Case Study: IN2P3 accelerates FPGA board design with Cadence Allegro FPGA System Planner

IN2P3 saves 1–2 months on FPGA design with Cadence

The National Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics (IN2P3) faced challenges in designing complex FPGA-based boards for particle physics experiments like the Large Hadron Collider. Manual processes for FPGA pin assignment, board layout, and component selection were too slow and error-prone, risking aggressive project deadlines. To enhance efficiency, they turned to Cadence's Allegro FPGA System Planner integrated with their existing Allegro design tools.

By implementing Cadence's Allegro FPGA System Planner, the teams automated FPGA-PCB co-design, enabling correct-by-construction pin assignment and rapid feasibility assessments. This solution saved one to two months of manual design effort per FPGA, allowed late design changes to be made in hours instead of weeks, and reduced board costs through optimized layouts. Cadence's tool provided a critical co-design capability, cutting project time by a month and giving IN2P3 the flexibility to efficiently upgrade systems for long-term experiments.

IN2P3