Prof Sandip Kundu ECE 353 Lab B (Part B – Verilog Design Approach)

ECE353: 2 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Class Information  If you missed the previous class Labs B and D Office hours Tu 10-11AM Or send for appointment Lecture notes and demo video posted online Check demo schedule and report due date Demo signup link is active Note: I am out of town this coming Tuesday, so no office hours Tuesday

ECE353: 3 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Recall What You Will Do  Design and implement a serial MIDI receiver Hardware in an Altera Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) MAX 7000S (part number EPM7064SLC44-10) Using ALTERA Quartus II software tools for synthesis Debug - functional simulation (wave forms) Debug of board - logic analyzer  Coding in Verilog  Next we look at Verilog design issues

ECE353: 4 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Design in Verilog  Acknowledgements Builds on an internal course at BlueRISC, 2009 Papers by Clifford Cummings – SNUG-2000  Please use slides and check links on the web for free Verilog references for refreshing your Verilog skills Many Verilog books also available for purchase, e.g., S Brown et al, “Fundamentals of Digital Logic with Verilog Design” J Lee, “Verilog Quickstart” …

ECE353: 5 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Hardware Design – Outline  How to Approach the Design Phase  Implementation with Verilog  Requirement for Functional Simulation  Summary

ECE353: 6 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Translating Abstract Algorithms to Hardware  Identify hardware functionality in algorithm  Divide and conquer Break into smaller ‘black-boxes’ when complicated Think also about performance – what you do in a clock period  Focus on the heart of the problem first  Stub-out all (or majority of) modules List inputs, outputs Write comments - how outputs can be generated from inputs

ECE353: 7 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Translating Abstract Algorithm to Hardware (contd.)  Implement one by one Control-first design is intuitive for ordering your work FSMs, state-based outputs, output generation logic Verification  Instantiate and wire together in top module

ECE353: 8 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Example for Breaking Up (Modules Next slide) This is an abstract Montgomery Multiplication algorithm. Here first we try to understand how to partition this into hardware functionality… thinking hardware vs. software

ECE353: 9 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Pieces Identified Implemented in Modules Courtesy BlueRISC Inc

ECE353: 10 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Stub-out – Start with Heart of the Problem

ECE353: 11 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Hardware Design – Outline  How to Approach Design Phase  Implementation with Verilog  Requirements for Functional Simulation  Summary

ECE353: 12 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu In Which Order – Data vs. Control?  Control first design flow (preferred) -State-machines -State-based outputs -Output generation logic -Verification

ECE353: 13 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu In Which Order – Data vs. Control (contd.)  Data first design flow -Output generation logic -State-based outputs -State machines -Verification

ECE353: 14 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Recall Modules  Defines ‘black- box’ piece of hardware  May be instantiated in other modules  Can instantiate other modules

ECE353: 15 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Blocks in Modules  always Commonly used, synthesizable Evaluated whenever a signal in sensitivity list changes in simulator Evaluated regardless of sensitivity list in actual hardware  initial Commonly used, non-synthesizable Useful for testbench creation Setting initial conditions else triggered by external events  forever Commonly used for generating clocks forever clk = #5 ~clk;

ECE353: 16 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Combinatorial vs. Sequential Blocks  Combinatorial Generate signals inside a clock period E.g., the next version of state_nxt, or signal_nxt (will see example shortly)  Sequential Latch signal values on clock edges E.g., signal <= signal_nxt;

ECE353: 17 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Basic Value Manipulations

ECE353: 18 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Mealy vs. Moore State Machines  Mealy - “event driven” -Next-state and Output depend on both current state and input  Moore - “state driven” -Next-state depends on both current state and input -Output depends only on current state

ECE353: 19 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Mealy State Machine

ECE353: 20 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Moore State Machine

ECE353: 21 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Style of Coding – Recommendation  Many considerations like the quality of expected/resulting synthesis but also ease of debugging  A good convention is to separate combinational and sequential blocks entirely No combinational code in the sequential block! Sequential block has mainly assignments to latch signals at clock edge or reset! E.g., state <= state_nxt signal <= signal_nxt This keeps your code easy to read and debug and avoids subtle flaws

ECE353: 22 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Coding Style: Block diagram, Module, and FSM Note: if more states, we would call “next” “state_nxt”

ECE353: 23 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu More on Variables in Hardware – Adder Example // sequential part, uses sum_out_nxt // Created in the above block from sum_out // See style followed! //Continuous assignment

ECE353: 24 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Continuous Assignment  E.g., assign data = …. in previous slide  Simplest of the high-level constructs  It is like a gate: it drives a value into a wire Left hand side is a wire  Automatically evaluated when any of the operands change  Combinational in nature

ECE353: 25 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Blocking vs. Non-Blocking Statements  First block non-blocking (NB) a,z updated after 5 time units  Second block blocking (B) Evaluated in order Total time 6 units Value of b toggles 3 times

ECE353: 26 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Coding Guidelines for B vs NB  Use NB in always blocks for sequential logic, e.g.,  Use B in always blocks for combinational logic  Otherwise pre-synthesis simulation might not match with that of synthesized circuit or has poor simulation performance // Good// Bad

ECE353: 27 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Example - Shift-Register in Verilog Incorrect implementation clk) begin shift_reg[2] = shift_reg[3]; shift_reg[1] = shift_reg[2]; shift_reg[0] = shift_reg[1]; end * ‘=‘ : Blocking Assignment * Value in shift_reg[3] will be assigned to shift_reg[0] directly Correct implementation clk) begin shift_reg[2] <= shift_reg[3]; shift_reg[1] <= shift_reg[2]; shift_reg[0] <= shift_reg[1]; End * ‘<=‘ : Non-Blocking Assignment * Updating will happen after capturing all right-side register values

ECE353: 28 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Hardware Design – Outline  How to Approach the Design Phase  Implementation with Verilog  Requirements for Functional Simulation  Summary

ECE353: 29 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Simulation  Simulation time not real No gate delays All evaluations happen same time Zero time for combinatorial logic Time is “stopped” when needed How to simulate accurately re: synthesis results?  REG_DELAY for sequential logic Register outputs are valid just after the clock edge Manual delay in simulation is inserted to mimic real world delay Illusion for passage of “time” in simulation

ECE353: 30 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Sensitivity Lists  Simulation depends on this list // simulation matches synthesis or b) out=a&b; // simulation fails to match synthesis when ‘a’ toggles out=a&b;  Consider that ‘a’ and ‘b’ are driven by independent logic (say, with different clocks). The flaw in the second block may give false positive for testing an implemented protocol when ‘a’ switches prior to ‘b’ and prior to evaluation of ‘out’ - likewise this may result in a false negative for otherwise good logic */  Synthesis does not depend on list Only exception is clock edges clk) if(reset)…else…

ECE353: 31 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Verilog Debugging  Testbenches Verilog code to exercise your logic  Waveforms Check signals and control-flow visually

ECE353: 32 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Hardware Design – Outline  How to Approach the Design Phase  Implementation with Verilog  Requirements for Functional Simulation  Summary

ECE353: 33 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Summary – Preferred Coding Style Reviewed  Partition into modules (Lab B may not require multiple)  Stub out all inputs and outputs and comment  Separate combinational block(s) from sequential block FSM is implemented in combinational block Next state is calculated in combinational block Output is calculated in combinational block Sequential block mainly contains simple latching assignments  Make sure you use NB statements in sequential and B in combinational blocks  Use intuitive names (signal, signal_nxt) and follow convention Remember this is hardware not software

ECE353: 34 Computer Systems Lab 1Moritz, Kundu Additional Information  Please consult course website  Also check deliverables for the Lab in the Lab review document