Over the past decade there has been a dramatic change in the role played by design automation for electronic systems. Ten years ago, integrated circuit (IC) designers were content to use the computer for circuit, logic, and limited amounts of high-level simulation, as well as for capturing the digitized mask layouts used for IC manufacture. The tools were only aids to design-the designer could always find a way to implement the chip or board manually if the tools failed or if they did not give acceptable results. Today, however, design technology plays an indispensable role in the design ofelectronic systems and is critical to achieving time-to-market, cost, and performance targets. In less than ten years, designers have come to rely on automatic or semi automatic CAD systems for the physical design ofcomplex ICs containing over a million transistors. In the past three years, practical logic synthesis systems that take into account both cost and performance have become a commercial reality and many designers have already relinquished control ofthe logic netlist level of design to automatic computer aids. To date, only in certain well-defined areas, especially digital signal process ing and telecommunications. have higher-level design methods and tools found significant success. However, the forces of time-to-market and growing system complexity will demand the broad-based adoption of high-level, automated methods and tools over the next few years.

Over the past decade there has been a dramatic change in the role played by design automation for electronic systems. Ten years ago, integrated circuit (IC) designers were content to use the computer for circuit, logic, and limited amounts of high-level simulation, as well as for capturing the digitized mask layouts used for IC manufacture. The tools were only aids to design-the designer could always find a way to implement the chip or board manually if the tools failed or if they did not give acceptable results. Today, however, design technology plays an indispensable role in the design ofelectronic systems and is critical to achieving time-to-market, cost, and performance targets. In less than ten years, designers have come to rely on automatic or semi automatic CAD systems for the physical design ofcomplex ICs containing over a million transistors. In the past three years, practical logic synthesis systems that take into account both cost and performance have become a commercial reality and many designers have already relinquished control ofthe logic netlist level of design to automatic computer aids. To date, only in certain well-defined areas, especially digital signal process ing and telecommunications. have higher-level design methods and tools found significant success. However, the forces of time-to-market and growing system complexity will demand the broad-based adoption of high-level, automated methods and tools over the next few years.

This book presents an integrated approach to digital design principles, processes, and implementations to help the reader design increasingly complex systems within shorter design cycles. It also introduces digital design concepts, VHDL coding, VHDL simulation, synthesis commands, and strategies together. · VHDL and Digital Circuit Primitives· VHDL Simulation and Synthesis Environment and Design Process· Basic Combinational Circuits· Basic Binary Arithmetic Circuits· Basic Sequential Circuits· Registers· Clock and Reset Circuits· Dual-Port RAM, FIFO, and DRAM Modeling· A Design Case Study: Finite Impulse Response Filter ASIC Design· A Design Case Study: A Microprogram Controller Design· Error Detection and Correction· Fixed-Point Multiplication· Fixed-Point Division· Floating-Point Arithmetic

Electronic systems based on digital principles are becoming ubiquitous. A good design approach to these systems is essential and a top-down methodology is favoured. Such an approach is vastly simplified by the use of computer modeling to describe the systems. VHDL is a formal language which allows a designer to model the behaviours and structure of a digital circuit on a computer before implementation. "Digital System Design with VHDL" is intended both for students on Digital Design courses and practitioners who would like to integrate digital design and VHDL synthesis in the workplace. Its unique approach combines the principles of digital design with a guide to the use of VHDL. Synthesis issues are discussed and practical guidelines are provided for improving simulation accuracy and performance. Features: a practical perspective is obtained by the inclusion of real-life examples an emphasis on software engineering practices encourages clear coding and adequate documentation of the process demonstrates the effects of particular coding styles on synthesis and simulation efficiency covers the major VHDL standards includes an appendix with examples in Verilog

This book is designed specifically to make the cutting-edge techniques of digital hardware design more accessible to those just entering the field. The text uses a simpler language (Verilog) and standardizes the methodology to the point where even novices can get medium complex designs through to gate-level simulation in a short period of time. Requires a working knowledge of computer organization, Unix, and X windows. Some knowledge of a programming language such as C or Java is desirable, but not necessary. Features a large number of worked examples and problems--from 100 to 100k gate equivalents--all synthesized and successfully verified by simulation at gate level using the VCS compiled simulator, the FPGA Compiler and Behavioral Compiler available from Synopsys, and the FPGA tool suites from Altera and Xilinx. Basic Language Constructs. Structural and Behavioral Specification. Simulation. Procedural Specification. Design Approaches for Single Modules. Validation of Single Modules. Finite State Machine Styles. Control-Point Writing Style. Managing Complexity--Large Designs. Improving Timing, Area, and Power. Design Compiler. Synthesis to Standard Cells. Synthesis to FPGA. Gate Level Simulation and Testing. Alternative Writing Styles. Mixed Technology Design. For anyone wanting an accessible, accelerated introduction to the cutting-edge tools for Digital Hardware Design.

The purpose of this book is to introduce VHSIC Hardware Description Lan guage (VHDL) and its use for synthesis. VHDL is a hardware description language which provides a means of specifying a digital system over different levels of abstraction. It supports behavior specification during the early stages of a design process and structural specification during the later implementation stages. VHDL was originally introduced as a hardware description language that per mitted the simulation of digital designs. It is now increasingly used for design specifications that are given as the input to synthesis tools which translate the specifications into netlists from which the physical systems can be built. One problem with this use of VHDL is that not all of its constructs are useful in synthesis. The specification of delay in signal assignments does not have a clear meaning in synthesis, where delays have already been determined by the im plementationtechnolo~y. VHDL has data-structures such as files and pointers, useful for simulation purposes but not for actual synthesis. As a result synthe sis tools accept only subsets of VHDL. This book tries to cover the synthesis aspect of VHDL, while keeping the simulation-specifics to a minimum. This book is suitable for working professionals as well as for graduate or under graduate study. Readers can view this book as a way to get acquainted with VHDL and how it can be used in modeling of digital designs.

This book presents an excellent collection of contributions addressing different aspects of high-level synthesis from both industry and academia. It includes an overview of available EDA tool solutions and their applicability to design problems.