Intel® Quartus® Prime Software
Intel® Quartus® Prime Design Software, Design Entry, Synthesis, Simulation, Verification, Timing Analysis, System Design (Platform Designer, formerly Qsys)
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hold timing and clock frequency considerations

Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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hello all, 

 

two questions for the experts: 

 

1. why hold time is not frequency depended? 

 

2. will it be reasonable to assume that design that fits timing requirements with 100MHz clock frequency will also work properly with lower frequency clock? 

 

thanks.
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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1. Hold time is pretty small compared to setup time. It is usually setup that is violated. 

2. Yes - if it met for 100Mhz, it will work for anything lower (IO may be different).
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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1. Hold time is based on the same clock edge, whereas setup time is based on consecutive clock edges. Thus hold time is not frequency dependent, whereas setup time will be. 

2. Tricky's answer is correct.
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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thanks to both of you. 

 

can you please elaborate about your answer to my second question? 

why it is ok to define the main clock of the design, lets say 100MHz, but actually inject to the fpga 80MHz clock?
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Timing analysis checks to ensure the setup time is not violated. If you use a slower clock, the setup required period is the same, but the time between potential bit changes is now longer. So if it didnt break the setup timing before, it wont now.

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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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for setup requirements i understand.  

but what about the hold requirements? skew? and other parameters? 

 

from my understanding, the skew is tailored according to specific clock that defined in the sdc file.  

it doesn't matter if we inject lower frequency that specified?
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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--- Quote Start ---  

for setup requirements i understand.  

but what about the hold requirements? skew? and other parameters? 

 

from my understanding, the skew is tailored according to specific clock that defined in the sdc file.  

it doesn't matter if we inject lower frequency that specified? 

--- Quote End ---  

 

 

hold is managed by fitter making sure that clock delay is never more than data delay (unless you gate the clock) 

skew and other delays are function of routing/temperature (not clock speed)
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