Scribd
Upload
223 views

Tutorial 1

This document provides an overview of VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) and related topics. It defines various electronics abbreviations and defines VHDL as a hardware description language used to describe digital and mixed-signal systems. The document lists advantages of VHDL such as allowing behavioral modeling and verification of designs before synthesis. It also compares VHDL to Verilog and discusses the differences between software and hardware as well as between FPGAs, CPUs and GPUs.

Uploaded by

Xzk Khooi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
223 views

Tutorial 1

This document provides an overview of VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) and related topics. It defines various electronics abbreviations and defines VHDL as a hardware description language used to describe digital and mixed-signal systems. The document lists advantages of VHDL such as allowing behavioral modeling and verification of designs before synthesis. It also compares VHDL to Verilog and discusses the differences between software and hardware as well as between FPGAs, CPUs and GPUs.

Uploaded by

Xzk Khooi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Tutorial 1

WRES 1102: VHDL

1. Elaborate the following abbreviation (no explanation needed):


a. VHSIC Very High Speed Integrated Circuit
b. VHDL VHSIC Hardware Description Language
c. PLD Programmable Logic Device
d. SPLD Simple Programmable Logic Device
e. CPLD Complex Programmable Logic Device
f. FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array
g. VLSI Very Large Scale Integration
h. ULSI Ultra Large Scale Integration
i. ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
j. CLB Configurable Logic Block
k. LUT Lookup Table
l. PCB Printed Circuit Board
m. EDA Electronic Design Automation
n. OTP One Time Programmable
o. SRAM Static RAM
p. CMOS Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor
q. TTL Transistor-Transistor Logic
r. CAD Computer Aided Design
s. CAE Computer Aided Engineering
t. IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
u. DoD Department of Defense
v. IP Intellectual Property
w. SoC System-on-Chip
x. RTL Register Transfer Level

2. What is VHDL?
Hardware Description Language to describe digital and mixed signal systems
3. List down the advantages of VHDL?
Allows the behavior of the required system to be described (modeled) and
verified (simulated) before synthesis tools translate the design into real
hardware (gates and wires).
Increase productivity
Minimum cost and time
Reusability for new technology
Tool independence
4. What are differences between VHDL and Verilog?

VHDL Verilog

Data Types A multitude of language or user Very simple, easy to use and
defined data can be used very much geared towards
modeling hardware structure as
opposed to abstract hardware
modeling
Design Reusability Procedures and functions may be There is no concept of packages.
placed in a package so that they are Function and procedures used
available to any design unit that within a model must be defined
wishes to use them in the module.
Managing Large Configuration, generate, generic There are no statements that help
Design and package statements all help manage large designs
manage large design structures
Procedures & Allows concurrent procedure calls Does not allow concurrent task
Tasks calls
Libraries A library is a store for compiled There is no concept of library.
entities, architectures, packages This is due to its origins as an
and configurations. Useful for interpretive language.
managing design projects.

5. What is schematic? Explain why VHDL can overrule schematic design?

A schematic, or schematic diagram, is a representation of the elements of a system using


abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures. It usually omits all details that are
not relevant to the information the schematic is intended to convey, and may add
unrealistic elements that aid comprehension.

6. What is simulation & synthesis?

Simulation is the execution of a model in the software environment. This is done


using the ALDEC VHDL simulator. A test bench is a program whose purpose is to
verify that the behavior of our system is as expected. The test bench is used in
ALDEC to simulate our design by specifying the inputs into the system.
Synthesis is the process of translating a design description to another level of
abstraction, i.e, from behaviour to structure. We achieved synthesis by using a
Synthesis tool like Foundation Express which outputs a netlist. It is similar to the
compilation of a high level programming language like C into assembly code.

7. What are the differences between software & hardware?

Hardware: Devices that are required to store and execute (or run) the software.
Software: Collection of instructions that enables a user to interact with the
computer. Software is a program that enables a computer to perform a specific
task, as opposed to the physical components of the system (hardware).

8. What are the differences between FPGA, CPU and GPU?

CPUs offer high capacity at low latency.


GPUs have the highest per-pin bandwidth.
FPGAs are designed to be very general.

You might also like