ECE 4514

Digital Design II
Spring 2008
Lecture 21:
Functions and Tasks
A Language Lecture

Patrick Schaumont
ECE 4514 Digital Design II
Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Tasks and Functions

Help

with the reusability of writing code

module abc(...);

module abc(...);
map into a
single function
or task

call

endmodule
endmodule

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Tasks vs Functions
Tasks, as well as functions, are behavioral constructs.
They support expressions, if-then, case, loop statements
They are local to a module, and called from within
initial and always blocks.
Tasks

Functions

Can contain event control (@,

#, wait)

Cannot contain event control

(@, #, wait)

May execute in non-zero

simulation time

Must execute in zero simulation

time

Can have zero or more

arguments of type in, out, inout

Must have at least in input

argument, and has a single
output argument

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Functions
module andorgate(q, a, b);
output [1:0] q;
input
a, b;
function mygate;
input x, y;
input op;
case (op)
1'b0: mygate = x & y;
1'b1: mygate = x | y;
default: mygate = 1'b0;
endcase
endfunction
assign q[0] = mygate(a, b, 0); // and gate
assign q[1] = mygate(a, b, 1); // or gate
endmodule
ECE 4514 Digital Design II
Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Functions
module andorgate(q, a, b);
output [1:0] q;
input
a, b;
function mygate;
input x, y;
input op;
case (op)
1'b0: mygate = x & y;
1'b1: mygate = x | y;
default: mygate = 1'b0;
endcase
endfunction

op

mygate

assign q[0] = mygate(a, b, 0); // and gate

assign q[1] = mygate(a, b, 1); // or gate
endmodule
ECE 4514 Digital Design II
Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Functions
module andorgate(q, a, b);
output [1:0] q;
input
a, b;
function mygate;
input x, y;
input op;
case (op)
1'b0: mygate = x & y;
1'b1: mygate = x | y;
default: mygate = 1'b0;
endcase
endfunction

op

mygate

assign q[0] = mygate(a, b, 0); // and gate

assign q[1] = mygate(a, b, 1); // or gate
y op
x
endmodule
ECE 4514 Digital Design II
Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Functions
module andorgate(q, a, b);
output [1:0] q;
input
a, b;
function mygate;
input x, y;
input op;
case (op)
1'b0: mygate = x & y;
1'b1: mygate = x | y;
default: mygate = 1'b0;
endcase
endfunction

The logic is defined by

the function calls, not by
the function declaration

assign q[0] = mygate(a, b, 0); // and gate

assign q[1] = mygate(a, b, 1); // or gate
endmodule
ECE 4514 Digital Design II
Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Functions can have local variables (reg)

module addit(q, a, b, c);
output [1:0] q;
input [1:0] a, b, c;
function [1:0] myadd;
input [1:0] x, y, z;
reg [1:0] w;
begin
w
= x + y;
myadd = w + z;
end
endfunction

Two-bit output
Local variable

assign q = myadd(a, b, c);

endmodule

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Functions can have local variables (reg)

module addit(q, a, b, c);
output [1:0] q;
input [1:0] a, b, c;
function [1:0] myadd;
input [1:0] x, y, z;
reg [1:0] w;
begin
w
= x + y;
myadd = w + z;
end
endfunction
assign q = myadd(a, b, c);

Two-bit output
Local variable

w is shared across
all invocations of myadd
w is similar to a
static variable in C

endmodule

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Functions can access module (global) variables

module addit(q, a, b, c);
output [1:0] q;
input [1:0] a, b, c;
function [1:0] myadd;
input [1:0] x;
reg [1:0] w;
begin
w
= a + x;
myadd = w + c;
end
endfunction
assign q = myadd(c);

// will return c + a + c

endmodule

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Automatic Functions
module addit(q1, q2, a, b, c);
output [1:0] q1, q2;
input [1:0] a, b, c;
function automatic [1:0] myadd;
input [1:0] x, y, z;
reg [1:0] w;
begin
automatic ensures that
w
= x + y;
all local variables
myadd = w + z;
are truly local
end
endfunction
With automatic, each
invocation of myadd will
assign q1 = myadd(a, b, c);
use a different w
assign q2 = myadd(a, a, a);
endmodule

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Constant functions

Don't

create logic, but do compile-time calculations

module ram(address);
parameter ram_depth = 256;
localparam w = bits(ram_depth);
input [w-1:0] address;
function bits;
input [31:0] v;
for (bits = 0; v > 1; bits = bits - 1)
v = v >> 1;
endfunction
// ..
endmodule

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Example: Gray to Bin Conversion Function

Remember

Gray Code ?

 A gray code is a code where only 1 bit

flips per code word
3-bit gray code

How

000
001
011
010
110
111
101
100

do we build a gray-to-bin function?

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Example: Gray to Bin Conversion Function

Gray

It

to Bin should convert this:

IN

OUT

000
001
011
010
110
111
101
100

000
001
010
011
100
101
110
111

can be shown that

bin-bit i = xor-sum(gray-bit i .. gray-bit N)

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Example: Gray to Bin Conversion Function

Gray

It

to Bin should convert this:

IN

OUT

000
001
011
010
110
111
101
100

000
001
010
011
100
101
110
111

bit3 = gray3 = 1

can be shown that

bin-bit i = xor-sum(gray-bit i .. gray-bit N)

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Example: Gray to Bin Conversion Function

Gray

It

to Bin should convert this:

IN

OUT

000
001
011
010
110
111
101
100

000
001
010
011
100
101
110
111

bit3 = gray3 = 1
bit2 = gray3 xor gray2 = 1 xor 1 = 0

can be shown that

bin-bit i = xor-sum(gray-bit i .. gray-bit N)

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Example: Gray to Bin Conversion Function

Gray

It

to Bin should convert this:

IN

OUT

000
001
011
010
110
111
101
100

000
001
010
011
100
101
110
111

bit3 = gray3 = 1
bit2 = gray3 xor gray2 = 1 xor 1 = 0
bit1 = gray3 xor gray2 xor gray1
= 1 xor 1 xor 0 = 0

can be shown that

bin-bit i = xor-sum(gray-bit i .. gray-bit N)

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Example: Gray to Bin Conversion Function

Now

let's build the gray to bin function

function [2:0] gray_to_bin;

input [2:0] a;
reg
[2:0] q;
begin
q[2] = a[2];
q[1] = a[1] ^ a[2];
q[0] = a[0] ^ a[1] ^ a[2];
gray_to_bin = q;
end
endfunction

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Example: Gray to Bin Conversion Function

Cool.

Now let's use a loop to build the gray to bin

function

function [W:0] gray_to_bin;

input [W:0] a;
reg
[W:0] q;
begin

end
endfunction

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Example: Gray to Bin Conversion Function

Cool.

Now let's use a loop to build the gray to bin

function

function [W:0] gray_to_bin;

input [W:0] a;
reg
[W:0] q;
integer i;
begin
for (i=0; i<=W; i = i + 1)
q[i] = ^(a >> i);
gray_to_bin = q;
end
endfunction

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Tasks
module operation;
parameter delay = 5;
reg [7:0] a, b, c;
always @(a, b, c)
runtask(a, b, c);

// same as: #5 a = b + c;

task runtask;
output [7:0] x;
input [7:0] y, z;
begin
#delay x = y + z;
end
endtask
initial begin
#5 b = 0; c = 2;
#10 b = 8;
end
endmodule
ECE 4514 Digital
Design II
Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Tasks
module operation;
parameter delay = 5;
reg [7:0] a, b, c;
always @(a, b, c)
runtask(a, b, c);
task runtask;
output [7:0] x;
input [7:0] y, z;
begin
#delay x = y + z;
end
endtask
initial begin
#5 b = 0; c = 2;
#10 b = 8;
end
endmodule
ECE 4514 Digital
Design II
Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

// same as: #5 a = b + c;
These are not inputs/outputs
of the module, but links to the
variables of the module
b

runtask
operation
Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Tasks
module operation;
parameter delay = 5;
reg [7:0] a, b, c;
always @(a, b, c)
runtask(a, b, c);
task runtask;
output [7:0] x;
input [7:0] y, z;
begin
#delay x = y + z;
end
endtask
initial begin
#5 b = 0; c = 2;
#10 b = 8;
end
endmodule
ECE 4514 Digital
Design II
Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

// same as: #5 a = b + c;
Parameters, variables, etc
can be passed down from module
into a task
delay

runtask
operation
Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Tasks
module operation;
parameter delay = 5;
reg [7:0] a, b, c;
always @(a, b, c)
runtask(a, b, c);

// same as: #5 a = b + c;

task runtask;
output [7:0] x;
input [7:0] y, z;
begin
#delay x = y + z;
end
endtask
initial begin
#5 b = 0; c = 2;
#10 b = 8;
end
endmodule
ECE 4514 Digital
Design II
Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Tasks
module operation;
parameter delay = 5;
reg [7:0] a, b, c;
always @(a, b, c) begin
runtask(a, b, c);
#30 runtask(b, c, a);
end

The moment when a task

is ready to run is called
enabling a task

task runtask;
output [7:0] x;
input [7:0] y, z;
begin
#delay x = y + z;
end
endtask
initial begin
#5 b = 0; c = 2;
#10 b = 8;
end
ECE 4514 Digital Design II
Lecture 21:endmodule
Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Tasks
module operation;
parameter delay = 5;
reg [7:0] a, b, c;
always @(a, b, c) begin
runtask(a, b, c);
#30 runtask(b, c, a);
end
task runtask;
output [7:0] x;
input [7:0] y, z;
begin
#delay x = y + z;
end
endtask
initial begin
#5 b = 0; c = 2;
#10 b = 8;
end
ECE 4514 Digital Design II
Lecture 21:endmodule
Functions and Tasks

The moment when a task

is ready to run is called
enabling a task

wait on event a, b or c
enable runtask
do runtask

wait for #30

enable runtask
do runtask
Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008

Functions and Tasks Summary

Functions

and Tasks enable shorthand notations

within always and initial blocks

Functions

are single-output, and do not support event

control

Tasks

may have more then a single output, and may

have event-control statements

In

practice, only functions are used in synthesis

 shorthand for combinational logic

 calculation of compile-time constants

ECE 4514 Digital Design II

Lecture 21: Functions and Tasks

Patrick Schaumont
Spring 2008