iCEcube2 Tutorial

December 3, 2020
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 Lattice Semiconductor Corporation. All rights reserved. This document may
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iCEcube2 Tutorial www.latticesemi.com 2

Revision History
The following table lists the revision history of this document.

Version Revision

1.0 Release iCEcube2 2010.03

1.1 Updated for iCEcube2 2013.12.

Added content to use stand-alone Diamond Programmer to program iCEblink40-
HX1K Evaluation Board.
Added Appendix A to describe Lattice Synthesis Engine.

1.2 Updated Trademarks.

1.3 Replaced Aldec Active-HDL with Mentor ModelSim.

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Preface

About This Document

The iCEcube2 Tutorial provides iCE FPGA designers with an overview of the software tool and
the design process using iCEcube2. This document covers the iCEcube2 tools for project setup,
navigation, and physical implementation on the iCE40 FGPA device.
For detailed information of the iCEcube2 development tools, refer to the iCEcube2 User Guide,
located in the <icecube2_install_directory>/doc directory.
For information on the Synopsys® Synplify Pro® software, refer to the Synplify Pro documentation
provided in the <icecube2_install_directory>/synpbase/doc directory.
For information on the Mentor® ModelSim® simulation tool, refer to the Mentor ModelSim online
Help.

Software Version
This tutorial is based on iCEcube2 Software Version 2020.12. For more information about
acquiring the iCEcube2 software, visit the Lattice Semiconductor website:
http://www.latticesemi.com.

Software Requirements
This tutorial requires two software programs:
• iCEcube2 Tool Suite version 2013.12 or higher
• The stand-alone version of Lattice Diamond™ Programmer software, version 2.1 or
higher
The iCEcube2 software should be installed on a platform satisfying the following minimum
requirements:
• Pentium 4 computer (500 MHz) with 256 MB of RAM, 256MB of virtual memory, and
running one of the following operating systems:
• Windows 7 OS, 32-bit / 64-bit
• Windows XP Professional
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS v4.0
For installation help, refer to the iCEcube2 Installation Guide located in the
<icecube2_install_directory>/doc directory.

Programming Hardware Requirements

• iCEblink40-HX1K Evaluation Kit, which consists of the following:
• iCEblink40-HX1K Board
• USB Mini Cable to provide 5 V power to the board
• Lattice HW-USBN-2A USB programming cable
Refer to http://www.latticesemi.com for more details on programming hardware.

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Overview

iCEcube2 Tool Suite

The iCEcube2 Tool Suite is comprised of several integrated components, running under either
the Microsoft Windows or the Red Hat Linux environments.

Figure 1 depicts the design flow using the iCEcube2 Tool Suite. The blue boxes indicate
functionality supported by iCEcube2 software. The purple boxes indicate the functionality
supported by the Synopsys Synplify Pro synthesis tools, Lattice Synthesis Engine (LSE), and the
Mentor ModelSim simulation tool. The iCEcube2 software, Synopsys Synplify Pro, LSE, and the
Mentor ModelSim software constitute the iCEcube2 Tool Suite.

Note: The Mentor ModelSim tool is available only in Windows environments.

Figure 1: The iCEcube2 Design Flow

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Design Flow
The following steps provide an overview of the design flow using the iCEcube2 Tool Suite.

1. Create a new project in the iCEcube2 Project Navigator and specify a target device and
its operating conditions. Add HDL (Verilog or VHDL) design files and constraint files to
the project.
2. Synthesize the design. iCEcube2 software supports both Lattice Synthesis Engine (LSE)
and Synplify Pro design software. For the purposes of this tutorial, we will be using
Synplify Pro. “Appendix A: Synthesizing the Design with Lattice Synthesis Engine” on
page 26 provides steps that demonstrate the use of Lattice Synthesis Engine (LSE).
3. Perform placement and routing using iCEcube2 Place and Route tools. iCEcube2 also
supports the Floor Planner tool to allow you to manually place logic cells and I/Os.
4. Perform timing simulation of your design using the Mentor ModelSim simulation tool or
any industry-standard HDL simulation tool. The files necessary for simulation are
automatically generated by the iCEcube2 physical implementation tools after the routing
phase.
5. Perform static timing analysis using the iCEcube2 Static timing analyzer.
6. Generate device programming and configuration files from the iCEcube2 Physical
Implementation tools.
7. Program the device on the iCEblink40-HX1K board using Lattice Stand-Alone
Programmer tool.

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Tutorial

Create a Project
Start the iCEcube2 software. In Windows, from the Start menu, choose Lattice iCEcube2 >
iCEcube2. The iCECube2 main window appears, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: iCECube2 Main Window

To create a new project, choose File > New, or click the Create a New Project icon as shown in
Figure 2. This will launch the New Project Wizard, a shown in Figure 3.

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 Figure 3: New Project Wizard

This example is targeted for an iCE40-HX1K device installed in the iCEblink40-HX1K Evaluation
Board. Set up the project properties as follows:

• Project Name: Specify a project name (quick_start) in the Project Name field.
• Project Directory: Specify a directory in which to place the project. In this example, the
directory C:\ice40_tutor was chosen.
• Device Family: Choose iCE40.
• Device: Choose HX1K.
• Device Package: Choose VQ100.
• Operating Condition: Leave all selections as default.
• Start From Synthesis: This option allows you to start the flow from synthesis. For this
tutorial, select this option.
• Click Next to display the Add Files dialog box, as shown in Figure 4.

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In the Add Files dialog box, in the Look in box, browse to:
<icecube2_install_directory >/examples/blinky.
Highlight the following files:
• iCElab.v
• iCElab.sdc
The SDC file is a Synopsys constraint file, which contains timing constraint information.
Click the >> button to add the selected files. The >>> button can be used to add all the files in the
open directory. Files can be removed from the project using << and <<<.
Click Finish to create the project.

Figure 4: New Project Wizard – Add Files Dialog Box

After successfully setting-up your project, you will return to the following iCEcube2 Project
Navigator, which should appear as shown in Figure 5.

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 Figure 5: iCEcube2 Project Navigator View after Completing Project Set-up

Synthesize the Design with Synplify Pro Synthesis Tool

Synplify Pro is the default synthesis tool, but iCEcube2 also supports Lattice Synthesis Engine
(LSE). For the purpose of this tutorial, we will use the default Synplify Pro tool. To learn more
about LSE, see “Appendix A: Synthesizing the Design with Lattice Synthesis Engine” on page 26.
To run synthesis, double-click Run Synplify Pro Synthesis in the project navigator window, as
shown in Figure 6.

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 Figure 6: Launch Synthesis Tool

The synthesis is run in the background, and the results of the synthesis are displayed in the
iCEcube2 output tab, as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: iCEcube2 Output Tab after Running Synthesis

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Place and Route Flow
This section goes through the post-synthesis physical implementation flow. This tutorial flow uses
the Synplify Pro synthesis tool.

Select Implementation
Double-click Select Implementation. This sets the synthesis implementation to process for place
and route in iCECube2. If you have different synthesis implementations, you will be able to select
the synthesis implementation you wish to place and route. Since we only have one
implementation, click OK when the Select Synthesis Implementation dialog box appears, as
shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8. Select Synthesis Implementation

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Import Physical Constraints

Physical constraints such as pin assignments are stored in a .PCF file (Physical Constraint File).
You will now add the .PCF file to your project.

In the iCEcube2 Project Navigator, expand Add P&R Files. Right-click on Constraint Files, and
select Add Files as shown in Figure 9.

Note: For information on importing physical constraints from iCEcube to iCEcube2, please refer
to the Importing Physical Constraints from iCEcube to iCEcube2 section in the iCEcube2
User Guide.

Figure 9: Specify Additional Files for Place and Route

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Navigate to the < icecube2_install_directory>/examples/blinky directory and add the iCElab.pcf
file as shown in Figure 10. Then, click OK.

\
Figure 10. Add .pcf file

Import Place and Route Input Files

The next step is to import the files for Place and Route. Double-click Import P&R Input Files in
the Project Navigator. Once completed you will see a green check next to Import P&R Input
Files, as shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11: Successful Import of Place and Route Input Files

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Place the Design
You will now run the Placer. Double-click Run Placer.
Once placement is complete, a green check will appear and the Output window will show
information about the placement of the design, as shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12: Run Placer

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View Floor Planner
You can view the placement of the design by opening the Floor Planner.
Choose Tool > Floor Planner, or click the Floor Planner icon, shown in Figure 13.

Figure 13. Floor Planner

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View Package View
You can also see how pins were placed for your design by selecting Package View. You can
select the package viewer by going to the menu and choosing Tool > Package View or click the
Package View Icon, shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14: Package View

Route the Design

Double-click on Run Router in the project navigation window. Place and Route have been
separated into different steps to allow you to re-route the design after making placement
modifications in the Floor Planner without having to re-run the placer.

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Perform Static Timing Analysis
Now that after you have routed the design, you can perform timing analysis to check to see if the
design meets your timing requirements. To launch the Timing Analyzer, choose
Tool > Timing Analysis, or click the Timing Analysis icon. See Figure 15.

Figure 15. Timing Analysis Summary

Figure 15 shows the timing analysis of our 100 MHz design running at over 123.02 MHz and our
1 MHz clock is running at over 170.76 MHz (worst case timing). If we were not meeting timing,
the timing analyzer allows you to see your failing paths and do a more in-depth analysis. For this
tutorial, we won’t go into details on timing slack analysis. See the iCEcube2 User Guide for
details on timing analysis.

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Perform Power Analysis
iCEcube2 comes with power estimator tool. To launch the Power Estimator, choose Tool >
Power Estimator, or click the Power Estimator icon, as shown in Figure 16.
There are multiple tabs in the Power Estimator tool including Summary, I/O, and Clock Domain.
On the Summary tab, if it is not already set, change the Core Vdd to 1.2V and make sure all IO
Voltages are set at 2.5V. Then click Calculate. The estimator will update with power information
for both static and dynamic power. You can change voltages in the IO Voltage values in the
respective menus and re-calculate to see the different results. For more information on using the
IO and Clock Domain tabs, refer to the Power Estimator tool section of the iCEcube2 User Guide.

Figure 16. Power Estimator

Generate Programming Files with iCEcube2

To program a device, you will need to generate a programming file. In the project navigator,
double click Bitmap. This generates .bit and .hex files in the outputs directory.
In our example, the output directory is located here:
<icecube2_install_directory>examples\blinky\quick_start\quick_start_Implmnt\sbt\outputs\bitmap

Save the iCEcube2 Project

Save the iCECube2 project and close iCEcube2 by choosing File > Close Project. Your project
will be automatically saved in your project directory with a .project file name. In our example, the
project file name is quick_start_sbt.project, saved in the C:\ice40_tutor\quick_start directory.

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Program an iCE40 Device with Stand-Alone Diamond Programmer
The .hex files that you generated with iCECube2 software will be used for programming the
external SPI Flash on the Lattice iCEblink40-HX1K evaluation board. The iCE40 configures itself
from the SPI flash.
For this tutorial, we will use the stand-alone version of Lattice Diamond Programmer. This is the
preferred tool to program iCE40 devices Do not use the Programmer tool that comes installed
with iCEcube tool suite for this tutorial.

Set Up the iCEblink40-HX1K Board

You must connect the iCEblink40-HX1K Evaluation Board to the computer using both the Lattice
HW-USBN-2A USB programming cable and a USB Mini Cable.
Figure 17 is a schematic of the iCEBlink40 Evaluation Board.

Figure 17: iCEblink40-HX1K Evaluation Board

1. Connect the fly wires of the Lattice HW-USBN-2A USB programming cable to the board as
shown in Table 1.

Table 1. iCEblink40-HX1K Board to Programming Cable Connections

iCEBlink Board Connector Lattice HW-USBN-2A USB

Programming Cable
J11: SO TDI
J11: SI TDO
J11: SCK TCK
J11: GND (Pin 5) GND
J11: Vcc 3V3 (Pin 6) VCC
J10: M25P10-SS_B (Pin 1) ISPEN
J8 CRESET (Pin 1) TRST

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2. Connect the other end of the Lattice HW-USBN-2A USB programming cable to an available
USB port on your computer.

3. Connect the USB Mini Cable to the iCEblink40-HX1K board, and connect the other end to an
available USB port on your computer. This cable provides 5 V power to the board.

The setup should appear as shown in the photo in Figure 18.

Figure 18: Cables Connected to Board

Program the Device with Stand-Alone Diamond Programmer

Use stand-alone Diamond Programmer to program the iCE40 device on the iCEbllink40-HX1K
Evaluation Board.

Start the stand-alone Diamond Programmer. In Windows, from the Start menu, choose Lattice
Diamond Programmer > Diamond Programmer.

The Diamond Programmer Getting Started dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 19.

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 Figure 19: Diamond Programmer Getting Started Dialog Box

Select Create a New Project from a Scan button and click OK.

The Diamond Programmer main window appears.

In the Cable Settings box, in the upper-right, click Detect Cable.

Diamond Programmer will indicate in the bottom output tab that the Lattice HW-USBN-2A USB
programming cable was detected, as shown in Figure 20.

Figure 20: Diamond Programmer Main Window

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In the Device Family field, click the Generic JTAG Device box and choose iCE40, as shown in
Figure 21.

Figure 21: Choosing iCE40 Device Family

In the Device column, choose iCE40HX1K, as shown in Figure 22.

Figure 22: Choosing iCE40HX1K Device

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Choose Edit > Device Properties, or double-click the Operation box to display the Device
Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 23.

In the Device Properties dialog box, set options as follows:

• Access Mode: SPI Flash Programming

• Operation: SPI Flash Erease,Program,Verify

In the Programming File box, browse to the iceblink40_demo_bitmap.hex file you generated
with iCEcube2. In our example, the .hex file is located in:
C:\ice40_tutor\quick_start\quick_start_Implmnt\sbt\outputs\bitmap

In the SPI Flash Options box, choose the following options:

• Family: SPI Serial Flash
• Vendor: STMicro
• Device: SPI-M25P 10-A
• Package: 8-pin SOIC

The Device Properties dialog box should be configured as shown in Figure 23.

Figure 23: Device Properties Dialog Box

In the Device Properties dialog box, click OK.

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In the Diamond Programmer main window, choose Design > Program, or click the Program icon
in the toolbar, as shown in Figure 24. The output tab in the lower left portion of Diamond
Programmer should indicate Operation successful.

Figure 24: Diamond Programmer Main Window – Successful Program Operation

The external SPI Flash on the Lattice iCEblink40-HX1K evaluation board has been programmed,
and the iCE40 is configured from the SPI flash.
The four green LEDs on the iCEblink40-HX1K board should flash in sequence from top to bottom.
Congratulations, you have successfully programmed your design onto an iCE40 device.

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Appendix A: Synthesizing the Design with Lattice Synthesis Engine
You can use Lattice Synthesis Engine (LSE) instead of Synopsys Synplicity Pro synthesis
software to synthesize your design.
This appendix demonstrates using LSE to synthesize your design.
In iCECube2, open the project you saved in “Save the iCEcube2 Project” on page 19. Choose
File > Open Project. Browse to the project file. In our example the project file name is
quick_start_sbt.project, located in the C:\ice40_tutor\quick_start directory. In the Open File
dialog box, highlight the project file and click Open.
In the iCEcube2 Project Navigator, right-click Synthesis Tool, and then choose Select
Synthesis Tools. In the Select Synthesis Tool dialog box, choose Lattice LSE as shown in
Figure 25, and then click OK.

Figure 25: Select Synthesis Tool Dialog Box

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Double-click Run Lattice LSE Synthesis, as shown in Figure 26.

Figure 26: Run Lattice LSE Synthesis

Your design has now been synthesized with LSE. You can perform the same tasks as were
performed with the design that was synthesized using Synopsis Synthesis Pro, including:
• Place the Design (page 15)
• View Floor Planner (page 16)
• View the Package Viewer (page 17)
• Route the Design (page 17)
• Perform Static Timing Analysis (page 18)
• Perform Power Analysis (page 19)
• Generate Programming Files with iCEcube2 (page 19)
• Save the iCEcube2 Project (page 19)
• Program an iCE40 Device with Stand-Alone Diamond Programmer (page 20)

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