Various techniques are provided to efficiently implement user designs in programmable logic devices (PLDs). In one example, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a design identifying operations to be performed by a PLD and synthesizing the design into a plurality of PLD components. The synthesizing includes detecting a mixed-mode memory operation in the design. The mixed-mode memory operation specifies memory access having different read and write data widths using a plurality of embedded memory blocks each having a fixed data width. The synthesizing further includes determining a reduced number of embedded memory blocks to implement the mixed-mode memory operation, and modifying the mixed-mode memory operation to remap the memory access to the reduced number of embedded memory blocks.
