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Altera Corporation
Introduction
LPM Features
The primary objective for the LPM is to enable architecture-independent 
design without sacrificing efficiency. The LPM meets the following key 
criteria:
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Architecture-independent design entry
functions during design entry and verification without specifying the 
target architecture. Design entry and simulation tools remain 
architecture-independent, relying on the synthesis or fitting tools to 
efficiently map the design to various architectures.
—Designers can work with LPM 
I
Efficient design mapping
architecture-independent designs without sacrificing efficiency. The 
IC vendor is responsible for the mapping of LPM functions; thus, 
optimum solutions are guaranteed. 
—The LPM allows designers to create 
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Tool-independent design entry
designs between EDA tools while maintaining a high-level logic 
description of the functions. For example, designers can use one 
vendor’s tool for logic synthesis and another vendor’s tool for logic 
simulation. 
—The LPM enables designers to migrate 
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Specification of a complete design
the digital logic for any design. Designers can create new functions 
with LPM functions.
—LPM functions completely specify 
LPM Functions
The LPM presently contains 25 functions. Despite its small size, the LPM 
can duplicate the functionality of other design libraries that contain many 
more functions; each function contains parameters that allow it to expand 
in many dimensions. For example, the 
user to create counters with widths ranging from 1 to 256 bits.
lpm_counter
 function allows the 
In addition to width, the user can specify the features and functionality of 
the counter. For example, parameters indicate whether the counter counts 
up or down, or loads synchronously or asynchronously. Thus, the single 
lpm_counter
 function can replace over thirty 74-series counters.