By Brian Jackson, Xilinx
Input/Output (I/O) pin assignment is one of the main challenges facing designers integrating large FPGA devices onto PCBs. Many designers find the process of defining the I/O pin configuration, or “pinout,” of large FPGA devices and their advanced BGA packages an increasingly difficult task for a seemingly ever-expanding number of reasons. But with a mix of smart I/O planning and new tools, you can remove the pain from the pinout process.
The task of defining an I/O pinout from FPGA to PCB is a major design challenge that can make or break a design. You must balance requirements from both the FPGA and PCB perspectives while designing both sides in parallel. If you prematurely optimize a pinout specifically for the PCB or the FPGA, it can lead to design issues in the other domain.
