543 - Do Lattice FPGAs support Spread-Spectrum Clocking (SSC)?

543 - Do Lattice FPGAs support Spread-Spectrum Clocking (SSC)?

There are two aspects to SSC support: SSC generation and SSC reception. Only the LatticeSC family provides SSC generation support. Refer to TN1099, "LatticeSC sysCLOCK PLL/DLL User’s Guide" for more information (search for "spread spectrum"). Regarding SSC reception, all Lattice FPGA families' PLLs can support SSC, as long as the SSC modulation on the incoming clock is below the PLL's cutoff frequency, and the small amount of jitter introduced by the SSC modulation is tolerable. Discussion of this topic is beyond the scope of this FAQ, but if the designer is informed of the design considerations necessary for SSC implementation, there should be sufficient information in the PLL specifications to determine if a particular SSC implementation is feasible.