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SEPTEMBER 2024 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 27 matic symbol containing the correct pin data, as well as the appropriate mapping to the BGA footprint. Alternatively, I/O optimization tools (Figure 3) can provide parallel paths of FPGA and PCB design, trimming days from the design pro- cess and delivery schedules and providing sig- nificant overall long-term cost benefits. We can meet these challenges with tools that add hardware description language (HDL) synthe- sis and advanced FPGA-PCB I/O optimiza- tion to the PCB layout soware. is interface between the HDL design environment and the physical implementation on the PCB signifi- cantly reduces both time-to-market and man- ufacturing costs by automating the process, reducing errors and thus iterations. At any stage of the project, the PCB design flow should tightly integrate I/O optimization and make it accessible. Keeping the schematic, PCB layout, and FPGA databases synchro- nized allows users to control the flow of design data in the project. An FPGA vendor-neutral design environment that enables archi- tecture-specific optimization takes advantage of the specific features of each FPGA device to meet the design requirements. Vendor-inde- pendent synthesis supports devices from Altera, Lattice, Microsemi, and Xilinx. erefore, you can use the same HDL design source files and constraints to target any device and to obtain a synthesized netlist that can be used for place and route with the appropriate vendor tools. is vendor independence allows users to easily re-target and ana- lyze results for any FPGA device, enabling you to find the best FPGA device to suit the design. Automating this error-prone boundary between FPGA and PCB design makes sense. Most of the popular PCB vendors have I/O opti- mization tools. Cadence has its FPGA System Planner, Siemens has I/O Optimization, and Zuken has FPGA Co-design solutions. Design teams need to implement these new method- ologies to ensure they do not negate the cost and time-to-market benefits of using program- mable logic. Key Points • e miniaturization trend is driving the IC footprint to an even smaller profile, requiring tighter margins. • Taiwan currently produces approximately 80% of the global supply of silicon chips. • Double-sided SMT placement, reduced routing channels, and high-speed constraints are creating multiple challenges for designers. • Shorter interconnects between the IC and the PCB reduce signal loss and electromagnetic interference. Figure 3: Modifying the pin assignment eliminates cross-overs.