Hardware Description Languages Languages used to describe hardware designs Can be used for synthesis or simulation Synthesis is manufacturing an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or mapping to a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Performance/Area/Power are a priority Simulation is for the purpose of checking functionality Simulation must match the real world In this class we are doing simulation, not synthesis
Procedural Design vs. Structural Design Hardware Design Procedural Design vs. Structural Design c = a + b f = d + e if (g) out = c; else out = f; Procedural design describes functionality as a sequence of steps. Structural design describes an interconnection of components. + a b d e out g
Structural Description, Modules module T_FF (q, clock, reset); . endmodule Represents a physical component, can be instantiated many times I/O ports declared at the top Typically represents a physical component Can be structurally connected to other components Cannot be invoked like a function
Instances TFF is instantated within ripple_carry_counter module ripple_carry_counter(q, clk, reset); output [3:0] q; input clk, reset; //4 instances of the module TFF are created. TFF tff0(q[0],clk, reset); TFF tff1(q[1],q[0], reset); TFF tff2(q[2],q[1], reset); TFF tff3(q[3],q[2], reset); endmodule module TFF(q, clk, reset); output q; input clk, reset; wire d; DFF dff0(q, d, clk, reset); not n1(d, q); endmodule TFF is instantated within ripple_carry_counter DFF and not are instantiated within TFF Structural interconnect is established through instantiation
Testbench (Stimulus Block) // Control the reset initial begin reset = 1'b1; #15 reset = 1'b0; #180 reset = 1'b1; #10 reset = 1'b0; #20 $stop; end // Monitor the outputs $monitor($time, " Output q = %d", q); endmodule module stimulus; reg clk; reg reset; wire[3:0] q; // instantiate the design block ripple_carry_counter r1(q, clk, reset); // Control the clock initial clk = 1'b0; always #5 clk = ~clk; The testbench generates the input stimulus Observation of data is often included in the testbench