Questions Summary General IP Product Questions  Supported tools? Pricing? Delivery methods? Deliverable items? Included documentation? Delivery time? Multiple EDIFs with Altera? What is OpenCore? What is the OpenCorePlus™? General Core Questions  Licensing options? Simulate cores? Fine tuning possible? IP legal issues? File xxxxxxw.vhd?

IP Product FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions on Cores and Models

This page answers product questions we typically get from CAST customers and users.

Please browse the complete questions and answers below, check the summary to the right, or use your browser's Find command to search for topics on this page. Don't see your question here or need more information? Then just let us know.

General IP Product Questions

What tools do your products support?

We have affiliations or partnerships with most major EDA and synthesis vendors, and our cores and models work effectively with all popular tools. Please check with us directly for your specific tool requirements.

How do you set your product prices?

Our prices are generally based on the complexity and resale ability of each individual core or model. When you purchase a CAST IP product, you are getting thoroughly verified and ready-to-use intellectual property, not just a piece of code. Writing a core usually encompasses only about 30% of the total effort required to develop a high-quality CAST core product; other factors include documentation, testing, code coverage, and quality assurance.

Please contact your local distributor or CAST to discuss the products you're interested in and their prices.

How do you deliver CAST cores and models?

We deliver either on a CD Rom, or via encrypted FTP , depending on the requirements of your receiving department. You must sign and fax back to us your license agreement prior to delivery of your cores.

What is included in the delivery?

Every individual product includes a testbench, input test vectors, and expected vectors, as well as documentation. Cores include example compile scripts and synthesis scripts.

What kind of documentation do you include?

We also include a usage document describing how the core or model is put together and how to best use it, and any specific details such as a list of registers and what they mean. In addition, the documentation available to describe an originally-manufactured part also serves as an excellent supplemental guide to using our core or model for that part.

How long will it take to receive a core or model once we issue a P.O.?

For standard, in-stock products, it takes only two days to process the order and deliver. If the model or core requires customization or new development work, we will let you know during the quotation process (prior to the P.O.) how long it will take to write, test, and ship the product.

General Core Questions

What licensing options are available for a CAST core?

CAST cores are sold with a "single project" license. A single project enables the use of the core in a single FPGA which can be instantiated multiple times in a design, and it also includes prototyping your design in an FPGA, and then migrating it to an ASIC. Additional FPGAs can be created with an additional license.

Can I simulate CAST HDL cores?

Yes. Simulating the HDL cores before synthesis results in a zero delay functional simulation. You can also simulate all cores after synthesis and layout with full timing capabilities.

Is it possible to make minor adjustments or tweaks to your HDL cores to better suit our purpose?

CAST HDL cores are "soft cores," that is, they are delivered in VHDL or Verilog source code (optimized cores are also available as "firm" netlists). You can make any changes to the HDL source you wish, or you can contract with us to make changes for you. Firm cores cannot be modified.

I want to purchase a core from you but am concerned about all the legal issues surrounding intellectual property. Can you guarantee that everything is covered legally?

We rigorously respect the rights of copyright holders by only using public domain information in the development of our IP products. We guarantee that we have done so in our license agreement with you, which reads "LICENSOR further represents and warrants that Intellectual Property is the original work of LICENSOR and its own licensors, and was developed without access to or knowledge of any third party confidential materials."

Patent issues are the responsibility of you the customer. CAST writes the model in software; it is the customer that actually builds the hardware that has the patent responsibility since the patent applies only to the hardware itself and not the description of it.

What is the file XXXXXXw.vhd that came with my core?

Our base cores are designed such that there are no bi-directional pins on the interface. A *w.vhd file is provided as a "tri-state wrapper" to "wrap" the base core and provide bi-directional pins. Additionally, historically some place and route tools may break apart buses (std_logic_vector) into separate bits. In these cases a *pw.vhd file may be provided as a "post-route wrapper" to collapse the bits so that the original CAST provided testbench can be used. This is generally a legacy item since most tools do currently output buses.

How can I use multiple EDIF files created from different third-party tools in the same Altera design?

Please refer to Altera's documentation on this. If this continues to be a problem CAST can deliver VQM files created by Altera’s tools.

What is the OpenCore™ program?

Altera's OpenCore program allows you to "test drive" a megafunction before purchase.

OpenCore functions are symbols with encrypted netlists that you can download. Before you can use the OpenCore you will need to send your Altera guard ID or NIC number to opencore@cast-inc.com to receive your authorization code.

You can compile the encrypted code in the Altera QuartusII™ development systems in order to get an idea of the fit, performance, and utilization of the core. Simulations are also possible, but only in Altera tools. After the "test drive," you can purchase the core and receive a license file that allows you to generate a programming file for the core. The license includes a feature line just like the QuartusII license. Append this feature line to the regular license file used to run the Quartus or MAX+PLUS II development systems to enable the programming file generation.

What is the OpenCorePlus™ program?

Since the OpenCore program does not allow the user much functionality Altera created the OpenCorePlus program. In this program the OpenCore will generate the required ROM files to actually go to hardware. The restriction is that after a certain time period (usually 1 – 2 hours) the core will freeze. It would need to be reloaded (usually by powering down the system) to run again. This gives the user a chance to see the core in action without having to purchase it.

The OpenCorePlus licenses are sent to qualifying customers only. They require time to create and so cannot be sent to the casual user who is not interested in the core, just wants to see it. For this customer, the OpenCore should be enough information.