VHDL Answers to Frequently asked Questions is a follow-up to the author's book VHDL Coding Styles and Methodologies (ISBN 0-7923-9598-0). On completion of his first book, the author continued teaching VHDL and actively participated in the comp. lang. vhdl newsgroup. During his experiences, he was enlightened by the many interesting issues and questions relating to VHDL and synthesis. These pertained to: misinterpretations in the use of the language; methods for writing error free, and simulation efficient, code for testbench designs and for synthesis; and general principles and guidelines for design verification. As a result of this wealth of public knowledge contributed by a large VHDL community, the author decided to act as a facilitator of this information by collecting different classes of VHDL issues, and by elaborating on these topics through complete simulatable examples. This book is intended for those who are seeking an enhanced proficiency in VHDL. Its target audience includes: 1. Engineers. The book addresses a set of problems commonly experienced by real users of VHDL. It provides practical explanations to the questions, and suggests practical solutions to the raised issues. It also includes packages to achieve common utilities, useful in the generation of debug code aDd testbench designs. These packages include conversions to strings (the IMAGE package), generation of Linear Feedback Shift Registers (LFSR), Multiple Input Shift Register (MISR), and random number generators.

Beginning in the mid 1980's, VLSI technology had begun to advance in two directions. Pushing the limit of integration, ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) represents the frontier of the semiconductor processing technology in the campaign to conquer the submicron realm. The application of ULSI, however, is at present largely confined in the area of memory designs, and as such, its impact on traditional, microprocessor-based system design is modest. If advancement in this direction is merely a natural extrapolation from the previous integration generations, then the rise of ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) is an unequivocal signal that a directional change in the discipline of system design is in effect. In contrast to ULSI, ASIC employs only well proven technology, and hence is usually at least one generation behind the most advanced processing technology. In spite of this apparent disadvantage, ASIC has become the mainstream of VLSI design and the technology base of numerous entrepreneurial opportunities ranging from PC clones to supercomputers. Unlike ULSI whose complexity can be hidden inside a memory chip or a standard component and thus can be accommodated by traditional system design methods, ASIC requires system designers to master a much larger body of knowledge spanning from processing technology and circuit techniques to architecture principles and algorithm characteristics. Integrating knowledge in these various areas has become the precondition for integrating devices and functions into an ASIC chip in a market-oriented environment. But knowledge is of two kinds.

This textbook provides a starter’s guide to VHDL. This book can be used in conjunction with a one-semester course in Digital Systems Design or on its own for designers who only need an introduction to the language. This book is designed to provide a bottoms-up approach to learning the VHDL language. This design supports a course in which foundational knowledge is covered before moving into advanced topics. However, this design also supports use as a reference manual.

VHDL Coding Styles and Methodologies, Edition is a follow up book to the first edition of same book and to VHDL Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, first and second editions. This book was originally written as a teaching tool for a VHDL training course. The author began writing the book because he could not find a practical and easy to read book that gave in depth coverage of both, the language and coding methodologies. This edition provides practical information on reusable software methodologies for the design of bus functional models for testbenches. It also provides guidelines in the use of VHDL for synthesis. All VHDL code described in the book is on a companion CD. The CD also includes the GNU toolsuite with EMACS language sensitive editor (with VHDL, Verilog, and other language templates), and TSHELL tools that emulate a Unix shell. Model Technology graciously included a timed evaluation version of ModelSim, a recognized industry standard VHDL/Verilog compiler and simulator that supports easy viewing of the models under analysis, along with many debug features. In addition, Synplicity included a timed version of Synplify, a very efficient, user friendly and easy to use FPGA synthesis tool. Synplify provides a user both the RTL and gate level views of the synthesized model, and a performance report of the design. Optimization mechanisms are provided in the tool.

Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are on the verge of revolutionizing digital signal processing. Novel FPGA families are replacing ASICs and PDSPs for front end digital signal processing algorithms more and more. The efficient implementation of these algorithms is the main goal of this book. It starts with an overview of today's FPGA technology, devices, and tools for designing state-of-the-art DSP systems. A case study in the first chapter is the basis for more than 30 design examples. The following chapters deal with computer arithmetic concepts, theory and the implementation of FIR and IIR filters, multirate digital signal processing systems, DFT and FFT algorithms, and advanced algorithms with high future potential. Each chapter contains exercises. The VERILOG source code and a glossary are given in the appendices. The accompanying CD-ROM contains the examples in VHDL and Verilog code as well as the newest Altera "Baseline" software.

This textbook introduces readers to the fundamental hardware used in modern computers. The only pre-requisite is algebra, so it can be taken by college freshman or sophomore students or even used in Advanced Placement courses in high school. This book presents both the classical approach to digital system design (i.e., pen and paper) in addition to the modern hardware description language (HDL) design approach (computer-based). This textbook enables readers to design digital systems using the modern HDL approach while ensuring they have a solid foundation of knowledge of the underlying hardware and theory of their designs.

From VHDL basics to sophisticated testbench coding

This textbook introduces readers to the fundamental hardware used in modern computers. The only pre-requisite is algebra, so it can be taken by college freshman or sophomore students or even used in Advanced Placement courses in high school. This book presents both the classical approach to digital system design (i.e., pen and paper) in addition to the modern hardware description language (HDL) design approach (computer-based). This textbook enables readers to design digital systems using the modern HDL approach while ensuring they have a solid foundation of knowledge of the underlying hardware and theory of their designs.

Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are revolutionizing digital signal processing as novel FPGA families are replacing ASICs and PDSPs for front-end digital signal processing algorithms. So the efficient implementation of these algorithms is critical and is the main goal of this book. It starts with an overview of today's FPGA technology, devices, and tools for designing state-of-the-art DSP systems. A case study in the first chapter is the basis for more than 30 design examples throughout. The following chapters deal with computer arithmetic concepts, theory and the implementation of FIR and IIR filters, multirate digital signal processing systems, DFT and FFT algorithms, and advanced algorithms with high future potential. Each chapter contains exercises. The VERILOG source code and a glossary are given in the appendices, while the accompanying CD-ROM contains the examples in VHDL and Verilog code as well as the newest Altera "Baseline" software. This edition has a new chapter on adaptive filters, new sections on division and floating point arithmetics, an up-date to the current Altera software, and some new exercises.

Hardware Design and Petri Nets presents a summary of the state of the art in the applications of Petri nets to designing digital systems and circuits. The area of hardware design has traditionally been a fertile field for research in concurrency and Petri nets. Many new ideas about modelling and analysis of concurrent systems, and Petri nets in particular, originated in theory of asynchronous digital circuits. Similarly, the theory and practice of digital circuit design have always recognized Petri nets as a powerful and easy-to-understand modelling tool..