EP4SGX530 dev board TSE link failure

[Altera_Forum]

Hi, 

 I've been working on integrating a TSE (10/100/1000Mb Ethernet MAC with 1000MASE-X/SGMII PCS) with internal FIFOs and SGMII bridge enabled into a large project. I am using the EP4SGX530 development board and connecting the board via ethernet cable to my PC. The TSE component is driven by a hosting NIOS which sets the connection using noDHCP and sets a static IP address.  I started this project in Quartus version 11.1 but have updated to version 14.1.1 (Build 190) and have found this to be a far more stable TSE component.  I have working on this for a very long time and read many forum entries but still cannot guarantee link connectivity on .sof upload.  My problem is that when I compile my project the whole connection either works and I can interact with the board via ethernet or fails to achieve auto-negotiation on loading of the .sof file and cannot be rectified by software, Eclipse, after the fact. I have output the autonegotiation and link snychronisation signals eth_tse_status_led_connection_an and eth_tse_status_led_connection_link to LED's, they show link synchronisation but no auto-negotiation. Between compilations I would have only implemented minor changes to the vhdl code that shouldn't effect the operation of the TSE component. Since this is occuring I suspect my problem is related to either pin loading assignment requirements or timing constraints on the project. The timing constraints related to the ethernet connection are: # **************************************************************# Time Information# ************************************************************** set_time_format -unit ns -decimal_places 3# **************************************************************# Create Clock# **************************************************************# Clock constraints create_clock -name {clk_50MHz} -period 20.000 -waveform { 0.000 10.000 } [get_ports {clkin_50}] create_clock -name {clk_100MHz} -period 10.000 -waveform { 0.000 5.000 } [get_ports {clkin_100}] create_clock -name {clk_125MHz} -period 8.000 -waveform { 0.000 4.000 } [get_ports {clkin_125}] create_clock -name {hsma_clk_in_p1} -period 8.000 -waveform { 0.000 4.000 } [get_ports {hsma_clk_in_p1}] create_clock -name {altera_reserved_tck} -period 100.000 -waveform { 0.000 50.000 } [get_ports {altera_reserved_tck}] set Top_clkin_50 clk_50MHz set Top_clkin_100 clk_100MHz set Top_clkin_125 clk_125MHz set LVDS_clkin_125 hsma_clk_in_p1# **************************************************************# Create Generated Clock# **************************************************************# # Derive all pll clocks derive_pll_clocks -create_base_clocks derive_clock_uncertainty # **************************************************************# Constrain SGMII interface clocks# ************************************************************** set TseSgmii_lvds_1250_Clock *|ALTLVDS_RX_component|auto_generated|*|clk[0] set TseSgmii_lvds_125_Clock *|ALTLVDS_RX_component|auto_generated|*|clk[1] set TseSgmii_lvds_rx_Clock *|ALTLVDS_RX_component|auto_generated|rx[0]|clk0 # **************************************************************# Set Asynchronous Clock Groups# ************************************************************** set_clock_groups -asynchronous -group [get_clocks {altera_reserved_tck}]  set_clock_groups -asynchronous -group {clk_125MHz}   -group {hsma_clk_in_p1}   -group {*|eth_tse|i_tse_pcs_0|the_altera_tse_pma_lvds_rx|ALTLVDS_RX_component|auto_generated|pll|clk[0]   *|eth_tse|i_tse_pcs_0|the_altera_tse_pma_lvds_rx|ALTLVDS_RX_component|auto_generated|rx[0]|clk0}    set_clock_groups   -exclusive   -group [get_clocks $Top_clkin_50 ]   -group [get_clocks $Top_clkin_100 ]   -group [get_clocks $Top_clkin_125 ]   -group [get_clocks $TseSgmii_lvds_1250_Clock ]   -group [get_clocks $TseSgmii_lvds_125_Clock ]   -group [get_clocks $TseSgmii_lvds_rx_Clock ]   -group [get_clocks $LVDS_clkin_125 ]  # **************************************************************# Asynchronous I/O# **************************************************************# Asynchronous inputs set_false_path -to [get_ports {enet_resetn}] # **************************************************************# TSE MAC# ************************************************************** set_min_delay 2 -from * -to [get_ports {enet_mdc enet_mdio}] set_max_delay 10 -from * -to [get_ports {enet_mdc enet_mdio}] set_min_delay 0 -from [get_ports {enet_mdio}] -to * set_max_delay 6 -from [get_ports {enet_mdio}] -to *  These result in all ports being constrained and no timing violations occuring.  The assignments set in the .qsf file related to the ethernet component are:  set_global_assignment -name FMAX_REQUIREMENT "125 MHz" -section_id top_rx_clk_to_the_tse_mac set_global_assignment -name INCLUDE_EXTERNAL_PIN_DELAYS_IN_FMAX_CALCULATIONS OFF -section_id top_rx_clk_to_the_tse_mac set_global_assignment -name FMAX_REQUIREMENT "125 MHz" -section_id top_tx_clk_to_the_tse_mac set_global_assignment -name INCLUDE_EXTERNAL_PIN_DELAYS_IN_FMAX_CALCULATIONS OFF -section_id top_tx_clk_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_INPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_m_rx_col_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_INPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_m_rx_crs_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_INPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_m_rx_d_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_INPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_m_rx_en_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_INPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_m_rx_err_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_OUTPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_m_tx_d_from_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_OUTPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_m_tx_en_from_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_OUTPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_m_tx_err_from_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_INPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_rx_control_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_INPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_rgmii_in_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_OUTPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_tx_control_from_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name FAST_OUTPUT_REGISTER ON -to top_rgmii_out_from_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name CLOCK_SETTINGS top_rx_clk_to_the_tse_mac -to top_rx_clk_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name CLOCK_SETTINGS top_tx_clk_to_the_tse_mac -to top_tx_clk_to_the_tse_mac set_instance_assignment -name MULTICYCLE 5 -from "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_tx_min_ff:U_TXFF|altera_tse_altsyncram_dpm_fifo:U_RTSM|altsyncram*" -to * set_instance_assignment -name MULTICYCLE 5 -from "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_tx_min_ff:U_TXFF|altera_tse_retransmit_cntl:U_RETR|*" -to * set_instance_assignment -name MULTICYCLE 5 -from * -to "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_tx_min_ff:U_TXFF|altera_tse_retransmit_cntl:U_RETR|*" set_instance_assignment -name MULTICYCLE 5 -from "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_tx_min_ff:U_TXFF|half_duplex_ena_reg2" -to * set_instance_assignment -name TPD_REQUIREMENT "7 ns" -from "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_tx_min_ff:U_TXFF|dout_reg_sft" -to "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_top_1geth:U_GETH|altera_tse_mac_tx:U_TX|*" set_instance_assignment -name TPD_REQUIREMENT "7 ns" -from "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_tx_min_ff:U_TXFF|eop_sft" -to "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_top_1geth:U_GETH|altera_tse_mac_tx:U_TX|*" set_instance_assignment -name TPD_REQUIREMENT "7 ns" -from "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_tx_min_ff:U_TXFF|sop_reg" -to "*|altera_tse_top_w_fifo:U_MAC|altera_tse_top_1geth:U_GETH|altera_tse_mac_tx:U_TX|*"  These were placed automatically when integrating the TSE component into the project and I have not altered them.  When the link works I can investigate the PCS register space via Eclipse and find all parameters as they should be. When the link fails it seems that the device_partner_ability is not stored in the PCS register space.  Can anyone help with the timing constraints and loading assignment requirements for this?  Thanks in advance, Cindy

[Altera_Forum]

Well I've got something working and it is all to do with the timing constraints file. Here's how I fixed it. 

 1. Using a full compilation I editted the sdc file to remove clocks from the set_clocks_group -exclusive set until I had  set_clock_groups  -exclusive  -group [get_clocks $Top_clkin_50 ]  -group [get_clocks $Top_clkin_100 ]  -group [get_clocks $Top_clkin_125 ]  -group [get_clocks $LVDS_clkin_125 ]  This resulted in a timing violation on the LVDS registers for the TSE component.   2. Added timing constraints to the sdc file to bound the paths that had produced timing violations   Then.  3. Recompiled to generate a new fit that would meet the new timing constraints  Result: Ethernet connects every time :)  I hope someone out there finds this useful