Quartus® Prime Pro Edition User Guide: Timing Analyzer

ID 683243
Date 4/01/2024
Public
Document Table of Contents

1.2.5. Multicycle Path Analysis

Multicycle paths are data paths that require an exception to the default setup or hold relationship, for proper analysis. For example, a register that requires data capture on every second or third rising clock edge (multicycle exception), rather than requiring capture on every clock edge (default analysis).

A multicycle path occurs between the input registers of a multiplier, and an output register with a destination that latches data on every other clock edge.

Figure 19. Multicycle Path

A register-to-register path is for the default setup and hold relationship. Also, for the respective timing diagrams for the source and destination clocks and the default setup and hold relationships, when the source clock, src_clk, has a period of 10 ns and the destination clock, dst_clk, has a period of 5 ns. The default setup relationship is 5 ns; the default hold relationship is 0 ns.

Figure 20. Register-to-Register Path and Default Setup and Hold Timing Diagram

To accommodate the system requirements, you can modify the default setup and hold relationships by specifying a multicycle timing constraint to a register-to-register path.

Figure 21. Register-to-Register Path

The exception has a multicycle setup assignment of two to use the second occurring latch edge; in this example, to 10 ns from the default value of 5 ns.

Figure 22. Modified Setup Diagram