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vhdl: Definition and Recommended Links

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VHDL (VHSIC hardware description language) is commonly used as a design-entry language for field-programmable gate arrays and application-specific integrated circuits in electronic design automation of digital circuits.

VHDL was originally developed at the behest of the US Department of Defense in order to document the behavior of the ASICs that supplier companies were including in equipment. That is to say, VHDL was developed as an alternative to huge, complex manuals which were subject to implementation-specific details.

The idea of being able to simulate this documentation was so obviously attractive that logic simulators were developed that could read the VHDL files. The next step was the development of logic synthesis tools that read the VHDL, and output a definition of the physical implementation of the circuit. Modern synthesis tools can extract RAM, counter, and arithmetic blocks out of the code, and implement them according to what the user specifies. Thus, the same VHDL code could be synthesized differently for lowest area, lowest power consumption, highest clock speed, or other requirements.

Source: Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHDL

other great electronics sites:ee toolbox site

• • vhdl
    • VHDL (VHSIC hardware description language) is commonly used as a design-entry language for field-programmable gate arrays and application-specific integrated circuits in electronic design automation of digital circuits.

      VHDL was originally developed at the behest of the US Department of Defense in order to document the behavior of the ASICs that supplier companies were including in equipment. That is to say, VHDL was developed as an alternative to huge, complex manuals which were subject to implementation-specific details.

      The idea of being able to simulate this documentation was so obviously attractive that logic simulators were developed that could read the VHDL files. The next step was the development of logic synthesis tools that read the VHDL, and output a definition of the physical implementation of the circuit. Modern synthesis tools can extract RAM, counter, and arithmetic blocks out of the code, and implement them according to what the user specifies. Thus, the same VHDL code could be synthesized differently for lowest area, lowest power consumption, highest clock speed, or other requirements.

      Source: Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHDL

      (Note: The Electronic Engineers Toolbox provides an alternative set of featured links for this word at http://www.cera2.com/vhdl.htm)

      Featured Links:

      VHDL Verification Course

      Verification is an important part of any ASIC design cycle. It's important that complex designs are simulated fully before prototypes are built, as it's difficult to find bugs in silicon and going through additional layout cycles is costly and time consuming. VHDL is well suited for verification. This course is an introduction to VHDL verification techniques. It assumes some familiarity with VHDL.
      http://www.stefanvhdl.com/

      ADVance MS

      ADVance MS is a language-neutral, mixed-signal simulator that enables top-down design and bottom-up verification of multi-million gate analog/mixed-signal System-on-Chip designs.
      http://www.mentor.com

      The Hamburg VHDL archive

      A collection of free, i.e. public-domain or shareware, VHDL documentation, models, and tools.
      http://tech-www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/vhdl/

      EDA Industry Working Groups

      The Electronic Design Automation (EDA) and Electronic Computer-Aided Design (ECAD) one-stop standards resource. SystemVerilog : 3.0 LRM 3.1 LRM Basic and Design Committee Testbench and Enhancements C Interface Assertion. VHDL links
      http://www.eda.org/

      Aldec Releases Riviera-PRO 2008.06 HDL Simulator. Including New Assertions Waveform Viewer...

      Aldec, Inc., announced the release of Riviera-PRO 2008.06, a behavioral, structural and mixed HDL language simulator for multi-million gate ASIC and FPGA designs. Riviera-PRO 2008.06 includes Verilog® simulation performance enhancements, increased SystemVerilog support, seamless SystemC/C/C++ and HDL co-debugging in common environment and new support for SVA and PSL assertions in the Waveform Viewer. Riviera-PRO supports System Level...
      http://www.aldec.com

      VHDL @ Wikipedia

      VHDL, or VHSIC Hardware Description Language, is commonly used as a design-entry language for field-programmable gate arrays and application-specific integrated circuits in electronic design automation of digital circuits.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHDL

      FPGA Insiders' Guide

      Interested in FPGAs? FPGA makers like Xilinx or Altera, as well as board level providers and tools companies. FPGAs can be heaven or hell. This Insiders' Guide overviews the FPGA ecosystem, has survey results from real users, and interviews with leading vendors to help you figure out how to use FPGAs, boards, or tools to get your design done.
      http://www.fpga-report.org/

      John's VHDL FPGA Page

      1. VHDL - References and Tutorials: 2. FPGA Board Vendors: 3. FPGA Prototyping Boards I Use: 3.1 B3-Spartan2+ Board 3.2 Notes on modifying the B3-SRAM module 3.3 B5-X300-Spartan2e Board 3.4 ICST525-01 PLL Clock divider 3.5 Spartan 3 Starter Board 3.6 Spartan 3E Starter Board 3.7 XESS XSA-3S1000 3.8 Memec Design / Avnet V4FX12LC 4. FPGA Design Tools: 4.1 Xilinx Web Pack ISE: 4.2 Altera Quartus: 5. FPGA Projects for the B3...
      http://members.optushome.com.au/jekent/FPGA.htm

      ADiT

      ADVance MS is a language-neutral, mixed-signal simulator that enables top-down design and bottom-up verification of multi-million gate analog/mixed-signal System-on-Chip designs.
      http://www.mentor.com

      Designers' Guide to VHDL

      Doulos.com guide to VHDL - tutorial , faq style.
      http://www.doulos.com/knowhow/vhdl_designers_guide/

      Explanation: these links are provided as part of our EE glossary project, which seeks to identify the most prominent keywords in embedded systems, embedded software, realtime and rtos, dsp (digital signal processing), system-on-a-chip, microprocessors and microcontrollers, and other constituent elements for embedded systems. While we seek to keep most of the links up-to-date, the user is refered to other primary electronic-based search sites such as: cera2.com, embedded.com, or EDN Magazine. If you have any suggestions of links or definitions, please email!

Mark Twain quote for the day:

Man, do you know that this is simply mental & moral masturbation. It belongs eminently to the period usually devoted to physical masturbation & should be left there & outgrown. Will, you must forgive me, but I have not the slightest sympathy with what the world calls Sentiment- not the slightest.
- Letter to Will Bowen, 8/31/1876