Bus Analyzer Toolkit

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Bus Analyzer Toolkit

Gain visibility into your Qsys interconnect based system

• Monitor performance in real-time using throughput metrics

- read transfers

- write transfers

• Supports Avalon-MM interface

- minimum required setup - 3 components

• example - 1 master, 2 slaves
• example - 2 masters, 1 slave

- maximum tested limit - 15 components

• example - 3 masters, 12 slaves
• You can use all devices that Quartus II v13.1 software supports
• Instrument metrics using the Qsys GUI

Instrumentation procedure

1. Open Qsys
2. Create Avalon-MM system in Qsys
3. Add Debug Host Link component to design (instantiate JTAG Debug Link or USB Debug Link)
4. Open Instrumentation Panel
5. Select "Add debug instrumentation to the Qsys interconnect"
6. Add performance monitors to interfaces
7. Generate Qsys system
8. Compile design
9. Program FPGA
10. Open Bus Analyzer Toolkit from Quartus II software main menu
11. Run Bus Analyzer Toolkit

• Select device (if needed)
• Click Run
• Source Tcl script

NOTE: In v14.1 and later, the JTAG Debug Link is auto-instantiated and is not a selectable IP core from the IP Catalog.

Steps for Qsys GUI

• a/a2/Qsys_GUI.png

Open Bus Analyzer from Quartus II main menu

• 5/57/Open_BAT_from_QII_main_menu.png

Using the Bus Analyzer Toolkit

• c/cc/Bus_analyzer_toolkit_gui.png

Quick Tips

• Zoom Feature

- Place mouse cursor on a graph

• click left mouse button to zoom in
• click right mouse button to zoom out
• Optional, use scroll wheel to zoom
• Right-click menu

- Use mouse to right-click on the statistics panel

• Show long names - shows hierarchy
• Select visible metrics - selects read transfer and/or write transfer to display in statistics panel
• Set averaging window size - select sample count
• Export data - saves raw data as a .csv file

Capture Settings Window

• 0/03/Capture_settings_window.png

Load Trace Database dialog box

• 1/17/Load_trace_database_dialog_box.png

Limitations

• You can uncheck "Add debug instrumentation to the Qsys interconnect" to save your current instrumentation setup. You must re-generate and re-compile your design when you select this checkbox and turn on your saved instrumentation setup.

- When not in use, turning off your instrumentation setup saves system resources.

• When you make changes to your instrumentation setup, you must re-generate and re-compile your design.

- example: Adding or removing a master or slave component from your Qsys system.

- example: Adding or removing a performance monitor from the Instrumentation Panel.

- example: Turning off and turning back on your current instrumentation setup.

Reference information

• Read Transfer - per unit interval of time

- When monitoring a master, you can see how many data reads per second that this master achieves from all its slaves.

- When monitoring a slave, you can see how many data reads per second that this slave is delivering to all its masters.

• Write Transfer - per unit interval of time

- When monitoring a master, you can see how many data writes per second that this master can get write commands into the fabric.

- When monitoring a slave, you can see how many data writes per second that this slave can accept write commands from all its masters.

Feedback

Bus Analyzer Toolkit (Beta) - Feedback 

We are actively planning work on the Bus Analyzer Toolkit to be released in a future version of Quartus II software. To that end, we would like to prioritize the work we do. Could you answer the following:

1. What would you like to see in future versions of the Bus Analyzer Toolkit?
2. What metrics would you like to track?
3. Please describe the system you would use the Bus Analyzer Toolkit for?
4. Is the size of the instrumentation modules a concern for you (or how large is too large)?
5. Do you need to tap AXI or other buses?