I've recently started working with bi-directional data transfer.

I wrote a simple Verilog module that takes an input in one clock cycle and returns a processed result (by adding one) after the bus turnaround.

module my_main_module(
    input sys_clock,
    inout [7:0] data_io
    );
    
    reg data_dir = 0; // 0: input, 1: output
    reg [7:0] data_reg;
    assign data_io = (data_dir) ? data_reg : 8'bz;
    
    reg [1:0] state = 0;
    always @(posedge sys_clock) begin
        case(state)
            0: begin // read data
                state <= 1;
                data_reg <= data_io + 1;
            end
            1: begin // bus turnaround
                state <= 2;
            end
            2: begin // write result
                state <= 3;
                data_dir <= 1; // set output
            end
            3: begin // bus turnaround
                state <= 0;
                data_dir <= 0; // tri-state, ready for next input
            end
        endcase
    end
endmodule

When using this module as the top module, everything works fine and the synthesised result is as expected.

However, when I try to use the Block Design editor, my bi-directional INOUT pins are not correctly forwarded.

It seems like the tri-state flag is never forwarded.

I also get this warning on all data pins

HPDR #1 Warning
Hierarchical port(pin) data_io[0] direction INOUT is not consistent with the directions of the cell pins/ports found at that level of the netlist hierarchy.
Please review the design and consider changing the port(pin) direction. Both drivers and loads were expected for the net (data_io[0]) connected to this Port, but both were not found.

I searched online and found that the Utility Buffer IP provides an explicit IOBUF implementation.

What makes this IP work correctly, while my module does not?