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1.8V HSTL Differential DDR output using ALTDDIO_OUT on Cyclone 10 LP

Altera_Forum
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I need to drive multiple 1.8V HSTL differential pairs from a Cyclone 10 LP FPGA. The output is DDR, source synchronous.  

 

I am currently doing this with single-ended signals using the ALTDDIO_OUT megafunction. How do I best make each output pin differential instead of single-ended? 

 

From the datasheet, I believe that only the CLKOUT pins support differential HSTL output. So, I must emulate it with two single-ended outputs with one inverted. 

 

I don't seem to be able to tell the pin planner to make the pins a pair (like we do for LVDS). 

 

Any guidance is much appreciated!
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Sorry for the original question being confusing. My basic question is how can I use the DDR output registers (thru ALTDDIO_OUT) to drive two pins in a pseudo-differential fashion (one inverted from the other)? What is the suggested approach? I don't think we can invert the output of the ALTDDIO for the negative pin.  

 

Specifically, I'm targeting a Cyclone 10 LP FPGA, with VHDL using Quartus Prime v17.1.
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Altera_Forum
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According to the device handbook, 1.8V differential HSTL standard is supported on all IO banks. No need to simulate anything, just assign a pin pair to the logical port.

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Altera_Forum
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Thank you for your reply, FvM. 

 

I originally tried to do as you suggest. The pin-planner does not give me the option of 1.8V Differential HSTL Class I on most I/O pins. Digging further in the "Cyclone 10 LP Core Fabric and General Purpose I/Os Handbook", pg 102 says:  

 

the following differential i/o standards are supported only on clock input pins and 

pll clock output pins: 

— differential sstl-2 and differential sstl-18 

differential 1.8 v hstl, differential 1.5 v hstl, and differential 1.2 v hstl 

 

So, I believe I cannot use the differential output standards on normal I/O pins. Or is there something I'm overlooking? 

 

 

Ultimately, I'm needing 5 differential output pairs to drive a MIPI CSI-2 output. The Altera app note: "AN 754: MIPI D-PHY Solution with Passive Resistor Networks in Intel Low-Cost FPGAs" recommends using the differential 1.8V HSTL outputs.  

 

Maybe the closest I can come is using two single ended 1.8V HSTL outputs. What do you all think? Then my question is how to drive them both from a ALTDDIO_OUT megafunction?
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Altera_Forum
Honored Contributor II
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Thank you for your reply, FvM. 

 

I originally tried to do as you suggest. The pin-planner does not give me the option of 1.8V Differential HSTL Class I on most I/O pins. Digging further in the "Cyclone 10 LP Core Fabric and General Purpose I/Os Handbook", pg 102 says:  

 

the following differential i/o standards are supported only on clock input pins and 

pll clock output pins: 

— differential sstl-2 and differential sstl-18 

differential 1.8 v hstl, differential 1.5 v hstl, and differential 1.2 v hstl 

 

So, I believe I cannot use the differential output standards on normal I/O pins. Or is there something I'm overlooking? 

 

 

Ultimately, I'm needing 5 differential output pairs to drive a MIPI CSI-2 output. The Altera app note: "AN 754: MIPI D-PHY Solution with Passive Resistor Networks in Intel Low-Cost FPGAs" recommends using the differential 1.8V HSTL outputs.  

 

Maybe the closest I can come is using two single ended 1.8V HSTL outputs. What do you all think? Then my question is how to drive them both from a ALTDDIO_OUT megafunction?
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