reconfiguration controller logics. This
port only shows up in Channel reconfiguration mode.
This signal goes high to indicate that the dynamic reconfiguration controller has finished writing
channel_reconfig all the words of the .mif. The channel_reconfig_done signal is automatically deasserted
Output
_done at the start of a new dynamic reconfiguration write sequence. This signal is applicable only in
channel reconfiguration mode.
Notes to Table 3–2:
(1) Not all combinations of input bits are legal values.
(2) This setting is required for compliance to PCI Express® (PIPE) functional mode.
(3) PLL reconfiguration is performed using ALTPLL_RECONFIG controller. Hence it is not selected through the
reconfig_mode_sel[2..0] port.
(4) reconfig_reset will not restart the offset cancellation operation. Offset cancellation only occurs one time after power up and
does not occur when subsequent reconfig_reset is asserted.

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Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–9
Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List

Offset Cancellation Feature

The Cyclone IV GX devices provide an offset cancellation circuit per receiver channel
to counter the offset variations due to process, voltage, and temperature (PVT). These
variations create an offset in the analog circuit voltages, pushing them out of the
expected range. In addition to reconfiguring the transceiver channel, the dynamic
reconfiguration controller performs offset cancellation on all receiver channels
connected to it on power up.
The Offset cancellation for Receiver channels option is automatically enabled in
both the ALTGX and ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard Plug-In Managers for
Receiver and Transmitter and Receiver only configurations. It is not available for
Transmitter only configurations. For Receiver and Transmitter and Receiver only
configurations, you must connect the necessary interface signals between the
ALTGX_RECONFIG and ALTGX (with receiver channels) instances.
Offset cancellation is automatically executed once every time the device is powered
on. The control logic for offset cancellation is integrated into the dynamic
reconfiguration controller. You must connect the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance to the
ALTGX instances (with receiver channels) in your design. You must connect the
reconfig_fromgxb, reconfig_togxb, and necessary clock signals to both the
ALTGX_RECONFIG and ALTGX (with receiver channels) instances.
When the device powers up, the dynamic reconfiguration controller initiates offset
cancellation on the receiver channel by disconnecting the receiver input pins from the
receiver data path. Subsequently, the offset cancellation process goes through
different states and culminates in the offset cancellation of the receiver buffer.

1 Offset cancellation process only occurs one time after power up and does not occur
when subsequent reconfig_reset is asserted. If you assert reconfig_reset
after the offset cancellation process is completed, the offset cancellation process will
not run again.
If you assert reconfig_reset upon power up; offset cancellation will not begin
until reconfig_reset is deasserted. If you assert reconfig_reset after power
up but before offset cancellation process is completed; offset cancellation will not
complete and restart only when reconfig_reset is deasserted.

Figure 3–2 shows the connection for offset cancellation mode.

Figure 3–2. ALTGX and ALTGX_RECONFIG Connection for the Offset Cancellation Process

ALTGX_RECONFIG ALTGX
reconfig_clk reconfig_fromgxb[n..0]

offset cancellation reconfig_togxb[3..0] TX PCS TX PMA

circuit
busy
RX PCS RX PMA
+ CDR (1)

Note to Figure 3–2:

(1) This block is active during the offset cancellation process.

1 The dynamic reconfiguration controller sends and receives data to the transceiver
channel through the reconfig_togxb and reconfig_fromgxb signals.

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Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

1 The gxb_powerdown signal must not be asserted during the offset cancellation
sequence.

Figure 3–3 shows the timing diagram for a offset cancellation process.

Figure 3–3. Dynamic Reconfiguration Signals Transition during Offset Cancellation

reconfig_clk

(2)

busy
(1) (3)

Notes to Figure 3–3:

(1) After device power up, the busy signal remains low for the first reconfig_clk cycle.
(2) The busy signal then gets asserted for the second reconfig_clk cycle, when the dynamic reconfiguration controller initiates the offset
cancellation process.
(3) The deassertion of the busy signal indicates the successful completion of the offset cancellation process.

Functional Simulation of the Offset Cancellation Process

You must connect the ALTGX_RECONFIG instances to the ALTGX instances in your
design for functional simulation. Functional simulation uses a reduced timing model
of the dynamic reconfiguration controller. Therefore, the duration of the offset
cancellation process is 16 reconfig_clk clock cycles for functional simulation only.
The gxb_powerdown signal must not be asserted during the offset cancellation
sequence (for functional simulation and silicon).

Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

When you enable the dynamic reconfiguration feature, you can reconfigure the
following portions of each transceiver channel dynamically, without powering down
the other transceiver channels or the FPGA fabric of the device:
■ Analog (PMA) controls reconfiguration
■ Channel reconfiguration
■ PLL reconfiguration

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Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–11
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Table 3–3 lists the supported dynamic reconfiguration modes for Cyclone IV GX
devices.

Table 3–3. Cyclone IV GX Supported Dynamic Reconfiguration Mode

Operational Mode Quartus II Instances

Dynamic Reconfiguration Transmitter .mif

Supported Mode Transmitter Receiver and ALTGX_ ALTPLL_ Requirements
ALTGX
Only Only Receiver RECONFIG RECONFIG
Only
Offset Cancellation — v v v v — —
Analog (PMA) Controls
v v v v v — —
Reconfiguration
Channel Reconfiguration

Channel Interface v v v v v — v

Data Rate Division in

— v v v v — v
Receiver Channel
PLL Reconfiguration v v v v — v v

The following modes are available for dynamically reconfiguring the Cyclone IV
transceivers:
■ “PMA Controls Reconfiguration Mode” on page 3–11
■ “Transceiver Channel Reconfiguration Mode” on page 3–19
■ Channel interface (.mif based)
■ Data rate division in receiver channel (.mif based)
The following sections describe each of these modes in detail.

The following modes are unsupported for dynamic reconfiguration:

■ Dynamically enable/disable PRBS or BIST
■ Switch between a receiver-only channel and a transmitter-only channel
■ Switch between a ×1 mode to a bonded ×4 mode

PMA Controls Reconfiguration Mode

You can dynamically reconfigure the following PMA controls for all supported
transceiver configurations channels as configured in the ALTGX instances:
■ Pre-emphasis settings
■ Equalization settings
■ DC gain settings
■ VOD settings
You can use the analog reconfiguration feature to dynamically reconfigure the
transceivers channels setting in either the transmitter or the receivers in the PMA
blocks. You can update the PMA controls on-the-fly based on the desired input. You
can perform both read and write transaction separately for this analog reconfiguration
mode.

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3–12 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

There are three methods that you can use to dynamically reconfigure the PMA
controls of a transceiver channel:
■ “Method 1: Using logical_channel_address to Reconfigure Specific Transceiver
Channels” on page 3–12
■ “Method 2: Writing the Same Control Signals to Control All the Transceiver
Channels” on page 3–14
■ “Method 3: Writing Different Control Signals for all the Transceiver Channels at
the Same Time” on page 3–17

Method 1: Using logical_channel_address to Reconfigure Specific Transceiver

Channels
Enable the logical_channel_address port by selecting the Use
‘logical_channel_address’ port option on the Analog controls tab. This method is
applicable only for a design where the dynamic reconfiguration controller controls
more than one channel.
You can additionally reconfigure either the receiver portion, transmitter portion, or
both the receiver and transmitter portions of the transceiver channel by setting the
corresponding value on the rx_tx_duplex_sel input port. For more information, refer
to Table 3–2 on page 3–3.

Connecting the PMA Control Ports

The selected PMA control ports remain fixed in width, regardless of the number of
channels controlled by the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance:
■ tx_vodctrl and tx_vodctrl_out are fixed to 3 bits
■ tx_preemp and tx_preemp_out are fixed to 5 bits
■ rx_eqdcgain and rx_eqdcgain_out are fixed to 2 bits
■ rx_eqctrl and rx_eqctrl_out are fixed to 4 bits

Write Transaction
To complete a write transaction, perform the following steps:
1. Set the selected PMA control ports to the desired settings (for example,
tx_vodctrl = 3'b001).
2. Set the logical_channel_address input port to the logical channel address of the
transceiver channel whose PMA controls you want to reconfigure.
3. Set the rx_tx_duplex_sel port to 2'b10 so that only the transmit PMA controls are
written to the transceiver channel.
4. Ensure that the busy signal is low before you start a write transaction.
5. Assert the write_all signal for one reconfig_clk clock cycle.
The busy output status signal is asserted high to indicate that the dynamic
reconfiguration controller is busy writing the PMA control values. When the write
transaction has completed, the busy signal goes low.

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Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–4 shows the write transaction waveform for Method 1.

Figure 3–4. Write Transaction Waveform—Use ‘logical_channel_address port’ Option

reconfig_clk

write_all

rx_tx_duplex_sel [1:0] (1) 2'b00 2'b10

logical_channel_address [1:0] (2) 2'b00 2'b01

busy

tx_vodctrl [2:0] 3'b111 3'b001

Notes to Figure 3–4:

(1) In this waveform example, you are writing to only the transmitter portion of the channel.
(2) In this waveform example, the number of channels connected to the dynamic reconfiguration controller is four. Therefore, the
logical_channel_address port is 2 bits wide.

Read Transaction
For example, to read the existing VOD values from the transmit VOD control registers of
the transmitter portion of a specific channel controlled by the ALTGX_RECONFIG
instance, perform the following steps:
1. Set the logical_channel_address input port to the logical channel address of the
transceiver channel whose PMA controls you want to read (for example,
tx_vodctrl_out).
2. Set the rx_tx_duplex_sel port to 2'b10 so that only the transmit PMA controls are
read from the transceiver channel.
3. Ensure that the busy signal is low before you start a read transaction.
4. Assert the read signal for one reconfig_clk clock cycle. This initiates the read
transaction.
The busy output status signal is asserted high to indicate that the dynamic
reconfiguration controller is busy reading the PMA control values. When the read
transaction has completed, the busy signal goes low. The data_valid signal is asserted
to indicate that the data available at the read control signal is valid.

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Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–5 shows the read transaction waveform for Method 1.

Figure 3–5. Read Transaction Waveform—Use ‘logical_channel_address port’ Option

reconfig_clk

read

rx_tx_duplex_sel [1:0] (1) 2'b00 2'b10

logical_channel_address [1:0] (2) 2'b00 2'b01

busy

data_valid

tx_vodctrl_out [2:0] 3'b111 3'bXXX 3'b001

Notes to Figure 3–5:

(1) In this waveform example, you want to read from only the transmitter portion of the channel.
(2) In this waveform example, the number of channels connected to the dynamic reconfiguration controller is four. Therefore, the
logical_channel_address port is 2 bits wide.

1 Simultaneous write and read transactions are not allowed.

Method 2: Writing the Same Control Signals to Control All the Transceiver Channels
This method does not require the logical_channel_address port. The PMA controls
of all the transceiver channels connected to the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance are
reconfigured.
The Use the same control signal for all the channels option is available on the
Analog controls tab of the ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard Plug-In Manager. If you
enable this option, the width of the PMA control ports are fixed as follows:

PMA Control Ports Used in a Write Transaction

■ tx_vodctrl is fixed to 3 bits
■ tx_preemp is fixed to 5 bits
■ rx_eqdcgain is fixed to 2 bits
■ rx_eqctrl is fixed to 4 bits

PMA Control Ports Used in a Read Transaction

■ tx_vodctrl_out is 3 bits per channel
■ tx_preemp_out is 5 bits per channel
■ rx_eqdcgain_out is 2 bits per channel
■ rx_eqctrl_out is 4 bits per channel

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Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

For example, assume the number of channels controlled by the dynamic

reconfiguration controller is two, tx_vodctrl_out is 6 bits wide.

Write Transaction
The value you set at the selected PMA control ports is written to all the transceiver
channels connected to the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance.
For example, assume you have enabled tx_vodctrl in the ALTGX_RECONFIG
MegaWizard Plug-In Manager to reconfigure the VOD of the transceiver channels. To
complete a write transaction to reconfigure the VOD, perform the following steps:
1. Before you initiate a write transaction, set the selected PMA control ports to the
desired settings (for example, tx_vodctrl = 3'b001).
2. Set the rx_tx_duplex_sel port to 2'b10 so that only the transmit PMA controls are
written to the transceiver channel.
3. Ensure that the busy signal is low before you start a write transaction.
4. Assert the write_all signal for one reconfig_clk clock cycle. This initiates the
write transaction.
5. The busy output status signal is asserted high to indicate that the dynamic
reconfiguration controller is busy writing the PMA control values. When the write
transaction has completed, the busy signal goes low.
Figure 3–6 shows the write transaction for Method 2.
Figure 3–6. Write Transaction Waveform—Use the same control signal for all the channels Option

reconfig_clk

write_all

rx_tx_duplex_sel [1:0] (1) 2'b00 2'b10

busy

tx_vodctrl [2:0] 3'b111 3'b001

Note to Figure 3–6:

(1) In this waveform example, you want to write to only the transmitter portion of the channel.

Read Transaction
If you want to read the existing values from a specific channel connected to the
ALTGX_RECONFIG instance, observe the corresponding byte positions of the PMA
control output port after the read transaction is completed.
For example, if the number of channels controlled by the ALTGX_RECONFIG is two,
the tx_vodctrl_out is 6 bits wide. The tx_vodctrl_out[2:0] signal corresponds to
channel 1 and the tx_vodctrl_out[5:3] signal corresponds to channel 2.

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Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

To complete a read transaction to the VOD values of the second channel, perform the
following steps:
1. Before you initiate a read transaction, set the rx_tx_duplex_sel port to 2'b10 so
that only the transmit PMA controls are read from the transceiver channel.
2. Ensure that the busy signal is low before you start a read transaction.
3. Assert the read signal for one reconfig_clk clock cycle. This initiates the read
transaction.
4. The busy output status signal is asserted high to indicate that the dynamic
reconfiguration controller is busy reading the PMA control settings.
5. When the read transaction has completed, the busy signal goes low. The
data_valid signal is asserted, indicating that the data available at the read control
signal is valid.
6. To read the current VOD values in channel 2, observe the values in
tx_vodctrl_out[5:3].
In the waveform example shown in Figure 3–7, the transmit VOD settings written in
channels 1 and 2 prior to the read transaction are 3'b001 and 3'b010, respectively.
Figure 3–7. Read Transaction Waveform—Use the same control signal for all the channels Option Enabled

reconfig_clk

read

busy

data_valid

rx_tx_duplex_sel [1:0] (1) 2'b00 2'b10

tx_vodctrl_out [2:0] 6'b111111 6'bXXXXXX 6'b010001

Note to Figure 3–7:

(1) In this waveform example, you want to read from only the transmitter portion of all the channels.

1 Simultaneous write and read transactions are not allowed.

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Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Method 3: Writing Different Control Signals for all the Transceiver Channels at the
Same Time
If you disable the Use the same control signal for all the channels option, the PMA
control ports for a write transaction are separate for each channel. If you disable this
option, the width of the PMA control ports are fixed as follows:

PMA Control Ports Used in a Write Transaction

■ tx_vodctrl is 3 bits per channel
■ tx_preemp are 5 bits per channel
■ rx_eqdcgain is 2 bits per channel
■ rx_eqctrl is 4 bits per channel
For example, if you have two channels, the tx_vodctrl is 6 bits wide
(tx_vodctrl [2:0] corresponds to channel 1 and tx_vodctrl [5:3] corresponds to
channel 2).

PMA Control Ports Used in a Read Transaction

The width of the PMA control ports for a read transaction are always separate for each
channel as explained in “Method 2: Writing the Same Control Signals to Control All
the Transceiver Channels” on page 3–14.

Write Transaction
Because the PMA controls of all the channels are written, if you want to reconfigure a
specific channel connected to the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance, set the new value at
the corresponding PMA control port of the channel under consideration and retain
the previously stored values in the other active channels with a read transaction prior
to this write transaction.
For example, if the number of channels controlled by the ALTGX_RECONFIG
instance is two, the tx_vodctrl signal in this case would be 6 bits wide. The
tx_vodctrl[2:0] signal corresponds to channel 1 and the tx_vodctrl[5:3] signal
corresponds to channel 2.
■ To dynamically reconfigure the PMA controls of only channel 2 with a new value,
first perform a read transaction to retrieve the existing PMA control values from
tx_vodctrl_out[5:0]. Use the tx_vodctrl_out[2:0] value for tx_vodctrl[2:0]
to write in channel 1. By doing so, channel 1 is overwritten with the same value.
■ Perform a write transaction. This ensures that the new values are written only to
channel 2 while channel 1 remains unchanged.

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Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–8 shows a write transaction waveform with the Use the same control signal
for all the channels option disabled.

Figure 3–8. Write Transaction Waveform—Use the same control signal for all the channels Option Disabled

reconfig_clk

write_all

rx_tx_duplex_sel [1:0] (1) 2'b00 2'b10

busy

tx_vodctrl [5:0] (2) 6'b111111 6'b111011

Notes to Figure 3–8:

(1) In this waveform example, you want to write to only the transmitter portion of the channel.
(2) In this waveform example, the number of channels controlled by the dynamic reconfiguration controller (the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance) is two
and that the tx_vodctrl control port is enabled.

1 Simultaneous write and read transactions are not allowed.

Read Transaction
The read transaction in Method 3 is identical to that in Method 2. Refer to “Read
Transaction” on page 3–15.

1 This is the slowest method. You have to write all the PMA settings for all channels
even if you may only be changing one parameter on the channel. Altera recommends
using the logical_channel_address method for time-critical applications.

For each method, you can additionally reconfigure the PMA setting of both
transmitter and receiver portion, transmitter portion only, or receiver portion only of
the transceiver channel. For more information, refer to “Dynamic Reconfiguration
Controller Port List” on page 3–3. You can enable the rx_tx_duplex_sel port by
selecting the Use 'rx_tx_duplex_sel' port to enable RX only, TX only or duplex
reconfiguration option on the Error checks tab of the ALTGX_RECONFIG
MegaWizard Plug-In Manager.
Figure 3–9 shows the ALTGX_RECONFIG connection to the ALTGX instances when
set in analog reconfiguration mode. For the port information, refer to the “Dynamic
Reconfiguration Controller Port List” on page 3–3.

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Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–9 shows the connection for PMA reconfiguration mode.

Figure 3–9. ALTGX and ALTGX_RECONFIG Connection for PMA Reconfiguration Mode

ALTGX_RECONFIG ALTGX
reconfig_fromgxb[n..0]
reconfig_clk reconfig_togxb[3..0] TX PMA
data_valid TX PCS
(1)
read busy
write_all Analog tx_vodctrl_out[2..0]
RX PMA
tx_vodctrl[2..0] Reconfig tx_preemp_out[4..0] RX PCS + CDR (1)
tx_preemp[4..0] Control rx_eqdcgain_out[1..0]
rx_eqdcgain[1..0] Logic
rx_eqctrl_out[3..0]
rx_eqctrl[3..0]
rx_tx_duplex_sel[1..0]
logical_channel_address[n..0]

Ports that are used to read the PMA settings from the TX/RX PMA block during a read transaction
Ports that are used to write the PMA settings to the TX/RX PMA block during a write transaction
Input control and output signal ports for analog reconfiguration mode

Note to Figure 3–9:

(1) This block can be reconfigured in PMA reconfiguration mode.

Transceiver Channel Reconfiguration Mode

You can dynamically reconfigure the transceiver channel from an existing functional
mode to a different functional mode by selecting the Channel Reconfiguration option
in ALTGX and ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizards. The blocks that are reconfigured
by channel reconfiguration mode are the PCS and RX PMA blocks of a transceiver
channel.

1 For more information about reconfiguring the RX PMA blocks of the transceiver
channel using channel reconfiguration mode, you can refer to “Data Rate
Reconfiguration Mode Using RX Local Divider” on page 3–24.

In channel reconfiguration, only a write transaction can occur; no read transactions

are allowed. You can optionally choose to trigger write_all once by selecting the
continuous write operation in the ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard Plug-In
Manager. The Quartus II software then continuously writes all the words required for
reconfiguration.
For channel reconfiguration, .mif files are required to dynamically reconfigure the
transceivers channels in channel reconfiguration modes. The .mif carries the
reconfiguration information that will be used to reconfigure the transceivers channel
dynamically on-the-fly. The .mif contents is generated automatically when you select
the Generate GXB Reconfig MIF option in the Quartus II software setting. For
different .mif settings, you need to later reconfigure and recompile the ALTGX
MegaWizard to generate the .mif based on the required reconfiguration settings.
The dynamic reconfiguration controller can optionally perform a continuos write
operation or a regular write operation of the .mif contents in terms of word size
(16-bit data) to the transceivers channel that is selected for reconfiguration.

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Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

The following are the channel reconfiguration mode options:

■ Channel interface reconfiguration
■ Data rate division at receiver channel

Channel Interface Reconfiguration Mode

Enable this option if the reconfiguration of the transceiver channel involves the
following changes:
■ The reconfigured channel has a changed FPGA fabric-Transceiver channel
interface data width
■ The reconfigured channel has changed input control signals and output status
signals
■ The reconfigured channel has enabled and disabled the static PCS blocks of the
transceiver channel
The following are the new input signals available when you enable this option:
■ tx_datainfull—the width of this input signal depends on the number of
channels you set up in the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager. It is 22 bits wide
per channel. This signal is available only for Transmitter only and Receiver and
Transmitter configurations. This port replaces the existing tx_datain port.
■ rx_dataoutfull—the width of this output signal depends on the number of
channels you set up in the ALTGX MegaWizard Plug-In Manager. It is 32 bits wide
per channel. This signal is available only for Receiver only and Receiver and
Transmitter configurations. This port replaces the existing rx_dataout port.
The Quartus II software has legality checks for the connectivity of
tx_datainfull and rx_dataoutfull and the various control and status
signals you enable in the Clocking/Interface screen. For example, the Quartus II
software allows you to select and connect the pipestatus and powerdn signals.
It assumes that you are planning to switch to and from PCI Express (PIPE)
functional mode.

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Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–21
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Table 3–4 describes the tx_datainfull[21..0] FPGA fabric-transceiver channel

interface signals.

Table 3–4. tx_datainfull[21..0] FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Channel Interface Signal Descriptions (Note 1)
FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Channel Transmit Signal Description (Based on Cyclone IV GX Supported FPGA
Interface Description Fabric-Transceiver Channel Interface Widths)
tx_datainfull[7:0]: 8-bit data (tx_datain)

The following signals are used only in 8B/10B modes:

tx_datainfull[8]: Control bit (tx_ctrlenable)
8-bit FPGA fabric-Transceiver Channel
tx_datainfull[9]
Interface
Transmitter force disparity Compliance (PCI Express [PIPE]) (tx_forcedisp) in all
modes except PCI Express (PIPE) functional mode. For PCI Express (PIPE) functional
mode, (tx_forcedispcompliance) is used.
tx_datainfull[10]: Forced disparity value (tx_dispval)
10-bit FPGA fabric-Transceiver Channel
tx_datainfull[9:0]: 10-bit data (tx_datain)
Interface
Two 8-bit Data (tx_datain)
tx_datainfull[7:0] - tx_datain (LSByte) and
tx_datainfull[18:11] - tx_datain (MSByte)

The following signals are used only in 8B/10B modes:

tx_datainfull[8] - tx_ctrlenable (LSB) and tx_datainfull[19] -
16-bit FPGA fabric-Transceiver Channel tx_ctrlenable (MSB)
Interface with PCS-PMA set to 8/10 bits
Force Disparity Enable
tx_datainfull[9] - tx_forcedisp (LSB) and tx_datainfull[20] -
tx_forcedisp (MSB)
Force Disparity Value
tx_datainfull[10] - tx_dispval (LSB) and tx_datainfull[21] -
tx_dispval (MSB)
Two 10-bit Data (tx_datain)
20-bit FPGA fabric-Transceiver Channel
Interface with PCS-PMA set to 10 bits tx_datainfull[9:0] - tx_datain (LSByte) and
tx_datainfull[20:11] - tx_datain (MSByte)
Note to Table 3–4:
(1) For all transceiver-related ports, refer to the “Transceiver Port Lists” section in the Cyclone IV GX Transceiver Architecture chapter.

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3–22 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Table 3–5 describes the rx_dataoutfull[31..0] FPGA fabric-Transceiver channel

interface signals.

Table 3–5. rx_dataoutfull[31..0] FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Channel Interface Signal Descriptions (Part 1 of 3)
FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Receive Signal Description (Based on Cyclone IV GX Supported FPGA
Channel Interface Description Fabric-Transceiver Channel Interface Widths)

The following signals are used in 8-bit 8B/10B modes:

rx_dataoutfull[7:0]: 8-bit decoded data (rx_dataout)
rx_dataoutfull[8]: Control bit (rx_ctrldetect)
rx_dataoutfull[9]: Code violation status signal (rx_errdetect)
rx_dataoutfull[10]: rx_syncstatus
rx_dataoutfull[11]: Disparity error status signal (rx_disperr)
8-bit FPGA fabric-Transceiver
rx_dataoutfull[12]: Pattern detect status signal (rx_patterndetect)
Channel Interface
rx_dataoutfull[13]: Rate Match FIFO deletion status indicator
(rx_rmfifodatadeleted) in non-PCI Express (PIPE) functional modes.
rx_dataoutfull[14]: Rate Match FIFO insertion status indicator
(rx_rmfifodatainserted) in non-PCI Express (PIPE) functional modes.
rx_dataoutfull[14:13]: PCI Express (PIPE) functional mode
(rx_pipestatus)
rx_dataoutfull[15]: 8B/10B running disparity indicator (rx_runningdisp)
rx_dataoutfull[9:0]: 10-bit un-encoded data (rx_dataout)
rx_dataoutfull[10]: rx_syncstatus
rx_dataoutfull[11]: 8B/10B disparity error indicator (rx_disperr)
rx_dataoutfull[12]: rx_patterndetect
10-bit FPGA fabric-Transceiver
Channel Interface rx_dataoutfull[13]: Rate Match FIFO deletion status indicator
(rx_rmfifodatadeleted) in non-PCI Express (PIPE) functional modes
rx_dataoutfull[14]: Rate Match FIFO insertion status indicator
(rx_rmfifodatainserted) in non-PCI Express (PIPE) functional modes
rx_dataoutfull[15]: 8B/10B running disparity indicator (rx_runningdisp)

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Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–23
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Table 3–5. rx_dataoutfull[31..0] FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Channel Interface Signal Descriptions (Part 2 of 3)
FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Receive Signal Description (Based on Cyclone IV GX Supported FPGA
Channel Interface Description Fabric-Transceiver Channel Interface Widths)
Two 8-bit unencoded Data (rx_dataout)
rx_dataoutfull[7:0] - rx_dataout (LSByte) and
rx_dataoutfull[23:16]- rx_dataout (MSByte)

The following signals are used in 16-bit 8B/10B modes:

Two Control Bits
rx_dataoutfull[8] - rx_ctrldetect (LSB) and
rx_dataoutfull[24]- rx_ctrldetect (MSB)
Two Receiver Error Detect Bits
rx_dataoutfull[9] - rx_errdetect (LSB) and
rx_dataoutfull[25]- rx_errdetect (MSB)
Two Receiver Sync Status Bits
rx_dataoutfull [10] - rx_syncstatus (LSB) and
rx_dataoutfull[26] - rx_syncstatus (MSB)
16-bit FPGA fabric-Transceiver Two Receiver Disparity Error Bits
Channel Interface with PCS-PMA set rx_dataoutfull [11] - rx_disperr (LSB) and
to 8/10 bits
rx_dataoutfull[27] - rx_disperr (MSB)
Two Receiver Pattern Detect Bits
rx_dataoutfull[12] - rx_patterndetect (LSB) and
rx_dataoutfull[28]- rx_patterndetect (MSB)
rx_dataoutfull[13] and rx_dataoutfull[29]: Rate Match FIFO deletion
status indicator (rx_rmfifodatadeleted) in non-PCI Express (PIPE) functional
modes
rx_dataoutfull[14] and rx_dataoutfull[30]: Rate Match FIFO insertion
status indicator (rx_rmfifodatainserted) in non-PCI Express (PIPE) functional
modes
Two 2-bit PCI Express (PIPE) Functional Mode Status Bits
rx_dataoutfull[14:13] - rx_pipestatus (LSB) and
rx_dataoutfull[30:29] - rx_pipestatus (MSB)
rx_dataoutfull[15] and rx_dataoutfull[31]: 8B/10B running disparity
indicator (rx_runningdisp)

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3–24 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Table 3–5. rx_dataoutfull[31..0] FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Channel Interface Signal Descriptions (Part 3 of 3)
FPGA Fabric-Transceiver Receive Signal Description (Based on Cyclone IV GX Supported FPGA
Channel Interface Description Fabric-Transceiver Channel Interface Widths)
Two 10-bit Data (rx_dataout)
rx_dataoutfull[9:0] - rx_dataout (LSByte) and
rx_dataoutfull[25:16] - rx_dataout (MSByte)
wo Receiver Sync Status Bits
rx_dataoutfull[10] - rx_syncstatus (LSB) and rx_dataoutfull[26] -
rx_syncstatus (MSB)
rx_dataoutfull[11] and rx_dataoutfull[27]: 8B/10B disparity error
indicator (rx_disperr)
20-bit FPGA fabric-Transceiver Two Receiver Pattern Detect Bits
Channel Interface with PCS-PMA set
rx_dataoutfull[12] - rx_patterndetect (LSB) and
to 10 bits
rx_dataoutfull[28] - rx_patterndetect (MSB)
rx_dataoutfull[13] and rx_dataoutfull[29]: Rate Match FIFO deletion
status indicator (rx_rmfifodatadeleted) in non-PCI Express (PIPE) functional
modes
rx_dataoutfull[14] and rx_dataoutfull[30]: Rate Match FIFO insertion
status indicator (rx_rmfifodatainserted) in non-PCI Express (PIPE) functional
modes
rx_dataoutfull[15] and rx_dataoutfull[31]: 8B/10B running disparity
indicator (rx_runningdisp)

Data Rate Reconfiguration Mode Using RX Local Divider

The RX local divider resides in the RX PMA block for every channels. This is a
hardware feature where a /2 divider is available in each of the receiver channel for the
supported device. You can use this RX local divider to reconfigure the data rate at the
receiver channel. This can be used for protocols such as SDI that has data rates in
divisions of 2.
By using this RX local divider, you can support two different data rates without using
additional transceiver PLLs. This dynamic reconfiguration mode is available only for
the receiver and not applicable to the transmitter. This reconfiguration mode using the
RX local divider (/2) is only supported and available in EP4CGX30 (F484 package),
EP4CGX50, and EP4CGX75 devices.

f For more information about this RX local divider, refer to the Cyclone IV GX
Transceiver Architecture chapter.

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Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–25
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Control and Status Signals for Channel Reconfiguration

The various control and status signals involved in the Channel Reconfiguration mode
are as follows. Refer to “Dynamic Reconfiguration Controller Port List” on page 3–3
for the descriptions of the control and status signals.
The following are the input control signals:
■ logical_channel_address[n..0]
■ reset_reconfig_address
■ reconfig_reset
■ reconfig_mode_sel[2..0]
■ write_all
The following are output status signals:
■ reconfig_address_en
■ reconfig_address_out[5..0]
■ channel_reconfig_done
■ busy
The ALTGX_RECONFIG connection to the ALTGX instances when set in channel
reconfiguration mode are as follows. For the port information, refer to “Dynamic
Reconfiguration Controller Port List” on page 3–3.
Figure 3–10 shows the connection for channel reconfiguration mode.

Figure 3–10. ALTGX and ALTGX_RECONFIG Connection for Channel Reconfiguration Mode

ALTGX
reconfig_fromgxb[n..0]
ALTGX_RECONFIG
reconfig_togxb[3..0] TX PCS
TX PMA
(1)
reconfig_clk busy
reconfig_reset Channel channel_reconfig_done RX PCS RX PMA
Reconfig + CDR (1)
write_all reconfig_address_out[5..0] (1)
Control
reconfig_data[15..0] Logic reconfig_address_en
reset_reconfig_address
logical_channel_address[n..0]

Output status signals from the ALTGX_RECONFIG controller

Input control signals to the ALTGX_RECONFIG controller

Note to Figure 3–10:

(1) This block can be reconfigured in channel reconfiguration mode.

Clocking/Interface Options
The following describes the Clocking/Interface options available in Cyclone IV GX
devices. The core clocking setup describes the transceiver core clocks that are the
write and read clocks of the Transmit Phase Compensation FIFO and the Receive
Phase Compensation FIFO, respectively. Core clocking is classified as transmitter core
clocking and receiver core clocking.

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3–26 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Table 3–6 lists the supported clocking interface settings for channel reconfiguration
mode in Cyclone IV GX devices.

Table 3–6. Dynamic Reconfiguration Clocking Interface Settings in Channel Reconfiguration Mode
ALTGX Setting Description
Dynamic Reconfiguration Channel Internal and Interface Settings
Select one of the available options:
How should the receivers be ■ Share a single transmitter core clock between receivers
clocked? ■ Use the respective channel transmitter core clocks
■ Use the respective channel receiver core clocks
Select one of the available options:
How should the transmitters be
■ Share a single transmitter core clock between transmitters
clocked?
■ Use the respective channel transmitter core clocks

Transmitter core clocking refers to the clock that is used to write the parallel data from
the FPGA fabric into the Transmit Phase Compensation FIFO. You can use one of the
following clocks to write into the Transmit Phase Compensation FIFO:
■ tx_coreclk—you can use a clock of the same frequency as tx_clkout from the
FPGA fabric to provide the write clock to the Transmit Phase Compensation FIFO.
If you use tx_coreclk, it overrides the tx_clkout options in the ALTGX
MegaWizard Plug-In Manager.
■ tx_clkout—the Quartus II software automatically routes tx_clkout to the
FPGA fabric and back into the Transmit Phase Compensation FIFO.

Option 1: Share a Single Transmitter Core Clock Between Transmitters

■ Enable this option if you want tx_clkout of the first channel (channel 0) of the
transceiver block to provide the write clock to the Transmitter Phase
Compensation FIFOs of the remaining channels in the transceiver block.
■ This option is typically enabled when all the channels of a transceiver block have
the same functional mode and data rate and are reconfigured to the identical
functional mode and data rate.

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Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–27
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–11 shows the sharing of channel 0’s tx_clkout between all four regular
channels of a transceiver block.

Figure 3–11. Option 1 for Transmitter Core Clocking (Channel Reconfiguration Mode)
FPGA Fabric Transceiver Block

TX0

RX0

TX1

tx_clkout[0] RX1

TX2
MPLL

RX2

TX3

RX3

Low-speed parallel clock (tx_clkout0)

High-speed serial clock generated by the MPLL

Option 2: Use the Respective Channel Transmitter Core Clocks

■ Enable this option if you want the individual transmitter channel tx_clkout
signals to provide the write clock to their respective Transmit Phase Compensation
FIFOs.
■ This option is typically enabled when each transceiver channel is reconfigured to a
different functional mode using channel reconfiguration.

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3–28 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–12 shows how each transmitter channel’s tx_clkout signal provides a
clock to the Transmit Phase Compensation FIFOs of the respective transceiver
channels.

Figure 3–12. Option 2 for Transmitter Core Clocking (Channel Reconfiguration Mode)

FPGA Fabric Transciever Block

tx_clkout[0] TX0

RX0

tx_clkout[1] TX1

RX1

tx_clkout[2] TX2
MPLL

RX2

TX3
tx_clkout[3]

RX3

Low-speed parallel clock

High-speed serial clock generated by the MPLL

Receiver core clocking refers to the clock that is used to read the parallel data from the
Receiver Phase Compensation FIFO into the FPGA fabric. You can use one of the
following clocks to read from the Receive Phase Compensation FIFO:
■ rx_coreclk—you can use a clock of the same frequency as rx_clkout from the
FPGA fabric to provide the read clock to the Receive Phase Compensation FIFO. If
you use rx_coreclk, it overrides the rx_clkout options in the ALTGX
MegaWizard Plug-In Manager.
■ rx_clkout—the Quartus II software automatically routes rx_clkout to the
FPGA fabric and back into the Receive Phase Compensation FIFO.

Option 1: Share a Single Transmitter Core Clock Between Receivers

■ Enable this option if you want tx_clkout of the first channel (channel 0) of the
transceiver block to provide the read clock to the Receive Phase Compensation
FIFOs of the remaining receiver channels in the transceiver block.
■ This option is typically enabled when all the channels of a transceiver block are in
a Basic or Protocol configuration with rate matching enabled and are reconfigured
to another Basic or Protocol configuration with rate matching enabled.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–29
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–13 shows the sharing of channel 0’s tx_clkout between all four channels of
a transceiver block.

Figure 3–13. Option 1 for Receiver Core Clocking (Channel Reconfiguration Mode)
FPGA Fabric Transceiver Block

TX0

RX0

tx_clkout[0]
TX1

RX1

TX2
MPLL

RX2

TX3

RX3

Low-speed parallel clock (tx_clkout0)

High-speed serial clock generated by the MPLL

Option 2: Use the Respective Channel Transmitter Core Clocks

■ Enable this option if you want the individual transmitter channel’s tx_clkout
signal to provide the read clock to its respective Receive Phase Compensation
FIFO.
■ This option is typically enabled when all the transceiver channels have rate
matching enabled with different data rates and are reconfigured to another Basic
or Protocol functional mode with rate matching enabled.

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3–30 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–14 shows the respective tx_clkout of each channel clocking the respective
channels of a transceiver block.

Figure 3–14. Option 2 for Receiver Core Clocking (Channel Reconfiguration Mode)
FPGA Fabric Transceiver Block

tx_clkout[0] TX0

RX0

TX1
tx_clkout[1]

RX1

TX2 (1)
MPLL

RX2 (1)

tx_clkout[2]

TX3 (1)

RX3 (1)

Low-speed parallel clock

High-speed serial clock generated by the MPLL

Note to Figure 3–14:

(1) Assuming channel 2 and 3 are running at the same data rate with rate matcher enabled and are reconfigured to another Basic or Protocol functional
mode with rate matching enabled.

Option 3: Use the Respective Channel Receiver Core Clocks

■ Enable this option if you want the individual channel’s rx_clkout signal to
provide the read clock to its respective Receive Phase Compensation FIFO.
■ This option is typically enabled when the channel is reconfigured from a Basic or
Protocol configuration with or without rate matching to another Basic or Protocol
configuration with or without rate matching.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–31
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–15 shows the respective rx_clkout of each channel clocking the respective
receiver channels of a transceiver block.

Figure 3–15. Option 3 for Receiver Core Clocking (Channel Reconfiguration Mode)
FPGA Fabric Transceiver Block

TX0

rx_clkout[0] RX0

TX1 MPLL

rx_clkout[1] RX1

Low-speed parallel clock

High-speed serial clock generated by the MPLL

PLL Reconfiguration Mode

Cyclone IV GX device support the PLL reconfiguration support through the
ALTPLL_RECONFIG MegaWizard. You can use this mode to reconfigure the
multipurpose PLL or general purpose PLL used to clock the transceiver channel
without affecting the remaining blocks of the channel. When you reconfigure the
multipurpose PLL or general purpose PLL of a transceiver block to run at a different
data rate, all the transceiver channels listening to this multipurpose PLL or general
purpose PLL also get reconfigured to the new data rate. Channel settings are not
affected. When you reconfigure the multipurpose PLL or general purpose PLL to support
a different data rate, you must ensure that the functional mode of the transceiver channel
supports the reconfigured data rate.
The PLL reconfiguration mode can be enabled by selecting the Enable PLL
Reconfiguration option in the ALTGX MegaWizard under Reconfiguration Setting
tab. For multipurpose PLL or general purpose PLL reconfiguration, .mif files are
required to dynamically reconfigure the PLL setting in order to change the output
frequency of the transceiver PLL to support different data rates.
The .mif files carries the reconfiguration information that will be used to reconfigure
the multipurpose PLL or general purpose PLL dynamically. The .mif contents is
generated automatically when you select the Enable PLL Reconfiguration option in
the Reconfiguration Setting in ALTGX instances. The .mif files will be generated
based on the data rate and input reference clock setting in the ALTGX MegaWizard.
You must use the external ROM and feed its content to the ALTPLL_RECONFIG
megafunction to reconfigure the multipurpose PLL setting.

f For more information about instantiating the ALTPLL_Reconfig, refer to the AN 609:
Implementing Dynamic Reconfiguration in Cyclone IV GX Devices.

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3–32 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Dynamic Reconfiguration Modes

Figure 3–16 shows the connection for PLL reconfiguration mode.

Figure 3–16. ALTGX and ALTPLL_RECONFIG Connection for PLL Reconfiguration Mode

ALTGX
ALTPLL_RECONFIG (3)
GXBL0
pll_reconfig_signals
MPLL2

Transceiver Channels

Transceiver Channels
PLL_scandata[n..0] (1)
PLL_scanclk[n..0] (1) Transceiver Channels
PLL_scanclkena[n..0] (1)

rom_data_in PLL_configupdate[n..0] (1) Transceiver Channels

PLL_areset[n..0] (1)
To external rom_address_out[7..0]
ROM MPLL1
write_rom_ena

PLL_reconfig_done[n..0] (1),(2), pll_scandataout[n..0] (1)

Notes to Figure 3–16:

(1) <n> = (number of transceiver PLLs configured in the ALTGX MegaWizard) - 1.
(2) You must connect the pll_reconfig_done signal from the ALTGX to the pll_scandone port from ALTPLL_RECONFIG.
(3) You need two ALTPLL_RECONFIG controllers if you have two separate ALTGX instances with transceiver PLL instantiated in each ALTGX instance.

f For more information about connecting the ALTPLL_RECONFIG and ALTGX

instances, refer to the AN 609: Implementing Dynamic Reconfiguration in Cyclone IV GX
Devices.

Table 3–7 lists the ALTGX megafunction ports for PLL Reconfiguration mode.

Table 3–7. ALTGX Megafunction Port List for PLL Reconfiguration Mode (Part 1 of 2)
Input/
Port Name (1) Description Comments
Output
Resets the transceiver PLL. The
pll_areset are asserted in two You must connect the pll_areset port of ALTGX to the
conditions: pll_areset port of the ALTPLL_RECONFIG
megafunction.
■ Used to reset the transceiver PLL
during the reset sequence. During The ALTPLL_RECONFIG controller asserts the
reset sequence, this signal is user pll_areset port at the next rising clock edge after the
pll_areset [n..0] Input controlled. pll_reconfig_done signal from the ALTGX
megafunction goes high. After the
■ After the transceiver PLL is pll_reconfig_done signal goes high, the transceiver
reconfigured, this signal is PLL is reset. When the PLL reconfiguration is completed,
asserted high by the this reset is performed automatically by the
ALTPLL_RECONFIG controller. At ALTPLL_RECONFIG megafunction and is not user
this time, this signal is not user controlled.
controlled.
The reconfigurable transceiver PLL received the scan data
pll_scandata Receives the scan data input from the
Input input through this port for the dynamically reconfigurable
[n..0] ALTPLL_RECONFIG megafunction.
bits from the ALTPLL_RECONFIG controller.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration 3–33
Error Indication During Dynamic Reconfiguration

Table 3–7. ALTGX Megafunction Port List for PLL Reconfiguration Mode (Part 2 of 2)
Input/
Port Name (1) Output
Description Comments

pll_scanclk Drives the scanclk port on the Connect the pll_scanclk port of the ALTGX
Input
[n..0] reconfigurable transceiver PLL. megafunction to the ALTPLL_RECONFIG scanclk port.
Acts as a clock enable for the
pll_scanclkena Connect the pll_scanclkena port of the ALTGX
Input scanclk port on the reconfigurable
[n..0] megafunction to the ALTPLL_RECONFIG scanclk port.
transceiver PLL.
This port is connected to the pll_configupdate port
pll_configupdate Drives the configupdate port on from the ALTPLL_RECONFIG controller. After the final data
Input
[n..0] the reconfigurable transceiver PLL. bit is sent out, the ALTPLL_RECONFIG controller asserts
this signal.
Connect the pll_reconfig_done port to the
pll_scandone port on the ALTPLL_RECONFIG
pll_reconfig_done This signal is asserted to indicate the
Output controller. The transceiver PLL scandone output signal
[n..0] reconfiguration process is done.
drives this port and determines when the PLL is
reconfigured.
Connect the pll_scandataout port to the
pll_scandataout port of the ALTPLL_RECONFIG
pll_scandataout This port scan out the current
Output controller. This port reads the current configuration of the
[n..0] configuration of the transceiver PLL.
transceiver PLL and send it to the ALTPLL_RECONFIG
megafunction.
Note to Table 3–7:
(1) <n> = (number of transceiver PLLs configured in the ALTGX MegaWizard) - 1.

f For more information about the ALTPLL_RECONFIG megafunction port list,

description and usage, refer to the Phase-Locked Loop Reconfiguration
(ALTPL_RECONFIG) Megafunction User Guide.

Error Indication During Dynamic Reconfiguration

The ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard Plug-In Manager provides an error status
signal when you select the Enable illegal mode checking option or the Enable self
recovery option in the Error checks/data rate switch screen. The conditions under
which the error signal is asserted are:
■ Enable illegal mode checking option—when you select this option, the dynamic
reconfiguration controller checks whether an attempted operation falls under one
of the conditions listed below. The dynamic reconfiguration controller detects
these conditions within two reconfig_clk cycles, deasserts the busy signal, and
asserts the error signal for two reconfig_clk cycles.
■ PMA controls, read operation—none of the output ports (rx_eqctrl_out,
rx_eqdcgain_out, tx_vodctrl_out, and tx_preemp_out) are selected
in the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance and the read signal is asserted.
■ PMA controls, write operation—none of the input ports (rx_eqctrl,
rx_eqdcgain, tx_vodctrl, and tx_preemp) are selected in the
ALTGX_RECONFIG instance and the write_all signal is asserted.

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3–34 Chapter 3: Cyclone IV Dynamic Reconfiguration
Functional Simulation of the Dynamic Reconfiguration Process

■ Channel reconfiguration and PMA reconfiguration mode select - read operation

option:
■ The reconfig_mode_sel input port is set to 3’b001 (Channel reconfiguration
mode)
■ The read signal is asserted
■ Enable self recovery option—when you select this option, the
ALTGX_RECONFIG MegaWizard Plug-In Manager provides the error output
port. The dynamic reconfiguration controller quits an operation if it did not
complete within the expected number of clock cycles. After recovering from the
illegal operation, the dynamic reconfiguration controller deasserts the busy signal
and asserts the error output port for two reconfig_clk cycles.

Functional Simulation of the Dynamic Reconfiguration Process

This section describes the points to be considered during functional simulation of the
dynamic reconfiguration process.
■ You must connect the ALTGX_RECONFIG instance to the
ALTGX_instance/ALTGX instances in your design for functional simulation.
■ The functional simulation uses a reduced timing model of the dynamic
reconfiguration controller. The duration of the offset cancellation process is 16
reconfig_clk clock cycles for functional simulation only.
■ The gxb_powerdown signal must not be asserted during the offset cancellation
sequence (for functional simulation and silicon).

Document Revision History

Table 3–8 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 3–8. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.1 release.
■ Updated Table 3–1, Table 3–2, Table 3–3, Table 3–4, Table 3–5, and Table 3–6.
■ Added Table 3–7.
December 2010 2.0 ■ Updated Figure 3–1, Figure 3–11, Figure 3–13, and Figure 3–14.
■ Updated “Offset Cancellation Feature”, “Error Indication During Dynamic
Reconfiguration”, “Data Rate Reconfiguration Mode Using RX Local Divider”, “PMA
Controls Reconfiguration Mode”, and “Control and Status Signals for Channel
Reconfiguration”sections.
July 2010 1.0 Initial release.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 2 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

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or services.
 Contents

Chapter Revision Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Additional Information
About this Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Info-v
How to Contact Altera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Info-v
Typographic Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Info-v

Section 1. Device Datasheet

Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

Chapter 1. Cyclone IV Device Datasheet

Operating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Absolute Maximum Ratings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Maximum Allowed Overshoot or Undershoot Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Recommended Operating Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
ESD Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
DC Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Supply Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Bus Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
OCT Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Pin Capacitance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Internal Weak Pull-Up and Weak Pull-Down Resistor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Hot-Socketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Schmitt Trigger Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
I/O Standard Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Power Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Switching Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Transceiver Performance Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Core Performance Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Clock Tree Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
PLL Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-24
Embedded Multiplier Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Memory Block Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Configuration and JTAG Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-26
Periphery Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
High-Speed I/O Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-27
External Memory Interface Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
Duty Cycle Distortion Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
OCT Calibration Timing Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-33
IOE Programmable Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-34
I/O Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-37
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-38
Document Revision History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-43

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

2 Contents

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Chapter Revision Dates

The chapter in this book, Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3, were revised on the
following dates. Where chapters or groups of chapters are available separately, part
numbers are listed.

Chapter 1 Cyclone IV Device Datasheet

Revised: December 2010
Part Number: CYIV-53001-1.4

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

iv Chapter Revision Dates

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Additional Information

About this Handbook

This handbook provides comprehensive information about the Altera® Cyclone® IV
family of devices.

How to Contact Altera

For the most up-to-date information about Altera products, see the following table.

Contact
Contact (Note 1) Method Address
Technical support Website www.altera.com/support
Technical training Website www.altera.com/training
Email [email protected]
Non-technical support (General) Email [email protected]
(Software Licensing) Email [email protected]
Note:
(1) You can also contact your local Altera sales office or sales representative.

Typographic Conventions
The following table shows the typographic conventions that this document uses.

Visual Cue Meaning

Bold Type with Initial Capital Indicates command names, dialog box titles, dialog box options, and other GUI
Letters labels. For example, Save As dialog box. For GUI elements, capitalization matches
the GUI.
bold type Indicates directory names, project names, disk drive names, file names, file name
extensions, dialog box options, software utility names, and other GUI labels. For
example, \qdesigns directory, d: drive, and chiptrip.gdf.
Italic Type with Initial Capital Letters Indicates document titles. For example, AN 519: Stratix IV Design Guidelines.
Italic type Indicates variables. For example, n + 1.
Variable names are enclosed in angle brackets (< >). For example, <file name> and
<project name>.pof.
Initial Capital Letters Indicates keyboard keys and menu names. For example, Delete key and the Options
menu.
“Subheading Title” Quotation marks indicate references to sections within a document and titles of
Quartus II Help topics. For example, “Typographic Conventions.”

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

Info–vi Additional Information

Visual Cue Meaning

Courier type Indicates signal, port, register, bit, block, and primitive names. For example, data1,
tdi, and input. Active-low signals are denoted by suffix n. For example,
resetn.
Indicates command line commands and anything that must be typed exactly as it
appears. For example, c:\qdesigns\tutorial\chiptrip.gdf.
Also indicates sections of an actual file, such as a Report File, references to parts of
files (for example, the AHDL keyword SUBDESIGN), and logic function names (for
example, TRI).
1., 2., 3., and Numbered steps indicate a list of items when the sequence of the items is important,
a., b., c., and so on. such as the steps listed in a procedure.
■ ■ Bullets indicate a list of items when the sequence of the items is not important.
1 The hand points to information that requires special attention.
A caution calls attention to a condition or possible situation that can damage or
c
destroy the product or your work.
A warning calls attention to a condition or possible situation that can cause you
w
injury.
r The angled arrow instructs you to press Enter.
f The feet direct you to more information about a particular topic.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

 Section 1. Device Datasheet

This section provides the Cyclone® IV device datasheet. It includes the following
chapter:
■ Chapter 1, Cyclone IV Device Datasheet

Revision History
Refer to each chapter for its own specific revision history. For information about when
each chapter was updated, refer to the Chapter Revision Dates section, which appears
in the complete handbook.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

 1. Cyclone IV Device Datasheet

CYIV-53001-1.4

This chapter describes the electrical and switching characteristics for Cyclone IV
devices. Electrical characteristics include operating conditions and power
consumption. Switching characteristics include transceiver specifications, core, and
periphery performance. This chapter also describes I/O timing, including
programmable I/O element (IOE) delay and programmable output buffer delay.
This chapter includes the following sections:
■ “Operating Conditions” on page 1–1
■ “Power Consumption” on page 1–15
■ “Switching Characteristics” on page 1–16
■ “I/O Timing” on page 1–37
■ “Glossary” on page 1–38

Operating Conditions
When Cyclone IV devices are implemented in a system, they are rated according to a
set of defined parameters. To maintain the highest possible performance and
reliability of Cyclone IV devices, you must consider the operating requirements
described in this chapter.
Cyclone IV devices are offered in commercial, industrial, and automotive grades.
Cyclone IV E devices offer –6 (fastest), –7, –8, –8L, and –9L speed grades for
commercial devices, –7 and –8L speed grades for industrial devices, and –7 speed
grade for automotive devices. Cyclone IV GX devices offer –6 (fastest), –7, and –8
speed grades for commercial devices and –7 speed grade for industrial devices.

f For more information about the supported speed grades for respective Cyclone IV
devices, refer to the Cyclone IV FPGA Device Family Overview chapter.

1 Cyclone IV E devices are offered in core voltages of 1.0 and 1.2 V. Cyclone IV E
devices with a core voltage of 1.0 V have an ‘L’ prefix attached to the speed grade.

In this chapter, a prefix associated with the operating temperature range is attached to
the speed grades; commercial with a “C” prefix, industrial with an “I” prefix, and
automotive with an “A” prefix. Therefore, commercial devices are indicated as C6, C7,
C8, C8L, or C9L per respective speed grade. Industrial devices are indicated as I7, I8,
or I8L. Automotive devices are indicated as A7.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–2 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Operating Conditions

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Absolute maximum ratings define the maximum operating conditions for Cyclone IV
devices. The values are based on experiments conducted with the device and
theoretical modeling of breakdown and damage mechanisms. The functional
operation of the device is not implied at these conditions. Table 1–1 lists the absolute
maximum ratings for Cyclone IV devices.

c Conditions beyond those listed in Table 1–1 cause permanent damage to the device.
Additionally, device operation at the absolute maximum ratings for extended periods
of time have adverse effects on the device.

Table 1–1. Absolute Maximum Ratings for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1) —Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Min Max Unit
 
Core voltage, PCI Express (PCIe ) hard IP
VCCINT block, and transceiver physical coding sublayer –0.5 1.8 V
(PCS) power supply
VCCA Phase-locked loop (PLL) analog power supply –0.5 3.75 V
VCCD_PLL PLL digital power supply –0.5 1.8 V
VCCIO I/O banks power supply –0.5 3.9 V
VCC_CLKIN Differential clock input pins power supply –0.5 3.9 V
VCCH_GXB Transceiver output buffer power supply –0.5 2.625 V
Transceiver physical medium attachment (PMA)
VCCA_GXB –0.5 2.625 V
and auxiliary power supply
VCCL_GXB Transceiver PMA and auxiliary power supply –0.5 1.8 V
VI DC input voltage –0.5 3.95 V
IOUT DC output current, per pin –25 40 mA
TSTG Storage temperature –65 150 °C
TJ Operating junction temperature –40 125 °C
Note to Table 1–1:
(1) Supply voltage specifications apply to voltage readings taken at the device pins with respect to ground, not at the
power supply.

Maximum Allowed Overshoot or Undershoot Voltage

During transitions, input signals may overshoot to the voltage shown in Table 1–2 and
undershoot to –2.0 V for a magnitude of currents less than 100 mA and for periods
shorter than 20 ns. Table 1–2 lists the maximum allowed input overshoot voltage and
the duration of the overshoot voltage as a percentage over the lifetime of the device.
The maximum allowed overshoot duration is specified as a percentage of high-time
over the lifetime of the device.

1 A DC signal is equivalent to 100% duty cycle. For example, a signal that overshoots to
4.2 V can only be at 4.2 V for 10.74% over the lifetime of the device; for a device
lifetime of 10 years, this amounts to 10.74/10ths of a year.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–3
Operating Conditions

Table 1–2. Maximum Allowed Overshoot During Transitions over a 10-Year Time Frame for
Cyclone IV Devices
Symbol Parameter Condition (V) Overshoot Duration as % of High Time Unit
VI = 3.95 100 %
VI = 4.0 95.67 %
VI = 4.05 55.24 %
VI = 4.10 31.97 %
VI = 4.15 18.52 %
VI = 4.20 10.74 %
AC Input VI = 4.25 6.23 %
Vi
Voltage VI = 4.30 3.62 %
VI = 4.35 2.1 %
VI = 4.40 1.22 %
VI = 4.45 0.71 %
VI = 4.50 0.41 %
VI = 4.60 0.14 %
VI = 4.70 0.047 %

Figure 1–1 shows the methodology to determine the overshoot duration. The
overshoot voltage is shown in red and is present on the input pin of the Cyclone IV
device at over 4.1 V but below 4.2 V. From Table 1–2, for an overshoot of 4.1 V, the
percentage of high time for the overshoot can be as high as 31.97% over a 10-year
period. Percentage of high time is calculated as ([delta T]/T) × 100. This 10-year
period assumes that the device is always turned on with 100% I/O toggle rate and
50% duty cycle signal. For lower I/O toggle rates and situations in which the device is
in an idle state, lifetimes are increased.

Figure 1–1. Cyclone IV Devices Overshoot Duration

4.2 V

4.1 V

3.3 V

ΔT
T

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–4 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Operating Conditions

Recommended Operating Conditions

This section lists the functional operation limits for AC and DC parameters for
Cyclone IV devices. Table 1–3 and Table 1–4 list the steady-state voltage and current
values expected from Cyclone IV E and Cyclone IV GX devices. All supplies must be
strictly monotonic without plateaus.

Table 1–3. Recommended Operating Conditions for Cyclone IV E Devices (Note 1), (2) (Part 1 of 2)
Symbol Parameter Conditions Min Typ Max Unit
Supply voltage for internal logic,
— 1.15 1.2 1.25 V
1.2-V operation
VCCINT (3)
Supply voltage for internal logic,
— 0.97 1.0 1.03 V
1.0-V operation
Supply voltage for output buffers,
— 3.135 3.3 3.465 V
3.3-V operation
Supply voltage for output buffers,
— 2.85 3 3.15 V
3.0-V operation
Supply voltage for output buffers,
— 2.375 2.5 2.625 V
2.5-V operation
VCCIO (3), (4)
Supply voltage for output buffers,
— 1.71 1.8 1.89 V
1.8-V operation
Supply voltage for output buffers,
— 1.425 1.5 1.575 V
1.5-V operation
Supply voltage for output buffers,
— 1.14 1.2 1.26 V
1.2-V operation
Supply (analog) voltage for PLL
VCCA (3) — 2.375 2.5 2.625 V
regulator
Supply (digital) voltage for PLL,
— 1.15 1.2 1.25 V
1.2-V operation
VCCD_PLL (3)
Supply (digital) voltage for PLL,
— 0.97 1.0 1.03 V
1.0-V operation
VI Input voltage — –0.5 — 3.6 V
VO Output voltage — 0 — VCCIO V
For commercial use 0 — 85 °C
TJ Operating junction temperature For industrial use –40 — 100 °C
For automotive use –40 — 125 °C
Standard power-on
50 µs — 50 ms —
tRAMP Power supply ramp time reset (POR) (5)
Fast POR (6) 50 µs — 3 ms —

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–5
Operating Conditions

Table 1–3. Recommended Operating Conditions for Cyclone IV E Devices (Note 1), (2) (Part 2 of 2)
Symbol Parameter Conditions Min Typ Max Unit
Magnitude of DC current across
IDiode — — — 10 mA
PCI-clamp diode when enable
Notes to Table 1–3:
(1) Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices only support C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades. Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices only support C6,
C7, C8, I7, and A7 speed grades.
(2) VCCIO for all I/O banks must be powered up during device operation. All VCCA pins must be powered to 2.5 V (even when PLLs are not used) and
must be powered up and powered down at the same time.
(3) VCC must rise monotonically.
(4) VCCIO powers all input buffers.
(5) The POR time for Standard POR ranges between 50 and 200 ms. Each individual power supply must reach the recommended operating range
within 50 ms.
(6) The POR time for Fast POR ranges between 3 and 9 ms. Each individual power supply must reach the recommended operating range within 3 ms.

Table 1–4. Recommended Operating Conditions for Cyclone IV GX Devices (Part 1 of 2)—Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Conditions Min Typ Max Unit
Core voltage, PCIe hard IP block, and
VCCINT (3) — 1.16 1.2 1.24 V
transceiver PCS power supply
VCCA (1),(3) PLL analog power supply — 2.375 2.5 2.625 V
VCCD_PLL (2) PLL digital power supply — 1.16 1.2 1.24 V
I/O banks power supply for 3.3-V
— 3.135 3.3 3.465 V
operation
I/O banks power supply for 3.0-V
— 2.85 3 3.15 V
operation
I/O banks power supply for 2.5-V
— 2.375 2.5 2.625 V
operation
VCCIO (3), (4)
I/O banks power supply for 1.8-V
— 1.71 1.8 1.89 V
operation
I/O banks power supply for 1.5-V
— 1.425 1.5 1.575 V
operation
I/O banks power supply for 1.2-V
— 1.14 1.2 1.26 V
operation
Differential clock input pins power
— 3.135 3.3 3.465 V
supply for 3.3-V operation
Differential clock input pins power
— 2.85 3 3.15 V
supply for 3.0-V operation
Differential clock input pins power
— 2.375 2.5 2.625 V
VCC_CLKIN supply for 2.5-V operation
(3),(5), (6) Differential clock input pins power
— 1.71 1.8 1.89 V
supply for 1.8-V operation
Differential clock input pins power
— 1.425 1.5 1.575 V
supply for 1.5-V operation
Differential clock input pins power
— 1.14 1.2 1.26 V
supply for 1.2-V operation
VCCH_GXB Transceiver output buffer power supply — 2.375 2.5 2.625 V
Transceiver PMA and auxiliary power
VCCA_GXB — 2.375 2.5 2.625 V
supply

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–6 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Operating Conditions

Table 1–4. Recommended Operating Conditions for Cyclone IV GX Devices (Part 2 of 2)—Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Conditions Min Typ Max Unit
Transceiver PMA and auxiliary power
VCCL_GXB — 1.16 1.2 1.24 V
supply
VI DC input voltage — –0.5 — 3.6 V
VO DC output voltage — 0 — VCCIO V
For commercial use 0 — 85 °C
TJ Operating junction temperature
For industrial use –40 — 100 °C
Standard power-on reset
50 µs — 50 ms —
tRAMP Power supply ramp time (POR) (7)
Fast POR (8) 50 µs — 3 ms —
Magnitude of DC current across
IDiode — — — 10 mA
PCI-clamp diode when enabled
Notes to Table 1–4:
(1) All VCCA pins must be powered to 2.5 V (even when PLLs are not used) and must be powered up and powered down at the same time.
(2) You must connect VCCD_PLL to VCCINT through a decoupling capacitor and ferrite bead.
(3) Power supplies must rise monotonically.
(4) VCCIO for all I/O banks must be powered up during device operation. Configurations pins are powered up by VCCIO of I/O Banks 3, 8, and 9 where
I/O Banks 3 and 9 only support VCCIO of 1.5, 1.8, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.3 V. For fast passive parallel (FPP) configuration mode, the VCCIO level of I/O
Bank 8 must be powered up to 1.5, 1.8, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.3 V.
(5) You must set VCC_CLKIN to 2.5 V if you use CLKIN as a high-speed serial interface (HSSI) refclk. VCC_CLKIN located at I/O Banks 3B and 8B
only support a nominal voltage level of 2.5 V for LVDS input function because they are dedicated for HSSI refclk.
(6) The CLKIN pins in I/O Banks 3B and 8B can support single-ended I/O standard.
(7) The POR time for Standard POR ranges between 50 and 200 ms. VCCINT, VCCA, and VCCIO of I/O Banks 3, 8, and 9 must reach the recommended
operating range within 50 ms.
(8) The POR time for Fast POR ranges between 3 and 9 ms. VCCINT, VCCA, and VCCIO of I/O Banks 3, 8, and 9 must reach the recommended operating
range within 3 ms.

ESD Performance
This section lists the electrostatic discharge (ESD) voltages using the human body
model (HBM) and charged device model (CDM) for Cyclone IV devices general
purpose I/Os (GPIOs) and high-speed serial interface (HSSI) I/Os. Table 1–6 lists the
ESD for Cyclone IV devices GPIOs and HSSI I/Os.

Table 1–5. ESD for Cyclone IV Devices GPIOs and HSSI I/Os
Symbol Parameter Passing Voltage Unit
ESD voltage using the HBM (GPIOs) ± 2000 V
VESDHBM
ESD using the HBM (HSSI I/Os) (1) ± 1000 V
ESD using the CDM (GPIOs) ± 500 V
VESDCDM
ESD using the CDM (HSSI I/Os) (1) ± 250 V
Note to Table 1–5:
(1) This value is applicable only to Cyclone IV GX devices.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–7
Operating Conditions

DC Characteristics
This section lists the I/O leakage current, pin capacitance, on-chip termination (OCT)
tolerance, and bus hold specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Supply Current
The device supply current requirement is the minimum current drawn from the
power supply pins that can be used as a reference for power size planning. Use the
Excel-based early power estimator (EPE) to get the supply current estimates for your
design because these currents vary greatly with the resources used. Table 1–6 lists the
I/O pin leakage current for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–6. I/O Pin Leakage Current for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (2)
Symbol Parameter Conditions Device Min Typ Max Unit
II Input pin leakage current VI = 0 V to VCCIOMAX — –10 — 10 A
Tristated I/O pin leakage
IOZ VO = 0 V to VCCIOMAX — –10 — 10 A
current
Notes to Table 1–6:
(1) This value is specified for normal device operation. The value varies during device power-up. This applies for all VCCIO settings (3.3, 3.0, 2.5,
1.8, 1.5, and 1.2 V).
(2) The 10 A I/O leakage current limit is applicable when the internal clamping diode is off. A higher current can be observed when the diode is on.

Bus Hold
The bus hold retains the last valid logic state after the source driving it either enters
the high impedance state or is removed. Each I/O pin has an option to enable bus
hold in user mode. Bus hold is always disabled in configuration mode.
Table 1–7 lists bus hold specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–7. Bus Hold Parameter for Cyclone IV Devices (Part 1 of 2) (Note 1)—Preliminary
VCCIO (V)

Parameter Condition 1.2 1.5 1.8 2.5 3.0 3.3 Unit

Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max
Bus hold
low, VIN > VIL
8 — 12 — 30 — 50 — 70 — 70 — A
sustaining (maximum)
current
Bus hold
high, VIN < VIL
–8 — –12 — –30 — –50 — –70 — –70 — A
sustaining (minimum)
current
Bus hold
low,
0 V < VIN < VCCIO — 125 — 175 — 200 — 300 — 500 — 500 A
overdrive
current
Bus hold
high,
0 V < VIN < VCCIO — –125 — –175 — –200 — –300 — –500 — –500 A
overdrive
current

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–8 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Operating Conditions

Table 1–7. Bus Hold Parameter for Cyclone IV Devices (Part 2 of 2) (Note 1)—Preliminary
VCCIO (V)

Parameter Condition 1.2 1.5 1.8 2.5 3.0 3.3 Unit

Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max
Bus hold trip
— 0.3 0.9 0.375 1.125 0.68 1.07 0.7 1.7 0.8 2 0.8 2 V
point
Note to Table 1–7:
(1) Bus hold trip points are based on the calculated input voltages from the JEDEC standard.

OCT Specifications
Table 1–8 lists the variation of OCT without calibration across process, temperature,
and voltage (PVT).

Table 1–8. Series OCT Without Calibration Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices—Preliminary

Resistance Tolerance
Description VCCIO (V) Industrial and Unit
Commercial Max
Automotive Max
3.0 ±30 ±40 %
2.5 ±30 ±40 %
Series OCT without
1.8 ±40 ±50 %
calibration
1.5 ±50 ±50 %
1.2 ±50 ±50 %

OCT calibration is automatically performed at device power-up for OCT-enabled

I/Os.
Table 1–9 lists the OCT calibration accuracy at device power-up.

Table 1–9. Series OCT with Calibration at Device Power-Up Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices
—Preliminary
Calibration Accuracy
Description VCCIO (V) Industrial and Automotive Unit
Commercial Max
Max
3.0 ±10 ±10 %

Series OCT with 2.5 ±10 ±10 %

calibration at device 1.8 ±10 ±10 %
power-up 1.5 ±10 ±10 %
1.2 ±10 ±10 %

The OCT resistance may vary with the variation of temperature and voltage after
calibration at device power-up. Use Table 1–10 and Equation 1–1 to determine the
final OCT resistance considering the variations after calibration at device power-up.
Table 1–10 lists the change percentage of the OCT resistance with voltage and
temperature.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–9
Operating Conditions

Table 1–10. OCT Variation After Calibration at Device Power-Up for Cyclone IV Devices—Preliminary
Nominal Voltage dR/dT (%/°C) dR/dV (%/mV)
3.0 0.262 –0.026
2.5 0.234 –0.039
1.8 0.219 –0.086
1.5 0.199 –0.136
1.2 0.161 –0.288

Equation 1–1. Final OCT Resistance (Note 1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)
RV = (V2 – V1) × 1000 × dR/dV ––––– (7)
RT = (T2 – T1) × dR/dT ––––– (8)
For Rx < 0; MFx = 1/ (|Rx|/100 + 1) ––––– (9)
For Rx > 0; MFx = Rx/100 + 1 ––––– (10)
MF = MFV × MFT ––––– (11)
Rfinal = R initial × MF ––––– (12)
Notes to Equation 1–1:
(1) T2 is the final temperature.
(2) T1 is the initial temperature.
(3) MF is multiplication factor.
(4) Rfinal is final resistance.
(5) Rinitial is initial resistance.
(6) Subscript x refers to both V and T.
(7) RV is a variation of resistance with voltage.
(8) RT is a variation of resistance with temperature.
(9) dR/dT is the change percentage of resistance with temperature after calibration at device power-up.
(10) dR/dV is the change percentage of resistance with voltage after calibration at device power-up.
(11) V2 is final voltage.
(12) V1 is the initial voltage.

Example 1–1 shows how to calculate the change of 50-I/O impedance from 25°C at
3.0 V to 85°C at 3.15 V.

Example 1–1. Impedance Change

RV = (3.15 – 3) × 1000 × –0.026 = –3.83
RT = (85 – 25) × 0.262 = 15.72
Because RV is negative,
MFV = 1 / (3.83/100 + 1) = 0.963
Because RT is positive,
MFT = 15.72/100 + 1 = 1.157
MF = 0.963 × 1.157 = 1.114
Rfinal = 50 × 1.114 = 55.71 

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–10 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Operating Conditions

Pin Capacitance
Table 1–11 lists the pin capacitance for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–11. Pin Capacitance for Cyclone IV Devices —Preliminary

Typical – Typical – Typical –
Quad Flat Quad Flat Fineline
Symbol Parameter Unit
Pack No Leads BGA
(QFP) (QFN) (FBGA)
CIOTB Input capacitance on top and bottom I/O pins 7 7 6 pF
CIOLR Input capacitance on right I/O pins 7 7 5 pF
CLVDSLR Input capacitance on right I/O pins with dedicated LVDS output 8 8 7 pF
Input capacitance on right dual-purpose VREF pin when used as
CVREFLR (1) 21 21 21 pF
VREF or user I/O pin
Input capacitance on top and bottom dual-purpose VREF pin
CVREFTB (1) 23 (2) 23 23 pF
when used as VREF or user I/O pin
CCLKTB Input capacitance on top and bottom dedicated clock input pins 7 7 6 pF
CCLKLR Input capacitance on right dedicated clock input pins 6 6 5 pF
Notes to Table 1–11:
(1) When you use the VREF pin as a regular input or output, you can expect a reduced performance of toggle rate and tCO because of higher pin
capacitance.
(2) CVREFTB for the EP4CE22 device is 30 pF.

Internal Weak Pull-Up and Weak Pull-Down Resistor

Table 1–12 lists the weak pull-up and pull-down resistor values for Cyclone IV
devices.

Table 1–12. Internal Weak Pull-Up and Weak Pull-Down Resistor Values for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1) (Part 1 of 2)—
Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Conditions Min Typ Max Unit
VCCIO = 3.3 V ± 5% (2), (3) 7 25 41 k
VCCIO = 3.0 V ± 5% (2), (3) 7 28 47 k
Value of the I/O pin pull-up resistor
before and during configuration, as VCCIO = 2.5 V ± 5% (2), (3) 8 35 61 k
R_PU
well as user mode if you enable the VCCIO = 1.8 V ± 5% (2), (3) 10 57 108 k
programmable pull-up resistor option
VCCIO = 1.5 V ± 5% (2), (3) 13 82 163 k
VCCIO = 1.2 V ± 5% (2), (3) 19 143 351 k

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–11
Operating Conditions

Table 1–12. Internal Weak Pull-Up and Weak Pull-Down Resistor Values for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1) (Part 2 of 2)—
Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Conditions Min Typ Max Unit
VCCIO = 3.3 V ± 5% (4) 6 19 30 k
VCCIO = 3.0 V ± 5% (4) 6 22 36 k
Value of the I/O pin pull-down resistor
R_PD VCCIO = 2.5 V ± 5% (4) 6 25 43 k
before and during configuration
VCCIO = 1.8 V ± 5% (4) 7 35 71 k
VCCIO = 1.5 V ± 5% (4) 8 50 112 k
Notes to Table 1–12:
(1) All I/O pins have an option to enable weak pull-up except the configuration, test, and JTAG pins. The weak pull-down feature is only available
for JTAG TCK.
(2) Pin pull-up resistance values may be lower if an external source drives the pin higher than VCCIO.
(3) R_PU = (VCCIO – VI)/IR_PU
Minimum condition: –40°C; VCCIO = VCC + 5%, VI = VCC + 5% – 50 mV;
Typical condition: 25°C; VCCIO = VCC, VI = 0 V;
Maximum condition: 100°C; VCCIO = VCC – 5% , VI = 0 V; in which VI refers to the input voltage at the I/O pin.
(4) R_PD = VI/IR_PD
Minimum condition: –40°C; VCCIO = VCC + 5%, VI = 50 mV;
Typical condition: 25°C; VCCIO = VCC, VI = VCC – 5% ;
Maximum condition: 100°C; VCCIO = VCC – 5% , VI = VCC – 5% ; in which VI refers to the input voltage at the I/O pin.

Hot-Socketing
Table 1–13 lists the hot-socketing specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–13. Hot-Socketing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices —Preliminary

Symbol Parameter Maximum
IIOPIN(DC) DC current per I/O pin 300 A
IIOPIN(AC) AC current per I/O pin 8 mA (1)
IXCVRTX(DC) DC current per transceiver TX pin 100 mA
IXCVRRX(DC) DC current per transceiver RX pin 50 mA
Note to Table 1–13:
(1) The I/O ramp rate is 10 ns or more. For ramp rates faster than 10 ns, |IIOPIN| = C dv/dt, in which C is the I/O pin
capacitance and dv/dt is the slew rate.

1 During hot-socketing, the I/O pin capacitance is less than 15 pF and the clock pin
capacitance is less than 20 pF.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–12 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Operating Conditions

Schmitt Trigger Input

Cyclone IV devices support Schmitt trigger input on the TDI, TMS, TCK, nSTATUS,
nCONFIG, nCE, CONF_DONE, and DCLK pins. A Schmitt trigger feature introduces
hysteresis to the input signal for improved noise immunity, especially for signals with
slow edge rate. Table 1–14 lists the hysteresis specifications across the supported VCCIO
range for Schmitt trigger inputs in Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–14. Hysteresis Specifications for Schmitt Trigger Input in Cyclone IV Devices —Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Conditions (V) Minimum Unit
VCCIO = 3.3 200 mV
Hysteresis for Schmitt trigger VCCIO = 2.5 200 mV
VSCHMITT
input VCCIO = 1.8 140 mV
VCCIO = 1.5 110 mV

I/O Standard Specifications

The following tables list input voltage sensitivities (VIH and VIL), output voltage (VOH
and VOL), and current drive characteristics (IOH and IOL), for various I/O standards
supported by Cyclone IV devices. Table 1–15 through Table 1–20 provide the I/O
standard specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–15. Single-Ended I/O Standard Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (2) —Preliminary
VCCIO (V) VIL (V) VIH (V) VOL (V) VOH (V) IOL IOH
I/O Standard
Min Typ Max Min Max Min Max Max Min (mA) (mA)

3.3-V LVTTL (3) 3.135 3.3 3.465 — 0.8 1.7 3.6 0.45 2.4 4 –4
3.3-V LVCMOS (3) 3.135 3.3 3.465 — 0.8 1.7 3.6 0.2 VCCIO – 0.2 2 –2
3.0-V LVTTL (3) 2.85 3.0 3.15 –0.3 0.8 1.7 VCCIO + 0.3 0.45 2.4 4 –4
3.0-V LVCMOS (3) 2.85 3.0 3.15 –0.3 0.8 1.7 VCCIO + 0.3 0.2 VCCIO – 0.2 0.1 –0.1
2.5-V LVTTL and
2.375 2.5 2.625 –0.3 0.7 1.7 VCCIO + 0.3 0.4 2.0 1 –1
LVCMOS (3)
1.8-V LVTTL and 0.35 * 0.65 *
1.71 1.8 1.89 –0.3 2.25 0.45 VCCIO – 0.45 2 –2
LVCMOS VCCIO VCCIO
0.35 * 0.65 *
1.5-V LVCMOS 1.425 1.5 1.575 –0.3 VCCIO + 0.3 0.25 * VCCIO 0.75 * VCCIO 2 –2
VCCIO VCCIO
0.35 * 0.65 *
1.2-V LVCMOS 1.14 1.2 1.26 –0.3 VCCIO + 0.3 0.25 * VCCIO 0.75 * VCCIO 2 –2
VCCIO VCCIO
0.3 * 0.5 *
3.0-V PCI 2.85 3.0 3.15 — VCCIO + 0.3 0.1 * VCCIO 0.9 * VCCIO 1.5 –0.5
VCCIO VCCIO
0.35* 0.5 *
3.0-V PCI-X 2.85 3.0 3.15 — VCCIO + 0.3 0.1 * VCCIO 0.9 * VCCIO 1.5 –0.5
VCCIO VCCIO
Notes to Table 1–15:
(1) For voltage-referenced receiver input waveform and explanation of terms used in Table 1–15, refer to “Glossary” on page 1–38.
(2) AC load CL = 10 pF
(3) For more information about interfacing Cyclone IV devices with 3.3/3.0/2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS I/O standards, refer to AN 447: Interfacing Cyclone III
and Cyclone IV Devices with 3.3/3.0/2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS I/O Systems.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–13
Operating Conditions

Table 1–16. Single-Ended SSTL and HSTL I/O Reference Voltage Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1)
—Preliminary

I/O VCCIO (V) VREF (V) VTT (V) (2)

Standard Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max
SSTL-2
2.375 2.5 2.625 1.19 1.25 1.31 VREF – 0.04 VREF VREF + 0.04
Class I, II
SSTL-18
1.7 1.8 1.9 0.833 0.9 0.969 VREF – 0.04 VREF VREF + 0.04
Class I, II
HSTL-18
1.71 1.8 1.89 0.85 0.9 0.95 0.85 0.9 0.95
Class I, II
HSTL-15
1.425 1.5 1.575 0.71 0.75 0.79 0.71 0.75 0.79
Class I, II
HSTL-12 0.48 * VCCIO (3) 0.5 * VCCIO (3) 0.52 * VCCIO (3)
1.14 1.2 1.26 — 0.5 * VCCIO —
Class I, II 0.47 * VCCIO (4) 0.5 * VCCIO (4) 0.53 * VCCIO (4)
Notes to Table 1–16:
(1) For an explanation of terms used in Table 1–16, refer to “Glossary” on page 1–38.
(2) VTT of the transmitting device must track VREF of the receiving device.
(3) Value shown refers to DC input reference voltage, VREF(DC).
(4) Value shown refers to AC input reference voltage, VREF(AC).

Table 1–17. Single-Ended SSTL and HSTL I/O Standards Signal Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices—Preliminary

I/O VIL(DC) (V) VIH(DC) (V) VIL(AC) (V) VIH(AC) (V) VOL (V) VOH (V) IOL IOH
Standard Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Max Min (mA) (mA)

SSTL-2 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF + VTT – VTT +

— — — — 8.1 –8.1
Class I 0.18 0.18 0.35 0.35 0.57 0.57
SSTL-2 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF + VTT –
— — — — VTT + 0.76 16.4 –16.4
Class II 0.18 0.18 0.35 0.35 0.76
SSTL-18 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF + VTT – VTT +
— — — — 6.7 –6.7
Class I 0.125 0.125 0.25 0.25 0.475 0.475
SSTL-18 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF + VCCIO –
— — — — 0.28 13.4 –13.4
Class II 0.125 0.125 0.25 0.25 0.28
HSTL-18 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF +
— — — — 0.4 VCCIO – 0.4 8 –8
Class I 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2
HSTL-18 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF + VCCIO –
— — — — 0.4 16 –16
Class II 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.4
HSTL-15 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF + VCCIO –
— — — — 0.4 8 –8
Class I 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.4
HSTL-15 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF + VCCIO –
— — — — 0.4 16 –16
Class II 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.4
HSTL-12 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF + 0.25 × 0.75 ×
–0.15 VCCIO + 0.15 –0.24 VCCIO + 0.24 8 –8
Class I 0.08 0.08 0.15 0.15 VCCIO VCCIO
HSTL-12 VREF – VREF + VREF – VREF + 0.25 × 0.75 ×
–0.15 VCCIO + 0.15 –0.24 VCCIO + 0.24 14 –14
Class II 0.08 0.08 0.15 0.15 VCCIO VCCIO

f For more information about receiver input and transmitter output waveforms, and for
other differential I/O standards, refer to the I/O Features in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–14 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Operating Conditions

Table 1–18. Differential SSTL I/O Standard Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices—Preliminary
VCCIO (V) VSwing(DC) (V) VX(AC) (V) VSwing(AC) (V) VOX(AC) (V)
I/O Standard
Min Typ Max Min Max Min Typ Max Min Max Min Typ Max
SSTL-2 VCCIO/2 + VCCIO/2 – VCCIO/2 +
2.375 2.5 2.625 0.36 VCCIO VCCIO/2 – 0.2 — 0.7 VCCIO —
Class I, II 0.2 0.125 0.125
SSTL-18 VCCIO/2 – VCCIO/2 + VCCIO/2 – VCCIO/2 +
1.7 1.8 1.90 0.25 VCCIO — 0.5 VCCIO —
Class I, II 0.175 0.175 0.125 0.125

Table 1–19. Differential HSTL I/O Standard Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices—Preliminary
VCCIO (V) VDIF(DC) (V) VX(AC) (V) VCM(DC) (V) VDIF(AC) (V)
I/O Standard Mi
Min Typ Max Min Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Max
n
HSTL-18
1.71 1.8 1.89 0.2 — 0.85 — 0.95 0.85 — 0.95 0.4 —
Class I, II
HSTL-15
1.425 1.5 1.575 0.2 — 0.71 — 0.79 0.71 — 0.79 0.4 —
Class I, II
HSTL-12 0.52 * 0.48 * 0.52 * 0.48 *
1.14 1.2 1.26 0.16 VCCIO 0.48 * VCCIO — — 0.3
Class I, II VCCIO VCCIO VCCIO VCCIO

Table 1–20. Differential I/O Standard Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1) (Part 1 of 2)—Preliminary

VCCIO (V) VID (mV) VIcM (V) (2) VOD (mV) (3) VOS (V) (3)
I/O Standard
Min Typ Max Min Max Min Condition Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max
0.05 DMAX500 Mbps 1.80
LVPECL
500 Mbps  DMAX 
(Row I/Os) 2.375 2.5 2.625 100 — 0.55 1.80 — — — — — —
700 Mbps
(6)
1.05 DMAX > 700 Mbps 1.55
0.05 DMAX 500 Mbps 1.80
LVPECL
500 Mbps  DMAX
(Column 2.375 2.5 2.625 100 — 0.55 1.80 — — — — — —
 700 Mbps
I/Os) (6)
1.05 DMAX > 700 Mbps 1.55
0.05 DMAX 500 Mbps 1.80
LVDS (Row 500 Mbps  DMAX
2.375 2.5 2.625 100 — 0.55 1.80 247 — 600 1.125 1.25 1.375
I/Os)  700 Mbps
1.05 DMAX > 700 Mbps 1.55
0.05 DMAX  500 Mbps 1.80
LVDS
500 Mbps  DMAX
(Column 2.375 2.5 2.625 100 — 0.55 1.80 247 — 600 1.125 1.25 1.375
 700 Mbps
I/Os)
1.05 DMAX > 700 Mbps 1.55
BLVDS (Row
2.375 2.5 2.625 100 — — — — — — — — — —
I/Os) (4)
BLVDS
(Column 2.375 2.5 2.625 100 — — — — — — — — — —
I/Os) (4)

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–15
Power Consumption

Table 1–20. Differential I/O Standard Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1) (Part 2 of 2)—Preliminary
VCCIO (V) VID (mV) VIcM (V) (2) VOD (mV) (3) VOS (V) (3)
I/O Standard
Min Typ Max Min Max Min Condition Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max
mini-LVDS
(Row I/Os) 2.375 2.5 2.625 — — — — — 300 — 600 1.0 1.2 1.4
(5)
mini-LVDS
(Column 2.375 2.5 2.625 — — — — — 300 — 600 1.0 1.2 1.4
I/Os) (5)
RSDS® (Row
2.375 2.5 2.625 — — — — — 100 200 600 0.5 1.2 1.5
I/Os)(5)
RSDS
(Column 2.375 2.5 2.625 — — — — — 100 200 600 0.5 1.2 1.5
I/Os) (5)
PPDS (Row
2.375 2.5 2.625 — — — — — 100 200 600 0.5 1.2 1.4
I/Os) (5)
PPDS
(Column 2.375 2.5 2.625 — — — — — 100 200 600 0.5 1.2 1.4
I/Os) (5)
Notes to Table 1–20:
(1) For an explanation of terms used in Table 1–20, refer to “Glossary” on page 1–38.
(2) VIN range: 0 V  VIN  1.85 V.
(3) RL range: 90  RL  110  .
(4) There are no fixed VIN , VOD , and VOS specifications for BLVDS. They depend on the system topology.
(5) The Mini-LVDS, RSDS, and PPDS standards are only supported at the output pins.
(6) The LVPECL I/O standard is only supported on dedicated clock input pins. This I/O standard is not supported for output pins.

Power Consumption
Use the following methods to estimate power for a design:
■ the Excel-based EPE
■ the Quartus II PowerPlay power analyzer feature
The interactive Excel-based EPE is used prior to designing the device to get a
magnitude estimate of the device power. The Quartus II PowerPlay power analyzer
provides better quality estimates based on the specifics of the design after
place-and-route is complete. The PowerPlay power analyzer can apply a combination
of user-entered, simulation-derived, and estimated signal activities that, combined
with detailed circuit models, can yield very accurate power estimates.

f For more information about power estimation tools, refer to the Early Power Estimator
User Guide and the PowerPlay Power Analysis chapter in volume 3 of the Quartus II
Handbook.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–16 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Switching Characteristics

Switching Characteristics
This section provides performance characteristics of Cyclone IV core and periphery
blocks for commercial grade devices.
These characteristics can be designated as Preliminary or Final.
■ Preliminary characteristics are created using simulation results, process data, and
other known parameters. The upper-right hand corner of these tables show the
designation as “Preliminary”.
■ Final numbers are based on actual silicon characterization and testing. The
numbers reflect the actual performance of the device under worst-case silicon
process, voltage, and junction temperature conditions. There are no designations
on finalized tables.

Transceiver Performance Specifications

Table 1–21 lists the Cyclone IV GX transceiver specifications.

Table 1–21. Transceiver Specification for Cyclone IV GX Devices (Part 1 of 4)—Preliminary

Symbol/ C6 C7 C8
Conditions Unit
Description Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max

Reference Clock
Supported I/O
1.2 V PCML, 1.5 V PCML, 3.3 V PCML, Differential LVPECL, LVDS, HCSL
Standards
Input frequency
from REFCLK input — 50 — 156.25 50 — 156.25 50 — 156.25 MHz
pins
Physical
Spread-spectrum
interface for
modulating clock 30 — 33 30 — 33 30 — 33 kHz
PCI Express
frequency
(PIPE) mode
Spread-spectrum 0 to 0 to 0 to
PIPE mode — — — — — — —
downspread –0.5% –0.5% –0.5%
2000 2000 2000
Rref — — — — — — — 
± 1% ± 1% ± 1%
Transceiver Clock
cal_blk_clk
— 10 — 125 10 — 125 10 — 125 MHz
clock frequency
fixedclk clock PCIe Receiver
— 125 — — 125 — — 125 — MHz
frequency Detect
Dynamic 2.5/ 2.5/ 2.5/
reconfig_clk
reconfiguration 37.5 — 50 37.5 — 50 37.5 — 50 MHz
clock frequency
clock frequency (1) (1) (1)
Delta time between
— — — 2 — — 2 — — 2 ms
reconfig_clk

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–17
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–21. Transceiver Specification for Cyclone IV GX Devices (Part 2 of 4)—Preliminary

Symbol/ C6 C7 C8
Conditions Unit
Description Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max
Transceiver block
minimum
— — 1 — — 1 — — 1 — µs
power-down pulse
width
Receiver
Supported I/O
1.4 V PCML, 1.5 V PCML, 2.5 V PCML, LVPECL, LVDS
Standards
Data rate (F324 and
— 600 — 2500 600 — 2500 600 — 2500 Mbps
smaller package)
Data rate (F484 and
— 600 — 3125 600 — 3125 600 — 2500 Mbps
larger package)
Absolute VMAX for a
— — — 1.6 — — 1.6 — — 1.6 V
receiver pin (2)
Operational VMAX for a
— — — 1.5 — — 1.5 — — 1.5 V
receiver pin
Absolute VMIN for a
— –0.4 — — –0.4 — — –0.4 — — V
receiver pin
VICM = 0.82 V
Peak-to-peak setting, Data
differential input Rate = 0.1 — 2.7 0.1 — 2.7 0.1 — 2.7 V
voltage VID (diff p-p) 600 Mbps to
3.125 Gbps
VICM = 0.82 V
VICM — 820 — — 820 — — 820 — mV
setting
Differential on-chip 100 setting — 100 — — 100 — — 100 — 
termination
resistors 150 setting — 150 — — 150 — — 150 — 

PIPE, Serial
Differential and
Rapid I/O SR,
common mode Compliant —
SATA, CPRI LV,
return loss
SDI, XAUI
Programmable PPM ± 62.5, 100, 125, 200,
— PPM
detector (3) 250, 300
Clock data recovery
±300 ±300
(CDR) PPM ±300 (4),
(4), (4),
tolerance (without — — — ±350 (5), — — — — PPM
±350 ±350
spread-spectrum (6)
(5), (6) (5), (6)
clocking enabled)
CDR PPM tolerance 350 to 350 to 350 to
(with –5350 –5350 –5350
— — — — — — — PPM
spread-spectrum (6), (7), (6), (6), (7),
clocking enabled) (8) (7), (8) (8)
Run length — — 80 — — 80 — — 80 — UI

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–18 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–21. Transceiver Specification for Cyclone IV GX Devices (Part 3 of 4)—Preliminary

Symbol/ C6 C7 C8
Conditions Unit
Description Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max
No Equalization — — 1.5 — — 1.5 — — 1.5 dB
Programmable Medium Low — — 4.5 — — 4.5 — — 4.5 dB
equalization Medium High — — 5.5 — — 5.5 — — 5.5 dB
High — — 7 — — 7 — — 7 dB
Signal detect/loss
PIPE mode 65 — 175 65 — 175 65 — 175 mV
threshold
tLTR (9) — — — 75 — — 75 — — 75 µs
tLTR-LTD_Manual (10) — 15 — — 15 — — 15 — — µs
tLTD (11) — 0 100 4000 0 100 4000 0 100 4000 ns
tLTD_Manual (12) — — — 4000 — — 4000 — — 4000 ns
tLTD_Auto (13) — — — 4000 — — 4000 — — 4000 ns
Receiver buffer and
CDR offset reconfig
— — — 17000 — — 17000 — — 17000
cancellation time _clk cycles
(per channel)
DC Gain Setting
— 0 — — 0 — — 0 — dB
=0
Programmable DC DC Gain Setting
— 3 — — 3 — — 3 — dB
gain =1
DC Gain Setting
— 6 — — 6 — — 6 — dB
=2
Transmitter
Supported I/O
1.5 V PCML
Standards
Data rate (F324 and
— 600 — 2500 600 — 2500 600 — 2500 Mbps
smaller package)
Data rate (F484 and
— 600 — 3125 600 — 3125 600 — 2500 Mbps
larger package)
VOCM 0.65 V setting — 650 — — 650 — — 650 — mV
Differential on-chip 100 setting — 100 — — 100 — — 100 — 
termination
resistors 150 setting — 150 — — 150 — — 150 — 

PIPE, CPRI LV,

Differential and
Serial Rapid I/O
common mode Compliant —
SR, SDI, XAUI,
return loss
SATA
Rise time — 50 — 200 50 — 200 50 — 200 ps
Fall time — 50 — 200 50 — 200 50 — 200 ps
Intra-differential pair
— — — 15 — — 15 — — 15 ps
skew
Intra-transceiver
— — — 120 — — 120 — — 120 ps
block skew

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–19
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–21. Transceiver Specification for Cyclone IV GX Devices (Part 4 of 4)—Preliminary

Symbol/ C6 C7 C8
Conditions Unit
Description Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max

PLD-Transceiver Interface
Interface speed
(F324 and smaller — 25 — 125 25 — 125 25 — 125 MHz
package)
Interface speed
(F484 and larger — 25 — 156.25 25 — 156.25 25 — 156.25 MHz
package)
Digital reset pulse
— Minimum is 2 parallel clock cycles
width
Notes to Table 1–21:
(1) The minimum reconfig_clk frequency is 2.5 MHz if the transceiver channel is configured in Transmitter Only mode. The minimum reconfig_clk
frequency is 37.5 MHz if the transceiver channel is configured in Receiver Only or Receiver and Transmitter mode.
(2) The device cannot tolerate prolonged operation at this absolute maximum.
(3) The rate matcher supports only up to ±300 parts per million (PPM).
(4) Supported for the N148, F169, and F324 device packages only.
(5) Supported for the F484, F672, and F896 device packages only. Pending device characterization.
(6) To support CDR PPM tolerance greater than ±300 PPM, you have to implement PPM detector in user logic and configure CDR to Manual Lock mode.
(7) Supported for the EP4CGX30 (F484 package only), EP4CGX50, and EP4CGX75 devices only.
(8) This specification is only valid for SATA protocol implementation in Basic mode. Pending device characterization.
(9) Time taken until pll_locked goes high after pll_powerdown deasserts.
(10) Time that the CDR must be kept in lock-to-reference mode after rx_analogreset deasserts and before rx_locktodata is asserted in manual mode.
(11) Time taken to recover valid data after the rx_locktodata signal is asserted in manual mode (Figure 1–2), or after rx_freqlocked signal goes high in
automatic mode (Figure 1–3).
(12) Time taken to recover valid data after the rx_locktodata signal is asserted in manual mode.
(13) Time taken to recover valid data after the rx_freqlocked signal goes high in automatic mode.

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Figure 1–2 shows the lock time parameters in manual mode.

1 LTD = lock-to-data. LTR = lock-to-reference.

Figure 1–2. Lock Time Parameters for Manual Mode

Reset Signals

2
rx _ analogreset

4
rx _ digitalreset

t LTD_Manual (2)
CDR Control Signals
3

rx _ locktorefclk

t LTR_LTD_Manual (1)
3
rx _ locktodata

Two parallel clock cycles

Output Status Signals

1
busy

Figure 1–3 shows the lock time parameters in automatic mode.

Figure 1–3. Lock Time Parameters for Automatic Mode

Reset Signals

2
rx _ analogreset

4
rx _ digitalreset
Two parallel clock cycles

Output Status Signals

1
busy

3
rx _ freqlocked

t LTD_Auto (1)

Figure 1–4 shows the differential receiver input waveform.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–21
Switching Characteristics

Figure 1–4. Receiver Input Waveform

Single-Ended Waveform

Positive Channel (p)

VID
Negative Channel (n)
VCM

Ground

Differential Waveform VID (diff peak-peak) = 2 x VID (single-ended)

VID
p−n=0V
VID

Figure 1–5 shows the transmitter output waveform.

Figure 1–5. Transmitter Output Waveform—Preliminary

Single-Ended Waveform

Positive Channel (p)

VOD
Negative Channel (n)
VCM

Ground

Differential Waveform VOD (diff peak-peak) = 2 x VOD (single-ended)

VOD
p−n=0V
VOD

Table 1–22 lists the typical VOD for Tx term that equals 100 .

Table 1–22. Typical V OD Setting, Tx Term = 100  —Preliminary

VOD Setting (mV)
Symbol
1 2 3 4 (1) 5 6
VOD Typical (mV) 400 600 800 900 1000 1200
Note to Table 1–22:
(1) This setting is required for compliance with the PCIe protocol.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

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Table 1–23 lists the Cyclone IV GX transceiver block AC specifications.

Table 1–23. Transceiver Block AC Specification for Cyclone IV GX Devices (Note 1), (2) —Preliminary

Symbol/ C6 C7, I7 C8
Conditions Unit
Description Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max

PCIe Transmit Jitter Generation (3)

Total jitter at 2.5 Gbps
Compliance pattern — — 0.25 — — 0.25 — — 0.25 UI
(Gen1)
PCIe Receiver Jitter Tolerance (3)
Total jitter at 2.5 Gbps
Compliance pattern > 0.6 > 0.6 > 0.6 UI
(Gen1)

GIGE Transmit Jitter Generation (4)

Deterministic jitter
Pattern = CRPAT — — 0.14 — — 0.14 — — 0.14 UI
(peak-to-peak)
Total jitter (peak-to-peak) Pattern = CRPAT — — 0.279 — — 0.279 — — 0.279 UI

GIGE Receiver Jitter Tolerance (4)

Deterministic jitter
Pattern = CJPAT > 0.4 > 0.4 > 0.4 UI
tolerance (peak-to-peak)
Combined deterministic
and random jitter Pattern = CJPAT > 0.66 > 0.66 > 0.66 UI
tolerance (peak-to-peak)
Notes to Table 1–23:
(1) Dedicated refclk pins were used to drive the input reference clocks.
(2) The jitter numbers specified are valid for the stated conditions only.
(3) The jitter numbers for PIPE are compliant to the PCIe Base Specification 2.0.
(4) The jitter numbers for GIGE are compliant to the IEEE802.3-2002 Specification.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–23
Switching Characteristics

Core Performance Specifications

The following sections describe the clock tree specifications, PLLs, embedded
multiplier, memory block, and configuration specifications for Cyclone IV Devices.

Clock Tree Specifications

Table 1–24 lists the clock tree specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–24. Clock Tree Performance for Cyclone IV Devices —Preliminary

Performance
Device Unit
C6 C7 C8 C8L (1) C9L (1) I7 I8L (1) A7
EP4CE6 500 437.5 402 362 265 437.5 362 402 MHz
EP4CE10 500 437.5 402 362 265 437.5 362 402 MHz
EP4CE15 500 437.5 402 362 265 437.5 362 402 MHz
EP4CE22 500 437.5 402 362 265 437.5 362 402 MHz
EP4CE30 500 437.5 402 362 265 437.5 362 402 MHz
EP4CE40 500 437.5 402 362 265 437.5 362 402 MHz
EP4CE55 500 437.5 402 362 265 437.5 362 — MHz
EP4CE75 500 437.5 402 362 265 437.5 362 — MHz
EP4CE115 — 437.5 402 362 265 437.5 362 — MHz
EP4CGX15 500 437.5 402 — — 437.5 — — MHz
EP4CGX22 500 437.5 402 — — 437.5 — — MHz
EP4CGX30 500 437.5 402 — — 437.5 — — MHz
EP4CGX50 500 437.5 402 — — 437.5 — — MHz
EP4CGX75 500 437.5 402 — — 437.5 — — MHz
EP4CGX110 500 437.5 402 — — 437.5 — — MHz
EP4CGX150 500 437.5 402 — — 437.5 — — MHz
Note to Table 1–24:
(1) Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices only support C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades.

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PLL Specifications
Table 1–25 lists the PLL specifications for Cyclone IV devices when operating in the
commercial junction temperature range (0°C to 85°C), the industrial junction
temperature range (–40°C to 100°C), and the automotive junction temperature range
(–40°C to 125°C). For more information about the PLL block, refer to “Glossary” on
page 1–38.

Table 1–25. PLL Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (2) (Part 1 of 2)—Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Min Typ Max Unit
Input clock frequency (–6, –7, –8 speed grades) 5 — 472.5 MHz
fIN (3) Input clock frequency (–8L speed grade) 5 — 362 MHz
Input clock frequency (–9L speed grade) 5 — 265 MHz
fINPFD PFD input frequency 5 — 325 MHz
fVCO (4) PLL internal VCO operating range 600 — 1300 MHz
fINDUTY Input clock duty cycle 40 — 60 %
Input clock cycle-to-cycle jitter
— — 0.15 UI
tINJITTER_CCJ (5) FREF  100 MHz
FREF < 100 MHz — — ±750 ps
fOUT_EXT (external clock output)
PLL output frequency — — 472.5 MHz
(3)
PLL output frequency (–6 speed grade) — — 472.5 MHz
PLL output frequency (–7 speed grade) — — 450 MHz
fOUT (to global clock) PLL output frequency (–8 speed grade) — — 402.5 MHz
PLL output frequency (–8L speed grade) — — 362 MHz
PLL output frequency (–9L speed grade) — — 265 MHz
tOUTDUTY Duty cycle for external clock output (when set to 50%) 45 50 55 %
tLOCK Time required to lock from end of device configuration — — 1 ms
Time required to lock dynamically (after switchover,
tDLOCK reconfiguring any non-post-scale counters/delays or — — 1 ms
areset is deasserted)
Dedicated clock output period jitter
— — 300 ps
tOUTJITTER_PERIOD_DEDCLK (6) FOUT  100 MHz
FOUT < 100 MHz — — 30 mUI
Dedicated clock output cycle-to-cycle jitter
— — 300 ps
tOUTJITTER_CCJ_DEDCLK (6) FOUT  100 MHz
FOUT < 100 MHz — — 30 mUI
Regular I/O period jitter
— — 650 ps
tOUTJITTER_PERIOD_IO (6) FOUT  100 MHz
FOUT < 100 MHz — — 75 mUI
Regular I/O cycle-to-cycle jitter
— — 650 ps
tOUTJITTER_CCJ_IO (6) FOUT  100 MHz
FOUT < 100 MHz — — 75 mUI
tPLL_PSERR Accuracy of PLL phase shift — — ±50 ps
tARESET Minimum pulse width on areset signal. 10 — — ns

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–25
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–25. PLL Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (2) (Part 2 of 2)—Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Min Typ Max Unit
SCANCLK
tCONFIGPLL Time required to reconfigure scan chains for PLLs — 3.5 (7) —
cycles
fSCANCLK scanclk frequency — — 100 MHz
Period jitter for dedicated clock output in cascaded
— — 425 ps
PLLs (FOUT  100 MHz)
tCASC_OUTJITTER_PERIOD_DEDCLK (8), (9)
Period jitter for dedicated clock output in cascaded
— — 42.5 mUI
PLLs (FOUT  100 MHz)
Notes to Table 1–25:
(1) This table is applicable for general purpose PLLs and multipurpose PLLs.
(2) You must connect VCCD_PLL to VCCINT through the decoupling capacitor and ferrite bead.
(3) This parameter is limited in the Quartus II software by the I/O maximum frequency. The maximum I/O frequency is different for each I/O standard.
(4) The VCO frequency reported by the Quartus II software in the PLL Summary section of the compilation report takes into consideration the VCO post-scale
counter K value. Therefore, if the counter K has a value of 2, the frequency reported can be lower than the fVCO specification.
(5) A high input jitter directly affects the PLL output jitter. To have low PLL output clock jitter, you must provide a clean clock source that is less than 200 ps.
(6) Peak-to-peak jitter with a probability level of 10–12 (14 sigma, 99.99999999974404% confidence level). The output jitter specification applies to the
intrinsic jitter of the PLL when an input jitter of 30 ps is applied.
(7) With 100-MHz scanclk frequency.
(8) The cascaded PLLs specification is applicable only with the following conditions:
■ Upstream PLL—0.59 MHz  Upstream PLL bandwidth < 1 MHz
■ Downstream PLL—Downstream PLL bandwidth > 2 MHz
(9) PLL cascading is not supported for transceiver applications.

Embedded Multiplier Specifications

Table 1–26 lists the embedded multiplier specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–26. Embedded Multiplier Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices —Preliminary

Resources Used Performance
Mode Unit
Number of Multipliers C6 C7, I7, A7 C8 C8L, I8L C9L
9 × 9-bit multiplier 1 340 300 260 240 175 MHz
18 × 18-bit multiplier 1 287 250 200 185 135 MHz

Memory Block Specifications

Table 1–27 lists the M9K memory block specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–27. Memory Block Performance Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices —Preliminary

Resources Used Performance

Memory Mode M9K Unit
LEs C6 C7, I7, A7 C8 C8L, I8L C9L
Memory
FIFO 256 × 36 47 1 315 274 238 200 157 MHz
Single-port 256 × 36 0 1 315 274 238 200 157 MHz
M9K Block
Simple dual-port 256 × 36 CLK 0 1 315 274 238 200 157 MHz
True dual port 512 × 18 single CLK 0 1 315 274 238 200 157 MHz

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

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Switching Characteristics

Configuration and JTAG Specifications

Table 1–28 lists the configuration mode specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–28. Passive Configuration Mode Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1)
Programming Mode VCCINT Voltage Level (V) DCLK fMAX Unit
1.0 (3) 66 MHz
Passive Serial (PS)
1.2 133 MHz
Fast Passive Parallel 1.0 (3) 66 MHz
(FPP) (2) 1.2 (4) 100 MHz
Notes to Table 1–28:
(1) For more information about PS and FPP configuration timing parameters, refer to the Configuration and Remote
System Upgrades in Cyclone IV Devices chapter.
(2) FPP configuration mode supports all Cyclone IV E devices (except for E144 package devices) and EP4CGX50,
EP4CGX75, EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 only.
(3) VCCINT = 1.0 V is only supported for Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices.
(4) Cyclone IV E devices support 1.2 V VCCINT. Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices support 133 MHz DCLK fMAX
for EP4CE6, EP4CE10, EP4CE15, EP4CE22, EP4CE30, and EP4CE40 only.

Table 1–29 lists the active configuration mode specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–29. Active Configuration Mode Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices —Preliminary
Programming Mode DCLK Range Unit
Active Parallel (AP) (1) 20 to 40 MHz
Active Serial (AS) 20 to 40 MHz
Note to Table 1–29:
(1) AP configuration mode is only supported for Cyclone IV E devices.

Table 1–30 lists the JTAG timing parameters and values for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–30. JTAG Timing Parameters for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1) (Part 1 of 2)—Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Min Max Unit
tJCP TCK clock period 40 — ns
tJCH TCK clock high time 19 — ns
tJCL TCK clock low time 19 — ns
tJPSU_TDI JTAG port setup time for TDI 1 — ns
tJPSU_TMS JTAG port setup time for TMS 3 — ns
tJPH JTAG port hold time 10 — ns
tJPCO JTAG port clock to output (2), (3) — 15 ns
tJPZX JTAG port high impedance to valid output (2), (3) — 15 ns
tJPXZ JTAG port valid output to high impedance (2), (3) — 15 ns
tJSSU Capture register setup time 5 — ns
tJSH Capture register hold time 10 — ns
tJSCO Update register clock to output — 25 ns
tJSZX Update register high impedance to valid output — 25 ns

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Switching Characteristics

Table 1–30. JTAG Timing Parameters for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1) (Part 2 of 2)—Preliminary
Symbol Parameter Min Max Unit
tJSXZ Update register valid output to high impedance — 25 ns
Notes to Table 1–30:
(1) For more information about JTAG waveforms, refer to “JTAG Waveform” in “Glossary” on page 1–38.
(2) The specification is shown for 3.3-, 3.0-, and 2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS operation of JTAG pins. For 1.8-V
LVTTL/LVCMOS and 1.5-V LVCMOS, the output time specification is 16 ns.
(3) For EP4CGX22, EP4CGX30 (F324 and smaller package), EP4CGX110, and EP4CGX150 devices, the output time
specification for 3.3-, 3.0-, and 2.5-V LVTTL/LVCMOS operation of JTAG pins is 16 ns. For 1.8-V LVTTL/LVCMOS
and 1.5-V LVCMOS, the output time specification is 18 ns.

Periphery Performance
This section describes periphery performance, including high-speed I/O and external
memory interface.
I/O performance supports several system interfaces, such as the high-speed I/O
interface, external memory interface, and the PCI/PCI-X bus interface. I/Os using the
SSTL-18 Class I termination standard can achieve up to the stated DDR2 SDRAM
interfacing speeds. I/Os using general-purpose I/O standards such as 3.3-, 3.0-, 2.5-,
1.8-, or 1.5-LVTTL/LVCMOS are capable of a typical 200 MHz interfacing frequency
with a 10 pF load.

f For more information about the supported maximum clock rate, device and pin
planning, IP implementation, and device termination, refer to Section III: System
Performance Specifications of the External Memory Interfaces Handbook.

1 Actual achievable frequency depends on design- and system-specific factors. Perform

HSPICE/IBIS simulations based on your specific design and system setup to
determine the maximum achievable frequency in your system.

High-Speed I/O Specifications

Table 1–31 through Table 1–36 list the high-speed I/O timing for Cyclone IV devices.
For definitions of high-speed timing specifications, refer to “Glossary” on page 1–38.

Table 1–31. RSDS Transmitter Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (2), (4) (Part 1 of 2)—Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Unit
Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max
×10 10 — 180 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
×8 10 — 180 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
fHSCLK ×7 10 — 180 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
(input clock
frequency) ×4 10 — 180 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
×2 10 — 180 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
×1 10 — 360 10 — 311 10 — 311 10 — 311 10 — 265 MHz

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–28 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–31. RSDS Transmitter Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (2), (4) (Part 2 of 2)—Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Unit
Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max
×10 100 — 360 100 — 311 100 — 311 100 — 311 100 — 265 Mbps
×8 80 — 360 80 — 311 80 — 311 80 — 311 80 — 265 Mbps
Device ×7 70 — 360 70 — 311 70 — 311 70 — 311 70 — 265 Mbps
operation in
Mbps ×4 40 — 360 40 — 311 40 — 311 40 — 311 40 — 265 Mbps
×2 20 — 360 20 — 311 20 — 311 20 — 311 20 — 265 Mbps
×1 10 — 360 10 — 311 10 — 311 10 — 311 10 — 265 Mbps
tDUTY — 45 — 55 45 — 55 45 — 55 45 — 55 45 — 55 %
Transmitter
channel-to-
— — — 200 — — 200 — — 200 — — 200 — — 200 ps
channel skew
(TCCS)
Output jitter
— — — 500 — — 500 — — 550 — — 600 — — 700 ps
(peak to peak)
20 – 80%,
tRISE — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — ps
CLOAD = 5 pF
20 – 80%,
tFALL — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — ps
CLOAD = 5 pF
tLOCK (3) — — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 ms
Notes to Table 1–31:
(1) Applicable for true RSDS and emulated RSDS_E_3R transmitter.
(2) Cyclone IV E devices—true RSDS transmitter is only supported at the output pin of Row I/O Banks 1, 2, 5, and 6. Emulated RSDS transmitter is supported at the
output pin of all I/O Banks.
Cyclone IV GX devices—true RSDS transmitter is only supported at the output pin of Row I/O Banks 5 and 6. Emulated RSDS transmitter is supported at the output
pin of I/O Banks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
(3) tLOCK is the time required for the PLL to lock from the end-of-device configuration.
(4) Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices only support C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades. Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices only support C6, C7, C8, I7, and A7
speed grades. Cyclone IV GX devices only support C6, C7, C8, and I7 speed grades.

Table 1–32. Emulated RSDS_E_1R Transmitter Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (3) (Part 1 of 2)
—Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Unit
Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max
×10 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 72.5 MHz
×8 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 72.5 MHz
fHSCLK (input ×7 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 72.5 MHz
clock
frequency) ×4 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 72.5 MHz
×2 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 85 10 — 72.5 MHz
×1 10 — 170 10 — 170 10 — 170 10 — 170 10 — 145 MHz

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Switching Characteristics

Table 1–32. Emulated RSDS_E_1R Transmitter Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (3) (Part 2 of 2)
—Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Unit
Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max
×10 100 — 170 100 — 170 100 — 170 100 — 170 100 — 145 Mbps
×8 80 — 170 80 — 170 80 — 170 80 — 170 80 — 145 Mbps
Device ×7 70 — 170 70 — 170 70 — 170 70 — 170 70 — 145 Mbps
operation in
Mbps ×4 40 — 170 40 — 170 40 — 170 40 — 170 40 — 145 Mbps
×2 20 — 170 20 — 170 20 — 170 20 — 170 20 — 145 Mbps
×1 10 — 170 10 — 170 10 — 170 10 — 170 10 — 145 Mbps
tDUTY — 45 — 55 45 — 55 45 — 55 45 — 55 45 — 55 %
TCCS — — — 200 — — 200 — — 200 — — 200 — — 200 ps
Output jitter
— — — 500 — — 500 — — 550 — — 600 — — 700 ps
(peak to peak)
20 – 80%,
tRISE — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — ps
CLOAD = 5 pF
20 – 80%,
tFALL — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — ps
CLOAD = 5 pF
tLOCK (2) — — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 ms
Notes to Table 1–32:
(1) Emulated RSDS_E_1R transmitter is supported at the output pin of all I/O Banks of Cyclone IV E devices and I/O Banks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of Cyclone IV GX
devices.
(2) tLOCK is the time required for the PLL to lock from the end-of-device configuration.
(3) Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices only support C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades. Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices only support C6, C7, C8, I7, and
A7 speed grades. Cyclone IV GX devices only support C6, C7, C8, and I7 speed grades.

Table 1–33. Mini-LVDS Transmitter Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (2), (4) (Part 1 of 2)—
Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Mi Unit
Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Typ Max
n
×10 10 — 200 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
×8 10 — 200 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
fHSCLK (input ×7 10 — 200 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
clock
frequency) ×4 10 — 200 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
×2 10 — 200 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 155.5 10 — 132.5 MHz
×1 10 — 400 10 — 311 10 — 311 10 — 311 10 — 265 MHz
×10 100 — 400 100 — 311 100 — 311 100 — 311 100 — 265 Mbps
×8 80 — 400 80 — 311 80 — 311 80 — 311 80 — 265 Mbps
Device ×7 70 — 400 70 — 311 70 — 311 70 — 311 70 — 265 Mbps
operation in
Mbps ×4 40 — 400 40 — 311 40 — 311 40 — 311 40 — 265 Mbps
×2 20 — 400 20 — 311 20 — 311 20 — 311 20 — 265 Mbps
×1 10 — 400 10 — 311 10 — 311 10 — 311 10 — 265 Mbps

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–30 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–33. Mini-LVDS Transmitter Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (2), (4) (Part 2 of 2)—
Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Mi Unit
Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Min Typ Max Typ Max
n
tDUTY — 45 — 55 45 — 55 45 — 55 45 — 55 45 — 55 %
TCCS — — — 200 — — 200 — — 200 — — 200 — — 200 ps
Output jitter
— — — 500 — — 500 — — 550 — — 600 — — 700 ps
(peak to peak)
20 – 80%,
tRISE — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — ps
CLOAD = 5 pF
20 – 80%,
tFALL — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — — 500 — ps
CLOAD = 5 pF
tLOCK (3) — — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 ms
Notes to Table 1–33:
(1) Applicable for true and emulated mini-LVDS transmitter.
(2) Cyclone IV E—true mini-LVDS transmitter is only supported at the output pin of Row I/O Banks 1, 2, 5, and 6. Emulated mini-LVDS transmitter is supported at
the output pin of all I/O banks.
Cyclone IV GX—true mini-LVDS transmitter is only supported at the output pin of Row I/O Banks 5 and 6. Emulated mini-LVDS transmitter is supported at the
output pin of I/O Banks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
(3) tLOCK is the time required for the PLL to lock from the end-of-device configuration.
(4) Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices only support C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades. Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices only support C6, C7, C8, I7, and
A7 speed grades. Cyclone IV GX devices only support C6, C7, C8, and I7 speed grades.

Table 1–34. True LVDS Transmitter Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (3) (Part 1 of 2) —Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Unit
Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max
×10 10 420 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
×8 10 420 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
fHSCLK (input ×7 10 420 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
clock
frequency) ×4 10 420 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
×2 10 420 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
×1 10 420 10 402.5 10 402.5 10 362 10 265 MHz
×10 100 840 100 740 100 640 100 640 100 500 Mbps
×8 80 840 80 740 80 640 80 640 80 500 Mbps
×7 70 840 70 740 70 640 70 640 70 500 Mbps
HSIODR
×4 40 840 40 740 40 640 40 640 40 500 Mbps
×2 20 840 20 740 20 640 20 640 20 500 Mbps
×1 10 420 10 402.5 10 402.5 10 362 10 265 Mbps
tDUTY — 45 55 45 55 45 55 45 55 45 55 %
TCCS — — 200 — 200 — 200 — 200 — 200 ps
Output jitter
— — 500 — 500 — 550 — 600 — 700 ps
(peak to peak)

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–31
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–34. True LVDS Transmitter Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (3) (Part 2 of 2) —Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Unit
Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max
tLOCK (2) — — 1 — 1 — 1 — 1 — 1 ms
Notes to Table 1–34:
(1) Cyclone IV E—true LVDS transmitter is only supported at the output pin of Row I/O Banks 1, 2, 5, and 6.
Cyclone IV GX—true LVDS transmitter is only supported at the output pin of Row I/O Banks 5 and 6.
(2) tLOCK is the time required for the PLL to lock from the end-of-device configuration.
(3) Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices only support C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades. Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices only support C6, C7, C8, I7,
and A7 speed grades. Cyclone IV GX devices only support C6, C7, C8, and I7 speed grades.

Table 1–35. Emulated LVDS Transmitter Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (3)
—Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Unit
Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max
×10 10 320 10 320 10 275 10 275 10 250 MHz
×8 10 320 10 320 10 275 10 275 10 250 MHz
fHSCLK (input ×7 10 320 10 320 10 275 10 275 10 250 MHz
clock
frequency) ×4 10 320 10 320 10 275 10 275 10 250 MHz
×2 10 320 10 320 10 275 10 275 10 250 MHz
×1 10 402.5 10 402.5 10 402.5 10 362 10 265 MHz
×10 100 640 100 640 100 550 100 550 100 500 Mbps
×8 80 640 80 640 80 550 80 550 80 500 Mbps
×7 70 640 70 640 70 550 70 550 70 500 Mbps
HSIODR
×4 40 640 40 640 40 550 40 550 40 500 Mbps
×2 20 640 20 640 20 550 20 550 20 500 Mbps
×1 10 402.5 10 402.5 10 402.5 10 362 10 265 Mbps
tDUTY — 45 55 45 55 45 55 45 55 45 55 %
TCCS — — 200 — 200 — 200 — 200 — 200 ps
Output jitter
— — 500 — 500 — 550 — 600 — 700 ps
(peak to peak)
tLOCK (2) — — 1 — 1 — 1 — 1 — 1 ms
Notes to Table 1–35:
(1) Cyclone IV E—emulated LVDS transmitter is supported at the output pin of all I/O Banks.
Cyclone IV GX—emulated LVDS transmitter is supported at the output pin of I/O Banks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
(2) tLOCK is the time required for the PLL to lock from the end-of-device configuration.
(3) Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices only support C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades. Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices only support C6, C7, C8, I7,
and A7 speed grades. Cyclone IV GX devices only support C6, C7, C8, and I7 speed grades.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–32 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–36. LVDS Receiver Timing Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (3) —Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, A7 C8L, I8L C9L
Symbol Modes Unit
Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max
×10 10 437.5 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
×8 10 437.5 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
fHSCLK (input ×7 10 437.5 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
clock
frequency) ×4 10 437.5 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
×2 10 437.5 10 370 10 320 10 320 10 250 MHz
×1 10 437.5 10 402.5 10 402.5 10 362 10 265 MHz
×10 100 875 100 740 100 640 100 640 100 500 Mbps
×8 80 875 80 740 80 640 80 640 80 500 Mbps
×7 70 875 70 740 70 640 70 640 70 500 Mbps
HSIODR
×4 40 875 40 740 40 640 40 640 40 500 Mbps
×2 20 875 20 740 20 640 20 640 20 500 Mbps
×1 10 437.5 10 402.5 10 402.5 10 362 10 265 Mbps
SW — — 400 — 400 — 400 — 550 — 640 ps
Input jitter
— — 500 — 500 — 550 — 600 — 700 ps
tolerance
tLOCK (2) — — 1 — 1 — 1 — 1 — 1 ms
Notes to Table 1–36:
(1) Cyclone IV E—LVDS receiver is supported at all I/O Banks.
Cyclone IV GX—LVDS receiver is supported at I/O Banks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
(2) tLOCK is the time required for the PLL to lock from the end-of-device configuration.
(3) Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices only support C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades. Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices only support C6, C7, C8,
I7, and A7 speed grades. Cyclone IV GX devices only support C6, C7, C8, and I7 speed grades.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–33
Switching Characteristics

External Memory Interface Specifications

The external memory interfaces for Cyclone IV devices are auto-calibrating and easy
to implement.

f For more information about the supported maximum clock rate, device and pin
planning, IP implementation, and device termination, refer to Section III: System
Performance Specifications of the External Memory Interface Handbook.

Table 1–37 lists the memory output clock jitter specifications for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–37. Memory Output Clock Jitter Specifications for Cyclone IV Devices (Note 1), (2)
—Preliminary

Parameter Symbol Min Max Unit

Clock period jitter tJIT(per) –125 125 ps
Cycle-to-cycle period jitter tJIT(cc) –200 200 ps
Duty cycle jitter tJIT(duty) –150 150 ps
Notes to Table 1–37:
(1) Memory output clock jitter measurements are for 200 consecutive clock cycles, as specified in the JEDEC DDR2
standard.
(2) The clock jitter specification applies to memory output clock pins generated using DDIO circuits clocked by a PLL
output routed on a global clock (GCLK) network.

Duty Cycle Distortion Specifications

Table 1–38 lists the worst case duty cycle distortion for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–38. Duty Cycle Distortion on Cyclone IV Devices I/O Pins (Note 1), (2), (3)—Preliminary
C6 C7, I7 C8, I8L, A7 C9L
Symbol Unit
Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max
Output Duty Cycle 45 55 45 55 45 55 45 55 %
Notes to Table 1–38:
(1) The duty cycle distortion specification applies to clock outputs from the PLLs, global clock tree, and IOE driving the dedicated and general
purpose I/O pins.
(2) Cyclone IV devices meet the specified duty cycle distortion at the maximum output toggle rate for each combination of I/O standard and current
strength.
(3) Cyclone IV E 1.0 V core voltage devices only support C8L, C9L, and I8L speed grades. Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices only support
C6, C7, C8, I7, and A7 speed grades. Cyclone IV GX devices only support C6, C7, C8, and I7 speed grades.

OCT Calibration Timing Specification

Table 1–39 lists the duration of calibration for series OCT with calibration at device
power-up for Cyclone IV devices.

Table 1–39. Timing Specification for Series OCT with Calibration at Device Power-Up for Cyclone IV
Devices (Note 1)—Preliminary

Symbol Description Maximum Units

Duration of series OCT with
tOCTCAL 20 µs
calibration at device power-up
Note to Table 1–39:
(1) OCT calibration takes place after device configuration and before entering user mode.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–34 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Switching Characteristics

IOE Programmable Delay

Table 1–40 and Table 1–41 list the IOE programmable delay for Cyclone IV E 1.0 V
core voltage devices.

Table 1–40. IOE Programmable Delay on Column Pins for Cyclone IV E 1.0 V Core Voltage Devices (Note 1), (2)
—Preliminary
Max Offset
Number
Min
Parameter Paths Affected of Fast Corner Slow Corner Unit
Offset
Setting
C8L I8L C8L C9L I8L
Input delay from pin to Pad to I/O
7 0 2.054 1.924 3.387 4.017 3.411 ns
internal cells dataout to core
Input delay from pin to Pad to I/O input
8 0 2.010 1.875 3.341 4.252 3.367 ns
input register register
Delay from output register I/O output
2 0 0.641 0.631 1.111 1.377 1.124 ns
to output pin register to pad
Input delay from
Pad to global
dual-purpose clock pin to 12 0 0.971 0.931 1.684 2.298 1.684 ns
clock network
fan-out destinations
Notes to Table 1–40:
(1) The incremental values for the settings are generally linear. For the exact values for each setting, use the latest version of the Quartus II software.
(2) The minimum and maximum offset timing numbers are in reference to setting 0 as available in the Quartus II software.

Table 1–41. IOE Programmable Delay on Row Pins for Cyclone IV E 1.0 V Core Voltage Devices (Note 1), (2)—Preliminary

Max Offset
Number
Min
Parameter Paths Affected of Fast Corner Slow Corner Unit
Offset
Setting
C8L I8L C8L C9L I8L
Input delay from pin to Pad to I/O
7 0 2.057 1.921 3.389 4.146 3.412 ns
internal cells dataout to core
Input delay from pin to Pad to I/O input
8 0 2.059 1.919 3.420 4.374 3.441 ns
input register register
Delay from output register I/O output
2 0 0.670 0.623 1.160 1.420 1.168 ns
to output pin register to pad
Input delay from
Pad to global
dual-purpose clock pin to 12 0 0.960 0.919 1.656 2.258 1.656 ns
clock network
fan-out destinations
Notes to Table 1–41:
(1) The incremental values for the settings are generally linear. For the exact values for each setting, use the latest version of the Quartus II
software.
(2) The minimum and maximum offset timing numbers are in reference to setting 0 as available in the Quartus II software.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–35
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–42 and Table 1–43 list the IOE programmable delay for Cyclone IV E 1.2 V
core voltage devices.

Table 1–42. IOE Programmable Delay on Column Pins for Cyclone IV E 1.2 V Core Voltage Devices (Note 1), (2)
—Preliminary
Max Offset
Number
Paths Min
Parameter of Fast Corner Slow Corner Unit
Affected Offset
Setting
C6 I7 A7 C6 C7 C8 I7 A7
Pad to I/O
Input delay from pin to
dataout to 7 0 1.314 1.211 1.211 2.177 2.340 2.433 2.388 2.508 ns
internal cells
core
Input delay from pin to Pad to I/O
8 0 1.307 1.203 1.203 2.19 2.387 2.540 2.430 2.545 ns
input register input register
I/O output
Delay from output
register to 2 0 0.437 0.402 0.402 0.747 0.820 0.880 0.834 0.873 ns
register to output pin
pad
Input delay from Pad to global
dual-purpose clock pin clock 12 0 0.693 0.665 0.665 1.200 1.379 1.532 1.393 1.441 ns
to fan-out destinations network
Notes to Table 1–42:
(1) The incremental values for the settings are generally linear. For the exact values for each setting, use the latest version of the Quartus II software.
(2) The minimum and maximum offset timing numbers are in reference to setting 0 as available in the Quartus II software.

Table 1–43. IOE Programmable Delay on Row Pins for Cyclone IV E 1.2 V Core Voltage Devices (Note 1), (2)—Preliminary

Max Offset
Number
Paths Min
Parameter of Fast Corner Slow Corner Unit
Affected Offset
Setting
C6 I7 A7 C6 C7 C8 I7 A7
Pad to I/O
Input delay from pin to
dataout to 7 0 1.314 1.209 1.209 2.201 2.386 2.510 2.429 2.548 ns
internal cells
core
Input delay from pin to Pad to I/O
8 0 1.312 1.207 1.207 2.202 2.402 2.558 2.447 2.557 ns
input register input register
I/O output
Delay from output
register to 2 0 0.458 0.419 0.419 0.783 0.861 0.924 0.875 0.915 ns
register to output pin
pad
Input delay from Pad to global
dual-purpose clock pin clock 12 0 0.686 0.657 0.657 1.185 1.360 1.506 1.376 1.422 ns
to fan-out destinations network
Notes to Table 1–43:
(1) The incremental values for the settings are generally linear. For the exact values for each setting, use the latest version of the Quartus II software.
(2) The minimum and maximum offset timing numbers are in reference to setting 0 as available in the Quartus II software.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–36 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Switching Characteristics

Table 1–44 and Table 1–45 list the IOE programmable delay for Cyclone IV GX
devices.

Table 1–44. IOE Programmable Delay on Column Pins for Cyclone IV GX Devices (Note 1), (2)—Preliminary
Max Offset
Number
Paths Min
Parameter of Fast Corner Slow Corner Unit
Affected Offset
Settings
C6 I7 C6 C7 C8 I7
Pad to I/O
Input delay from pin to
dataout to 7 0 1.313 1.209 2.184 2.336 2.451 2.387 ns
internal cells
core
Input delay from pin to Pad to I/O
8 0 1.312 1.208 2.200 2.399 2.554 2.446 ns
input register input register
I/O output
Delay from output
register to 2 0 0.438 0.404 0.751 0.825 0.886 0.839 ns
register to output pin
pad
Input delay from Pad to global
dual-purpose clock pin clock 12 0 0.713 0.682 1.228 1.41 1.566 1.424 ns
to fan-out destinations network
Notes to Table 1–44:
(1) The incremental values for the settings are generally linear. For exact values of each setting, use the latest version of the Quartus II software.
(2) The minimum and maximum offset timing numbers are in reference to setting 0 as available in the Quartus II software.

Table 1–45. IOE Programmable Delay on Row Pins for Cyclone IV GX Devices (Note 1), (2) —Preliminary
Max Offset
Number
Paths Min
Parameter of Fast Corner Slow Corner Unit
Affected Offset
Settings
C6 I7 C6 C7 C8 I7
Pad to I/O
Input delay from pin to
dataout to 7 0 1.314 1.210 2.209 2.398 2.526 2.443 ns
internal cells
core
Input delay from pin to Pad to I/O
8 0 1.313 1.208 2.205 2.406 2.563 2.450 ns
input register input register
I/O output
Delay from output
register to 2 0 0.461 0.421 0.789 0.869 0.933 0.884 ns
register to output pin
pad
Input delay from
Pad to global
dual-purpose clock pin 12 0 0.712 0.682 1.225 1.407 1.562 1.421 ns
clock network
to fan-out destinations
Notes to Table 1–45:
(1) The incremental values for the settings are generally linear. For exact values of each setting, use the latest version of Quartus II software.
(2) The minimum and maximum offset timing numbers are in reference to setting 0 as available in the Quartus II software

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–37
I/O Timing

I/O Timing
Use the following methods to determine I/O timing:
■ the Excel-based I/O Timing
■ the Quartus II timing analyzer
The Excel-based I/O timing provides pin timing performance for each device density
and speed grade. The data is typically used prior to designing the FPGA to get a
timing budget estimation as part of the link timing analysis. The Quartus II timing
analyzer provides a more accurate and precise I/O timing data based on the specifics
of the design after place-and-route is complete.

f The Excel-based I/O Timing spreadsheet is downloadable from Cyclone IV Devices

Literature website.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–38 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Glossary

Glossary
Table 1–46 lists the glossary for this chapter.

Table 1–46. Glossary (Part 1 of 5)

Letter Term Definitions
A — —
B — —
C — —
D — —
E — —
F fHSCLK High-speed I/O block: High-speed receiver/transmitter input and output clock frequency.
GCLK Input pin directly to Global Clock network.
G
GCLK PLL Input pin to Global Clock network through the PLL.
H HSIODR High-speed I/O block: Maximum/minimum LVDS data transfer rate (HSIODR = 1/TUI).

VIH
Input Waveforms
for the SSTL
I VSWING VREF
Differential I/O
Standard
VIL

TMS

TDI

t JCP t JPSU_TDI
t JCH t JCL t JPSU_TMS t JPH

TCK
J JTAG Waveform
tJPZX t JPCO t JPXZ

TDO
tJSSU t JSH
Signal
to be
Captured
tJSZX t JSCO t JSXZ
Signal
to be
Driven

K — —
L — —
M — —
N — —
O — —

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–39
Glossary

Table 1–46. Glossary (Part 2 of 5)

Letter Term Definitions
The following highlights the PLL specification parameters:
CLKOUT Pins
Switchover
fOUT _EXT
CLK

fIN fINPFD
N
PFD CP LF VCO fVCO
Counters
fOUT GCLK
Core Clock
C0..C4
P PLL Block

Phase tap

Key

Reconfigurable in User Mode

Q — —
RL Receiver differential input discrete resistor (external to Cyclone IV devices).
Receiver input waveform for LVDS and LVPECL differential standards:
Single-Ended Waveform

Positive Channel (p) = VIH

VID

Negative Channel (n) = VIL

VCM

Ground
Receiver Input
Waveform
R
Differential Waveform (Mathematical Function of Positive & Negative Channel)

VID
0V
VID
p -n

Receiver input
High-speed I/O block: The total margin left after accounting for the sampling window and TCCS.
skew margin
RSKM = (TUI – SW – TCCS) / 2.
(RSKM)

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–40 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Glossary

Table 1–46. Glossary (Part 3 of 5)

Letter Term Definitions

VCCIO

VOH
VIH (AC )
VIH(DC)
VREF
VIL(DC)

Single-ended VIL(AC )
voltage-
referenced I/O VOL
S Standard
VSS

The JEDEC standard for SSTl and HSTL I/O standards defines both the AC and DC input signal
values. The AC values indicate the voltage levels at which the receiver must meet its timing
specifications. The DC values indicate the voltage levels at which the final logic state of the
receiver is unambiguously defined. After the receiver input crosses the AC value, the receiver
changes to the new logic state. The new logic state is then maintained as long as the input stays
beyond the DC threshold. This approach is intended to provide predictable receiver timing in the
presence of input waveform ringing.
SW (Sampling High-speed I/O block: The period of time during which the data must be valid to capture it
Window) correctly. The setup and hold times determine the ideal strobe position in the sampling window.
tC High-speed receiver and transmitter input and output clock period.
Channel-to-
High-speed I/O block: The timing difference between the fastest and slowest output edges,
channel-skew
including tCO variation and clock skew. The clock is included in the TCCS measurement.
(TCCS)
tcin Delay from the clock pad to the I/O input register.
tCO Delay from the clock pad to the I/O output.
tcout Delay from the clock pad to the I/O output register.
tDUTY High-speed I/O block: Duty cycle on high-speed transmitter output clock.
T tFALL Signal high-to-low transition time (80–20%).
tH Input register hold time.
Timing Unit High-speed I/O block: The timing budget allowed for skew, propagation delays, and data sampling
Interval (TUI) window. (TUI = 1/(Receiver Input Clock Frequency Multiplication Factor) = tC/w).
tINJITTER Period jitter on the PLL clock input.
tOUTJITTER_DEDCLK Period jitter on the dedicated clock output driven by a PLL.
tOUTJITTER_IO Period jitter on the general purpose I/O driven by a PLL.
tpllcin Delay from the PLL inclk pad to the I/O input register.
tpllcout Delay from the PLL inclk pad to the I/O output register.

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–41
Glossary

Table 1–46. Glossary (Part 4 of 5)

Letter Term Definitions
Transmitter output waveforms for the LVDS, mini-LVDS, PPDS and RSDS Differential I/O
Standards:

Single-Ended Waveform

Positive Channel (p) = VOH

VOD
Negative Channel (n) = VOL
Vos

Transmitter Ground
Output Waveform

Differential Waveform (Mathematical Function of Positive & Negative Channel)

VOD
0V
VOD
p -n

tRISE Signal low-to-high transition time (20–80%).

tSU Input register setup time.
U — —

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–42 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Glossary

Table 1–46. Glossary (Part 5 of 5)

Letter Term Definitions
VCM(DC) DC common mode input voltage.
VDIF(AC) AC differential input voltage: The minimum AC input differential voltage required for switching.
VDIF(DC) DC differential input voltage: The minimum DC input differential voltage required for switching.
VICM Input common mode voltage: The common mode of the differential signal at the receiver.
Input differential voltage swing: The difference in voltage between the positive and complementary
VID
conductors of a differential transmission at the receiver.
Voltage input high: The minimum positive voltage applied to the input that is accepted by the
VIH
device as a logic high.
VIH(AC) High-level AC input voltage.
VIH(DC) High-level DC input voltage.
Voltage input low: The maximum positive voltage applied to the input that is accepted by the
VIL
device as a logic low.
VIL (AC) Low-level AC input voltage.
VIL (DC) Low-level DC input voltage.
VIN DC input voltage.
VOCM Output common mode voltage: The common mode of the differential signal at the transmitter.
Output differential voltage swing: The difference in voltage between the positive and
VOD
V complementary conductors of a differential transmission at the transmitter. VOD = VOH – VOL.
Voltage output high: The maximum positive voltage from an output that the device considers is
VOH
accepted as the minimum positive high level.
Voltage output low: The maximum positive voltage from an output that the device considers is
VOL
accepted as the maximum positive low level.
VOS Output offset voltage: V OS = (VOH + V OL) / 2.
AC differential output cross point voltage: the voltage at which the differential output signals must
VOX (AC)
cross.
VREF Reference voltage for the SSTL and HSTL I/O standards.
AC input reference voltage for the SSTL and HSTL I/O standards. VREF(AC) = VREF(DC) + noise. The
VREF (AC)
peak-to-peak AC noise on VREF must not exceed 2% of VREF(DC).
VREF (DC) DC input reference voltage for the SSTL and HSTL I/O standards.
AC differential input voltage: AC input differential voltage required for switching. For the SSTL
VSWING (AC)
differential I/O standard, refer to Input Waveforms.
DC differential input voltage: DC input differential voltage required for switching. For the SSTL
VSWING (DC)
differential I/O standard, refer to Input Waveforms.
VTT Termination voltage for the SSTL and HSTL I/O standards.
AC differential input cross point voltage: The voltage at which the differential input signals must
VX (AC)
cross.
W — —
X — —
Y — —
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Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation

Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet 1–43
Document Revision History

Document Revision History

Table 1–47 lists the revision history for this chapter.

Table 1–47. Document Revision History

Date Version Changes Made
■ Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.1 release.
December 2010 1.4 ■ Updated Table 1–21 and Table 1–25.
■ Minor text edits.
Updated for the Quartus II software version 10.0 release:
■ Updated Table 1–3, Table 1–4, Table 1–21, Table 1–25, Table 1–28, Table 1–30,
Table 1–40, Table 1–41, Table 1–42, Table 1–43, Table 1–44, and Table 1–45.
July 2010 1.3
■ Updated Figure 1–2 and Figure 1–3.
■ Removed SW Requirement and TCCS for Cyclone IV Devices tables.
■ Minor text edits.
Updated to include automotive devices:
■ Updated the “Operating Conditions” and “PLL Specifications” sections.
■ Updated Table 1–1, Table 1–8, Table 1–9, Table 1–21, Table 1–26, Table 1–27,
Table 1–31, Table 1–32, Table 1–33, Table 1–34, Table 1–35, Table 1–36,
March 2010 1.2 Table 1–37, Table 1–38, Table 1–40, Table 1–42, and Table 1–43.
■ Added Table 1–5 to include ESD for Cyclone IV devices GPIOs and HSSI I/Os.
■ Added Table 1–44 and Table 1–45 to include IOE programmable delay for
Cyclone IV E 1.2 V core voltage devices.
■ Minor text edits.
■ Updated Table 1–3 through Table 1–44 to include information for Cyclone IV E
February 2010 1.1 devices and Cyclone IV GX devices for Quartus II software version 9.1 SP1 release.
■ Minor text edits.
November 2009 1.0 Initial release.

© December 2010 Altera Corporation Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3

1–44 Chapter 1: Cyclone IV Device Datasheet
Document Revision History

Cyclone IV Device Handbook, Volume 3 © December 2010 Altera Corporation