Any way to get around "Transmitter ... exceeds the maximum allowed data rate ..."?

[migry_tech]

I have a board which has a 208 pin QFP Cyclone II (EPC2C5). There are 4 differentail pairs connected to a HDMI connector and 4 more pairs to a DVI-D connector. This is for experimentation with video generation.

I have ported some code which works on a competitors FPGA, and adjusted it to work with the available Megafunctions given by Altera/Intel. Specifically the competitors FPGA has a built in SERDES block, which I have re-implemented using the DDIO_OUT Megafunction. Now I realise that the megafunction is implemented using regular fabric rather than using a dedicated hardware block so is unlikely to be as fast as a dedicated piece of hardware and it's timing is compile/layout critical.

After figuring out that the data to the DDIO_OUT needed to be reversed I finally got video on my Dell monitor. This is running at 480p60, and both HDMI and DVI-D connectors are operational (good to know that I wired them up correctly!). I use a PLL to generate 25MHz and 125MHz for the DDIO_OUT which gives a data rate of 250Mbps.

For fun and experimentation I would like to try other video resolutions. The one I was particularly interested in is 720p60. I re-generated the PLL to generate 75MHz and 375MHz for a data rate of 750Mbps. During compilation I get the following message...

"Error (176058): The Transmitter driving I/O pin DVID_CH0P at data rate 750 Mbps exceeds the maximum allowed data rate of 550 Mbps"

It's an ERROR not a warning, so I can't even try it. Yes I understand it is there for good reason as the circuit may fail to operate at the higher speed, but I want to try it anyway. BTW, the competitors FPGA actually can be overclocked (above it's Mbps rating) to work at 1080p60. So yes it's a risk, but shouldn't blow the chip up!

Is there a way to workaround?

I have a 50MHz XTAL which goes to the PLL, whose two outputs (c1 and c2) connect directly to the DDIO_OUT block. I sort of remember when I generate the DDIO_OUT that I told it about the expected data rate.

So I tried to fool the compiler. I told it that the input clock (XTAL) was only 25MHz in the SDC file, however I was forced to re-implement the PLL (the original one was generated having been told it was getting a 50MHz input). When I downloaded and ran the "code" I got a picture which the Dell informed me was 720p40(!). Checking the slower PLL output (on a test pin) it was only 66MHz and not 75MHz. So a PLL designed for a 25MHz clock did not work correctly with a 50MHz clock. You might say that this is no surprise, but a PLL is actually just an input clock "multiplier", and this trick can work for some more flexible PLLs.

I don't know how the compiler figures out the data rate. I really want to try to lie about the clock frequencies going into the DDIO_OUT. I tried to add some internal clock definitions to the SDC but failed miserably. I just can't get my head around the syntax. Clearly the compiler is very clever(!) in that I tell it about the PLL input clock (from the SDC), and it then figures out the PLL output frequencies, it knows that the DDIO_OUT is driven from the PLL directly, and then from that calculates the data rate.

I've thought about having two PLLs which a mux on the output, controlled by an external pin, to try to fool the compiler, so it can't deduce the clock frequencies to the DDIO_OUT, but it seems horribly contrived. There must be a better way.

NOTE: I accept all responsibility for anything bad that happens when I overclock the DDIO_OUT by 20%! It's my own hardware design.

regards...

--migry

[Rahul_S_Intel1]

Hi

I suggest one more thing use one counter to get the required data rate. May be I am completely wrong

[migry_tech]

Thank you for taking the time to reply, but I have no idea what you are suggesting.

I just re-visited this project today. I have just tried compiling the code for 720p @50Hz over HDMI, and get the same ERROR message. Is there a way to downgrade an error to a warning?

[migry_tech]

Just as a quick test I edited the PLL to generate 50 and 250MHz (for the DDIO IP) instead of 75 and 375MHz. This drops the data rate to 500Mbps and so the ERROR message is not triggered.

My Dell 2408WFP displays a picture and informs me that it is 1280x720 @34Hz.

So the flexible Dell can handle this very non-standard rate, but I am not expecting to work on my UK 50Hz HD TV!

It does appear that the timing tool is clever enough to figure out the PLL outputs and that they drive the DDIO clocks. Is there any way to define something in the SDC to fool the timing tool into thinking that the DDIO clocks are lower frequencies? BTW my SDC knowledge is pretty basic and any time I try to define something on an internal signal I get an error :-(.

[Rahul_S_Intel1]

Kindly find the private message

[Rahul_S_Intel1]

Hi ,

 Kindly let me know, if you need further assistance.