The Synthesis Approach To Digital System Design

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.

A result of K.C. Chang's practical experience in both design and as an instructor, this book presents an integrated approach to digital design principles, processes, and implementations to help the reader design much more complex systems within a shorter design cycle. Many of the design techniques and considerations illustrated throughout the chapters are examples of viable designs.

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

Since the publication of the first edition, a new version of the VHDL standard has been agreed and analogue extensions to the language have also been adopted. The second edition of Digital System Design with VHDL includes additions in two important areas; sections on writing testbenches have been added to relevant chapters, and the addition of a new chapter on VHDL-AMS and mixed-signal modeling. The unique approach will be appreciated by undergraduates in Electronic Engineering and Computer Engineering in all years of their courses and by students undertaking postgraduate study. There is also a proven need from industry for graduates with knowledge of VHDL and the associated design tools and this book will be an asset to engineers who wish to continue their studies.

The Definitive, Up-to-Date Guide to Digital Design with SystemVerilog: Concepts, Techniques, and Code To design state-of-the-art digital hardware, engineers first specify functionality in a high-level Hardware Description Language (HDL)—and today’s most powerful, useful HDL is SystemVerilog, now an IEEE standard. Digital System Design with SystemVerilog is the first comprehensive introduction to both SystemVerilog and the contemporary digital hardware design techniques used with it. Building on the proven approach of his bestselling Digital System Design with VHDL, Mark Zwolinski covers everything engineers need to know to automate the entire design process with SystemVerilog—from modeling through functional simulation, synthesis, timing simulation, and verification. Zwolinski teaches through about a hundred and fifty practical examples, each with carefully detailed syntax and enough in-depth information to enable rapid hardware design and verification. All examples are available for download from the book's companion Web site, zwolinski.org. Coverage includes Using electronic design automation tools with programmable logic and ASIC technologies Essential principles of Boolean algebra and combinational logic design, with discussions of timing and hazards Core modeling techniques: combinational building blocks, buffers, decoders, encoders, multiplexers, adders, and parity checkers Sequential building blocks: latches, flip- flops, registers, counters, memory, and sequential multipliers Designing finite state machines: from ASM chart to D flip-flops, next state, and output logic Modeling interfaces and packages with SystemVerilog Designing testbenches: architecture, constrained random test generation, and assertion-based verification Describing RTL and FPGA synthesis models Understanding and implementing Design-for-Test Exploring anomalous behavior in asynchronous sequential circuits Performing Verilog-AMS and mixed-signal modeling Whatever your experience with digital design, older versions of Verilog, or VHDL, this book will help you discover SystemVerilog’s full power and use it to the fullest.

This book provides students with a system-level perspective and the tools they need to understand, analyze and design complete digital systems using Verilog. It goes beyond the design of simple combinational and sequential modules to show how such modules are used to build complete systems, reflecting digital design in the real world.

This volume contains the proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Field-Programmable Logic and Applications (FPL '94), held in Prague, Czech Republic in September 1994. The growing importance of field-programmable devices is substantiated by the remarkably high number of 116 submissions for FPL '94; from them, the revised versions of 40 full papers and 24 high-quality poster presentations were accepted for inclusion in this volume. Among the topics treated are: testing, layout, synthesis tools, compilation research and CAD, trade-offs and experience, innovations and smart applications, FPGA-based computer architectures, high-level design, prototyping and ASIC emulators, commercial devices, new tools, CCMs and HW/SW co-design, modelers, educational experience, and novel architectures.