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FPGA SmartVID

Design guidance for SmartVID capable FPGAs Voltage Regulator selection.

Overview Recommended Voltage Regulators Documentation Related Links
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Overview

SmartVID is a feature on select Altera® FPGAs where the device identifies the optimal voltage that it should be operated at, and provides this information to the power regulator via the PMBus. The term represents Smart Voltage IDentification (SmartVID).

The SmartVID feature compensates for process variation by narrowing the process distribution using voltage adaptation. The feature allows a voltage regulator to provide the SmartVID device with VCC and VCCP voltage levels that optimize its performance by dynamic voltage adjustment.  It is managed by the Secure Device Manager (SDM) subsystem.

Several Altera® FPGA Families support the SmartVID which is indicated by a suffix in the ordering part number (OPN), these include:

  • Agilex® 7 F-Series and I-Series devices with suffix: -V, -E, and -X
  • Agilex® 7 M-Series devices with suffix: -V, and -E
  • Agilex® 5 devices with suffix: -V, -E, -S, and -X
  • Stratix® 10 devices with suffix: -V

Table 1. SmartVID device support for PMBus

Important: 

  • The PMBus operating mode is application dependent and must be determined prior to board design to ensure all required signals are supported. 
  • Incorrect implementation may prevent the configuration of the device. 

Each SmartVID device supports PMBus Controller and Target Modes with 1.8-V single-ended I/O standard.

PMBus Interface Signal

PMBus Controller1 Operating Mode

PMBus Target2 Operating Mode

PWRMGT_SCL

Required

Required

PWRMGT_SDA

Required

Required

PWRMGT_ALERT

-

Required

1. Controller formerly master

2. Target formerly slave

Recommended Voltage Regulators

Table 2. Recommended PMBus-Compliant Voltage Regulator

Important: 

  • A PMBus Compliant Voltage Regulator must be used to supply power to SmartVID devices.
  • If the voltage regulator is not properly selected and implemented, the device configuration will fail, and likely result in a costly board spin. 

A PMBus Compliant Voltage Regulator must be used to supply power to SmartVID devices.

FPGA Device FamilyFully Validated1API Validated Only2
Agilex® 7
  • ISL682XX
  • ISL69260
  • LTC3888-1
  • LTM4677
  • PXE1410CDM_G005
  • XDPE12284C
  • XDPE15284D
  • MPM3698

 

  • FS1525
  • MPM3695-10
  • MP2975
  • MAX20796
  • MAX20734
  • MAX20743
  • MAX20855
  • XDPE1A2G5B
  • LTC3888
  • LTC3888-2
  • LTM4678
  • LTM4680
  • LTM4681
  • TPS53676
Agilex® 5
  • TPS53676
  • LTC3882-1
  • ISL68223
  • LTC7883
  • TPS546C25
  • NCP32863
Stratix® 10
  • LTM4677
 

Column Term Definitions:
 

  1. Fully Validated: These regulators are regression tested and validated for every release of Quartus® Prime Pro software. Altera® strongly recommends using one of these regulators.
  2. API Validated: These devices are known to be API compatible with the SDM power management firmware but have not been physically tested. For API validation, any voltage regulator validated in Agilex 7 is also compatible with Agilex 5, and vice-versa.
  3. NCP3286 has a over-voltage safety limit with Vmin higher that the FPGA operating specs, causing the FPGA unable to be protected by the over-voltage safety limit. The users are responsible for selecting and using this voltage regulator at their own discretion and risk.

SmartVID Debug Checklist and Voltage Regulator Guidelines

  • Review AN 974: Agilex® 7 and Stratix® 10 SmartVID Debug Checklist and Voltage Regulator Guidelines documentation before designing the board, this user guide provides the requirements for SmartVID devices and helps designers choose a voltage regulator compatible with power management firmware run by FPGA Secure Device Manager (SDM).

Table 3. Voltage Regulator Coefficients

Important:

  • To prevent configuration failure make sure the Coefficient value for Voltage Regulator is correct when populate the setting in Quartus® Prime Pro Edition Software. 
  • Incorrect coefficients value may cause the Voltage Regulator to provide incorrect voltage value to the FPGA and may cause configuration failure. 
Voltage Regulator​Vout_Format​Coefficients ​Unit​
LTC7883Linear​N = -12Volt​
LTM4677​Linear​N = -12​Volt​
LTM46815LinearN = -12Volt

LTC3888​6

LTC3888-16

LTC3888-26

Linear​N = -12​Volt​
LTC3882-16Linear​N = -12​Volt​
TPS53676​Linear​N = -10​Volt​
ISL682xx/1xx​Direct​m=1, b=0, r=3​Volt​
m=1, b=0, r=0​millivolt
ISL69260​Direct​m=1, b=0, r=3​Volt​
m=1, b=0, r=0​millivolt
MAX20796/ MAX20734/43LinearN = -9Volt
MAX20855VID_Table2m = 1, b = -490, r = -1millivolt
MP2975​VID_Table2m=2, b=-490, r=-1​millivolt​
MPM3698​VID_Table​2m=200, b=-49, r=0​Volt​
VID7Base voltage = 250mV, step size = 5mVmillivolt
XDPE 1A2G5BLinearN = -10Volt​
XDPE 15284D​Linear​​1N = -9​Volt​
XDPE 12284CIMVP92,3m=1, b=-200, r=-1millivolt
PXE1410CDM_G005​
 
VID_Table2,4 (VR12.0 5mV step)​m=2, b=-490, r=-1​millivolt
VID7Base voltage = 250mV, step size = 5mVmillivolt
  1. The default Mode and Exponent associated with the XDPE15284D are configured to support Linear Mode and Exponent of -9.
  2. Set the slave device type to Other, voltage output format to Direct format in the Power Management setting when use VR with this vout_format.
  3. The default Mode and Coefficients associated with XDPE12284C are configured to support IMVP9.
  4. The default Mode and Coefficients associated with PXE1410CDM_G005 are configured to support VR12.0.
  5. Set the slave device type as LTM4677 in Quartus to use this VR
  6. This VR is having a slow readback response time and tends to cause a longer configuration time.
  7. Set the voltage output format to VID format in the Power Management setting when use VR with this vout_format in Quartus 26.1 onwards.

Table 4. Documentation

User Guide Topic User Guide Description

Power Management User Guides

  • Agilex® 7 Power Management User Guide
  • Agilex® 5 Power Management User Guide
  • Stratix® 10 Power Management User Guide 
These user guides provide information related to SmartVID feature implementations. Review the user guides to understand on the PMBus communication between FPGA and voltage regulator.

Power Distribution Network User Guides

  • Device-Specific Power Delivery Network (PDN) Tool 2.0 User Guide
  • Agilex® 7 Power Distribution Network Design Guidelines
  • Agilex® 7 and, Agilex® 5, Stratix® 10 SmartVID Debug Checklist and Voltage Regulator Guidelines
  • Agilex® 5 Power Distribution Network Design Guidelines
These user guides provide information for Power Distribution Network (PDN) that allow you to successfully complete your PDN design, without requiring additional support.
Related Links
  • Power Distribution Network

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