LVDS SERDES Transmitter / Receiver IP Cores User Guide

ID 683062
Date 12/15/2017
Public
Document Table of Contents

1.5.2.1. DPA PLL Calibration in Stratix IV ES Devices

Applications using a fixed, cyclical training pattern with sparse data transitions can cause the PLL phase to remain unchanged, which results in DPA misalignment. When DPA misaligns the DPA circuitry remains at the initial configured phase or takes a significantly longer time to lock onto the optimum phase. A non-ideal phase might result in data bit errors, even after the DPA lock signal goes high. Resetting the DPA circuit may not solve the problem.

The following figure shows that the DPA takes longer time to lock onto the optimum phase even after the rx_reset and rx_dpa_locked signals are asserted, resulting in data errors.

Figure 3. DPA Misalignment Issue


In the Intel® Quartus® Prime software versions 9.0 and later, the DPA PLL calibration feature is added to the ALTLVDS_RX IP core to overcome the DPA misalignment issue found in Stratix IV ES devices; the Stratix IV production devices are not affected. The DPA PLL calibration feature is available when the LVDS receiver is configured in DPA or soft-CDR mode. DPA PLL calibration phase-shifts the PLL outputs to induce progress in the PLL’s phase-detect up and down counter and to facilitate a new phase selection.

The following events occur during the DPA PLL calibration process:

  1. The ALTLVDS_RX IP core counts 256 data transitions; the PLL calibrates the phase forward by two clocks.
  2. The ALTLVDS_RX IP core counts 256 transitions; the PLL calibrates the phase backward by two clocks so that the PLL timing returns to normal.
  3. The ALTLVDS_RX IP core counts 256 data transitions, and then asserts the rx_dpa_locked signal.
Note: For more information about DPA lock time specification, refer to the Device Data Sheet chapter in the respective device handbook.