Altera PowerPlay Early Power Estimator - Manual (Page 9)

Chapter 2: Setting Up Cyclone III PowerPlay Early Power Estimator 2–3
Estimating Power
© June 2009 Altera Corporation PowerPlay Early Power Estimator User Guide for Cyclone III FPGAs
Table 2–2 shows the advantages and disadvantages of using the PowerPlay Early
Power Estimator for an FPGA design that is partially complete.
Use the following steps to estimate power usage with the PowerPlay Early Power
Estimator if your FPGA design is partially complete:
1. Compile the partial FPGA design in the Quartus II software.
2. Generate the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator file (<revision
name>_early_pwr.csv) in the Quartus II software by clicking Generate PowerPlay
Early Power Estimator File
on the Project menu.
3. Download the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator from the Altera website on the
PowerPlay Early Power Estimators (EPE) and Power Analyzer page.
4. Import the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator file into the PowerPlay Early Power
Estimator to automatically populate the entries.
5. After importing the file to populate the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator, you can
manually edit the cells to reflect the final device resource estimates.
Estimating Power After Completing the FPGA Design
When you complete your FPGA design, the PowerPlay Power Analyzer in the
Quartus II software provides the most accurate power consumption estimate of your
device. In addition to place-and-route information, the PowerPlay Analyzer also uses
simulation, user mode, and default toggle rate assignments to determine power
consumption. Altera strongly recommends using the PowerPlay Power Analyzer
when your FPGA design is complete.
f
For more information about how to use the PowerPlay Power Analyzer in the
Quartus II software, refer to the
PowerPlay Power Analysis chapter in volume 3 of the
Quartus II Handbook.
Table 2–2. Power Estimation When FPGA Design Is Partially Complete
Advantages Disadvantages
■ Power estimation can be done early in the
FPGA design cycle.
■ Provides the flexibility to automatically fill in
the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator based
on Quartus II software compilation results.
■ Accuracy dependents on your input and
estimate of the final design device

resources—this information can change
during or after the completion of your design,
therefore affecting the accuracy of your
power estimation results.