Description
An interface is a grouping of signals that share a common function, containing both individual signals and multiple buses. An AXI4-Lite master, for example, contains a large number of individual signals plus multiple buses, which are all required to make a connection. By grouping these signals and buses into an interface, the Vivado IP integrator can identify common interfaces and automatically make multiple connections in a single step.
An interface is defined using the IP-XACT standard. Standard interfaces provided by AMD can be found in the Vivado tools installation directory at data/ip/interfaces. See the Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Designing IP Subsystems using IP Integrator (UG994) for more information on interface nets, pins, and ports.
A block design interface port is a special type of hierarchical pin, a pin on the top-level of the block diagram. In block designs, ports and interface are primary ports communicating the external connection of the block design or diagram from or to the overall FPGA design, or system level design.
Related Objects
The block design interface port, bd_intf_port object, occurs in a block design, or diagram. It is connected by block design interface nets (bd_intf_net) to the pins of block design cells (bd_cell). You can query the bd_intf_ports of the diagram, or those connected to block design interface nets.
get_bd_intf_ports -of_objects [get_bd_intf_nets]You can also query the interface nets connected to bd_intf_port objects:
get_bd_intf_nets -of_objects [get_bd_intf_ports CLK*]Properties
The specific properties on a block design interface port object can vary depending on the type of the port. The following table lists some of the properties assigned to a clock bd_intf_port object, with example values:
Property Type Read-only Visible Value
CLASS string true true bd_intf_port
LOCATION string false true 1950 430
MODE string true true Master
NAME string false true ddr4_sdram
PATH string true true /ddr4_sdram
VLNV string true true xilinx.com:interface:ddr4_rtl:1.0
To report the properties for a bd_intf_port object, you can copy and paste the following command into the Vivado Design Suite Tcl shell or Tcl Console:
report_property -all [lindex [get_bd_intf_ports] 0]