Design Optimization Workflow

Before performing any optimizations it is recommended to create a new build configuration within the project. Using different build configurations allows one set of results to be compared against a different set of results. In addition to the standard Debug and Release configurations, custom configurations with more useful names (e.g., Opt_ver1 and UnOpt_ver) might be created in the Project Settings window using theManage Build Configurations for the Projecttoolbar button.

Different build configurations allow you to compare not only the results, but also the log files and even output RTL files used to implement the FPGA (the RTL files are only recommended for users very familiar with hardware design).

The basic optimization strategy for a high-performance design is:

  • Create an initial or baseline design.
  • Pipeline the loops and functions. Apply the DATAFLOW optimization to execute loops and functions concurrently.
  • Address any issues that limit pipelining, such as array bottlenecks and loop dependencies (with ARRAY_PARTITION and DEPENDENCE directives).
  • Specify a specific latency or reduce the size of the dataflow memory channels and use the ALLOCATION and RESOUCES directives to further reduce area.
Note:It might sometimes be necessary to make adjustments to the code to meet performance.

In summary, the goal is to always meet performance first, before reducing area. If the strategy is to create a design with the fewest resources, simply omit the steps to improving performance, although the baseline results might be very close to the smallest possible design.

Throughout the optimization process it is highly recommended to review the console output (or log file) after compilation. When the compiler cannot reach the specified performance goals of an optimization, it automatically relaxes the goals (except the clock frequency) and creates a design with the goals that can be satisfied. It is important to review the output from the compilation log files and reports to understand what optimizations have been performed.

For specific details on applying optimizations, refer toVivado Design Suite User Guide: High-Level Synthesis(UG902).