Linking an FPGA Project to a PCB Project

Quite often an FPGA-based design, and the design of the board upon which the physical FPGA device will be placed, are worked on in parallel. Alternatively, only the FPGA project may exist, having been developed to the point of successful synthesis. Whatever the case, the two projects will, at some stage, need to be linked – effectively targeting the FPGA device to the board. This process involves:

• Creation of a PCB project (where one does not exist)

• Targeting (linking) the FPGA project to the PCB project

• Managing any design changes originating in one or both of the linked projects.