Megawizard has no ALTSYNCRAM

[Altera_Forum]

I'm in the process of migrating a design from 9.1 into an 11.0sp1. The design has several altsyncram cores in it.  

 When I try to edit these cores with the 11.0sp1 Megawizard plug in manager, I find that the ALTSYNCRAM core is no longer available.  Is there a work around for this - besides the laborious rebuild and replace of every block RAM?

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  I'm in the process of migrating a design from 9.1 into an 11.0sp1. The design has several altsyncram cores in it.   When I try to edit these cores with the 11.0sp1 Megawizard plug in manager, I find that the ALTSYNCRAM core is no longer available.   --- Quote End ---    I don't recall that they were called ALTSYNCRAM in the MegaWizard. I thought they were called "RAM: 1-port", "RAM: 2-port" etc in the GUI.   The ALTSYNCRAM components are fairly easy to instantiate directly in VHDL/Verilog. Just use the MegaWizard to create a couple of instances of RAM to get an idea of how the generics/parameters change, and then create your own instance. I prefer to use this method, as I can leave the RAM size generics as generics.  Cheers, Dave

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  I don't recall that they were called ALTSYNCRAM in the MegaWizard. I thought they were called "RAM: 1-port", "RAM: 2-port" etc in the GUI.   The ALTSYNCRAM components are fairly easy to instantiate directly in VHDL/Verilog. Just use the MegaWizard to create a couple of instances of RAM to get an idea of how the generics/parameters change, and then create your own instance. I prefer to use this method, as I can leave the RAM size generics as generics.  Cheers, Dave  --- Quote End ---     Thanks Dave.  9.1 does indeed support ALTSYNCRAM in the Megawizard, but, in the V11+ gui, Altera seems to have deprecated ALTSYNCRAM in favor of "RAM: <1|2>-port". The module is the same, but for some reason the names have changed.   I'd be happy to instantiate in Verilog, but the design was originally done in bdf with tdf files *cough*. For the sake of others on the project who are used to schematic capture insanity, I'd like to keep the design maintainable through the current workflow. Unfortunately, The design has about 40 unique ALTSYNCRAM components. I know one path is to regen each one as a "RAM: <1|2>-port" type component, but I was hoping there was a more automated way to handle this. This seems simply a case of semantic support in the Altera GUI, the command line still references an "altsyncram" module. I was hoping I'm not the only person that has run across this problem.  My fall back is likely to go with HDL wrappers that allow changing of the settings textually. Unfortunately, it appears my only option here seems to be tdf or VHDL - the 9.1 doesn't appear capable of generating Verilog wrappers for the components.

[Altera_Forum]

Looks like this will at least get me verilog templates: 

qmegawiz -silent -xmlout <filename>.tdf qmegawiz -silent -xmlin <filename>.v  This seems to work well to convert from ALTSYNCRAM to Dual Port: qmegawiz -silent -xmlout <filename>.tdf qmegawiz -silent wizard="RAM: 2-PORT" -xmlin <filename>.v  Single ports and ROMs must be converted by hand.

[Altera_Forum]

I had a vague recollection that qmegawiz could be used to fixup older components, eg., this came from the Quartus handbook: 

   --- Quote Start ---   If a megafunction changes between software versions, the variation files must be regenerated. To do this, use qmegawiz -silent <variation file name>. For example, if your design contains a variation file called myrom.v, type the following command:  qmegawiz -silent myrom.v r  For more information on updating megafunction variation files as part of a scripted flow, refer to “Regenerating Megafunctions After Updating the Quartus II Software” on page 2–23   --- Quote End ---    It looks like you've found the 'silent' option. However, this implies you should not need to change your design. Perhaps submit a service request to clarify?  Cheers, Dave

[Altera_Forum]

Thanks again. 

 The "qmegawiz -silent myrom.v r" doesn't work. The problem is that the Megawizard just doesn't support ALTSYNCRAM anymore. Altera simply dropped this feature.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  I had a vague recollection that qmegawiz could be used to fixup older components, eg., this came from the Quartus handbook:    It looks like you've found the 'silent' option. However, this implies you should not need to change your design. Perhaps submit a service request to clarify?  Cheers, Dave  --- Quote End ---    Dave,  The 'silent' option only works under 9.1.

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---   The 'silent' option only works under 9.1.  --- Quote End ---    The above quote was from the latest Quartus handbook, so it should work. Although perhaps you mean that the option does not work for the altsyncram components you are using. File a service request and complain.  While you are waiting for them to respond, create an altsyncram using the latest version of Quartus. Take a look at your old generated components and the new ones. Are they that different? If not, write a script that'll convert the components to the new style. Alternatively, work out the command-line requirements for qmegawiz to generate the components from scratch, eg., have a script read the old component file to parse out the important information and then call qmegawiz to create a new component.  Cheers, Dave

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---  The above quote was from the latest Quartus handbook, so it should work. Although perhaps you mean that the option does not work for the altsyncram components you are using. File a service request and complain.  While you are waiting for them to respond, create an altsyncram using the latest version of Quartus. Take a look at your old generated components and the new ones. Are they that different? If not, write a script that'll convert the components to the new style. Alternatively, work out the command-line requirements for qmegawiz to generate the components from scratch, eg., have a script read the old component file to parse out the important information and then call qmegawiz to create a new component.  Cheers, Dave  --- Quote End ---    Dave,  I appreciate your help, but your troubleshooting suggestions are not possible.  ALTSYNCRAM cores cannot be directly generated in the Megawizard in either 9.1 or 11+ version of Quartus. Only RAM: 1-Port, etc. Megafunctions can be generated, which are essentially an ALTSYNCRAM wrapped in logic and generics.  ALTSYNCRAM cores can be directly opened and modified with the Megawizard in 9.1 which is why there is an expectation that one could directly modify them with the Megawizard in 11+.  Any attempt to open an ALTSYNCRAM core in 11+ will result in an error, this is why regeneration from the command line shown in the UG doesn't work.   Admittedly, I am operating in a corner case. These cores were created in a schematic capture environment - which allows one to simply drop an ALTSYNCRAM on a schematic. I'm assuming the Megawizard was then used to modify the ALTSYNCRAM - which seems to work just fine in 9.1. My confusion occurs when I tried to open the cores with the Megawizard in 11.0.  I now have a crystal clear understanding on how this works, and I'm OK with all of this behavior.... I have no need for a solution. I certainly don't have time for Altera to provide a fix (as if they care).   Again, thanks for help, but I'm moving on - though you're welcome to open the case with Altera if you really think its something they should fix or clarify further.  K

[Altera_Forum]

--- Quote Start ---   I'm moving on - though you're welcome to open the case with Altera if you really think its something they should fix or clarify further.   --- Quote End ---    Nah, anyone who still uses schematics for HDL entry gets what they deserve :)  Glad you figured out a work-around.  Cheers, Dave