Hardware Description Language (HDL)
What is the need for Hardware Description
Language?
Model, Represent, And Simulate Digital Hardware
Hardware Concurrency
Parallel Activity Flow
Semantics for Signal Value And Time
Special Constructs And Semantics
Edge Transitions
Propagation Delays
Timing Checks
VERILOG HDL
Basic Unit A module
Module
Describes the functionality of the design
States the input and output ports
Example: A Computer
Functionality: Perform user defined computations
I/O Ports: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Printer
Module
General definition
Example
module module_name ( port_list
);
port declarations;
variable declaration;
description of behavior
endmodule
module HalfAdder (A, B, Sum
Carry);
input A, B;
output Sum, Carry;
assign Sum = A ^ B;
//^ denotes XOR
assign Carry = A & B;
// & denotes AND
endmodule
Lexical Conventions
Comments
// Single line comment
/* Another single line comment */
/* Begins multi-line (block) comment
All text within is ignored
Line below ends multi-line comment
*/
Number
decimal, hex, octal, binary
unsized decimal form
size base form
include underlines, +,-
String
" Enclose between quotes on a single line"
4
Lexical Conventions (cont.)
Identifier
A ... Z
a ... z
0 ... 9
Underscore
Strings are limited to 1024 chars
First char of identifier must not be a digit
Keywords: See text.
Operators: See text.
Verilog is case sensitive
5
Description Styles
Structural: Logic is described in terms of Verilog
gate primitives
Example:
not n1(sel_n, sel);
and a1(sel_b, b, sel_b);
and a2(sel_a, a, sel);
or o1(out, sel_b, sel_a);
b
sel
n1
a1
sel_b
sel_n
o1
a
a2
out
sel_a
Description Styles (cont.)
Dataflow: Specify output signals in terms of input
signals
Example:
assign out = (sel & a) | (~sel & b);
b
sel
sel_b
sel_n
out
sel_a
a
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Description Styles (cont.)
Behavioral: Algorithmically specify the behavior
of the design
Example:
if (select == 0) begin
out = b;
end
else if (select == 1) begin
out = a;
a
end
b
Black Box
2x1 MUX
out
sel
8
Structural Modeling
Execution: Concurrent
Format (Primitive Gates):
and G2(Carry, A, B);
First parameter (Carry) Output
Other Inputs (A, B) - Inputs
Dataflow Modeling
Uses continuous assignment statement
Format: assign [ delay ] net = expression;
Example: assign sum = a ^ b;
Delay: Time duration between assignment from
RHS to LHS
All continuous assignment statements execute
concurrently
Order of the statement does not impact the design
10
Dataflow Modeling (cont.)
Delay can be introduced
Example: assign #2 sum = a ^ b;
#2 indicates 2 time-units
No delay specified : 0 (default)
Associate time-unit with physical time
`timescale time-unit/time-precision
Example: `timescale 1ns/100 ps
Timescale
`timescale 1ns/100ps
1 Time unit = 1 ns
Time precision is 100ps (0.1 ns)
10.512ns is interpreted as 10.5ns
11
Dataflow Modeling (cont.)
Example:
`timescale 1ns/100ps
module HalfAdder (A, B, Sum, Carry);
input A, B;
output Sum, Carry;
assign #3 Sum = A ^ B;
assign #6 Carry = A & B;
endmodule
12
Dataflow Modeling (cont.)
13
Behavioral Modeling
Example:
module mux_2x1(a, b, sel, out);
input a, a, sel;
output out;
always @(a or b or sel)
begin
if (sel == 1)
out = a;
else out = b;
end
endmodule
Sensitivity List
14
Behavioral Modeling (cont.)
always statement : Sequential Block
Sequential Block: All statements within the block
are executed sequentially
When is it executed?
Occurrence of an event in the sensitivity list
Event: Change in the logical value
Statements with a Sequential Block: Procedural
Assignments
Delay in Procedural Assignments
Inter-Statement Delay
Intra-Statement Delay
15
Behavioral Modeling (cont.)
Inter-Assignment Delay
Example:
Sum = A ^ B;
#2 Carry = A & B;
Delayed execution
Intra-Assignment Delay
Example:
Sum = A ^ B;
Carry = #2 A & B;
Delayed assignment
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Procedural Constructs
Two Procedural Constructs
initial Statement
always Statement
initial Statement : Executes only once
always Statement : Executes in a loop
Example:
initial begin
Sum = 0;
Carry = 0;
end
always @(A or B) begin
Sum = A ^ B;
Carry = A & B;
end
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Event Control
Event Control
Edge Triggered Event Control
Level Triggered Event Control
Edge Triggered Event Control
@ (posedge CLK) //Positive Edge of CLK
Curr_State = Next_state;
Level Triggered Event Control
@ (A or B) //change in values of A or B
Out = A & B;
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Loop Statements
Loop Statements
Repeat
While
For
Repeat Loop
Example:
repeat (Count)
sum = sum + 5;
If condition is a x or z it is treated as 0
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Loop Statements (cont.)
While Loop
Example:
while (Count < 10) begin
sum = sum + 5;
Count = Count +1;
end
If condition is a x or z it is treated as 0
For Loop
Example:
for (Count = 0; Count < 10; Count = Count + 1) begin
sum = sum + 5;
end
20
Conditional Statements
if Statement
Format:
if (condition)
procedural_statement
else if (condition)
procedural_statement
else
procedural_statement
Example:
if (Clk)
Q = 0;
else
Q = D;
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Conditional Statements (cont.)
Case Statement
Example 1:
case (X)
2b00: Y = A + B;
2b01: Y = A B;
2b10: Y = A / B;
endcase
Example 2:
case (3b101 << 2)
3b100: A = B + C;
4b0100: A = B C;
5b10100: A = B / C; //This statement is
executed
endcase
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Conditional Statements (cont.)
Variants of case Statements:
casex and casez
casez z is considered as a dont care
casex both x and z are considered as dont cares
Example:
casez (X)
2b1z: A = B + C;
2b11: A = B / C;
endcase
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Data Types
Net Types: Physical Connection between structural
elements
Register Type: Represents an abstract storage
element.
Default Values
Net Types : z
Register Type : x
Net Types: wire, tri, wor, trior, wand, triand,
supply0, supply1
Register Types : reg, integer, time, real, realtime
24
Data Types
Net Type: Wire
wire [ msb : lsb ] wire1, wire2,
Example
wire Reset; // A 1-bit wire
wire [6:0] Clear; // A 7-bit wire
Register Type: Reg
reg [ msb : lsb ] reg1, reg2,
Example
reg [ 3: 0 ] cla; // A 4-bit register
reg cla; // A 1-bit register
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Restrictions on Data Types
Data Flow and Structural Modeling
Can use only wire data type
Cannot use reg data type
Behavioral Modeling
Can use only reg data type (within initial and always
constructs)
Cannot use wire data type
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Memories
An array of registers
reg [ msb : lsb ] memory1 [ upper : lower ];
Example
reg [ 0 : 3 ] mem [ 0 : 63 ];
// An array of 64 4-bit registers
reg mem [ 0 : 4 ];
// An array of 5 1-bit registers
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Compiler Directives
`define (Similar to #define in C) used to define
global parameter
Example:
`define BUS_WIDTH 16
reg [ `BUS_WIDTH - 1 : 0 ] System_Bus;
`undef Removes the previously defined directive
Example:
`define BUS_WIDTH 16
reg [ `BUS_WIDTH - 1 : 0 ] System_Bus;
`undef BUS_WIDTH
28
Compiler Directives (cont.)
`include used to include another file
Example
`include ./fulladder.v
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System Tasks
Display tasks
$display : Displays the entire list at the time when
statement is encountered
$monitor : Whenever there is a change in any
argument, displays the entire list at end of time step
Simulation Control Task
$finish : makes the simulator to exit
$stop : suspends the simulation
Time
$time: gives the simulation
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Type of Port Connections
Connection by Position
parent_mod
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Type of Port Connections (cont.)
Connection by Name
parent_mod
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Empty Port Connections
If an input port of an instantiated module is empty,
the port is set to a value of z (high impedance).
module child_mod(In1, In2, Out1, Out2)
module parent_mod(.)
input In1;
input In2;
child_mod mod(A, ,Y1, Y2);
output Out1;
//Empty Input
output Out2;
endmodule
//behavior relating In1 and In2 to Out1
endmodule
If an output port of an instantiated module is left
empty, the port is considered to be unused.
module parent_mod(.)
child_mod mod(A, B, Y1, ); //Empty Output
endmodule
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Test Bench
`timescale 1ns/100ps
module Top;
reg PA, PB;
wire PSum, PCarry;
HalfAdder G1(PA, PB, PSum, PCarry);
initial begin: LABEL
reg [2:0] i;
for (i=0; i<4; i=i+1) begin
{PA, PB} = i;
#5 $display (PA=%b PB=%b PSum=
%b
PCarry=%b, PA, PB, PSum,
PCarry);
end // for
end // initial
endmodule
Test Bench
Apply Inputs
Design
Module
Observe Outputs
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Test Bench - Generating Stimulus
Example: A sequence of
values
initial begin
Clock = 0;
#50 Clock = 1;
#30 Clock = 0;
#20 Clock = 1;
end
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Test Bench - Generating Clock
Repetitive Signals (clock)
Clock
A Simple Solution:
wire Clock;
assign #10 Clock = ~ Clock
Caution:
Initial value of Clock (wire data
type) = z
~z = x and ~x = x
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Test Bench - Generating Clock (cont.)
Initialize the Clock signal
initial begin
Clock = 0;
end
Caution: Clock is of data type wire, cannot be used in an
initial statement
Solution:
reg Clock;
initial begin
Clock = 0;
forever loop can
end
also be used to
generate clock
always begin
#10 Clock = ~ Clock;
end
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