Altera PowerPlay Early Power Estimator - Manual (Page 5)

© June 2009 Altera Corporation PowerPlay Early Power Estimator User Guide for Cyclone III FPGAs
1. About Cyclone III PowerPlay Early
Power Estimator
Release Information
This user guide explains how to use the Cyclone ® III PowerPlay Early Power
Estimator spreadsheet version 9.0 SP2 and later to estimate device power
consumption.
Device Family Support
The Microsoft Excel-based PowerPlay Early Power Estimator spreadsheet provides
preliminary support for the Cyclone III device family.
General Description
As designs grow larger and processes continue to shrink, power concerns increase.
PCB designers need an accurate estimate of power the device consumes to develop an
appropriate power budget and design the power supplies, voltage regulators, heat
sink, and cooling system. You can calculate the power requirements of a Cyclone III
device family by using the Microsoft Excel-based PowerPlay Early Power Estimator
from the
PowerPlay Early Power Estimators (EPE) and Power Analyzer page on the Altera
website, or the PowerPlay Power Analyzer in the Quartus ® II. To access the
PowerPlay Power Analyzer in the Quartus II software, open Quartus II, point to
Processing
, and choose the PowerPlay Power Analyzer Tool option. You must enter
the device resources, operating frequency, toggle rates, and other parameters in the
PowerPlay Early Power Estimator.
1
These calculations are only meant to be used as an estimate of power, and not as a
specification. You must ensure that you verify the actual power during device
operation, as the information is sensitive to the device design and the environmental
operating conditions.
f For more information about available device resources, I/O standard support, and
other device features, refer to the appropriate device family handbooks.