Altera PowerPlay Early Power Estimator - Manual (Page 10)

2–2 Altera Corporation
PowerPlay Early Power Estimator For Arria GX FPGAs May 2008
Estimating Power
To use the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator, enter the device resources,
operating frequency, toggle rates and other parameters in the PowerPlay
Early Power Estimator. If you do not have an existing design, then you
need to estimate the number of device resources your design uses in
order to enter the information into the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator.
Estimating Power Before Starting the FPGA Design
FPGAs provide the convenience of a shorter design cycle and faster
time-to-market than ASICs or ASSPs. This means that the board design
often takes places during the FPGA design cycle, and the power planning
for the device can happen before any of the FPGA design is complete.
Table 2–1 shows the advantages and disadvantages of using the
PowerPlay Early Power Estimator spreadsheet before you begin the
FPGA design.
To estimate power usage with the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator
spreadsheet if you have not started your FPGA design, perform the
following steps:
1. Download the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator spreadsheet from
the Altera website (www.altera.com).
2. Select the target family, device, and package from the PowerPlay
early power estimator’s Family, Device, and Package sections.
3. Enter values for each section in the PowerPlay Early Power
Estimator. Different worksheets in the file display different power
sections, such as clocks and PLLs. Power is calculated automatically,
and subtotals are given for each section.
4. The calculator displays the estimated power usage in the Total
section.
Table 2–1. Power Estimation Before Designing FPGA
Advantages Disadvantages
Power estimation can be done
before any FPGA design is
complete ● Accuracy depends on user input and
estimate of the device resources
● Process can be time consuming