Altera PowerPlay Early Power Estimator - Manual (Page 9)

information from the _early_pwr.csv into the PowerPlay EPE spreadsheet, you can edit the
PowerPlay EPE spreadsheet to reflect the device resource estimates for your final design.
Table 2-2: Advantages and Constraints of Power Estimation if your FPGA Design is Partially Complete
Advantage Constraint
• You can perform power estimation early in the
FPGA design cycle.
• Provides the flexibility to automatically fill in the
PowerPlay Early Power Estimator spreadsheet
based on the Quartus II software compilation
results.
• Accuracy depends on your inputs and your
estimation of the device resources; where this
information may change (during or after your
design is complete), your power estimation
results may be less accurate.
• The PowerPlay EPE spreadsheet uses averages
and not the actual design implementation
details; for example ALUT input usage and
routing. The PowerPlay Power Analyzer has
access to the full design details.
Importing a File
To estimate power consumption with the PowerPlay EPE spreadsheet if your FPGA design is partially
complete, you can import a file.
Importing a file saves you time and effort otherwise spent on manually entering information into the
PowerPlay EPE. You can also manually change any of the values after importing a file.
Generate the PowerPlay EPE File
To generate the PowerPlay EPE file, follow these steps:
1. Compile the partial FPGA design in the Quartus II software.
2. On the Project menu, click Generate PowerPlay Early Power Estimator File to generate the
name>
_early_pwr.csv in the Quartus II software.
Import Data into the PowerPlay EPE Spreadsheet
You must import the PowerPlay EPE file into the PowerPlay EPE spreadsheet before modifying any
information in the PowerPlay EPE spreadsheet. Also, you must verify all your information after importing
a file.
Importing a file from the Quartus II software populates all input values on the Main worksheet that were
specified in the Quartus II software. These parameters include:
• Family
• Device
• Package
• Temperature grade
• Power characteristics
• Core voltage (V)
• Ambient (T
A
) or junction (T
J
) temperature (°C)
• Heat sink
2-4 Importing a File
UG-01070
2015.01.20
Altera Corporation Setting Up the PowerPlay Early Power Estimator
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