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ac6 >> ac6-training >> Programming >> Programmable Logic >> VHDL Language Basics Download Catalog Download as PDF Write us Printable version

V1 VHDL Language Basics

FPGA Programming and Simulation with VHDL

formateur
Objectives
  • Comprehend the various possibilities offered by VHDL language
  • Discover the complete design flow
  • Understand the logical synthesis notions
  • Implementing combinational and sequential logic
  • Developing Finite State Machines
  • Learning how to write efficient test benches for simulation
  • Checking Timings
  • Reusing and configuring components
Course environment
  • Theoretical course
    • Course material (in English) in PDF and printed format
  • Practical activities
    • Practical activities represent from 40% to 50% of course duration
    • They allow to validate or deepen the knowledge obtained during the theoretical course
    • A PC in pairs
    • For Xilinx:
      • Xilinx Xilinx Vivado IDE
      • Nexys-3 (based on Xilinx Spartan6) or Nexys-4 (based on Xilinx Artix7) board
    • For Lattice :
      • Diamond with Synplify Pro and Active-HDL
      • ECP2 or MachXO board
    • For Actel :
      • Libero with Synplify Pro
      • ModelSim and Actel Fusion
  • At the start of each session, a period is devoted to an interaction between the trainees and the trainer to ensure the course fit their expectations and adapt it if needed
Prerequisites
  • Knowledge of digital technology
  • Concepts of Boolean algebra
  • Some programming concepts are desirable (whatever language)

First Day
From the logic gate to the FPGAs
  • Reminder on digital electronic
    • Combinational Logic
    • Sequential (Synchronous) Logic
  • Schematics / Hierarchical representation
  • Structure of an Integrated Circuit
    • SSI (small scale integration), TTL
    • MSI (medium scale integration), PALs, GALs, PLDs
    • LSI (large scale integration), CPLDs
    • VLSI (very large scale integration), ASICs, ASSPs, FPGAs
  • Development of logical architectures
  • Technology constraints
    • Interconnection methods (SRAM, Fuse, AntiFuse, Flash)
    • Clock distribution
    • Logic element types
    • Look Up Table
    • Basic logic cell
    • I/O modules
    • Timing issues
  • VHDL Contributions
    • Benefits of VHDL programming
    • The VHDL Design Flow
    • Programming
    • Simulation
    • Synthesis
    • Mapping
    • Place and Route
    • Timing Analysis
    • Bitstream generation
VHDL Basic concepts
  • The Entity / architecture concept
    • Entity declaration
    • Ports
    • Different styles of architecture
  • Libraries and context
    • The “work” library
  • Component instantiation
    • Port map
  • Simulation flow and environment
    • The Testbench
  • Getting started with the IDE
  • Creating a project from scratch
  • Synthesis / Translate / Map / Place and Route (PAR) /BitGen
  • Report Analysis
  • Assigning I/O locations using Planahead (editing constraint file)
  • Schematics Views
  • Analyzing the placement
  • Flashing with Impact
Exercise:  Understanding the steps of design and programming
Exercise:  Getting started with the simulator, waveform generation and analysis
Second Day
VHDL Syntax
  • Lexical items
    • Comments
    • Identifiers and keywords
    • Characters, Strings, Numbers, Bit strings
  • Constants
  • Signals
  • Variables and aliases
  • Data types
    • Scalar types:
    • Integer
    • Real
    • Enumerated type
    • Physical types
    • Composite types:
    • Array
    • Record
    • Special types
  • Library and Packages
    • Standard package
    • IEEE packages
    • Std_logic_1164 package
    • Multi-valued types
    • Multi-driver and resolved types
    • Numeric types
  • Type conversion
  • Aggregates
  • Attributes
    • Type attributes
    • Signal attributes
Exercise:  Importing a predefined hardware definition in the project, instantiating a component
Combinational logic in VHDL - 1st part
  • Concurrent instructions
    • Component instantiation
    • Signal affectation
    • Simple affectation
    • With… Select… When statement
    • When… Else statement
    • Unaffected keyword
    • Variable aggregates
    • Relational operators
    • Arithmetic operators
    • Concatenation / Slicing
Exercise:  Coding, simulating and synthesizing a bounds enforcer
Exercise:  Designing a 7-segment decoder
Exercise:  Designing a 4-bit adder
Third Day
Combinational logic in VHDL - 2nd part
  • Sequential instructions
    • Processes
    • Sensitivity list, Wait statement
    • Potential interpretation incoherencies between logical synthesis and simulation
    • Signal affectation
    • Transparent Latch
    • Use of variables
    • If… Then… Else statement
    • Case… When statement
    • Null statement
    • Iterative statements:
    • For loop
    • While loop
    • Conditional Iteration
  • Numeric_std / Numeric_bit packages
    • Defined Types and Operators
    • Conversion functions
  • Ambiguity about the types and the « use » clause
Exercise:  Coding, simulating and synthesizing a bounds enforcer
Exercise:  Designing a 7-segment decoder
Exercise:  Designing a 4-bit adder
Synchronous logic in VHDL
  • Limits of asynchronous designs
  • Synchronous Design, Registers and Timing
  • Pipeline notion
  • D Flip-flop description
  • Use of Variable for synchronous process
    • Variable Synthesis
  • Reset and Set management
  • Clock Enable
  • Tri-state buffers description
  • Synchronous design methodology
  • Memory Synthesis
    • Asynchronous RAM
    • Synchronous RAM
  • Single port
  • Double port
  • Pipelined
    • ROM
    • IP generator introduction
Exercise:  Designing a counter/decounter
Exercise:  Designing a FIFO
Fourth Day
Hierarchical Design
  • Hierarchical division
  • Analysis and Elaboration
  • Components and Configurations
    • Components
    • Configuring components instances
    • Direct instantiation
    • Basic configurations
    • Configuration declaration
    • Default binding
    • Configuration specification
  • Port map and Generic map
    • Genericity and automatic configuration of re-usable modules
  • Packages
    • Package Declarations
    • Package Bodies
    • Using package
  • Libraries
Exercise:  Designing a generic 4-digits BCD-counter and displaying it on a 7-segment display
Exercise:  Enhancing a 4-bit BCD-counter/decounter to create a generic one
Exercise:  Working with configurations
Exercise:  Designing a n digits BCD-counter/decounter and displaying it on a 7-segment display
Synthesis and Testbenches
  • Synthesis
    • Syntactic and Semantic Restriction
    • Creating synthesizable Designs
    • Inferring Hardware elements
    • Initialization and Reset
    • Pragmas
  • Testbenches
    • A few basic rules for the writing of an efficient test bench
    • Potential incoherencies between logical synthesis and simulation: how to avoid it
    • VHDL instructions specific to simulation
    • Testbench with File I/O
Exercise:  Designing and testing a logical address decoder
Exercise:  Simulation of sequential processes
Exercise:  Advanced simulation techniques Text files