Design Hierarchy - 2023.1 English

Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Dynamic Function eXchange (UG909)

Document ID
UG909
Release Date
2023-05-24
Version
2023.1 English

Good hierarchical design practices resolve many complexities and difficulties when implementing a partially reconfigurable FPGA design. A clear design instance hierarchy simplifies physical and timing constraints. Registering signals at the boundary between static and reconfigurable logic eases timing closure. Grouping logic that is packed together in the same hierarchical level is necessary.

These are all well known design practices that are often not followed in general FPGA designs. Following these design rules is not strictly required in a partially reconfigurable design, but the potential negative effects of not following them are more pronounced. The benefits of Dynamic Function eXchange are great, but the extra complexity in design could be more challenging to debug, especially in hardware.

For additional information about design hierarchy, see Hierarchical Design Flows.