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Studio Session 1: Introduction to VHDL and related Tools
EE19D – 25/01/2005
Topic
Definitions Visual Introduction of VHDL using EVITA (
www.aldec.com) Getting started with Xilinx ISE Tool Simulation of VHDL Models with Moldelsim
Definition of an HDL
Def: A high level programming language used to model hardware.– special hardware related constructs– digital (now) and analog (near future)– models used for documentation, simulation,
synthesis, and test generation– have been extended to the system design level
Language Semantics
Semantics: what is the meaning of a language construct? HDLs have different semantics for different applications:
– Simulation– Synthesis– Test
In this course we will be concerned with simulation and synthesis semantics.
VHDL VHDL = VHSIC Hardware Description Language VHSIC = Very High Speed Integrated Circuit Program DOD began development in 1983
– design exchange among VHSIC contractors– document parts with long functional life
IEEE Standardization– Standardization process began in 1985– IEEE Standard 1076 in 1987– Updated in 1993
Significance of VHDL
VHDL provides a text based approach to structured hardware modeling and design.
Analogous to high level software languages such as PASCAL, C, C++, and JAVA.
An important tool in managing the complexity of VLSI systems.
Why Use VHDL?
Reason #1: it allows textual design representation
Reason #2: Ability to model at different levels of abstraction
Abstraction Levels
SYSTEM
CHIP
REGISTER
GATE
CIRCUIT
SILICON
SILICON LEVEL
CIRCUIT LEVEL
N
D
P
SV+
G
Vin Vout
DG
S Inverter
GATE LEVEL
S
Q
Q
R
Q
QR
S
Flip Flop
REGISTER LEVEL
Select
REG
REG
INC
MUX
CLK B
CLK A
CHIP LEVEL
µ
88
8
RAM
Par.Port
USART
Int.Con.
P
SYSTEM LEVEL
A/BComputer
IMU
C/D
RADAR
– VHDL Provides total modeling capability at the gate level, register level, and chip level.
– It can also be used in many applications at the: system level circuit level Switch level (gate-circuit hybrid)
VHDL supports very naturally the Design Decomposition process.
Structural
Decomposition
behavioralmodel
Reason #3: Design Decomposition
•VHDL can be used to validate design at a high level, thus detecting errors early in the design process
•Important, because finding errors later is expensive
Reason #4: Design Validation